<s>
A	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
(	O
or	O
trackpoint	B-Device
,	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
generically	O
as	O
a	O
nub	O
or	O
nipple	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
small	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
used	O
as	O
a	O
pointing	B-Device
device	I-Device
typically	O
mounted	O
centrally	O
in	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
keyboard	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
other	O
pointing	B-Device
devices	I-Device
such	O
as	O
mice	B-Device
,	O
touchpads	B-Application
or	O
trackballs	B-Device
,	O
operating	O
system	O
software	O
translates	O
manipulation	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
into	O
movements	O
of	O
the	O
pointer	O
or	O
cursor	B-Application
on	O
the	O
monitor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
other	O
pointing	B-Device
devices	I-Device
,	O
it	O
reacts	O
to	O
sustained	O
force	O
or	O
strain	O
rather	O
than	O
to	O
gross	O
movement	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
is	O
called	O
an	O
"	O
isometric	O
"	O
pointing	B-Device
device	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
IBM	O
introduced	O
it	O
commercially	O
in	O
1992	O
on	O
its	O
laptops	B-Device
under	O
the	O
name	O
"	O
TrackPoint	B-Device
"	O
,	O
patented	O
in	O
1997	O
(	O
patent	O
expired	O
in	O
2017	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
senses	O
applied	O
force	O
by	O
using	O
two	O
pairs	O
of	O
resistive	O
strain	B-Algorithm
gauges	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
can	O
be	O
used	O
by	O
pushing	O
with	O
the	O
fingers	O
in	O
the	O
general	O
direction	O
the	O
user	O
wants	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
to	O
move	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
relation	O
between	O
pressure	O
and	O
cursor	B-Application
or	O
pointer	O
speed	O
can	O
be	O
adjusted	O
,	O
just	O
as	O
mouse	O
speed	O
is	O
adjusted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
a	O
QWERTY	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
the	O
stick	O
is	O
typically	O
embedded	O
between	O
the	O
G	O
,	O
H	O
and	O
B	O
keys	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
mouse	O
buttons	O
are	O
placed	O
just	O
below	O
the	O
space	B-Device
bar	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mouse	O
buttons	O
can	O
be	O
operated	O
right-handed	O
or	O
left-handed	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
placement	O
below	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
along	O
the	O
centerline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
pointing	B-Device
device	I-Device
has	O
also	O
appeared	O
next	O
to	O
screens	O
on	O
compact-sized	O
laptops	B-Device
such	O
as	O
the	O
Toshiba	B-Device
Libretto	I-Device
and	O
Sony	B-Device
VAIO	I-Device
UX	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pointing	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
typically	O
have	O
a	O
replaceable	O
rubber	O
cap	O
,	O
called	O
a	O
nub	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
a	O
slightly	O
rough	O
"	O
eraser	O
head	O
"	O
material	O
or	O
another	O
shape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cap	O
is	O
red	O
on	O
ThinkPads	B-Operating_System
,	O
but	O
is	O
also	O
found	O
in	O
other	O
colors	O
on	O
other	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
it	O
may	O
be	O
gray	O
,	O
pink	O
,	O
black	O
or	O
blue	O
on	O
some	O
Dell	O
models	O
,	O
blue	O
on	O
some	O
HP/Compaq	O
laptops	B-Device
,	O
and	O
green	O
or	O
gray	O
on	O
most	O
Toshiba	O
laptops	B-Device
produced	O
before	O
the	O
2000s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Button	O
configurations	O
vary	O
depending	O
on	O
vendor	O
and	O
laptop	B-Device
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ThinkPads	B-Operating_System
have	O
a	O
prominent	O
middle	O
mouse	O
button	O
,	O
but	O
some	O
models	O
have	O
no	O
physical	O
buttons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
Zenith	O
Data	O
Systems	O
shipped	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
laptop	B-Device
computers	I-Device
