Pointing Stick - Comparison With Touchpads

Comparison With Touchpads

The pointing stick can be used in ultra-compact netbooks (see Sony Vaio P, for example) where there would be no place for a touchpad.

The pointing stick is positioned such that the hands do not need to be removed from the home row to manipulate the mouse pointer.

Some users claim it is easier to finely position the pointer than when using a touchpad because there is virtually no "dead zone". Some users feel that pointing sticks cause less wrist strain, because user does not need to avoid resting wrists on a touchpad, usually located just below the keyboard. Some people find them more appealing for mobile gaming than a touchpad, because the track-point allows infinite movement without repositioning.

One criticism is that because the pointing stick depends on the user applying pressure, it can cause hand cramps (although this can be partly solved by setting the sensitivity to high, and lifting the finger when the pointer is not being moved). Another criticism is that it stresses the index finger and may lead to repetitive strain injury. In addition, a finger slipping off of the stick can lead to accidental pressing of one or more keys in immediate proximity.

A number of ergonomic studies to compare trackpoint and touchpad performance have been performed. Most studies find that touchpad is slightly faster; one study found that "the touchpad was operated 15% faster than the trackpoint." Another study found that average object selection time was faster with a touchpad, 1.7 sec compared to 2.2 sec with a trackpoint, and object manipulation took 6.2 sec with a touchpad, on average, against 8.1 sec with trackpoint.