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submitted 2 months ago by moe90@feddit.nl to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] embed_me@programming.dev 10 points 2 months ago

Is it actually usable? I never owned one

[-] olosta@lemmy.world 31 points 2 months ago

Used one for a few years and I loved it:

  • it's precise, you can really aim small UI elements
  • It is paired with actual buttons, index on the nub and thumb on the buttons, so no weird gestures to right click
  • It is very quick to switch from keyboard to mouse, your hands nearly don't move

But, there's no mouse wheel or scroll gesture and maintaining pressure on the nub is maybe more tiring than a trackpad.

[-] elliot_crane@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Back when I was in high school, we had a shared pool of laptops stored in the library, and our teachers would reserve the library space for days when we were supposed to be working on laptops. My district had a bunch of Dells with the nipple mouse. To this day I still think it’s probably the most convenient and precise input device I’ve ever used.

[-] Arbiter@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

I use a mechanical keyboard with one on my desktop, I actually use it quite a lot.

[-] xapr@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 months ago

That sounds awesome! Is it a Unicomp EnduraPro or is there some other option?

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

TEX out of Taiwan makes a few.

[-] xapr@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 months ago

Awesome, thanks!

[-] xapr@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 2 months ago

I think it works fantastically well. I personally like it much better than a touchpad. It lets me move the pointer without taking my hands away from typing home position.

[-] NateNate60@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

It's not just for decoration. You can use it as a legitimate pointing device. Nudging it will move the mouse cursor and tapping it with your fingernail is clicking.

It takes some getting used to but you can definitely use it for normal office tasks if you wanted to. That being said, I still personally prefer a mouse. But I have known some people who like using the nipple.

[-] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 6 points 2 months ago

It’s fine. Takes some time to get used to. Some people really love it, but I don’t think it’s that great.

[-] sem 2 points 2 months ago

I can never get mine to go where I want first try, and sometimes the pointer drifts on its own after I take my finger off.

[-] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 3 points 2 months ago

The best I can do, is to steer it slowly. For me, it’s always been the inferior option when compared to a regular touchpad.

Although, I do se the benefit of the central positioning when you need to type more and you don’t want to move your fingers from the home row just to click something quickly.

[-] sem 3 points 2 months ago

Maybe the IBM touch points were better. I could see the Lenovo ones being mostly for show / plausible deniability.

[-] Chozo@fedia.io 3 points 2 months ago

It feels a lot like using a game controller to control your mouse, if you've ever used Joy2Key or similar programs.

[-] Engywuck@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago

Dunno. I have one on my semifake E580 and I just used it to check if it works. It's a bit awkward for me.

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Oh yeah.

It isn't a dealbreaker for me, but it really is nice. It takes getting used to, but it cuts down on the need to move to the touchpad or mouse. If you're working in tight quarters, or have mobility issues, or hand issues, it can end up being a major improvement. It's a ymmv thing of course, but I end up using it more than I thought I would when writing.

this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2025
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