
The TrackPoint may leave ThinkPad one day, but it isn’t today.
The Background
For those of you following CES and Lenovo’s product lineup, the ThinkPad X9 got people talking. In a previous article, I covered how journalists compared it to Apple’s design language.
The big question was, of course, where was the TrackPoint? A leak before CES sparked much speculation about this machine, which was branded a ThinkPad but was missing one of its most iconic features. Again, I covered this story in a previous article.
There have been ThinkPad devices in the past that have deviated from the core design philosophy, even so much to not have the TrackPoint. Some of the original machines didn’t have it either such as the tablet computers like the ThinkPad 710T and 730T. Other models like the ThinkPad 220 featured a trackball of sorts and the ThinkPad 300 also did not have a TrackPoint. Several other tablets like the ThinkPad Helix 2 and Tablet 10 featured keyboards in their lineup that did not have a TrackPoint.
All that to say, what the ThinkPad X9 has done is not the first time we have seen a ThinkPad without a TrackPoint, but it has been a while and it was a surprise all the same. I am a huge TrackPoint user and it is one of the essential components of why I use a ThinkPad.
New Information
Here is where things get interesting and special thanks to Saoto on X/Twitter for posting this article, thus bringing it to my attention. Long-time viewers of the channel will recognize the name as the person who makes custom 3D-printed TrackPoint caps.
In an article published by PC Watch Japan on January 14, 2025, Tsukamoto Yasumichi, Executive Vice President and Head of Development at Lenovo Japan was interviewed about the ThinkPad X9. There was some significant messaging in this interview that I am surprised was not communicated during CES regarding their goals for the X9.
The author, Kazuki Kasahara, who should be praised for their direct journalism, asks outright about the TrackPoint:
“The ThinkPad X9 is a product primarily targeted at customers who have not been ThinkPad customers until now. For example, it is a product that was planned and designed in the hope that customers who are familiar with other companies’ products will recognize the basic value of ThinkPad, such as high productivity and robustness, and consider it as an option when they switch to ThinkPad. In that case, we thought that it would be better for customers to have a larger click pad than the TrackPoint, so we decided to remove the TrackPoint.”
– Yasumichi Tsukamoto “The shocking debut of the controversial TrackPoint-less ThinkPad X9: Who is it for?” (PC Watch Japan)
The naming conventions are also cleared up and I think the explanation that Tsukamoto provides is an excellent one.
“The ThinkPad X9 brand name was chosen to indicate that it is the polar opposite of the ThinkPad X1. If the ThinkPad X1 was the flagship product for existing ThinkPad customers, then the ThinkPad X9 is the flagship product for new customers,”
– Yasumichi Tsukamoto “The shocking debut of the controversial TrackPoint-less ThinkPad X9: Who is it for?” (PC Watch Japan)
The Takeaway
I think many fans of ThinkPad and its traditional design would agree with Tsukamoto’s assessment that the X9 is indeed the polar opposite of the X1. While many will still not agree with it being called a ThinkPad given how far it strays from expectations, if the X9 helps more people and companies get introduced to what many have come to appreciate about the iconic brand, then maybe it will pay off.
Tsukamoto seems to be aware of the stir that the X9 caused and Kasahara asked an important question about the TrackPoint’s future:
“Traditional ThinkPad models, such as the X1 series, P series, T series, X series, and L series, which are aimed at existing customers, will continue to be equipped with TrackPoint.”
– Yasumichi Tsukamoto “The shocking debut of the controversial TrackPoint-less ThinkPad X9: Who is it for?” (PC Watch Japan)
If you want to hear more about the development of the ThinkPad X9, consider watching Kevin Beck’s sit down with Tsukamoto which was published on YouTube a few days ago.