Trackpoint is killing me

[ipXpert]

My trackpoint wants to keep moving even after I stop. I feel like I have to work to keep it in the same position to the point where my finger gets tired. If this keeps going on my finger is going to be 3 times the size of my other fingers since it gets a workout every day.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

[jdhurst]

Two things:

1. Learn to let it go, and begin to get experience letting it go just before it stops or however it reacts to you. If the pointer never stops, something is defective.
2. Go to the mouse settings in Control Panel, and set the sensitivity to light so that the trackpoint is easy to "move"

Note: The trackpoint does NOT move. Ever. It reacts only to pressure, so trying to move it just makes things worse. Set to light, light finger pressure works. My T41 has finally got a light trackpoint, and is a blessing to my finger.

... JD Hurst

[Leon]

Don't keep resting your finger on the Trackpoint after you move the pointer. Otherwise, it will constantly recalibrate and "fight" you.

[ipXpert]

great suggestions. How did you know that I rest my finger on it? Are you watching me....

[Leon]

The answer is out there........

[jdhurst]

great suggestions. How did you know that I rest my finger on it? Are you watching me....

Because, we have all been there, and all done it. Trackpoint has been around for a very long time, and every TP user tries to move the [censored] thing. It is absolutely immobile. ... JD Hurst

[beerak]

great suggestions. How did you know that I rest my finger on it? Are you watching me....

Because, we have all been there, and all done it. Trackpoint has been around for a very long time, and every TP user tries to move the [censored] thing. It is absolutely immobile. ... JD Hurst

It is not normal, I have fingers on the trackpoint I touch it very hardly and it does not move unexpectedly. He should return it for repair.

[danny_isr]

mine does that too sometimes - 3 weeks old TP

[jdhurst]

Before you go returning your machines, please re-read my post and Leon's post. Let the trackpoint go completely. If it continues to move after it should have settled (i.e., normally after less than one second), then it may be defective. If it stops after a reasonably short time and stays stopped while you are not touching it, then it is not defective. ... JD Hurst

[beerak]

Maybe you should try to change that gum cap to another one. The old one can be somehow broken.

[mattfromomaha]

Adjust the sensitivity and speed settings to some new values and play around with it a bit before you rule it "defective."

A lot of the time after you've been giving it a workout and let go it will continue to drift for a second or two. It is simple recalibrating itself, and this is perfectly normal.

Yes, the Trackpoint does take some time to get used to, but you'll come to lov it.

[ehsu]

Very few times that when I let go of my trackpoint, it would still keep going. I had to lift up my palm for a split second so that nothing is touching the palm rest to make sure the cursor completely stop. But I can deal with that and not much of an issue for me considering how great all the other aspects of a TP is compared to other laptops.

[zelchenko]

It also may be reacting to you touching your touchpad simultaneously with your palm. If you don't use the touchpad, disable it (as I did).

[NaT]

Hahaha .... funny things about moving TP. I've been using trackpoints for a long time --from the 750/755 model. Actually this ghostly trackpoint problem you mentioned was NOT the problem. It is the way, TP was designed to solve another problem --drifting current/noise, by compensating it.

If there is no this design, when there is a noise, your TP will keep moving and moving until it hits the screen (and still keep on moving to that direction) and now THIS will be a real problem.

You can try to create this by using trackpoint to move VERY SLOWLY in a direction at CONSTANT RATE then release it and you will gonna see this ghostly phenomenon. However, when you lay your finger on it and you UNCONSCIOUSLY push it (may be because of your finger's weight) in a direction, this thing will think as if it is a noise and try to compensate. Well, when you actually stop pushing, it will keep moving and take a while before it recompensate again.

Well, if you lift up your finger and after a while (like 1sec) it does not stop, this IS a real problem. You'll gonna need IBM service for that

Newer TPs tends to have improved their drivers to shorten the time to realize and compensate the noise, so the ghostly moving TP is shorten and barely noticed by user by newer Thinkpads.

Two suggestions though, 1) Update your driver and 2) I'm sorry to say this but you might gonna need realigning the way you lay your finger. Sometimes when you're stressful and your finger become more strain, you tend to push it without knowing.

