How To Find Pointer Stick Cap Replacements For Finger Mouse & Center Button Controls On Notebooks

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If you´ve ever worn out your rubber mouse pointing stick cover, you know that finding a simple replacement isn´t that easy. Most people don´t know where to go or even what these little gadgets are called when it´s time to replace them. They´ve been called eraser head caps, pointing stick caps, TrackPoint® caps, AccuPoint® caps, TouchStyk® caps, center button control caps, and by many other names. Whatever you´ve called them in the past, it´s important to know that when it´s time for a replacement, you have options.

There are several kinds of pointing stick cover options today. Each kind of cap is optimized to provide unique benefits when it comes to the cursor navigation on your specific make and model of laptop or notebook computer. Here´s an overview and some helpful tips when it comes to buying or replacing your mouse cap cover.

The first thing you must know is whether your pointing stick post is round or square and how tall it sits in relation to the top of the keyboard keys. Not all mouse caps covers or pointing stick caps will fit all posts. And, buying the wrong cap could result in screen damage, it may be too tall, too short, or it may just plain fall off of the pointing stick. So check your laptop first for the type of post that you have on your keyboard. To check which type you have, simply grasp your current pointing stick cap and pull it straight up and off of the keyboard pointing stick post.

The next thing to consider when buying a replacement cap for your pointing stick mouse is the cap hardness. There are the old hard caps (ThinkPad® Classic Dome), or the current gel caps that are softer to provide improved finger comfort. These softer caps are either firm or very firm to vary the comfort and feel of your mouse cursor navigation.

Next, There are four main cap styles, Classic Dome, Soft Convex, Soft Concave and the Soft Concave with rim. The Classic Dome style pointing stick covers are very hard and have the familiar rough, "cat's tongue" texture; the Soft Convex caps are not hard like the old Classic Dome caps. They are also wider and have 29 flat nubs on the top surface to minimize dirt and oil buildup. They have a soft yet very firm feel and provide improved finger comfort and cursor responsiveness; The Soft Concave pointing stick caps are slightly less firm, have a cupped top with rounded nubs and an even larger diameter top that provides excellent finger comfort, excellent cursor accuracy, and offers an alternative feel to the Soft Convex mouse cap. Most people find them to be significantly more comfortable than the Classic Dome style; The Soft Concave with Rim style pointing stick covers have the same firm feel as the Soft Concave caps, are slightly less firm than the Soft Convex Classic Dome, and have a concave top with fewer nubs - 21 nubs to be exact. The rim or ridge around the edge not only cups the finger but also provides additional comfort while maximizing ease of use and significantly improved cursor responsiveness and control. When purchasing replacement caps choose your favorite style.

Finally, color plays a part in your selection process. Just like feel and styles, there are also different colors to choose from. Most styles and colors are brand specific. Available colors include blue, black, red, green, translucent or violet-blue to match the keyboard back legend.

To find the perfect pointing stick cap replacement for your laptop or notebook, visit www.sofpoint.com. GIV, LLC's SofPoint® offers original equipment replacement pointing stick caps and covers for most makes and models of laptop computers sold today. Find replacement caps for Dell, HP, Acer, Fujitsu, IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad®, Gateway, Sony or PSP at www.sofpoint.com.

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