Touchpad can click when holding laptop in one hand due to case flex

Framework Laptop
#1

Is anyone else experiencing this problem? I often walk around my apartment with my laptop held in one hand, by the front right corner. No other laptops I’ve used have had any problems with this. But with the framework, this seems to flex the frame enough that it causes the touchpad to get clicked from behind.

The results of this are usually not too consequential. Maybe a video pauses itself. Or another application gets focused. But it’s a mild annoyance that I haven’t experienced with Thinkpads or Macbooks. Either due to more rigid frames, or different touchpad placement? I’m not sure exactly.

I wonder if it’s in any way related to the other issue I have where sometimes the touchpad doesn’t register clicks?

#2

I noticed this when I first got the laptop, and was testing out deck flex. You can see this when you twist the two palm rests in opposite directions. As far as I can tell, this is a symptom of the very thin metal shell (Macbooks use machined aluminum which is a little more sturdy, and I don’t know enough about Thinkpads to say why they’re different.) It doesn’t seem like its related to the touchpad not registering clicks, but I haven’t had that issue, so I also cannot say. My best recommendation is to not to carry the laptop with one hand when it’s open. It cannot be good to be flexing the laptop frame like that.

#4

It turns out this one was on me. I realized that one of the bottom case screws was loose, which resulted in the keyboard/touchpad cover having a little bit of wiggle room.

After tightening the screws on the bottom of the laptop, the flex no longer occurs, and I no longer get unintended clicks when holding the laptop by the corner.

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