this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2025
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[–] embed_me@programming.dev 9 points 11 months ago (9 children)

Is it actually usable? I never owned one

[–] olosta@lemmy.world 25 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Used one for a few years and I loved it:

  • it's precise, you can really aim small UI elements
  • It is paired with actual buttons, index on the nub and thumb on the buttons, so no weird gestures to right click
  • It is very quick to switch from keyboard to mouse, your hands nearly don't move

But, there's no mouse wheel or scroll gesture and maintaining pressure on the nub is maybe more tiring than a trackpad.

[–] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 11 months ago

You can scroll with nub by holding the middle button

[–] ewo@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It's also very chill to do things 1-handed with (no euphemism).

[–] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 11 months ago

Some people prefer it over trackpad, or use both. Personally I like to disable trackpad because I tend to always hit it with palm or thumb by accident

[–] Arbiter@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I use a mechanical keyboard with one on my desktop, I actually use it quite a lot.

[–] xapr@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That sounds awesome! Is it a Unicomp EnduraPro or is there some other option?

[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

TEX out of Taiwan makes a few.

[–] xapr@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 11 months ago

I think it works fantastically well. I personally like it much better than a touchpad. It lets me move the pointer without taking my hands away from typing home position.

[–] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It’s fine. Takes some time to get used to. Some people really love it, but I don’t think it’s that great.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 11 months ago

I can never get mine to go where I want first try, and sometimes the pointer drifts on its own after I take my finger off.

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

It's not just for decoration. You can use it as a legitimate pointing device. Nudging it will move the mouse cursor and tapping it with your fingernail is clicking.

It takes some getting used to but you can definitely use it for normal office tasks if you wanted to. That being said, I still personally prefer a mouse. But I have known some people who like using the nipple.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 3 points 11 months ago

It feels a lot like using a game controller to control your mouse, if you've ever used Joy2Key or similar programs.

[–] Engywuck@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

Dunno. I have one on my semifake E580 and I just used it to check if it works. It's a bit awkward for me.

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 months ago

Oh yeah.

It isn't a dealbreaker for me, but it really is nice. It takes getting used to, but it cuts down on the need to move to the touchpad or mouse. If you're working in tight quarters, or have mobility issues, or hand issues, it can end up being a major improvement. It's a ymmv thing of course, but I end up using it more than I thought I would when writing.