Hi there,

I just got my Inspiron 8600 about a week ago too and it has the same problem.

Initially, when the notebook came, the 2 buttons of the pointing stick were on different levels, right button was higher than the left button. After confirming with the helpdesk personnel for the 99th time that I didn't use it to play games (who uses pointing stick to play games?!) and assuring him that it was a new, 2 day old unit, he finally sent me an engineer to fix it. The whole piece of hardware around the keyboard was replaced. (including palmrest, it was together)

Although the buttons are now on the same level and slightly more responsive than before, I find that I have to press the button down a long distance before a click is registered. There is no "click" feeling to the button, and it feels as if I'm pressing on a piece of bread. I don't know whether I've registered a click upon pressing, and it's pretty frustrating since i prefer using the pointing stick as it's convenient cause you don't have to move your hands down to the touchpad.

Does Dell have any solutions to this problem? What's the point of incorporating two pointing systems on the laptop when one is severely flawed? Why not make the buttons similar to the touchpad buttons? Or at least usable, like IBM's buttons?

Do other i8600 users have the same buttons? Or am I getting shortchanged?

Kindly share, thanks!

Yaani,

Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.

Ideas on troubleshooting your touchpad can be found in this knowledge base article.

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@Yaani wrote:
The link is broken.

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Yaani,

The link works for me.  You can find this document another way though:

1. Go to the main Dell support page.
2. In the search window in the upper left corner of the page, search on these words exactly:  How do I Troubleshoot Portable Touchpad and Track Stick Devices?
3. Choose the first link.

The link is broken.

There is nothing to troubleshoot.  What you describe is normal for these keyboards.  And yes, many folks have complained about the poorly designed buttons because they require too much travel to activate, and because they are not very responsive.

Dell has no plans to address this issue.

 

Dell Bob,

So it's not a software issue. Now what?

 

I also had trouble with the track stick buttons on my new I8600. This problem was ultimately corrected by Dell but only after spending a frustrating 2-4 weeks communicating with Dell Support via email and telephone. My experience is posted at this forum.

The track stick buttons on my I8600 now work fine after the original buttons (and the entire palmrest) were replaced. The operation and feel of the track stick pointer and new track stick buttons is similar to the Compaq Evo 600 that I use at work. Based on my limited experience with a co-worker's IBM Thinkpad, I believe that the track stick pointer and buttons on the IBM Thinkpad are superior to both the I8600 and the Compaq Evo 600. The touchpad and other keyboard buttons on the I8600 seem to be just fine.

Dell BobT,

the link you provided has nothing to do with the issue I and some others here described.

What is the solution of Dell? The i8600 buttons described above are nearly impossible to use for professional work.

Greetings,

I also have this problem and the spring has gone out of the left and right buttons. Someone described it as like pushing on a piece of bread. Very good analogy. They stay down and won't come back up thus meaning you have to dig them out before you can use an external mouse. How difficult is it to take the Keyboard off and try and get them springing again. Does anyone know? I only had a year's warranty and don't want to be without the Laptop for 2 weeks. Is there an instruction of replacing the Keyboard at your own risk around? Even though I am pretty sure they aren't part of the Keyboard, it might give me access to them.

 

Sean

When I got my Inspiron 8600 everything was super, except the track stick buttons. They were unusable but I really tried to get used to always clicking 2-3 times before a click was registered but in the end I was just too annoyed about it.

After having a technician over 4 times, each time changing the palm rest, the keyboard just got really bad and in the end I had the same track stick buttons as I started with.

What should I do DELL? I've heard from several people in this forum that they have had it fixed by DELL so there must be a way!

I just received my brand new Dell Inspiron 8500 and immediately noticed the poor mouse button response described in this forum.  Considering this is a $2,500.00 laptop, I would have expected more in the way of responsive mouse buttons. Another writer mentioned it is almost impossible to use this laptop for professional use and I agree.  My IBM Thinkpads performed beautifully in the mouse-button category.  My Dell is horrible.  I can honestly say I would not have purchased this Dell if I had known the mouse buttons were going to respond so poorly.  It is a daily frustration.  Dell really needs to look into this and fix it.  The mouse buttons beneath the touch pad work perfectly - it's the mouse buttons under the space bar used with the eraser head track stick that don't work properly.  Peace.

Message Edited by Xplornaz on 11-24-2003 06:43 PM

Message Edited by Xplornaz on 11-24-2003 06:44 PM

Message Edited by Xplornaz on 11-25-2003 07:33 AM

I agree,

DELL should really look into this problem and let their customers know as soon there is a real fix out. The sad thing about this is that everything else about my Inspiron 8600 ($4,000) is as good as it gets so it's a shame that such important things as the mouse buttons are not working.

Now, I would really appreciate - and expect - an official answer from DELL as what they are doing about this issue?

To rub salt in the wound Dell have accused me of breaking them. That is the buttons directly under the space bar. They were fine when I left South Africa so the trip must have jolted them on the way back. Scary. I now have to pay €357.00 to get them fixed.

That's totally absurd. That much for 2 buttons?

But the point here is: the original condition of the buttons of the Pointing Stick renders it virtually unusable. The user has to press very hard to register a click. Even then, there is no feedback upon clicking to know that you have just clicked. Double clicking is almost impossible.

I think it's about time Dell had an official response to this problem. I'm disappointed that they could overlook a usability flaw as glaring as this that would undermine their reputation. The "response" that the moderator has given has been less than helpful, for this is not a software problem. I am sure there are many users out there who are waiting for a proper response from Dell, which we would appreciate.

 

Thank you