Does the Touch Pad on Your Laptop Make You Crazy?

by | Jul/18/2013

If you are like me, when I type on my keyboard, the touch pad detects my thumbs and the cursor inexplicably jumps to somewhere else on the screen. That slows down productivity and increases one’s propensity to use profanity. There is a better way…

There is almost always a key, or a two key combination on your keyboard that will completely disable the computer’s touch pad. Ok, you’ve eliminated the problem. But how do you get work done without a mouse?

You could use the touch screen, if your device is equipped with one. Even so, you may find some applications don’t work quite the way you want when using the touch screen.

The answer is to connect a regular mouse! On airplanes, where wireless devices are not allowed, you can use a small “travel mouse” that plugs into a USB port. They are inexpensive, and be prepared to try more than one brand until you find one that suits you.

Then, use a regular mouse—wireless is fine—for working in all other locations. My preference, by far, is to get a mouse that runs on any surface. After all, we are talking about your laptop computer. Who knows where you’ll need to use it next? I use the Logitech Wireless Performance Mouse MX for PC and Mac. The mouse works perfectly on every flat surface I’ve encountered so far. Say goodbye to frustration.

It is worth mentioning that, for those of us whose wrists hurt after using a mouse, you may want to consider a “vertical mouse.” They take a little while to get used to, but less time than you think. I’m no ergonomic expert, but I can tell you that my wrist feels better when I use the vertical mouse.