Comments on: Tecchie Question

By: Kay Tie

Kay Tie — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:08:15 +0000

“Unfortunately, Kat Tie, there is no OSX function to ignore deliberate feline treadling of the keyboard.”

Leopard 10.5.2 will include support for the iProd: 5000V through the keyboard when the iSight camera sees a turtleshell pattern.

By: Surreptitious Evil

Surreptitious Evil — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:22:50 +0000

Our cats will, when feeling insufficiently worshipped, walk over and sit down on the keyboard when you are typing. Mrs S-E has a new Macbook Pro – so flying cats are quite common at the moment.

Unfortunately, Kat Tie, there is no OSX function to ignore deliberate feline treadling of the keyboard.

Tim adds: Fn F7 did indeed work, so thanks!

By: Monty

Monty — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:06:47 +0000

It pays to keep pets (especially cats), away from your PC. Their coats can build up a great deal of static, and that can be a problem if it discharges near to exposed electronics, such as cable entries.

By: Tim Newman

Tim Newman — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:01:37 +0000

Most touchpads can only be disabled through the bios.

By: Kay Tie

Kay Tie — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:42:09 +0000

“Does any one know if you can disable the mousepad on a Dell? I have not found a way.”

I found a way. I bought a MacBook, which has a function to ignore accidental brushing of the trackpad.

By: pj

pj — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:08:07 +0000

Fn +F7 Oh you wonderful wonderful people. I’ve been looking for just that piece of information for ages. Now I won’t get half way through typing a file name and find that my shirt cuff has shut the window for me.

By: Little Black Sambo

Little Black Sambo — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:23:18 +0000

Those mousepads are a big nuisance for anybody with normal sized hands; very difficult to avoid touching them when you are just typing. Does any one know if you can disable the mousepad on a Dell? I have not found a way.

By: Cleanthes

Cleanthes — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:23:19 +0000

Well I’d offer up the cat as a sacrifice to the gods as a pretty good opening gambit.

By: Allan Scullion

Allan Scullion — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:21:25 +0000

Stephen is likely right – Acer’s have an Fn+F-key combination to enable/disable the trackpad. I don’t have mine infront of me now but F7 sounds about right

By: sanbikinoraion

sanbikinoraion — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:01:21 +0000

There is probably an Acer trackpad management tool buried somewhere in the start menu which should allow you to check whether the trackpad has been disabled or not.

Of course, plugging a USB mouse into the laptop temporarily might make investigating such settings easier…

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:17:11 +0000

Try Fn + F7