Of Touchpads and Trackpoints

[jdhurst]

I am not sure if this is Windows OS or hardware (Driver being the issue and not hardware).

Second, this post is mostly about Touchpads, and little about Trackpoints.

I use Trackpoints and Mice because that is what I have used for years. Then came the Touchpads on non-IBM machines a while back. I tried to use them but I could not. I have tried recently on IBM ThinkPads, Dell machines, Acer machines and HP machines (client boxes). All the Touchpads work the same way on all machines (so far as I can figure out).

The issue: I am moving the pointer with my finger, and with no action on my part (other than to slow down my finger or speed it up, the thing I am pointing to the instant "executes". That is, totally unexepectedly, a paste, an application load, a cancel, or some such unexpected operation takes place.

I have looked through the Touchpad settings (on my own T41) and cannot see why. It does not seem to be the "Tap and drag" setting. "Buttons" are not enabled. "Pointer motions" are generally not enabled.

Question: What makes the Touchpad do things on its own? And is there a way to prevent it? I cannot see for looking at any event.

Thanks. ... JDH

[Shade]

I have the exact some problem with touchpads.
But I belive it is:

Control Panel -> Mouse -> Double click speed.

Correct me if I'm wrong...

[jdhurst]

I have the exact some problem with touchpads.
But I belive it is:

Control Panel -> Mouse -> Double click speed.

Correct me if I'm wrong...

Thank you. I have tried that, but it does not fix the problem. The fundamental problem is that touchpad software wants to execute things without any prompt or action by the user. Most annoying.

Of course, I use the trackpoint, but I like to understand the other way of doing things. ... JDH

[K0LO]

I hate those bloody touchpads too. When using one, I have the exact same problem with things getting clicked on without me deliberately wanting to click on them.

One thing I noticed was that as I was scrolling with one finger I would let my thumb touch another part of the touchpad. The second touch with the thumb seemed to be the problem. I still find it difficult to avoid doing this - it seems hard to avoid.

[jdhurst]

I started a post drift in another thread about a CNet post about a Lenovo machine. I dislike Touchpads with such a passion that I would never buy a laptop that did not have a Trackpoint. One user in that thread thought I was being too harsh, so I started this thread. Interesting that all posters here have the same issue. It has to be a software problem, and it appears that the vendors are all lemmings following the same flawed design.

It a touchpad would NOT activate something when I am not requesting, then I would at least try to use one to see if I could adapt. But such is not the case at this point.
... JDH

[dietpepsiaddict]

I absolutely HATE touchpads with such a passion as well!!!:twisted:!!! (I always use Trackpoints)

Anyway... I think that your problem might be this: Sometimes as you move your finger along the touchpad you lift it periodically to adjust it so you don't go off the side of the touchpad, when you put your finger down it thinks you are "tapping" the touchpad meaning to click or open a program or icon. A lot of people don't realise that they do this, thus thinking that thier touchpad is screwed and doing random commands.

Hope this helps!

[ryengineer]

What's a touchpad?

To be honest, I've never felt comfortable with it on thinkpads or any other notebooks for that matter except Macbook that has nice features due to it's operating system. On thinkpads, trackpoint stick is so addictive and my index finger has mind of it's own which knows magically that it has to rest lightly on the space between "G" "H" and "B" keys.

[ZAGNUT]

i use both the touch pad and trackpoint equally depending on the mood i'm in...

for me the best setup is to have the two touch pad buttons disabled, sensitivity set all the way down to "light touch" and palm check set to "maximum filter".



dave