Keyboard with integrated pointing device and click buttons with lock down for drag operation in a computer system with a graphical user interface

An integrated manual control input device for use in a computer system having a graphical user interface, comprising:

• a keyboard unit having a plurality of keys and a surrounding frame;
• at least one click button assembly pivotally mounted in a cut-out region in the frame including an actuator and a button selectably slidable in a lateral direction over the actuator to engage the frame and lock the click button assembly in a depressed locked ON state;
• and
• a switch mounted to the frame beneath the actuator for transition between ON and OFF states when engaged by the actuator.

A method of performing a drag operation in a computer system having a graphical user interface, comprising the steps of:

• connecting a keyboard unit to the computer system, the keyboard unit having a plurality of keys, a pointing actuator mounted between preselected ones of the keys and at least lockable click button assembly mounted a adjacent to a reward edge of the keysboard unit;
• generating an image of an object to be dragged, the object being selected from the group consisting of an icon, a window and text, the image being generated at a first location on a display device of the computer system;
• generating an image of a pointer on the display device;
• engaging the pointer actuator with the index finger of a user's hand and applying first manual forces to move the pointer onto the object displayed at the first location;
• locking the click button assembly with the thumb of the user's hand to select the object;
• and
• applying second manual forces to the pointer actuator with the user's index finger to move the selected object to a second location on the display device.