Jigsaw jams too often

[clare]

There are other manufactureres that use a trackpoint typee device - but none that work as well and as consistently as the Lenovo ThinkPad version.

[Puckdropper]

[e-mail] wrote in news:96hujb12m53ajaen6su1t44514jqbacdp5@

4ax.com:

Do any names come to mind? I don't know what I'd do if I had to go back to that tortorous (sp?) touchpad. I'm just keeping my eyes open for when this machine needs replaced.

Puckdropper

[clare]

Replace with another Lenovo - but I've had Acer and Toshibas with the swizzle stick, as well as my firs laptop - a 3 letter name I can't remember at the moment.

[clare]

The crappy HP Elitebook, some NEC and Samsung, Fujitsu, some Del Latitude, some Toshiba and soime Acer use a "track stick" type device in the center of the keyboard.

My first laptop - an AST had the track-stick interface as well.

[FrozenNorth]

I just use an external USB wired mouse, I hate the trackpad too. Problem is around here anyway most external mice are going wireless in terms of general availability, they eat batteries for lunch.

[clare]

Good wireless mice are good for over a month on a battery

[Swingman]

I use Logitech's by choice and they are routinely good for over a year, and the newer one (M705) has an expected 3 year expected.

Only time will tell ...

[krw]

Don't know about best but it's a *hell* of a lot better than the pad. BTW, my work Dell has a track stick.

The old buckling spring keyboard puts everything else to shame. I used one at work for over fifteen years. I think the one I have here is about that old, too.

[krw]

I have Bluetooth mice for all of my computers. The little portable mouse I have for my laptop and tablet is OK, as long as I'm working at a desk. It doesn't work on soft surfaces (the buttons are on the bottom).

[John McCoy]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I don't know that it was inevitable - B&D has owned DeWalt for eons - but since B&D has chosen to make DeWalt their main brand in Home Depot and Lowes maybe 15 years ago, they have definately moved more to the consumer side of the scale.

I am reminded that a long time ago, like early 90s, there was an ex-B&D engineer in the group. He said B&D tools were designed for 9 hours lifetime - because the average homeowner used the tool for 10 or 15 minutes at a time, 4 or 5 times a year, and a

9 hour life was plenty for that market.

I don't think DeWalt tools are quite to that point.

John

[clare]

B&D took over DeWalt in 1960 - earlier than I had thought - and moved all power tool production off-shore about 2002. In 1992 B&D started rebranding all their "pro quality" tools to DeWalt. It was about this time we saw the deWalt line starting downhill. In 2004 they bought PorterCable.

yet.

[Puckdropper]

FrozenNorth wrote in news:nhnq5u$js4$ [e-mail]:

I used to carry a wired mouse with me. I have several old IBM (fantastic quality) mice, and used a PS/2 to USB adapter with them. (It has to be an "active" or "smart" adapter and not just a wired through like some switchable mouses included.) Once I got the trackpoint, I quit carrying and using the mouse.

Puckdropper

[Puckdropper]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks, good to see they're out there. I want to evangelize these things when I can, other than the learning curve (which is really quite short) they're better in every way than the trackpads. Plus, my mouse cursor doesn't go flying and randomly click on things as I type.

I was playing with Linux on an iBook and the cursor went flying as I was typing. Annoying.

Btw, has anyone got experience with Linux on the PowerPC processor? I'm running MintPPC, based on Debian. Trouble is, I can't build anything because of an error I can't find any information on. Yeah, I know this is kinda like smoothing with an ax: Possible and even sometimes does pretty good but just not very common. Oh well, just thought I'd toss it out...

Puckdropper

[Leon]

Actually a good mouse and or in my case a good track ball, Logitech M570, the battery lasts well over a year.. Probably closer to 2 years.

[J. Clarke]

I used to feel that way, but my company-issue machine is an HP that is actually quite nice.

[J. Clarke]

Some HP Elitebook models have a Trackpoint, or a reasonable facsimile therof.

[clare]

Depends how much it is used - nbut yes, a month is a very short time. If a user is mousing heavily 8 hours a day, not too many will last a year. At one customer's office they run rechargweable AAA batteries in the mice - with 2 sets on the charger circulatinf every couple of months.