IMHO, the nub is great when your screen is small and you still mostly interact with the computer by typing. On large screens, you have to choose between having an extremely fiddly pointer or an infuriatingly slow one. I wouldn't mind a nub on a truely tiny computer, but nowadays something that small would have a touchscreen. I'd classify this as great for its time and an occasionally a nice, but inessential feature on a laptop today.