The pointing stick (trademarked by IBM as the TrackPoint & by Synaptics as the Touchstyk) is an isometric joystick used as a pointing device (compare especially touchpad and trackball). It was invented by research scientist Ted Selker. It is present on many brands of laptops, includingIBM's line of ThinkPad laptops (now made by Lenovo), Toshiba Tecra laptops, HP business notebooks and on Dell Latitudes under the name of Track Stick. It has also been observed oncomputer mice and on some desktop keyboards (as an integrated pointing device).
The pointing stick operates by sensing applied force (hence it is also known as an isometricjoystick), by using a pair of resistive strain gauges. The velocity of the cursor depends on the applied force. On a QWERTY keyboard, the stick is embedded between the 'G', 'H' and 'B' keys, and the mouse buttons are placed just below the Spacebar. The mouse buttons can be operated right-handed or left-handed due to their placement below the keyboard along the centerline.
The pointing stick has a replaceable rubber cap, traditionally red on the ThinkPad but also found in other colors on other machines. The cap can be a slightly rough "eraser head" material (Classic Dome) or other optional shapes (Soft Dome or Soft Rim).[1]
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