Re: Why no third party solutions?

[Randal Whittle <whittle@chaph.usc.edu>]

> In particular, I would cite the following as points to improve:

>   - the strange outer material which seems to attract all sorts of nasty
>     materials

	Having previously owned a Sharp notebook, I find it hard to complain
about this.  Yes, the TP surface seems to attract odd "stuff" in the air and
various smudginess, but its a good, solid, coating of something-or-other 
(I suppose a rubber composite).  The Sharp I used to own simply had a
rubbery film that flaked off like old paint.  It looked *terrible* and
made it almost impossible for me to sell (despite the fact that it was in
otherwise excellent condition) when I bought the TP.

>   - the screen always gets the "trackpoint smudge"

	<Grin!>  Would you believe I only figured out what the wierd smudge
was about 3 weeks ago?!  ;)  I don't think it reared its ugly head until a
couple months ago--why is it suddenly touching my screen when it didn't seem
to many months ago?
 
> Yes, Toshiba notebooks are nicely built.  And they are finely getting
> the clue that no one likes the side-mounted trackballs!

	I hate to admit this publicly, but I probably would have bought
a Toshiba (I think they're a bit cheaper) over the IBM if only they had the
Trackpoint back then.  I *detested* the idea of an external, clip-on pointing
device and that immediately eliminated items like the Texas Instruments and
Toshiba (at the time).  Additionally, I wasn't fond of built-in trackballs,
having had one on my Sharp and finding it a little annoying.

	The TrackPoint must have been designed with precisely *me* in mind. ;)

-----                                          ________________________________
Randy Whittle    whittle@chaph.usc.edu         |  Some guy hit my fender the  |
USC School of Business (Fight on, 'SC Trojans!)|other day, and I said unto him|
  (My opinions are mine, but since I'm         |  "Be fruitful and multiply." |
    right, they should be yours too.)          |   --but not in those words.  |
					       --------------------------------