Laptops with Track Point: Top 5 laptops with Trackpoints and Pointing Sticks in 2020!

A TrackPoint, pointing stick, style pointer, or nub, all these refer to the controls system with a small joystick located in the space separating G, H, and B keys on a keyboard. Introduced to the market in 1992, this mouse technology is designed to substitute touchpad and a classic computer mouse on laptops. It consists of an often distinguishingly colored controller and three buttons below the keyboard. If you’re a fan of trackpoints, and looking for a laptop that has one, keep reading. We have  compiled a list of some of the best laptops with Track point for you.

What is a Track point?

The joystick also called a nipple, is usually red and of the size of a pencil eraser. It is used to control the movement direction and speed of a cursor. In most TrackPoint systems, there are eight directions available with speed depending on the pressure the user exerts on it. The user, if needed, can set the pressure-speed relation. The right and left buttons play their traditional roles. Meanwhile, holding the middle button and controlling the nipple at the same time is responsible for scrolling. This can also be set manually to switch control on the middle button only.

TrackPoint’s joystick has three main configurations. The first one is a classic dome-like button without any distinct features. The second option is a soft dome. It provides a more delicate touch in comparison with a classic button because of a textile placed on its convex tip. The third joystick variant is a soft rim. This one offers a motion advantage as less pressure needs to be applied to move the cursor.

What are the Advantages of using a TrackPoint?

TrackPoint is still in demand among the users who prefer physical controllers to sensor touchpads. It may not be the best hardware to use to work with designing software as it provides less accuracy. It is, however, different from a classic joystick or computer mouse as it does not require additional space and ports to work. Moreover, many users find it easier to manipulate precisely in shaky conditions, which gives it an advantage over touchpads while on the road.

Additionally, Track Point’s design offers an opportunity to type and scroll with fewer hand movements involved than its competitors do. The user does not need to put hands off the keyboard to use the cursor at all. This makes typing and working with documents faster and more comfortable for professionals whose work requires large amounts of paperwork or programming.

Despite that, TrackPoint technology is not new to the market, some modern laptops still have, especially Thinkpads. And if you’re looking mainly looking for a laptop for word processing and browsing, you should know that Thinkpads have some of the best laptop keyboards ever.

Best Laptops with Trackpoint:

So, now that you have an idea about trackpoints, let’s check out some fo the best laptops with Trackpoint we selected for you:

Lenovo ThinkPad E590

First on our list, we have the Lenovo Thickpad E590, and affordable business laptop. This laptop comes with a traditional dome joystick and an innovative three-button clickpad with enhanced sensitivity. The notebook has 15.6 inches Full HD screen with 1366×768 pixels maximum resolution.

Featured as a business laptop, it has the Whiskey Lake Intel Core i5 processor with 8 GB RAM,  a 256 GB SSD and comes with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. All these features enhance the productivity and make the laptop suitable for running most graphical software, with which the touchpad will be of service.

Having a 3-cell Lithium-Ion battery, the laptop can work for over 9 hours on a single charge.

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

For those of you searching for a more premium laptop, here is the T480.  This new Lenovo T series laptop has both a TrackPoint and touchpad, just like the previous one. It has a smaller HD display of 14 inches with a maximum resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. However, the screen features a new generation Anti-Glare LED backlight technology that enhances the contrast and color scheme configurations.

The laptop has 16GB RAM and 4-cores Intel Quad Core i5 processor with a MaxTurbo system that boosts its speed up to 3.4 GHz. The in-built SSD hard drive has a capacity of 256 GB.

It has integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. What differentiates it in terms of connectivity is a 4-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 system and an additional USB Type-C port.

Unlike many other laptops in the category, this one offers two included Lithium-Ion batteries of 24 WHr each.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The 7th generation Lenovo Ultrabook has one of the best keyboards in its class. Convenient and sensitive, both touchpad and TrackPoint work fast and respond precisely to users’ gestures, so there is no need to take your hands off the keyboard and a soft, comfortable deck. It has a 14 inches Full HD display with bright color schemes and 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.

Among other essential features, the laptop has an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 16 GB RAM. In this configuration, it also has a 512 GB SSD hard drive. It comes with Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620.

