Point Stick
The Point Stick is a pointing device that is integrated into the touch pad of your laptop to enable more convenient control of the cursor. It was invented by computer scientist Ted Selker and following its introduction, many laptop manufacturing companies assigned various names to it and patented them. A point Stick works according to sensory response and many computer users feel they can manage the cursor better with it.

When you use a Point Stick, you are not required to move your hands from the home row. With just a little movement of your fingers, you can direct the cursor to wherever on the screen you wish. For those who experience difficulty finding the right control with touch pads, a Point Stick became a most favorable option. The slight movements required to move the cursor around also allow for steadier control. However, there is a major limitation with the point stick in that there are occasions when cursor drifts do happen.

Point sticks for laptops come with rubber caps which give the device better protection. But the major purpose of this rubber cap is to provide better grip as you run your finger over the Point Stick. One common complaint among the users of Point Stick is that this rubber cap comes off rather too easily but you can simply get a new one at most computer shops at very cheap prices. Otherwise, a Point Stick s very durable and will not give you much technical problems even for log-term use.

The best Point Stick in the market is Track Point, which is used in many IBM laptops. At present, Point Sticks are fast losing popularity among computer users and not many manufacturers include them in their latest models.