Feature Request: Discrete Touchpad Buttons

Framework Laptop 13
,
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I would like to extend my gratitude to Framework for designing an excellent modular laptop.

My sole critisicm of my laptop is that its touchpad is missing discrete buttons corresponding to left-click and right-click. These missing buttons present a remarkable nuisance to me.

When I use the touchpad, I rest my thumb on its bottom-left corner, and move the cursor using my index finger. A problem occurs when I attempt to perform a left-click using my thumb: this action results in the cursor moving in an unintended fashion, often away from the GUI element that I am attempting to click.

I am aware that some users of touchpads prefer the tap-to-click feature of their operating system, in which a left-click occurs when the touchpad is tapped with the index finger. I personally cannot stand this functionality, because I find it imprecise and unreliable. Furthermore, using this approach to drag any given GUI element is highly inconvenient.

I could, of course, simply use an external desktop mouse. But I would argue that I shouldn’t have to. I don’t actually mind using a touchpad, provided that I can use discrete buttons for clicking operations. My previous laptop was a Fujitsu Lifebook, and featured discrete touchpad buttons; I had no trouble using this touchpad over extended periods of time.

Therefore, I would prefer if Framework laptop users had the option to use discrete left-click and right-click buttons; these buttons would be positioned underneath the thumb. Perhaps an alternative touchpad module could be sold through the online shop? If this product existed, I would kill for it.

Thank you for considering my suggestion.

I am aware that other Framework laptop users have previously made similar suggestions. My goal here is to indicate to Framework that the need for this feature is widespread.

I have, in the meantime, found a partial solution: I have applied ‘grip tape’ to the bottom-left corner of the touchpad, on which my thumb rests. The tape prevents the touchpad from recognising the movement of my thumb when I perform a left-click.

Let me know your thoughts.

Best regards,

Joe

Touchpad with 2 buttons instead of clickpad?
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Using search would’ve taken less time than creating this thread. This has been discussed many times and no-one cares: The clickpad and the "sliding clicks" - please give us touchpad buttons!

Someone is working on applying thinkpad’s cover on framework, but ‘open sourciness’ is BS and community will never make something that big and practical.

Using double-sided tape is the current solution. I use it. I enjoy it.

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This has been discussed many times and no-one cares

If no one cares, then why has it been discussed many times? :thinking:

Using double-sided tape is the current solution. I use it. I enjoy it.

It would seem that you personally cared enough to implement your own partial solution to the problem. Why should we have to resort to these measures?

Using search would’ve taken less time than creating this thread.

As I stated in my post, my goal here is to indicate to Framework that the need for this feature is widespread.

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MFW
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I didn’t see the OP say they didn’t realize that the Framework lacks real touchpad buttons. Just that the lack of the option is an annoyance & they would like to have it available.

I like real buttons too.
Can I tap-to-click? Sureeee. Do I wanna? No, not really.

Maybe it comes from being primarily a mouse user. Real buttons are naturally more engrained in my head. I don’t use a touchpad as often. Click-drag to highlight text isn’t as easy & it sometimes fails to engage. Same with alt+click-drag to move windows. And 2 finger right click, 3 finger middle click sometimes also fails. I wouldn’t mind, if on every laptop it always worked as well, or better than real buttons. And, if buttons weren’t removed by the industry as a whole only so they could save a tiny bit on their costs, cheap out. It can be good. Apple supposedly has an excellent implementation. And I hear Sensel finally managed a good haptic touchpad. It’s available. I presume it’s not cheap. But on Frameworks, parts are modular. If you’re so used to button-less touchpads that you no longer care, you wouldn’t have to pay for buttons, or for a haptic touchpad.

Regarding the community guidelines

if you can’t tell the difference, well, there’s not going to be anything I can say. And honestly, I shouldn’t have engaged to begin with.

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People, please take this off-topic p1ss1ing contest elsewhere. The premise of the topic has merit and I for one am interested to see how it plays out. If the off-topic drivel continues future readers will give up before they’ve found any contributions of value.

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I completely agree with this feature request. Adding discrete touchpad buttons would make clicking much more precise and reduce accidental taps, similar to how using color printer test pages helps ensure accurate print results. It’s a small change, but it could significantly improve overall usability and user experience, especially for those who rely heavily on the touchpad for productivity tasks.

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Thank you for your support.

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Or.. listen me out.. have 2 separate fingers do 2 separate actions. That’s actually faster as you can do them almost simultaneously, without the need of lifting and stuff. Not to mention click&drag operations..

To the OP, I do agree with your goals. Just not with your methods. Same topics are created over and over again, it’s just annoying not seeing anything new. Revive old topics with more replies where it’s actually more visible that people want it instead of creating new topic.

To me, personally, I don’t care anymore. I found the double-sided tape method and it works for me just fine. Is it perfect? Hell no. But this is a niche request and FW is still a small company that has more important things to consider. If we comply with every niche request, it will create so much overhead. Haptic touchpad is more requested than this and we still do not get it. Million different keyboards are requested. Built-in SIM support.. Some want the laptop to be <1kg, etc… Can’t have it all.

You have a hack? use it. It’s actually been a conversation starter 3 times already too :smiley:

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If we comply with every niche request, it will create so much overhead.

Who are you to decide how Framework responds to feature requests? Are you an employee? If the community has requested discrete touchpad buttons, as you put it, “over and over again”, then is this really a niche request? It seems to me that this is a widespread need.

Haptic touchpad is more requested than this and we still do not get it.

This is factually incorrect. Please count the threads whose titles request a haptic touchpad, versus the threads whose titles request touchpad buttons.

Some want the laptop to be <1kg

The Framework Laptop 13 already has a mass of 1.3kg. A quick search on the forums of “1kg” returns mostly results associated with the smaller Framework Laptop 12. I think that this is a strawman argument.