stick mouse
Like many others, I cannot use the "trackpad" style pointing devices. A couple of minutes trying and my hand cramps up very painfully and becomes unusable. I call it "getting the claw".
The trackpoint / stick style pointer on thinkpads is there for a very good reason - it's ergonomically a far superior device.
That's why it's standard on more or less all proper business and productivity focused laptops. I've had IBM, Lenovo, Dell, HP business laptops issued by my employers over the years and without exception they all came with the stick style pointer, including my last three HP machines. It might be associated with thinkpads, but it's used anywhere productivity is a priority.
Apart from being biomechanically superior, it has the huge advantage that you don't need to move your hands from the keyboard to move the mouse pointer, so mousing doesn't interrupt your typing for more than a moment. I suspect this is the main reason why it's the better option for productivity.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
