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How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

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Theokretes
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How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#1 Post by Theokretes » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:09 am

I was curious how other individuals besides myself position their hand on the TrackPoint.

For me my thumb goes on the very right edge of the left button, my middle finger goes on 'U', ring finger on 'I', and pinkie on 'L' (but sometimes 'O' as well).
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#2 Post by dr_st » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:20 am

Pretty much the same way.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#3 Post by Ibthink » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:26 am

Same here. But I am also ambidextrous when I use the TrackPoint, meaning I can switch between left and right hand when using the TrackPoint.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#4 Post by ajkula66 » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:49 am

Theokretes wrote:I was curious how other individuals besides myself position their hand on the TrackPoint.

For me my thumb goes on the very right edge of the left button, my middle finger goes on 'U', ring finger on 'I', and pinkie on 'L' (but sometimes 'O' as well).
Close enough, although my middle finger is initially positioned in the air. Kid you not.
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Theokretes
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#5 Post by Theokretes » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:58 am

Ibthink wrote:Same here. But I am also ambidextrous when I use the TrackPoint, meaning I can switch between left and right hand when using the TrackPoint.
Weird, I never thought about using the trackpoint with my left hand! The hand positioning is a lot different; my middle finger goes on 'F', ring finger on 'D', and pinkie on 'S'.

Oddly enough I seem to have the exact same precision and control with my left hand-- even able to draw shapes and other things normally without a problem. Which is strange as I wouldn't consider myself ambidextrous. I do use my left hand for the space bar and caps lock if that makes a difference. As I understand, most right-handed people use their right hand for pressing the space bar.

Well it's cool to see how everyone has the same general 'posture', and rather surprising how easy it is to use the other hand. Huh.

I swapped my left and right keys and am going to use my trackpoint in a left hand configuration for a bit until I get bored of it. The only annoying thing is a lack of a right pointing cursor.
ajkula66 wrote: Close enough, although my middle finger is initially positioned in the air. Kid you not.
As per my left hand testing above, sometimes my pinkie raises in the air (which wouldn't happen with my right hand)-- I wonder if that has to do with how the brain has trained itself. Try using your other hand and let us know the results of the posture.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#6 Post by Medessec » Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:28 am

Mostly the same way- except when I game with the Trackpoint, my right hand middle finger is mostly on the trackpoint to move it, so the index finger can use F, V, and C. Common keys for gaming.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#7 Post by AIX » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:36 am

Left hand

Thumb - right edge of the left trackpoint button, and it's controlling all 3 trackpoint buttons
Index - space
Middle - trackpoint

...and the right hand over WASD keys :D
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#8 Post by rumbero » Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:56 am

Actually I am surprised to read that most people seem to use the trackpoint with just a single hand. Always found that rather awkward to manage, especially if the thumb is involved.

I typically use the trackpoint exclusively with the index finger of the left hand, while manipulating the upper three ultranav mouse buttons with the the index/middle/third finger of the right hand. So always both hands are involved in parallel, and this has proven to be the quickest and most precise mouse pointer usage for me.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#9 Post by Saucey » Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:26 pm

When typing, I'll use my left middle finger for the middle scroll and the other hand I'll use for the trackpoint, preferably with my index, palms stay in the same place so I can get back to typing

Thumb on the middle scroll (Thank Big Blue for making a trackpoint!) middle finger on the pointing stick, I usually have the index finger hovering over 'b' or the space key, I like using my left hand and I have my right resting on pgup/dn or the backward/forward directional buttons.

Interesting thread, sometimes I'll use the dual finger scrolling, surprised it works on the T43p w/ ElementaryOS.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#10 Post by larso » Sun Sep 14, 2014 8:03 am

I use my right index finger on the trackpoint, my right thumb for right click and middle click and my left thumb for left click.

I used to use my right thumb for all the buttons, but recently I saw a youtube video of a guy comparing a t520 to a t440 and he used his left thumb on the left mousebutton. Now I'm trying to use my left thumb as well, because that reduces stress on my right thumb (I don't have to stretch it over to the left side) and my hands are always in perfect typing position. But I find myself using the right thumb every now and then because of habits.
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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#11 Post by Adda » Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:45 pm

I use the trackpoint with my left hand, so that my right hand is free to use the browser, arrow, backspace ad PgUp and PgDn keys.
Same style as the picture in the first post.
I use the table mouse with my right hand, as I'm also ambidextrous.

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Re: How do you position your hand on the TrackPoint?

#12 Post by Temetka » Sun Sep 14, 2014 7:54 pm

I use it pretty much the same way as the OP does, and have ever since I got my first Thinkpad. Most of the time when browsing the web, I keep my left hand in my lap or otherwise out of the way. I can type one handed pretty well, but if I need to do more intensive typing, I will bring it up and use the keyboard in the traditional sense with both hands being positioned on the home row.

With my index finger of my right hand over the trackpoint this leaves my thumb able to quickly access all 3 of the mouse buttons below. For browsing the web this also leaves the thumb open to hit the spacebar which 90% of the time results in "page down" so I can scroll an entire webpage one handed. I have grown so accustomed to using the trackpoint in this manner that I have become rather efficient at it. It's the best mouse input device I have ever used. The 2nd best would be the Logitech Trackman marble mouse. I love that mouse. I plan to pick up a wireless one to carry with me.
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