Could laptop producers improve the volume control with cost-free solutions? [on hold]

Many years ago some laptop had a physical volume wheel regulator, on the left side. Easy to reach and easy to use.
Nowadays volume can only be controlled by using the mute button and Fn keys (FnF8 and FnF9 on my HP laptop) but they are not so handy to use. Impossibile to find them in the darkness or without looking at the keyboard.
Or users can use the mouse on the volume icon in the system tray area. Not so handy too.
Possible cost-free solutions (no hardware needed) are:

• Introduce another multitouch gesture, some three or four fingertips gesture.
• Use the fingerprint sensor with a sliding movement up or down. This sensor is totally useless after the log-on.

This is somehow a proposal to laptop producers and a question to other users. Is this just my own problem, or other people share it?