-- NaT --

[MadeInJapan]

Ah....the ThinkPad Ouija board at work.... LOL

Definitely the Trackpoint drifts, but even the worst of cases it will stop at the edge of the screen and then you can use it again. It's ver sensitive to pressure from the finger as well as heat/cold....but I would have no other. You can type and use the mouse without taking your hands off of the keyboard...this is essential for the type of work I do.

[blackomegax]

yeah, i've noticed the drifting on my new x40
it gets on my nerves, but ill get use to lifting my finger i guess.

im just so use to trackpads and regular mice it feels like i have to fight with the curser with a trackpoint after a bit because its "compensating against user input" basically.

[Navck]

great suggestions. How did you know that I rest my finger on it? Are you watching me....

Because, we have all been there, and all done it. Trackpoint has been around for a very long time, and every TP user tries to move the [censored] thing. It is absolutely immobile. ... JD Hurst

]

Not really, some of us have been playing with the Trackpoint for a long time (Since I was 8 I have used my father's Thinkpad, now I have one myself) I got very used to the Trackpoint, that I can actually play FPS games decently.

[jhonyl]

See this thread: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=11911

[Ted_E]

My trackpoint wants to keep moving even after I stop. I feel like I have to work to keep it in the same position to the point where my finger gets tired. If this keeps going on my finger is going to be 3 times the size of my other fingers since it gets a workout every day.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Does this happen all the time or just sometimes? Both my 385XD and now my T23 occasionally suffer from this malady. I have found that small "things" get into the keyboard and must apply some light pressure to the trackpoint. My fix is to run the corner of a piece of thin cardboardbetween the trackpoint and each of the G, H and B keys. This has invariably cured the problem on both machines.

The perfect "cardboard" is a punch card (if you are old enough to have even heard of those) but any light, firm card will do. I don't know what "things" get in there but they do.

Ted

[Nolonemo]

My trackpoint wants to keep moving even after I stop. I feel like I have to work to keep it in the same position to the point where my finger gets tired. If this keeps going on my finger is going to be 3 times the size of my other fingers since it gets a workout every day.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

As other posters have pointed out, the "drift" can be the TP trying to compensate for unconscious pressure on it, or if there is no pressure on it, for noise in its system. The kicker is that as soon as you try to compensate for it by applying a little counterpressure, the TP interprets that as something to be compensated for and just increases the amount of compensation its applying, with the result of even more drift! The only solution is to release all pressure and wait a second or two.

[jhonyl]

Yes, Nolonemo got a point. The TrackPoint is sensing the power that is applied on it without moving even a bit. It isn't like a JoyStick that has a physical displacement. Once you put your finger on it, there already is pressure to some direction. But the way that you just put the finger should not trigger movement ... It should be considered a "neutral" pressure .. so the TrackPoint must compensate this "neutral" pressure ... and so it does ... and so the problem must be when you suddenly unconsciously move a bit and so that "neutral" pressure level shift a bit ... The trackpoint not knowing that the "neutral" pressure shifted interprets it as a real pressure.

To test this theory I applied a very small constant pressure on the TrackPoint in a chosen direction, so that the cursor moved very slowly in that direction. After an inch or two the cursor had stopped by itself, which means that the TrackPoint has calibrated itself for the pressure. I then raised my finger from the trackpoint and watched it as it went back a bit in a direction which was opposite to the one I chose. I repeated this test several times. Actually this behavior reminds me of the way that any of us would react under the same circumstances (i.e. someone apply small constant pressure and then release) Try it ... Enjoy

Edit: A way to apply constant pressure: Put your finger naturally on the TrackPoint but not at it's center but on it's side. This will cause constant pressure. Once you see the cursor moving I suggest to close the eyes, so you don't compensate for the movement yourself, and thereby change the "constant" pressure. Once the TrackPoint will recalibrate it self, it will stop, and if you would raise your finger from it you would see the cursor "drift" back. Actually maybe this is the reason for it - without it you would always have to put the finger right on the middle of the TrackPoint. One conclusion that could be made out of this is that if you see the cursor drift, close your eyes, and let it recalibrate to your posture.