Nevertheless, this could be a handy sensor, and it’s definitely a solid lesson in design. Still, if your tastes run more toward using this module on the 1.25-cm ham band, have a look at this ...

A more traditional implementation of the sensor, as taken from Microsoft’s filing. Aesthetically, embedding a trackpoint within the clean key layout of the Surface could be a risky proposition.

Microsoft's patent reveals a trackpoint style device with an input sensor crowned by a gel-based body and a tactile surface for your finger.