Trackpoint for Librem 13/15

Hi,

is there any hope you will release a Librem 13/15 with a trackpoint?
The missing trackpoint is honestly the only thing that keeps me from buying a Librem right now.

Thanks

Anon

6 Likes

I would like to second this request.

Lenovo ThinkPad machines are all I’ll buy because of the excellent TrackPoint

4 Likes

Nope, I wouldn’t run for a button in the middle of the keyboard.

It severely impacts the availability of foreign keyboard layouts, especially Dvorak.

And there is always a time when you hit that button instead of the intended nearby key.
All my laptop coming with that feature underwent deep surgery te remove the horrid appendice and leave a hole in its place.

And I don’t even talk about the impossible sensitivity of the thing. IMHO you have better control with a mouse/trackball/touchpad.

T.

1 Like

It severely impacts the availability of foreign keyboard layouts, especially Dvorak.

  • Fair enough. Might be.

And there is always a time when you hit that button instead of the intended nearby key.

  • Since the trackpoint is located between(!) the keys, no you can not hit it instead of some other key. Because there was no other key in the first place. You simple misplaced your finger.

And I don’t even talk about the impossible sensitivity of the thing. IMHO you have better control with a mouse/trackball/touchpad.

  • My Post was not a request for discussion if one prefers a touchpad over a trackpoint or whatever. It was a simple question if there might be a version with a trackpoint in the future.
    Obviously the current Librem has a touchpad. So no reason really to jump in here and give an answer or more an opinion that doesn’t add to the question at all.

Anyways… I bought a Lenovo x250. I would have loved to support the ideas and goals behind the Librem (and still would love to in the future). But with the nearly nonexisting information policy (at least in this forum), I pass for now.
Maybe next time.

Have a nice day

2 Likes

Since the last “We updated our FAQ — Here’s why it matters” blog post and the promise “[…]No longer will your emails, posts, and questions go unanswered.”

I thought I would bump this one to see if it gets any attention…

2 Likes

Hi Anon. Since this is an old topic, I missed it, I’m sorry for this.

Short answer: No, we wont have trackpoint on our Laptops in near future.

3 Likes

Sad to hear that. :frowning:

But thanks for answering.

Nevertheless keep up the good work!

3 Likes

If you read the reviews online, you’ll see that trackpoint is one of the top thing people want. I can see the reviews right now both in English and French.
I think you should at least give people the option of choosing a keyboard with a trackpoint that costs extra. I’m willing to wager that the majority of the people who actually are looking for this kind of laptop, already have a Thinkpad.

4 Likes

Anon, we understand this, and perhaps we’ll consider it for some next device, in the future. Like I’ve said before, we won’t add this for our current devices.

3 Likes

Hello, are there any news on this ? Has the hardware development team changed its mind since then ?

I’ll echo what Anon has said above : a lot of people looking into “exotic” laptops such as the Librems are probable Thinkpad users, most of whom value dearly the trackpoint.

I’m one of those. My go-to computers used to be Thinkpads, except Lenovo has completely trashed this brand. Especially the keyboard. So it has become a no-go and I likely won’t buy anything from them anymore. That’s why I looked for alternatives and stumbled upon Librems : good spirit and good ideas but the keyboard/trackpad are show stoppers.

I’d gladly pay something like 150€ more just for the option of fitting a Librem 13 with a non-chiclet, 7 row, trackpoint keyboard. (Bonus if the trackpad was completely absent.) Basically a traditional Thinkpad keyboard. That’s really the blueprint.

Once you’re done with the upcoming Librem 5, you should seriously think about reproducing the legacy Thinkpad keyboard (pre-2013 - up until the X220 & T420). I think a few key patents have already expired. Also HP / Dell / Sony featured similar layouts with trackpoints back in the day - though those were inferior implementations.

Thanks for reading my suggestion.

2 Likes

Just thought I’d chime in on this to voice my support for a Librem 13 laptop with Trackpoint. I have to say that the current version looks very nice and offers plenty of connectivity (which is severly lacking in the market nowadays) and the stance on an open system really is important to me. Just one thing that really keeps me from getting this laptop: the Trackpoint.

Call me crazy, but I do literally sell my soul for a Trackpoint.

If there was a way to connect an existing IBM/Lenovo spare part/keyboard to the Librem mainboard, I would be very happy.

For the time being, I’m stuck with an X201 that’s turning 7 years old, simply because no newer laptops actually offer an upgrade path, something is always missing.

3 Likes

I’m here because of the Librem 5 phone. I’m not interested in the laptops as long as they don’t have a trackpoint.

I’m on a Lenovo X61s as it is the latest laptop having

  • trackpoint
  • no touchpad
  • non-glossy 4:3 screen

It has more than enough power for Linux running XFCE. I might even consider going back to X60 as this is supported by libreboot as I just learned.

1 Like

Hi there Purism Team, I just want to add that I too would very much like to have a trackpoint option for your keyboard, if you add that I am totally sold into buying one. That trackpoint thing on my Lenovo adds so much efficiency in working with my notebook I would really miss it.
So please I totally love your spirit about community and open source and good working conditions for the factory workers and all of that ( I also became on of the backers for the phone ) And probably I will buy one of your notebooks anyhow. But a trackpoint would be such a huge improvement so PLEEEAASSEEEEE give me that trackpoint option ( or I will continue spamming your forum with posts until you add one )

Kind regards !

2 Likes

I would really love a trackpoint too, as I’m used to it on my work laptop (which is a Thinkpad, as you guessed). Would it be a great increase in laptop costs?

Please, don’t :slight_smile:

1 Like

Why don’t Librem team start a croudfunding for trackpoint modification for their laptop? it’s like replacement of only one part of the laptop(keyboard and trackpoint top of the case) shouldn’t be too expensive or hard to do.

So, why don’t we vote or sign a petition or something, just to give them understanding of how many people there is?

1 Like

I just signed up to say that the only reason I haven’t bought one of these yet is because it doesn’t have a track point.
Please consider adding one. I will pay extra.

1 Like

Longtime Thinkpad User here - also just signed up to say the missing track point is the only thing preventing me to buy a purism notebook. Does someone know of a good hw modding tutorial to fit a purism into a thinkpad case?

2 Likes

Hello,

I just made an account in order to chime in and to say, that I would like to support purism and would absolutely like to buy a portable 15" laptop but only if it had a centred keyboard, a trackpoint, typing comfort at least as good as on the ThinkPad X1E and a screen that would allow working outside. 64 GB would be nice for me, though I could maybe do without (current one has 64GB and there are moments when I need it).

But the most important is the keyboard and the screen - please provide it, maybe as an option. There are people who would be ready to pay extra.

1 Like

why would you want a trackpoint on the librem laptop itself when you could do much better on an external keyboard that is built 100% on free software (firmware included)

I also would like to see option to add keyboard with TrackPoint. As many of you, I’m hard ThinkPads user and I stick to TrackPoint. I have Librem laptops on the radar for few years already, but without TrakPoint it’s not a product for me.

1 Like