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
device	O
called	O
"	O
J-Mouse	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
essentially	O
used	O
a	O
special	O
keyswitch	O
under	O
the	O
J	O
key	O
to	O
allow	O
the	O
J	O
keycap	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
appearing	O
between	O
the	O
G	O
,	O
H	O
and	O
B	O
keys	O
on	O
a	O
QWERTY	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
these	O
devices	O
or	O
similar	O
can	O
also	O
appear	O
on	O
gaming	O
devices	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
a	O
D-pad	B-Device
or	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
certain	O
Toshiba	B-Device
Libretto	I-Device
mini	O
laptops	B-Device
,	O
the	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
was	O
located	O
next	O
to	O
the	O
display	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IBM	O
sold	O
a	O
mouse	O
with	O
a	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
in	O
the	O
location	O
where	O
a	O
scroll	O
wheel	O
is	O
common	O
now	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Optical	O
pointing	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
are	O
also	O
used	O
on	O
some	O
Ultrabook	O
tablet	O
hybrids	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Sony	O
Duo	O
11	O
,	O
ThinkPad	B-Operating_System
Tablet	O
and	O
Samsung	O
Ativ	O
Q	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
Gateway	O
2000	O
Liberty	O
laptop	B-Device
the	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
is	O
above	O
the	O
enter	O
key	O
on	O
the	O
right	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
was	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
New	B-Device
Nintendo	I-Device
3DS	I-Device
as	O
a	O
secondary	O
analog	B-Device
stick	I-Device
,	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
C-Stick	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
IBM	O
TrackPoint	B-Device
III	O
and	O
the	O
TrackPoint	B-Device
IV	O
have	O
a	O
feature	O
called	O
Negative	O
Inertia	O
that	O
causes	O
the	O
pointer	O
's	O
velocity	O
to	O
"	O
overreact	O
"	O
when	O
it	O
is	O
accelerated	O
or	O
decelerated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
challenge	O
with	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
design	O
is	O
identification	O
of	O
the	O
zero	O
position	O
(	O
the	O
position	O
where	O
no	O
motion	O
is	O
desired	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
typical	O
solution	O
,	O
which	O
assumes	O
that	O
pointing	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
frequently	O
go	O
out	O
of	O
calibration	O
,	O
is	O
to	O
interpret	O
a	O
variation	O
below	O
a	O
certain	O
threshold	O
(	O
over	O
a	O
given	O
interval	O
,	O
perhaps	O
one	O
or	O
several	O
seconds	O
)	O
as	O
being	O
a	O
neutral	O
stick	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
recalibration	O
can	O
also	O
allow	O
brief	O
periods	O
of	O
'	O
drifting	O
 '	O
(	O
movement	O
of	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
while	O
the	O
user	O
is	O
not	O
moving	O
the	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
pressure	O
again	O
moves	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
,	O
but	O
the	O
calibration	O
may	O
occur	O
again	O
,	O
requiring	O
even	O
more	O
force	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
if	O
"	O
press-to-select	O
"	O
is	O
enabled	O
,	O
the	O
software	O
may	O
generate	O
unexpected	O
click	O
events	O
by	O
touching	O
the	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
during	O
typing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1984	O
,	O
Ted	O
Selker	O
,	O
a	O
researcher	O
at	O
PARC	O
,	O
worked	O
on	O
a	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
based	O
on	O
a	O
study	O
showing	O
that	O
it	O
takes	O
a	O
typist	O
0.75	O
seconds	O
to	O
shift	O
from	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
to	O
the	O
mouse	O
,	O
and	O
comparable	O
time	O
to	O
shift	O
back	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
only	O
three	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
working	O
at	O
IBM	O
,	O
that	O
Selker	O
refined	O
his	O
design	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
the	O
TrackPoint	B-Device
product	O
