I got a mechanical keyboard without a trackpoint after requiring one for many years. I was worried about using a trackpad or mouse, but I tried out mousekeys and am very happy with the result.
Just got started using mousekeys thanks to your comment, and I like 'em thus far. I can't do as precise of movements as I can with a mouse yet, but it is nice to not have to switch to the mouse, and it doesn't hurt my wrist as much to use.