I'm just thinking out loud here. I really really hate using the mouse with a plectrum in my hand. Can't avoid it when I'm playing guitar and using the computer at the same time. It occurred to me that it would be really nice to have a touchpad next to me which I could scrape with the plectrum to move the pointer around, and tap with the plectrum to select. Thoughts? 

It all depends on the detection method used by the touchpad.
 
Most pics are made from plastic and thus will not work on any touch pad that relies on capacitive coupling (most of them).

I don't think a touchpad would work because they generally need an actually fleshy part to interact with. Not sure how that works but any touchpad I've used had to actually be touched. A stylus type pad might. I used to be able to navigate on my old Palm Pilots with a guitar pick. Stylus based pads are expensive though (mostly for artists).
 
Have you considered a trackball? I've got big old Kensington with huge buttons. Right and left click are done with the thumb and pinky fingers. When I'm tracking I can just use my index finger and thumb to palm the pick and use my other fingers to move the free wheeling trackball and jab at the huge buttons.

Karyn
capacitive coupling (most of them).

What is involved in that? Heat? Bioelectric signals? Vulcan mind meld?

Hmm that's a bummer. I did used to have a Wacom tablet but I ended up returning it because the drivers were so buggy. Sounds like I'm using the same technique as you but with a mouse, Beepster. Pick in thumb and index, only I move the mouse around. I just don't feel comfortable operating a mouse like this. I have a trackball somewhere in the closet, maybe I'll hunt it down and give it a try. 

The big arcade style freewheel trackballs are way easier to deal with than mice in this regard because it completely removes the need to move the mouse around. The Logitech type ones with the smaller ball probably aren't too much easier but maybe.
 
This is the one I use...
 

 
See what I mean about the giant buttons? I keep my cursor over top of the Record button so that way I can simply hit the spacebar to stop playback then give the big bottom left button a jab to start recording again. I'd use the R keybinding but that causes a very annoying bug to manifest itself (it randomly unmutes previous takes... SOOOPER annoying).
 
That model however does cost around $100. Well worth it IMO. They have other similar versions though that are a little sleeker.

Yeah that looks like the business...I think the one I have is a Logitech and much smaller with small buttons on the side. I ended up ditching it because I started getting pain in my fingers from using it all the time. 

Beepster
The big arcade style freewheel trackballs are way easier to deal with than mice in this regard because it completely removes the need to move the mouse around. The Logitech type ones with the smaller ball probably aren't too much easier but maybe.
 
This is the one I use...
 

 
See what I mean about the giant buttons? I keep my cursor over top of the Record button so that way I can simply hit the spacebar to stop playback then give the big bottom left button a jab to start recording again. I'd use the R keybinding but that causes a very annoying bug to manifest itself (it randomly unmutes previous takes... SOOOPER annoying).
 
That model however does cost around $100. Well worth it IMO. They have other similar versions though that are a little sleeker.

I've still got three of their older models.  They were the secret behind how I was able to play online video games so much better than punks half my age.  I just looked at the newest one (the one in the pic above) because the newer PC's don't have two PS/2 connectors anymore, but I heard that it's response time isn't as fast as the older models which would definitely be a problem while gaming!

If you can afford it I HIGHLY recommend it. Mice and weird trackballs make my tendonitis go nuts and my big lanky hand turn into a claw. With that thing there is hardly any movement involved at all. Very precise too. I think they were designed for drafting and stuff. That ring around the ball is how you scroll and it moves freely as well (although I think mine has become corroded because it doesn't work like it should anymore). It's awesome for editing audio. Here's the "sleeker" version...
 

 
I think I'll be getting one of those next time. Kensington makes some really cool trackballs and mice in general though so just poke around Amazon to see what they have.
 
Cheers.

craigb

Beepster
The big arcade style freewheel trackballs are way easier to deal with than mice in this regard because it completely removes the need to move the mouse around. The Logitech type ones with the smaller ball probably aren't too much easier but maybe.
 
This is the one I use...
 
 

 
See what I mean about the giant buttons? I keep my cursor over top of the Record button so that way I can simply hit the spacebar to stop playback then give the big bottom left button a jab to start recording again. I'd use the R keybinding but that causes a very annoying bug to manifest itself (it randomly unmutes previous takes... SOOOPER annoying).
 
That model however does cost around $100. Well worth it IMO. They have other similar versions though that are a little sleeker.

I've still got three of their older models.  They were the secret behind how I was able to play online video games so much better than punks half my age.  I just looked at the newest one (the one in the pic above) because the newer PC's don't have two PS/2 connectors anymore, but I heard that it's response time isn't as fast as the older models which would definitely be a problem while gaming!

I love playing COD with it. I couldn't play an FPS without it. Haven't tried the older ones so I wouldn't know about response time but you can set the sensitivity in the software/drivers that comes with it.