comment on touchpad problems

[Richard A. Smith]

Mikus Grinbergs wrote:

> G1G1, Joyride 1971.  Was visiting a friend.  Apparently, he keeps 
> his house less humid than mine.  Noticed that when I waved my hand 
> in the air some two inches above the touchpad, the cursor (e.g., in 
> Terminal) would move around uncontrollably, and even jump.

> [Back home, the cursor again behaved correctly.]

There is a growing body of evidence that the touchpad problems are 
related to weather and I have a personal theory that humidity changes 
play a part in that.

Both myself and Andres (dilinger) have run tests where moving an XO 
between a closed bathroom where you have run a hot shower and made it 
very hot and steamy and an the ambient environment will cause the 
touchpad to have problems.

My results were very similar to yours but Andres's results were not so 
severe.

I'm searching for ways to do controlled humidity experiments.  Its 
difficult because you have to increase the humidity yet not cross into 
the condensing range.

-- 
Richard Smith  <richard at laptop.org>
One Laptop Per Child