[hldan]

My Rev A 17" Powerbook and iBook over time have built up a shiny sweetspot on the trackpad during normal use.
I recently got rid of my Rev A 17"PB and got the new Rev B 17" (Apple Replacement). Now that I have the Bluetooth mouse I try not to use my trackpad so it will maintain a nice appeal but there are times that I don't want to use the Bluetooth mouse and I would rather use the trackpad.
Is there a way to maintain the Trackpad so it won't get shiny over time? Do all notebooks including PC's get like this?
Any help appreciated.

[mrgaskell]

Wash your hands with soap more often.

[Lorinserbenz]

Originally posted by hldan:
My Rev A 17" Powerbook and iBook over time have built up a shiny sweetspot on the trackpad during normal use.
I recently got rid of my Rev A 17"PB and got the new Rev B 17" (Apple Replacement). Now that I have the Bluetooth mouse I try not to use my trackpad so it will maintain a nice appeal but there are times that I don't want to use the Bluetooth mouse and I would rather use the trackpad.
Is there a way to maintain the Trackpad so it won't get shiny over time? Do all notebooks including PC's get like this?
Any help appreciated.

Well I will not be a smarta** and say wash your hands. I think most people do that on a regular basis. It is the oil off of your hands that cause the shiney spots.
go to www.newcolorshop.com and order some trackpad film. They sell it for $12.00 for two pieces. I also recommend the Palmrest rugs.
Also try http://www.macimports.com they are great to deal with as well.
Newcolorshop appears to be down, they are based out of Japan.
http://www.macimports.com/macimp/tp2.html

[hldan]

Originally posted by mrgaskell:
Wash your hands with soap more often.

That's a very genius answer. Don't mention anything if you don't have a "brainy"solution. Take care.
I wasn't looking for an idiotic no brainer response. I'm sure several people have encountered a sweetspot on their trackpad.
But I forgot to say thanks mrgaskell!

[hldan]

Originally posted by Lorinserbenz:
Well I will not be a smarta** and say wash your hands. I think most people do that on a regular basis. It is the oil off of your hands that cause the shiney spots.
go to www.newcolorshop.com and order some trackpad film. They sell it for $12.00 for two pieces. I also recommend the Palmrest rugs.
Also try http://www.macimports.com they are great to deal with as well.
Newcolorshop appears to be down, they are based out of Japan.
http://www.macimports.com/macimp/tp2.html

Hey, that was really helpful. I heard about that trackpad film before but forgot all about it. I'll check it out. Much appreciated Lorinserbenz. Take care.

[Lorinserbenz]

Originally posted by hldan:
Hey, that was really helpful. I heard about that trackpad film before but forgot all about it. I'll check it out. Much appreciated Lorinserbenz. Take care.

You are welcome.

[fraeone]

Originally posted by hldan:
That's a very genius answer. Don't mention anything if you don't have a "brainy"solution. Take care.
I wasn't looking for an idiotic no brainer response. I'm sure several people have encountered a sweetspot on their trackpad.
But I forgot to say thanks mrgaskell!

Like it or not, he gave you good advice.

[mainemanx]

Mine has brown skid marks ... but I use wet wipes and now it sparkles like cold, hard, aluminum ... not like warm, soft ...

Jeez ... donchya'll have anything else to worry about?

[Lorinserbenz]

Originally posted by fraeone:
Like it or not, he gave you good advice.

Wash your hands is good advice???!! Guess you are one of those people that say breathing is good for you too

[Tomster]

Washing your hands is not at all helpful in the long run. A shiny spot can result from oil build up, but a quick wipe with a mild cleaner will take care of that. The shiny spots on a trackpad can also result from your fingertip wearing the trackpad smooth over time.

The only way to avoid this is with some sort of film. I recommend vinyl adhesive.

[pete]

I always feel silly caring so for my little powerbook, so I just use a sticky on top of the trackpad. It covers the trackpad perfectly and looks like you just left a note to yourself there....

[hldan]

Originally posted by pete:
I always feel silly caring so for my little powerbook, so I just use a sticky on top of the trackpad. It covers the trackpad perfectly and looks like you just left a note to yourself there....

