[cbsteven]

After using my TiBook hours a day since four weeks after it was introduced, i have noticed that the surface of my trackpad has become worn where I use it most. It looks shinier than the rest of the pad, and kind of drags my finger when it goes across. Very annoying. The infrequently-used parts of the trackpad are still in new condition and feel much better on my finger.
Will this only get worse and worse, or is there a way to make it get better? I dont know how the trackpad works so i dont know if it would be evil to put any kind of liquid substance on it.

[pete]

Unfortunately that's the nature of trackpads.....They end up shiny and worn out but they still continue to function. That's the one problem with Apple's computers: they are so nice that you barely want to touch them for fear of ruining the exterior...

You can always change the pad in the future for a new one. I can't imagine they're expensive.

[uberden]

Originally posted by pete:
I can't imagine they're expensive.

Now that's funny! Thanks. I needed that on a Friday.

[Kestral]

I hate trackpads so I've rarely if ever used them on any of my machines. On the other hand, I've been known to wear down keyboards - a lot of the keys on my Wall Street Powerbook had lost their lettering by the time I sold it. I've had my Pismo 400 for 6 months now and the S and C key are starting to fade and there's a shiny area on the space bar where I hit it the most.

I remember when Apple used to stand for quality. Now their stuff falls apart at the touch. Such a shame.

[Danni]

About the shiny spots and the lettering fading from the previous poster, I found that my Wallstreet has done the same but I am wondering if it has to do with the chemical compostion of my skin. Talking to another PowerBook user, he bought a machine from someone that had used it for 3 years and there were no marks on it at all. (Note that the original user did not use an external mouse or keyboard with it) However, after using it for 3 months, the keys and the trackpad were showing definite shiny marks. Could this be similar to the effect that some jewelry turns green when worn by some people? I am one that cannot wear cheap jewelry cause the finish either turns green or black and ends up flaking off. Just a thought that may explain why we end up with worn lettering and shiny marks!

[cbsteven]

Are you saying I have bad skin?! Nooo!!!!!

[pete]

I think It's just the nature of trackpads, not apple being cheap. All powerbooks I've seen (including my old 540c, 5300c, wallstreet, lombard, pismo) and ALL PC laptops with trackpads I've seen exhibit the same shiny surface after a few months' use. My external trackpad made by cirque is pretty much the same, although MAYBE a little better. The key thing is not acceptable though IMO. I've used keyboards on a daily basis for years and only after 3-4 years of intensive use do the letters start disappearing. The powerbook should provide the same quality of keys. If it doesn't Apple should replace.

I don't think it's the the chemical make up of your sweat. Maybe the guy didn't use his laptop so much or something. Or maybe he exchanged the keyboard before he sold the laptop....to make it look better because all the keys were worn down to the springs with no lettering left. I just think that, like other materials, the matted surface of the trackpad and keys will wear off as you use it. Now, where can we get those cool purple replacement pads??????!!! Maybe Apple should change to using another form of device - a stick like the ibms perhaps?

[Kestral]

Originally posted by pete:
Maybe Apple should change to using another form of device - a stick like the ibms perhaps?

Nooo!! Now that horrendous little nubby!! That has got to be the worst user input device ever designed!!

That being said, I vote that Apple chooses telepathy as their next input device

[pete]

that's all I wanted to hear....for all its faults, the trackpad remains the best device available for laptops today. I'd like the old trackball of the earlier powerbooks but they're too big for today's machines. The IBM sticks are, as you say, horrible! Telepathy sounds like the bet solution. Isn't it amazing that we haven;t come up with anything better after all these years.....

Actually I saw this the other day. It looks promising as an input device:
http://www.ullmanmouse.com/company/

[Titanium Man]

I've never had problems with my trackpads. Just use a very light touch, it doesn't need any pressure to work.

As for the keys, I believe the difference may be fingernail length and/or typing style. If the fingernails contact the keys, they'll scrape off the letters. Or if your fingers slide on the keys as you type, they'll wear off the letters faster. The only shininess I've ever had on my keyboards is on the spacebar, where the side of my thumbnail scrapes it.

[PeteWK]

I've noticed that some people who use Laptop computers and are more than 40 years old seem to have the most problems with the input devices. People who learned to type on a manual are more likely to beat the crap out of their computer's keyboard. And they're probably more likely to scrape the trackpad as well. I've had three Powerbooks and an iBook and the input devices were / are in top condition. Even the WELL used 1400 that I had for almost three years looked almost new when I sold it.

PeteWK

Originally posted by pete:
Actually I saw this the other day. It looks promising as an input device:
http://www.ullmanmouse.com/company/

Doesn't look much different from the pen-shaped mouse somebody made years ago, except it's optical and has a hard to reach scroll wheel. IMHO, their claims are fallacious. There are other solutions that already exist. Take the thumb-operated trackball, like my Microsoft (gag!) Trackball Optical. It relieves any stress on my arm just like the Ullmanmouse. I just rest my hand on top of it instead of using my whole arm to move a mouse. A flick of the thumb is all the motion it needs. There are times when I feel "the flow" while websurfing, like when I'm reading news sites, and don't move my hand off the trackball for an hour. No stress there.

[pete]

There are two problems with the microsoft and logitech mouse balls. One is that you can only use them in your right hand. Two, your arm and hand are still turned inward which puts stress on the tendons and nerves of the arm and hand. The most natural position is when the thumb is facing up with your little finger resting on the table, ie. similar to the way you hold a pen. The old ANIR mouse look is different because it's like a joystick and you need to move the whole thing. It feels clumsy and cumbersome. This new one look comfortable, although it remains to be seens if the scroll wheel works well and comfortably. I'm happy when something new comes around. It means there is hope to one day have a genuinely comfortable and truly ergonomic input device.

