One thing I’ve noticed on the Framework 16 is that if I’m using the device where there isn’t much support underneath the laptop, such as on my lap in bed instead of on a desk, then any pressure on the left palm rest has the potential to either click the left mouse button or lock it into the clicked position once I do actually click. This is a mechanical behavior that results in physical clicks to the trackpad. This can make interactions slightly irksome and accommodating the limitation isn’t as comfortable as relaxing my arms.
On the bright side, it encourages me to further ditch the cursor on my install of i3.
Someone appears to have reported the same issue for the Framework 13:
I’ve had the trackpad “click” when I’m just moving the cursor around and not touching the palm rest. It may be a sensitivity issue, with it detecting the movement as a click. I’m spoiled by the excellent trackpad on my MBP though!
I’ve since narrowed the issue down to if the trackpad flexes or twists, even slightly, the twisting motion can cause the trackpad to perform a physical click. This can be tested by remove the trackpad module and giving it a slight twist.
I found that it was too easy to accidentally physically push down on the track pad, causing it to register a click as well. Someone told me they fixed this by sticking some pieces of folded paper underneath the bottom of the track pad (left and right side) to help stiffen it. This helped a lot. I wish we didn’t have to do these mods. I mean, I also had to stick some post-card thick pieces on the bezel to keep it from pinching and causing light bleed, too.
Not sure if doing this will help your issue. My guess is if you can stiffen up the touch pad click action like it did for me, maybe this will help with not registering a click if you place you rest your palm on the left side.
When I was looking into this, the palm rest itself is of thin aluminum and flexes too easily. The mechanism where the touch pad is anchored to also flexes with the aluminum (that includes the bottom part where the physical micro switch is located - dead center as well, making clicking on the bottom left or right feel terrible). However, the glass track pad itself feels like it’s floating in this flexible opening and thus any flex of the aluminum palm rest moves independently of the rigid glass track pad.
I may have to do a video of these dumb little “mods” to illustrate what I had to do to make my FW16 feel “like it should”.
FYI, I have not experienced this issue pre or post paper shoving mod, though.
I added 2-folds of card stock to each side of the wrist rest and it appears to have drastically improved the touchpad’s reliability on uneven surfaces. The wrist rest no longer sits completely flush with the chassis, which is unfortunate but better than a trackpad that’s not working 100%. It’s possible there’s a better place under the mid-plate to put a spacer and support through that, but I have not yet checked.
I have had my FW16 since May and have noticed in the last few weeks that occasionally the left touchpad key gets stuck “on”. The only solution is to press the right key (sometimes more than once) and then hope that it doesn’t get stuck again. I have looked on the site and most of the solutions to this problem relate to the 13 which doesn’t seem to apply. Any ideas on how I can resolve this issue?
OP here on a new email. I have resolved this issue. The paper under the trackpad approach worked, but had the unfortunate effect of bowing the trackpad upwards which was visually unappealing. I have since moved the paper to under the midplate and carefully lined it up so that the extra thickness would line up with the silicone pads under the trackpad. I can no longer get the trackpad to click by flexing the device, and the trackpad is no longer bowing above the spacers.
It doesn’t appear that many people have had this issue, but assuming the heat from the device doesn’t do something weird with my choice of tape (which I’m only mildly concerned about) then this should be a feasible work around. If I had to guess, the silicone pads on my unit are thinner than normal.
