[support-gang] Student using XO backwards

[Paul Fox]

[ cc'ing devel ]

nathan c. riddle wrote:
 > Did anyone else pick up on the student use of XO in picture of O.K. 
 > School in Manitoba on planet.laptop.org for Dec. 17  ?   Using touchpad 
 > behind display.
 > 
 > Is this just for posing picture or do students use it this way?
 > 
 > Tried it and easily adapted  to reversed motions needed to move pointer 
 > -- feels like I am using a touch tablet.
 > 
 > 
 > Wonder if pointer response could be reversed for those who were not 
 > comfortable with tablet feel.

yes -- the commandline command "olpc-rotate -e" will do it -- it
causes both touchpad axes to be reflected.  use "olpc-rotate -n"
to revert to 'n'ormal.  (the 'e' stands for ebook).

i thought this facility would be useful when using the laptop
in ebook mode, because in that mode the only way to get at the
touchpad is by cracking the laptop open slightly, which results in
that same "backwards" operation.  but i found that in practice it was
pretty easy to get used to the reversal, and doing the axis reflection
automatically is impossible.  (the problem is that the laptop only
knows it's in ebook mode when fully closed.  as soon as you crack it
open to reach the touchpad, it's back in "normal" mode, even though
it's only been opened by less than an inch to access the touchpad.)

paul
=---------------------
 paul fox, pgf at laptop.org