[tooki]

The highest-quality keyboards (like the venerable Apple Extended Keyboard and Extended Keyboard II, as well as the old Standard Keyboard, and thr Adjustable Keyboard) actually have the letters molded into the keys, not printed on top! Nowadays they are merely printed on top. I was actually amazed when I bought a $14 phone at Radio Shack that it had buttons with molded-in numbers.

As for trackpads, mine too is wearing smooth, oh well. But keep one thing in mind: trackpads do not require contact. Thus, you can, without ill effects, cover the trackpad with a sticker or decal or other protective (or decorative) film. Then when it gets worn out, just replace the decal. (A few years ago, one company actually sold trackpad decals for the PowerBook 500 and other square-trackpad powerbooks.)

tooki

[pete]

Toki,
Thanks for the advice about the stickers and trackpad. I guess I always assumed one needed physical contact....do you have any good idea what material would be cool looking and wouldn't leave residue....?? What about that stuff everybody was putting on their wallstreets? Some kind of film?

Pete

Originally posted by pete:
There are two problems with the microsoft and logitech mouse balls. One is that you can only use them in your right hand. Two, your arm and hand are still turned inward which puts stress on the tendons and nerves of the arm and hand. The most natural position is when the thumb is facing up with your little finger resting on the table, ie. similar to the way you hold a pen. The old ANIR mouse look is different because it's like a joystick and you need to move the whole thing. It feels clumsy and cumbersome. This new one look comfortable, although it remains to be seens if the scroll wheel works well and comfortably. I'm happy when something new comes around. It means there is hope to one day have a genuinely comfortable and truly ergonomic input device.

A general property of repetitive stress injuries is that they're caused by repeated motion under stress. Static stress like a motionless hand on the thumbball is unlikely to cause RSI. Would I be even more comfortable if the hand were in a neutral position? Sure. But it's not a health issue.

I wasn't referring to the Anir. There was at least one pen-shaped mouse in the early 90s, held like a pen with a slightly larger base. I don't see any indication that this Ullmanmouse doesn't need to be moved as a unit, just like the Anir. It's just a small optical mouse with a stick on the top, most likely moving the stick like a joystick activates the buttons. Then you need to pronate the hand to reach the scroll wheel, an extraneous motion in itself. At least with the thumbball, I can reach my scroll wheel almost instantly.

[pete]

Don't get me wrong. I like the trackballs more than anything else out there. BUT I hate the fact that I can't use it with both hands. Maybe you're right about the ullman mouse. I thought it was stationary and you move the pen around...

anyway, we'll see when it comes out if it feels good or not.

[Bugs Bunny]

I've also noticed some surface wear on the Ti trackpad. Sometimes I use my Apple Pro mouse, but most often I use the trackpad

------------------
Ti/500/512/20
G4/533/512/40

[This message has been edited by Bugs Bunny (edited 04-22-2001).]

[Avenir]

I'm dragging this one up from athe dark depths of 2001.

My powerbook now has a horribly working trackpad. it's surface is about 80% worn from 3 years of extremely excessive use. It's glossy, sticks to my finger, and makes sliding the cursor around quite uncomfortable. It almost certainly needs to be replaced.

I wanted to pull this up to see if anyone had experience with repairing (doubt that's possible, anyway), reconditioning, or replacing the powerbook trackpad. I imagine apple will not fix it under warranty (though I do have applecare).

any ideas or comments would be great...

[zacharie]

Hello,
If this can be of any help, I use trackpad films from Power Support with my Ti Book.

They are available from
pawasapo.co.jp
or
macimports.com

Thanks.

[silverghost]

Seen these protectors before when I had a Pismo, and after looking at the website they got some that'll work on the Tibooks as well.

So has anybody got any experience with these protectors?


aloha

[jaxxe]

Protectors? You bet! My first PB was the 2400 way back in the day... I've had my 12" PB now for little over a month. I picked up the trackpad protectors a week ago. Two in a pack for some 500 yen ($4.50). They work wonderfully, but after a week's use I realize that they are definitely worth the investment... the first protector is beginning to show wear. I realize that the reason they put two in a pack and sell so cheaply is that they too will wear rather quickly with lots of use. I'd rather wear them out than the actuall trackpad, for resell value of course.

I bought my 2400 PB back in '97 here in Japan, fully loaded with ram and maxed hard drive for close to $3,000. After two years of use, I sold it to Sofmap (major computer retailer) and got some $1,800 for it. Not bad for two years of use. I took that money and bought a G4 350 desktop for some $150 more. What I'm getting at is I want full use of the machine while it's in my possession,
but want to take care of it so it retains a good resell value.

BTW, my desktop is now worth about $500 dollars resell value to Sofmap. Had it for 3 1/2 years now.

[djjava]

Originally posted by cbsteven:
After using my TiBook hours a day since four weeks after it was introduced, i have noticed that the surface of my trackpad has become worn where I use it most. It looks shinier than the rest of the pad, and kind of drags my finger when it goes across. Very annoying. The infrequently-used parts of the trackpad are still in new condition and feel much better on my finger.
Will this only get worse and worse, or is there a way to make it get better? I dont know how the trackpad works so i dont know if it would be evil to put any kind of liquid substance on it.

wear latex gloves.... ???

[seanyepez]

After using one for a week, I conclude dthat the protectors from www.macimports.com are merely glorified stickers. They're horribly overpriced.

[iDaver]

Get a sheet of self-adhesive laminating film from your local office supply store for about 50�. I cut a piece to fit my track pad and have enough left over for a half dozen more. (Doubt I'll ever need it.) The tricky part is cutting it the right size and then applying it without getting any dust or fingerprints underneath. (I'm a perfectionist when it comes to stuff like that.) Works like a charm.