Thanks for all the responses to my post that were "helpful" and not insulting. Those people know who they are.
There are people on these forums that make up anything to make conversation and I was just asking a simple question hoping for a viable solution.
It's totally unnecessary for people to give "Low I.Q." answers just to irritate someone.
Again thanks to all the non-insulting helpers.
Much appreciated.

[cdhostage]

It's not an insult. It's normal and proper to wash your hands every fifteen minutes to rid them of the sweat and disgusting oil.

Seriously, just wipe the stupid thing with an alcohal swab.

[mrgaskell]

I was actually being quite serious. Soap, for all of you, uh, less knowledgeable people in this forum, breaks down the natural oils that your skin produces and would thus decrease the amount of oil you leave behind on your trackpad. I wash my hands before using my PB for that reason (and I work around kids who seem to not take hygeine as serious as I do) and generally will wash them again if my hands feel oily.

Oh, and to the people of this forum who get bent out of shape so easily: f'in relax!

[pcwizard]

Just use diluted alcohol and rub away ;-)
Probably best practice to do this every month or so, to stop the build-up.

Cheers,

R


Its Mickey Mouses birthday today, but Goofy can't come as he's visiting our country!

[Tomster]

Originally posted by mrgaskell:
Soap, for all of you, uh, less knowledgeable people in this forum, breaks down the natural oils that your skin produces and would thus decrease the amount of oil you leave behind on your trackpad.

Uh. Thanks. So uh, are you trying to describe polar vs non polar objects, hydocarbons, and ampiphiles to us poor unenlightened, simple folk? Because that's how soap works. And we can get into surface tension too, if you would like.

The irreversible shine on the trackpad resulted from one's fingertip polishing the pad over time. Sure, you can remove hydrocarbons from a surface with an ampiphile, but that's pretty much obvious.

[urrl78]

I never worry about washing my hands. I mostly use the Microsoft BT mouse. I do take care to clean the track pad and exterior with a mild solution of soap and water on a damp rag. The Bluetooth mouse used to skip in Jaguar but now works well in Panther. Just love it, except for the fact that I must remove batteries when transporting it. Wish it had an on/off switch...

[shabbasuraj]

i agree with some of the above..

wash your hands more often, to REDUCE build up, simple as pie...

[DekuDekuplex]

Originally posted by cdhostage:
It's not an insult. It's normal and proper to wash your hands every fifteen minutes to rid them of the sweat and disgusting oil.

[comments deleted]

Wow! Many people accuse me of washing my hands too often, but even I don't wash them every fifteen minutes! If you are awake sixteen hours per day, this means that you wash them sixty-four times! I just wash them whenever they get oily or dirty, and then many people tell me that I must be extremely neurotic, but I just ignore them.

I use Softsoap� 2 in 1 Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap Plus Real Moisturizing Lotion to keep my hands from drying out; the lotion in the soap has so far been very effective in keeping my skin from drying out even with frequent use.

However, I do recommend using Gojo� Industries' PURELL� hand sanitizer for when soap is not available. I carry a bottle with me everywhere I go, and refill it as necessary. Again, people keep telling me that I'm neurotic when I use it, but I just ignore them and use it whenever my hands feel dirty or oily.

One suggestion to clean your trackpad directly is to use iKlear. I have used it on my PowerBook trackpad, and it seems to work fine if used occasionally. It does change the way that the trackpad feels slightly immediately after use, though, so I wouldn't recommend it for frequent use. I had some difficulty in moving the cursor immediately after wiping it with this product because it made the trackpad feel somewhat waxy. However, tracking efficiency returned very soon, and it cleaned the trackpad. Just be sure that you don't let any of the product seep into your PowerBook through the edges of your trackpad!

--DekuDekuplex

P.S. I once met an even more neurotic computer user than myself who actually carried a bottle of alcohol with him and used it in a public Internet caf� to wipe vigorously the backrest of a leather chair before sitting in it! I showed him my PURELL� and told him that I used it to sanitize my hands occasionally, and he told me that he thought it was too "weak" to be useful! He was a middle-aged man dressed in a business jacket. I actually felt sorry for the chair, because it seemed to lose its luster after being wiped! I don't usually wipe leather products with alcohol, although it's fine for glass and most plastics.

Also, I usually use Lavacol� ethyl rubbing alcohol instead of regular isopropyl alcohol, even though it is more expensive, because it feels more gentle on the skin.

