ibook trackpad dying/how much to fix?

[Patrick Bateman]

My ibook g4 that is just over a year old has gone wacko. The trackpad is the problem. It's obviously a hardware issue since I've cleaned it and the cursor goes wacky. Only time it works is just when I give a fairly firm press on the trackpad and it seems to act ok for a minute. Then back to the lightspeed cursor jumping across the screen. I've read about some kit for fixing the trackpad but is that a send away thing still? And how much does it typically take to fix something like this and do I just take it into the nearby Apple store since the warranty just happened to expire last week? Everything else on my ibook works great. Any help in this matter is appreciated.

 

[jemeinc]

I assume you don't have Applecare ?... Is plugging a mouse in an acceptable workaround ?...If not I don't know what to tell you... I'm certainly no technician- but it looks kind of tricky to me...

 

[TLRedhawke]

If you're out of warranty, and comfortable going inside, then crack her open. It could be something as simple as a loose connection between the trackpad and the board. If that's not the case, it may be the board that controls it. I'm not too up on iBook G4 architecture, but it should be a simple problem to replace.

 

[flyfish29]

I don't know if there are any preferences to trash dealing with track pad but maybe that would work if there is in fact a pref. doc. in the library someplace- I am sure someone else in the know would well...um....know.

Have you tried using something else besides your finger to track with...maybe a pen with cap on...just to see what happens? Don't know why I am saying that, but who knows.

did it start after cleaning or before? (based on how you phrased it I was unsure but assume it was before cleaning.)

Have you checked the support database at apple.com to see if there is any track pad issue or problem with some ibooks?

Have you messed around with the track pad preferences and checked and unchecked various things to see if anything changes?

Just some really cheap things to try and maybe you will be able to find out more from doing them.

Good luck

 

[mkrishnan]

I don't think the trackpad works with things like pen caps -- it's conductance based. Actually it doesn't even work with your fingernail. At least not *my* fingernail....

One more rule-out ... you aren't using SideTrack, are you? If so, try getting rid of it? I love it to death of course, but just in case. It might have gotten corrupted or something.

 

[flyfish29]

I don't think the trackpad works with things like pen caps -- it's conductance based.

I guess I can not argue since I didn't know what conductance meant til I looked it up. I guess I had an idea, but didn't know it was a word.

Another stupid (but relative) moment on my part was when I was having all kinds of problems with the track pad on my wife's ibook and I didn't figure it out until I noticed that I was getting lazy and letting my thumb touch the trackpad along with my forefinger (was sitting in a very comfortable chair with ottoman.) That was the only time I had problems with the trackpad and I really thought something was wrong with hers as it too was jumping around. For some reason when I sit in that chair to this day I do this same thing.

 

[mkrishnan]

OMG, I do the thumb thing all the time. It drives me *crazy*!

 

[dotnina]

I had the same thing happen to an old laptop after I cleaned it with Lysol. It would still work, but only if I pressed down very very hard. I needed a new trackpad. I hope you too didn't clean your trackpad with Lysol?

 

[Patrick Bateman]

No lysol but it's dying quickly. Its definitley a hardware thing though. Messed with pref's and software. No go.