Touchpads

The usual touchpad surface is Mylar (polyester); you can get gummed Mylar sheet and Xacto-knife cut patches to the right size and shape. When it wears, peel it off and put another on. Your electrical tape (or contact paper) will be a vinyl compound, with a different feel.

Easiest source is to google for 'polyester label'; that'll find ya printer-size sheets of material for this purpose.

If you must experiment beyond that (why?) try Small Parts --

Yes.

Simply use a decent quality mouse and f*ck the touchpad

Gunner

"Lenin called them "useful idiots," those people living in liberal democracies who by giving moral and material support to a totalitarian ideology in effect were braiding the rope that would hang them. Why people who enjoyed freedom and prosperity worked passionately to destroy both is a fascinating question, one still with us today. Now the useful idiots can be found in the chorus of appeasement, reflexive anti-Americanism, and sentimental idealism trying to inhibit the necessary responses to another freedom-hating ideology, radical Islam"

Bruce C. Thornton, a professor of Classics at American University of Cal State Fresno

How about self adhesive UHMW tape? It's very abrasion resistant and slippery, and not very expensive. See McMaster page 3414.

Second. I absolutely hate the touchpads and I don't know why the public doesn't just rebel and demand joybuttons like they have on all the business laptops be standard on the consumer laptops as well.

"Pete C." fired this volley in news:4bdddb47$0$5672 $ snipped-for-privacy@unlimited.usenetmonster.com:

A lot of us feel just the opposite. If we had to use the damned eraser instead of a "real" pointing device, we'd give up on the machines.

(BTW... all the DELL laptops I've owned came with both)

LLoyd

The "joybutton" on the Lenovo / IBM products is a "joy" to use. Most of the rest are a PAIN. The only DELL computers I use are ones someone else paid for. I refuse to spend money for them or to put cash in their pocket.

I often drag a Trackman along with my 2.5lb netbook. ;-) Gets rid of RSI, and practical even in an airliner seat in economy.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Why do they have to put the touch pad in the center of the laptop where it is certain the heal of my hand is going to contact it while typing?

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Wes fired this volley in news:uhoDn.107744$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-14.dc.easynews.com:

Because proper typing posture keeps the wrists elevated, and both hands over the "home" keys; meaning the heel of your hand is NEVER over the touchpad.

I use a touchpad exclusively, and touch-type. I never have that problem.

LLoyd

A wireless MOUSE

On Sun, 02 May 2010 18:53:16 -0400, the infamous Spehro Pefhany scrawled the following:

Those are pretty nice, $28 at Wally World, but my all-time fave trackball is the Logitech Trackman Portable. It stands up like a rounded monolith with the ball (and 2 buttons) on the left side and the left button on top. The little tabs on the ball retainer ring keep breaking on mine. I've gone through 4 cords and 8 retainers over the past decade and a half. I may try one of the finger trackballs they're importing from ChiKongWan these days. $11/free ship on eBay.

Or maybe I'll just go down to Harbor Fright and buy a mill, then make my own ring retainer towers, damnit. Then I could fix all my old trackballs. 'Bout time, huh?

Ayup. J-mice are the same.

-- Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. -- Raymond Lindquist

Larry Jaques on Sun, 02 May 2010 18:52:26

-0700 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Aluminum, or plastic?

tschus pyotr

I've a new (to me) laptop, and after the first long session, I went bought a mouse. I'm considering one of the roll up keyboards, too.

- pyotr filipivich We will drink no whiskey before its nine. It's eight fifty eight. Close enough!

I hate touchpads and have always used wireless meece.

Steve

visit my blog at

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Ditto.

I'm not happy with the touch-pad at all, but on the boat's computer there really isn't room for a mouse. Maybe a trackball?

On Sun, 02 May 2010 19:09:00 -0700, the infamous pyotr filipivich scrawled the following:

Prorry prastic. I'll mill new posts with thicker retainers that won't break.

I've recently seen those on eBay for $8. Sucha deal! Let me know how they feel. I haven't seen one in a store.

I moved away from mice about 15 years ago due to carpal warning twinges. The ache went away that day.

Question: Why did the idiot put the keyboard legs on the wrong side? The -front- should be lifted to alleviate carpal stress, not the back.

-- Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. -- Raymond Lindquist

I have owned a track ball since a 2000 shoulder surgery. I wouldn't own anything else, and am amazed at how hard some people find them to use. They use no desk space. Get the wireless.

Steve

visit my blog at

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

The "business" line laptops generally have both, while the "consumer" line laptops generally have only the garbage touch pads.