With these capacities, the notebook can run the necessary software for work without visible problems. It has an excellent connective range as well, providing two Thunderbolt 3, a USB 3.1, HDMI, and Ethernet ports.

The laptop showed a long enough single charge runtime of over 9 hours on the users’ tests. Generally, it is a powerful notebook with a sensitive touchpad and quickly responding TrackPoint for its price.

HP EliteBook 850 G6

The HP EliteBook 850 G6 is one of the rare laptops with Track point that isn’t a Thinkpad. This business laptop also has a Premium backlit keyboard and both touchpad and TrackPoint. However, the keyboard does not have a side numeric keypad, but it can be connected to the device separately. Unlike Lenovo’s notebooks, its TrackPoint system does not have the middle button. This does not affect the speed and accuracy of the joystick.

The laptop has a 16 GB Intel Quad-Core i7 processor with a top speed of 1.8 GHz. It also features a 512 GB Solid State hard drive and integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620, just like the previous one by Lenovo. It has two USB 3.1, a Thunderbolt, HDMI, and RJ-45 ports, as well as an SD card reader.

The laptop has a 3-Cell 56WHr Lithium-Ion battery with an announced capacity of up to 15 hours of work on a single charge.

Lenovo ThinkPad P73

If you’re looking for a desktop replacement that’s capable of running demanding applications, and still offer a track point, here is the Thinkpad P73. This laptop has a17.3 inches Full HD screen, and as you might guess, it is the biggest, the most expensive, and the most powerful one on this list. It has a wide keyboard with traditional Lenovo’s curved-bottom keys, which provides additional comfort while typing. Similar to other models, this one features both TrackPoint and touchpad controls.

Presented as a mobile workstation, this notebook has the 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor with a maximum speed of 2.6 GHz and 16 GB RAM. Besides that, it has 6 GB NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 that, in general sense has an advantage over the previous ones while running graphical software. The laptop features a 512 GB Solid State hard drive, as well. These factors make it capable of processing large amounts of data without sensible delays and bugs. It provides the needed capacity to run heavier software for 3D design and video editing. Among other features, it comes with two Thunderbolt 3, one HDMI 2.0 ports, and a 4-in-1 card reader.

As you might know considering its price range, this laptop is perfect for professionals looking for a powerful device for any type of remote work. Battery life is also good, with up to 10 hours from a single charge.

TrackPoint, stick, style pointer or name – all these terms refer to an operating system with a small joystick in the space between the G, H and B keys of the keyboard. Introduced in 1992, this mouse technology is intended to replace the touchpad and conventional computer mouse on laptops. It consists of a controller, often in a different colour, and three keys under the keyboard. If you are a fan of pints of track and are looking for a laptop that has one, read on. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best trackpoint laptops.

What’s the countdown?

The handle, also called nipple, is usually red and the size of a pencil eraser. Controls the direction of motion and cursor speed. In most TrackPoint systems, eight directions are available at a speed that depends on the pressure exerted by the user. The user can adjust the ratio between pressure and speed if necessary. The left and right keys play their traditional role. By pressing the middle button and operating the nipple at the same time, you are also responsible for scrolling. It is also possible to set the control manually, so that it only switches to the middle button.

The TrackPoint joystick has three basic configurations The first is a classic dome-shaped button with no distinguishing features. The second option is a soft dome. Thanks to the textile attached to the convex tip, it is more delicate than the classic button. The third version of the joystick is the soft edge. This offers an advantage when moving the cursor, because less pressure is needed to move the cursor.

What are the advantages of using TrackPoint?

TrackPoint is always popular with users who prefer physical controllers for sensor panels. This may not be the best hardware to work with because it is less accurate. However, it differs from the conventional computer joystick or mouse in that it does not require extra space or connections for work. In addition, many users find it easier to act in precarious conditions, giving them an advantage over touchscreens on the go.

In addition, the tracking point design makes it possible to print and scroll with fewer hand movements than the competition. The user doesn’t even have to take his hands off the keyboard to use the cursor. This makes typing and working with documents faster and easier for professionals who need a lot of paperwork or programming.

Yet TrackPoint technology is not new on the market, there are still a few modern laptops, especially Thinkpads. And if you’re mainly looking for a laptop for word processing and display, Thinkpads have some of the best laptop keyboards.

