Ok, after more than three months of extensive usage of this laptop, I can only say that I can't imagine life without a trackpoint. It really is a better pointing device. The first few days took some getting used to, and I needed to adjust the sensitivity and speed. But now I even prefer it to a mouse. And it is not in the way. I seldom inadvertently hit it while typing. Main advantages are that I can easily reach it while my fingers are still in "touch position", and moving the pointer large distances can be done in one movement, as opposed to touchpads.