Thinkpads Forum

Hi all,

I have a lenovo edge e530 and my touchpad (not the new one with 5 buttons, the previous with two integrated buttons) is not stable, it has a very small shake left, right, up, down and downwards. So, it becomes annoying when tapping. Is it normal for this type of touchpad? I know that many users have complained about this, but I want to know if this problem is standard for every touchpad or for some of them.

Also, my trackpoint buttons don't have a sufficient feeling. I miss 1 of 10 clicks especially with the right button. It has a dead zone just near the middle button so when you click quickly with the thumb (and the finger on trachpoint) you miss some clicks. Have you experience these problems? This is my biggest problem because I don't use touchpad, I m addicted to trackpoint.

I am for many years a thinkpad user (r50e) with no problems with buttons, this is a brand new laptop, so I m wondering if I must live with these problems or if it is just a defective unit and i I must ask for a replacement unit. Thanks.

alkalz wrote:Hi all,

I have a lenovo edge e530 and my touchpad (not the new one with 5 buttons, the previous with two integrated buttons) is not stable, it has a very small shake left, right, up, down and downwards. So, it becomes annoying when tapping. Is it normal for this type of touchpad? I know that many users have complained about this, but I want to know if this problem is standard for every touchpad or for some of them.

Also, my trackpoint buttons don't have a sufficient feeling. I miss 1 of 10 clicks especially with the right button. It has a dead zone just near the middle button so when you click quickly with the thumb (and the finger on trachpoint) you miss some clicks. Have you experience these problems? This is my biggest problem because I don't use touchpad, I m addicted to trackpoint.

I am for many years a thinkpad user (r50e) with no problems with buttons, this is a brand new laptop, so I m wondering if I must live with these problems or if it is just a defective unit and i I must ask for a replacement unit. Thanks.

No that is not normal for the touch pad or track point. I have a late 2010 Edge 15 and both work perfectly. Also the track points and touch pad work just fine on a 2003 IBM R40E and late 2012 E530. It seems like yours are either defective or too sensitive. In which case you need to adjust the sensitivity level for the touch pad.

Thanks for replying.
My english are not very good so i think there is a misunderstanding.
For the touchpad: It is not a software issue or a problem related to adjustments of sensitivity. The problem is the workmanship of the laptop, the whole unit of the touchpad is shaking about one milimeter, so when you tap it feels spongy, you don't feel a clear hitting.
For the trackpoint buttons: The right button has a dead zone. Imagine that you divide the button into four pieces (two up and two down). The upper left piece is the dead zone, so when you hit there nothing happens.
My old ibm thinkpad doesn' t have these problems. Are these problems normal for the new edge? is it the result of the cost cutting policy that lenovo follows?

Unfortunately the Edge is just a cheap consumer-grade laptop (read: cheap parts in a cheap case).
Don't expect too much (if anything) from this series.

RealBlackStuff wrote:Unfortunately the Edge is just a cheap consumer-grade laptop (read: cheap parts in a cheap case).
Don't expect too much (if anything) from this series.

Um, my 2010 Edge 15 is a good computer, so is the 2012 E530...

alkalz wrote:Thanks for replying.
My english are not very good so i think there is a misunderstanding.
For the touchpad: It is not a software issue or a problem related to adjustments of sensitivity. The problem is the workmanship of the laptop, the whole unit of the touchpad is shaking about one milimeter, so when you tap it feels spongy, you don't feel a clear hitting.
For the trackpoint buttons: The right button has a dead zone. Imagine that you divide the button into four pieces (two up and two down). The upper left piece is the dead zone, so when you hit there nothing happens.
My old ibm thinkpad doesn' t have these problems. Are these problems normal for the new edge? is it the result of the cost cutting policy that lenovo follows?

Okay, I just tested what you said on the E530. The "spongy" effect your feeling when you tap the touch pad, is when it depresses a switch under the touch pad. It's the same type of switch that's under the lower left and right sides of the touch pad, for left and right click functions. It's not like the old style touch pads where there fixed and don't move. The old ones utilize touch for moving the cursor and for left click functions. They also have two separate physical buttons at the bottom of the touch pad.

The new touch pads only utilize touch for moving the cursor, but when you tap on the pad it depresses a switch instead. There's nothing wrong with that aspect of your touch pad, in fact it's a better design then the old ones, there's no accidental clicking on things anymore. As for the moving around part of the touch pad, there shouldn't be any play in it, except for being able to be depressed like a button.

As for the Track Point, I depressed the right button in the far upper left corner like you were saying, and it worked every time. Did the same thing on my Edge 15, worked every time. If your touch pad is "moving around" in the palm rest, then it's probably defective. If it's still under warranty, I would call up Lenovo and have them take a look at it.

to RealBlackStaff: ok, it is a cheap model, i don't expect best temperatures, best materials, rollcages and so on, but at least i expect buttons to work well! It is only cheap, it is not free!

to Ford F-350 Man: i think i understand what you mean. Final question: at your e530 touchpad, when you press the lower left or right corner to perform a physical left or right click (not tap, just a physical click), is there a one milimeter gap first and then you hear the click? If yes, propably my touchpad is ok and there is no problem.
From what you said, my only problem seems to be the trackpoint button. The dead zone is at the worst place beause it is exactly where my thumb sits comfortable to press. It is not comfortable to presss the most right side of the button with the thumb.

Anyway, thanks for your help.

alkalz wrote:to RealBlackStaff: ok, it is a cheap model, i don't expect best temperatures, best materials, rollcages and so on, but at least i expect buttons to work well! It is only cheap, it is not free!

to Ford F-350 Man: i think i understand what you mean. Final question: at your e530 touchpad, when you press the lower left or right corner to perform a physical left or right click (not tap, just a physical click), is there a one milimeter gap first and then you hear the click? If yes, propably my touchpad is ok and there is no problem.
From what you said, my only problem seems to be the trackpoint button. The dead zone is at the worst place beause it is exactly where my thumb sits comfortable to press. It is not comfortable to presss the most right side of the button with the thumb.

Anyway, thanks for your help.

Yeah the touch pad does have to depress downward about I guess 1 mm then it will click. Your touch pad is fine then. But as for your Track Point, try depressing the right button in the lower left quadrant and see how many times it responds. I don't see how the upper left position could be comfortable if your using your right hand.

I have done a lot of research and it seems that these two problems are well known issues not only at edge series but also at the much more expensive x1 carbon which have the same touchpad.

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-Th ... d-p/862819
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thinkpa ... ckpad.html
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-Th ... d-p/977633

My touchpad issue is described exactly by this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gEVtwGTO-M

Probably, the solution for the loose touchpad is to tighten the screws or bend the metal bar under the touchpad.
Also, the solution for the trackpoint buttons seems to be the replacement of the keyboard.
The fact that so many units have affected by these issues indicates that there is a design flaw to the mechanism under the touchpad and to the switch under the much wider (related to the past) trackpoint buttons.
I asked for a replacement and when the new laptop arrives we’ ll see how it will be.

I just get the replacement laptop. The touchpad problem is still there. its obvious a design flaw, it works well but it is a little bit annoying. At least the trackpoint, which is more crucial for me, works flawlessly. I disabled touchpad, stay with my favorite trackpoint and everything is ok.

Hmm, that's still weird, because the E530 that I have doesn't have either of those problems... Well I'm glad your Track Point works fine this time...