My Cursor Keeps Jumping Around!

ps.. that was supposed to be "only person on the planet"-- just because I may have some solutions to the cursor issue still doesn't mean I can type worth a darn!

I'm afraid I've had this problem for years since my very first laptop. I assume it's the result of a seriously hypersensitive trackball or track "pad" as on my Inspiron 9400-1705. Drives me crazy and has been the source of very unpleasant/ embarrassing emails that have gone out in total gibberish, especially if it's late at night and i"m tired.

 

Best advice I can give you is either (1): type in such a (unfortunately non-ergonomic) way as to curl your hands up over the tracking area, i.e. don't rest your wrists on the laptop below the keyboard area [though you could wind up with carpal tunnel syndrome before long] OR (2) much better idea to the extent feasible is to use an external keyboard. They make some great ones that are compact and/ or folding, roll-up waterproof ones, or even a nifty "virtual keyboard" that allows you to "type" onto any flat surface (such as the lap tray on an airplane!)-- the so-called keys are just lit up images of keys. Personally I recommend the compact folding ones.

 

The third option is to do what I do on rare occasions when i have good fingernails, and that is to type with my fingernails (as I am at the moment)--- I realize this sounds TRULY bizarre, but what happens is you make direct, firm contact with the keys while keeping your hands elevated a bit off the usual wrist-rest area (which is what causes the scampering cursor), but you don't have to have your hands and wrists in that funky fold-over position that leads to carpal tunnel programs.

 

I'm confident I am the ONLY person on the plane to make that last recommendation, but, hey, if you happen to be among the 51% of us who are female, I say ya do what works!