for	O
which	O
IBM	O
received	O
US	O
patents	O
in	O
1996	O
and	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pointing	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
were	O
the	O
dominant	O
pointing	B-Device
device	I-Device
for	O
laptops	B-Device
before	O
the	O
advent	O
of	O
the	O
touchpad	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
later	O
years	O
,	O
they	O
faced	O
a	O
decline	O
in	O
popularity	O
as	O
most	O
laptop-producing	O
brands	O
switched	O
to	O
touchpads	B-Application
,	O
although	O
as	O
of	O
2021	O
,	O
some	O
manufacturers	O
like	O
Lenovo	O
still	O
produce	O
laptops	B-Device
with	O
pointing	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
can	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
ultra-compact	O
netbooks	O
where	O
there	O
would	O
be	O
no	O
place	O
for	O
a	O
touchpad	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
is	O
positioned	O
such	O
that	O
the	O
hands	O
do	O
not	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
home	O
row	O
to	O
manipulate	O
the	O
mouse	O
pointer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
people	O
find	O
them	O
more	O
appealing	O
for	O
mobile	O
gaming	O
than	O
a	O
touchpad	B-Application
,	O
because	O
the	O
trackpoint	B-Device
allows	O
infinite	O
movement	O
without	O
repositioning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
because	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
finger	O
may	O
run	O
off	O
the	O
edge	O
of	O
a	O
touchpad	B-Application
while	O
positioning	O
the	O
pointer	O
,	O
requiring	O
them	O
to	O
reposition	O
their	O
finger	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
continue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
users	O
feel	O
that	O
pointing	B-Device
sticks	I-Device
cause	O
less	O
wrist	O
strain	O
because	O
a	O
user	O
does	O
not	O
need	O
to	O
avoid	O
resting	O
wrists	O
on	O
a	O
touchpad	B-Application
,	O
which	O
are	O
usually	O
located	O
just	O
below	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
criticism	O
is	O
that	O
because	O
the	O
pointing	B-Device
stick	I-Device
depends	O
on	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
applying	O
pressure	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
cause	O
hand	O
cramps	O
(	O
although	O
this	O
can	O
be	O
partly	O
solved	O
by	O
setting	O
the	O
sensitivity	O
higher	O
and	O
lifting	O
the	O
finger	O
when	O
the	O
pointer	O
is	O
not	O
being	O
moved	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
ergonomic	O
studies	O
to	O
compare	O
trackpoint	B-Device
and	O
touchpad	B-Application
performance	O
have	O
been	O
performed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
studies	O
find	O
that	O
touchpad	B-Application
is	O
slightly	O
faster	O
;	O
one	O
study	O
found	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
touchpad	B-Application
was	O
operated	O
15%	O
faster	O
than	O
the	O
trackpoint	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
study	O
found	O
that	O
average	O
object	O
selection	O
time	O
was	O
faster	O
with	O
a	O
touchpad	B-Application
,	O
1.7	O
seconds	O
compared	O
to	O
2.2	O
seconds	O
with	O
a	O
trackpoint	B-Device
,	O
and	O
object	O
manipulation	O
took	O
6.2	O
seconds	O
with	O
a	O
touchpad	B-Application
,	O
on	O
average	O
,	O
against	O
8.1	O
seconds	O
with	O
trackpoint	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Various	O
informal	O
names	O
have	O
been	O
invented	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
nub	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
clit	B-Device
mouse	I-Device
"	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
an	O
intercommunity	O
term	O
,	O
usually	O
seen	O
on	O
ThinkPad	B-Operating_System
forums	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
nipple	B-Device
mouse	I-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
typically	O
employed	O
on	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
keyboard	I-Device
,	O
IBM	O
included	O
one	O
on	O
its	O
Trackpoint	B-Device
Mouse	O
product	O
;	O
suggested	O
uses	O
included	O
scrolling	O
(	O
as	O
with	O
a	O
scroll	O
wheel	O
)	O
or	O
a	O
dual-cursor	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