Best laptops with trackpoint:

Now that you have an idea what a trackpoint is, let’s try some of the best trackpoint laptops we’ve selected for you:

Lenovo ThinkPad E590

First, we have a Lenovo Thickpad E590 and a business laptop available. This laptop is equipped with a traditional dome-shaped joystick and an innovative three-key keyboard with high sensitivity. The laptop is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full HD screen with a maximum resolution of 1366×768 pixels.

As a professional laptop, it is equipped with a Whiskey Lake Intel Core i5 processor with 8 GB RAM, a 256 GB hard drive and an integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics processor. All these features increase productivity and make the laptop suitable for most graphics programs the touchpad works with.

With a 3-cell Li-Ion battery, the laptop can run for more than 9 hours on a single charge.

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

For those looking for a better quality laptop, this is the T480.  Like its predecessor, the new Lenovo T Series notebook features TrackPoint and touchpad functionality. It has a smaller 14-inch HD screen with a maximum resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. However, the display is equipped with a new generation of anti-reflection LEDs that improve contrast and colour palette.

The notebook has 16GB of RAM and a 4-core Intel Quad Core i5 processor with MaxTurbo system, which increases the speed to 3.4 GHz. The integrated SSD has a capacity of 256 GB.

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 system is integrated. The system includes a 4-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 system and an optional USB Type C port.

Unlike many other laptops in this category, it contains two lithium-ion batteries of 24 W/h each.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The Lenovo Ultrabook of the Seven. Generation has one of the best keyboards in its category. Both the touchpad and the TrackPoint are comfortable and sensitive and respond quickly and accurately to the user’s gestures, so you don’t have to take your hands off the soft and comfortable keyboard and dial. It has a 14-inch full HD screen with vivid colors and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Other important features of the notebook are the 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor. Generation with 16 GB RAM. In this configuration it also has a 512 GB SSD. It comes with integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics cards.

Thanks to this performance, the laptop can run the required software without any visible problems. It also has an excellent set of connections with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, USB 3.1, HDMI and Ethernet.

In user tests, the laptop has shown a relatively long duration of more than 9 hours on a single charge. Generally, it’s a powerful laptop with a sensitive touch screen and a responsive trackpoint for its price.

HP EliteBook 850 G6

The HP EliteBook 850 G6 is one of the few notebooks whose trackpoint is not a Thinkpad. This professional laptop also features a high quality backlit keyboard, touchpad and TrackPoint. However, the keyboard does not have a numeric keypad on the side, but can be connected to the device separately. Unlike Lenovo laptops, the TrackPoint system doesn’t have a central button. This does not affect the speed and accuracy of the joystick.

The notebook is equipped with a 16 GB Intel Quad-Core i7 processor with a maximum speed of 1.8 GHz. It also features a 512GB SSD and an integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics card, just like the previous Lenovo drive. It has two USB 3.1, Thunderbolt, HDMI and RJ-45 ports and an SD card reader.

The notebook is equipped with a 56 W/h triple-core Li-Ion battery with a specified capacity of up to 15 hours on a single charge.

Lenovo ThinkPad P73

If you are looking for a replacement desktop that can run resource-intensive applications while providing a starting point, then the Thinkpad P73 is for you. This laptop has a 17.3-inch screen in Full HD and is, as you can imagine, the largest, most expensive and most powerful on the list. It features a large keyboard with Lenovo’s traditional curved bottom keys that provide extra comfort when typing. Like the other models, this model is equipped with a TrackPoint and tactile control panels.

This laptop, which was presented as a mobile workstation, is equipped with a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor. It is equipped with a maximum speed of 2.6 GHz and 16 GB RAM. It is also equipped with a 6GB NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000, which generally has an advantage over its predecessors when working with graphics software. The laptop is also equipped with a 512 GB solid-state hard drive. Thanks to these factors, it is able to process large amounts of data without delays or errors. It provides the performance required to use heavier 3D design and video editing software. It features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port and a 4-in-1 card reader.

As you may know, the price range of this laptop is ideal for professionals looking for a powerful device for any kind of remote work. Battery life is also good, up to 10 hours on a single charge.