[MountainMac]

Originally posted by DekuDekuplex:
P.S. I once met an even more neurotic computer user than myself who actually carried a bottle of alcohol with him and used it in a public Internet caf� to wipe vigorously the backrest of a leather chair before sitting in it!

How do you spell "OCD"?

[mrgaskell]

I use to be a procurement tech for an organ and tissue "harvester." When we were in the field and did not have a proper surgical suite, we used purell sanitizer.

On my old TiBook (before it was stolen ) I used the iKleer stuff on the body. I found that it seemed to hold on to prints and grease a little bit more with the iKleer than without. I have found with my new 12" PB that it water and a little drop of SOAP in a bowl with a lintless cloth work just fine in removing prints and making the body look and feel clean.

And once again, I really wasn't trying to insult the post originator's (hldan) intelligence. I'm really not a smarta** or an a-hole.

[hldan]

Originally posted by Lorinserbenz:
Well I will not be a smarta** and say wash your hands. I think most people do that on a regular basis. It is the oil off of your hands that cause the shiney spots.
go to www.newcolorshop.com and order some trackpad film. They sell it for $12.00 for two pieces. I also recommend the Palmrest rugs.
Also try http://www.macimports.com they are great to deal with as well.
Newcolorshop appears to be down, they are based out of Japan.
http://www.macimports.com/macimp/tp2.html

I'm the original poster of the shiny trackpad syndrome. I wanted everyone to know that I took the advice of Lorinserbenz and ordered the trackpad film and I got it today. Price wasn't bad only $9.00 US dollars after tax and shipping. Ships as a package of 2 films.
Macimports (the company that makes the trackpad film) state that the film doesn't degrade performance but unfortunately they are not completely right about that.
It has to be "used" a little to make the actions smooth but after that it works as promised.
It adhere's easily to the trackpad and lays smoothly but several times the pointer shot across the screen and wiggled about. But it's cool now. However Lorinserbenz gave me a helpful solution as well as some others.

Oh to the person that mentioned about me washing my hands more often. In a way it is insulting. I don't know the age level of the people that write posts in this forum but I am not a child and telling someone to wash their hands is like reminding a child.
If I had mentioned that I was an auto mechanic with dirty hands and was complaining about my trackpad getting shiny then maybe that "insult" wouldn't really be an "insult".
I think the trackpad becomes shiny over time due to wear as some of the people mentioned and not only due to oily hands.

[DekuDekuplex]

Originally posted by Lorinserbenz:
Well I will not be a smarta** and say wash your hands. I think most people do that on a regular basis. It is the oil off of your hands that cause the shiney spots.
go to www.newcolorshop.com and order some trackpad film. They sell it for $12.00 for two pieces. I also recommend the Palmrest rugs.
Also try http://www.macimports.com they are great to deal with as well.
Newcolorshop appears to be down, they are based out of Japan.
http://www.macimports.com/macimp/tp2.html

I just ordered the Track Pad Cover for 17 inch PowerBook from New Color Shop.

The merchant had a special deal on it for USD $9.00 (regular price: USD $12.00), and shipping & handling was free.

Their site was not down.

I'll keep everybody here posted on how it works.

--DekuDekuplex

[hldan]

Originally posted by DekuDekuplex:
I just ordered the Track Pad Cover for 17 inch PowerBook from New Color Shop.

The merchant had a special deal on it for USD $9.00 (regular price: USD $12.00), and shipping & handling was free.

Their site was not down.

I'll keep everybody here posted on how it works.

--DekuDekuplex

Just to give an update to what I wrote earlier. The trackpad cover film from Macimports is a "Must Have" for anyone with an Apple Notebook. After a couple of hours of having it on my Powerbook it's really smooth. No performance issues and it makes the computer stay looking like new. Just make sure to "break it in" for about 20 minutes and it will be your saving grace.

[DekuDekuplex]

Originally posted by hldan:
Just to give an update to what I wrote earlier. The trackpad cover film from Macimports is a "Must Have" for anyone with an Apple Notebook. After a couple of hours of having it on my Powerbook it's really smooth. No performance issues and it makes the computer stay looking like new. Just make sure to "break it in" for about 20 minutes and it will be your saving grace.

What's the difference between the MacImports and New Color Shop versions?

--DekuDekuplex

[DekuDekuplex]

Originally posted by Lorinserbenz:
Well I will not be a smarta** and say wash your hands. I think most people do that on a regular basis. It is the oil off of your hands that cause the shiney spots.
go to www.newcolorshop.com and order some trackpad film. They sell it for $12.00 for two pieces. I also recommend the Palmrest rugs.
Also try http://www.macimports.com they are great to deal with as well.
Newcolorshop appears to be down, they are based out of Japan.
http://www.macimports.com/macimp/tp2.html

Originally posted by DekuDekuplex:
I just ordered the Track Pad Cover for 17 inch PowerBook from New Color Shop.

The merchant had a special deal on it for USD $9.00 (regular price: USD $12.00), and shipping & handling was free.

Their site was not down.

I'll keep everybody here posted on how it works.

--DekuDekuplex

After I placed my order, Eric Ko at New Color Shop sent me the following e-mail message:

Originally e-mailed by Eric Ko at New Color Ltd.:
Thanks for order from our online store, but it seem our system have
problem, We lost the detail of your new order, please give us again
which
item we should ship to and the shipping address.


Best Regards

****************************************
Eric Ko
Sales & Marketing Manager
New Color Ltd.

Unit 502, 5/F,
Polly Commercial Building,
21-23 Prat Avenue,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
Tel: 852-96289515
Fax: 852-28573676

http://www.newcolorshop.com

[email protected]
****************************************

I just re-sent them the details of my order.

Apparently, they are based in Kowloon, not Japan (unless they have at least two offices, one in each country).

Where did you get the information that they were based in Japan?

--DekuDekuplex

[andretan]

I've a shiny trackpad as well, and I've used those trackpad protectors before.

They're good no doubt but for me, they wear out pretty fast. i wore out 2 pieces in about 4 weeks.

Not cheap, from where I got them. Same ones as the Macimport ones.

[DekuDekuplex]

Originally posted by andretan:
I've a shiny trackpad as well, and I've used those trackpad protectors before.

They're good no doubt but for me, they wear out pretty fast. i wore out 2 pieces in about 4 weeks.

Not cheap, from where I got them. Same ones as the Macimport ones.

From where did you get them? How much did they charge?

--DekuDekuplex

[andretan]

Originally posted by DekuDekuplex:
From where did you get them? How much did they charge?

--DekuDekuplex

I'm from Singapore so there's kinda no point telling ya where I got them from, cause I got them from locally.

I think you can order from MacImport. The ones I got is the same.

Cheers.

[romeosc]

How tight do they stick to trackpad?

I have some carpet protection film that we use but I am afraid to see if it removed paint from trackpad when removed?

[chabig]

I just use a PDA screen cover. They are cheap, available, and work just fine.

Chris

[hldan]

Originally posted by romeosc:
How tight do they stick to trackpad?

I have some carpet protection film that we use but I am afraid to see if it removed paint from trackpad when removed?

That's a great question. I am using the trackpad film right now from Macimports.com and it works flawlessly but I would like to know if they do any damage like marring the trackpad surface upon removal. If anyone has used them before and has removed it to replace it please let us know if the trackpad still kept it's original look and feel?

[iDaver]

I use a piece of adhesive laminating film. A whole sheet of it is available at office supply stores for about 50 cents. Of course you have to cut it to size yourself, but it works great. Can't even tell it's there (but I had to try a few times to get a piece on there with no dust or fingerprints under it).

By the way, I don't think finger oil has ANYTHING to do with the problem for which the thread was started. Rub your (clean) finger across anything for months and it will start to wear smooth. My old iBook trackpad got like that so I decided to protect the surface on my new PowerBook. When it comes time to sell the computer, I'll remove the laminating film and the trackpad will be like brand new.

Another by the way; most people wouldn't care about such things.

[AdamSomers]

My mom buys softsoap, so that's what I use. At school I don't have any hand soap, but one of the guys next door leaves his liquid hand soap on the sink in the bathroom. I believe it is softsoap, as well. I often sneak a drop of it to wash my hands with. I wonder if he's becomming suspicious. I always wash my hands after using the restroom, and before touching my powerbook. Sometimes I wash them after I use the powerbook, as I often get that 'afterglow', such as after good sex, and washing the hands just seems right.



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