I recently purchased a laptop from Microsoft (2015 Dell XPS 13") that uses the Microsoft Precision Touchpad. There are a few issues I'm having with this touchpad that I've never noticed with other laptops and I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing these or if there are any fixes. There is a noticeable delay when trying to make slow light movements. My finger can move several millimeters before the cursor responds. It may not sound like much, but if you're trying to make subtle movements in photoshop, or select a specific character anywhere it's very noticeable and difficult to use. The majority of the time when I lift my finger the cursor will jump several pixels, often moving away from the object I'm trying to target. If you use any browser besides IE, two finger scrolling is very choppy and has a similar delay that's experienced in the first issue. There are a few other minor annoyances, like poor palm detection and using two hands (one to move the cursor and one to click with) but the issues above are the biggest annoyances, ordered by most annoying to least. If anyone has any ways to fix these issues or install different drivers, I'd love to hear about them. Thanks!

Microsoft provides a options panel for precision touchpads, but Microsoft did not build your touchpad nor the software drivers that control it. I looked up who did build it, and it was built by the Synaptics corporation on behalf of the Dell hardware vendor. Since Dell packaged it, they will provide support for these issues.

Shawn is correct. Microsoft only created the specification and not the hardware or drivers. Rob - SpiritX

I urge you MVP's to read this thread on the Dell community forums. (Specifically around pages 6-8) http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19616659?pi239031352=8#20760800 Also read this AMA on Reddit to one of the Precision Touch Pad developers. http://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/1hky29/precision_touchpads_the_future_of_touchpads_on/ Also this follow up comment by the same MS PTP developer. "Dell's correct that there's nothing they can do for this - it's entirely on our end. While I'm not working on PTPs this release, I've forwarded your feedback to the current owners." So as an end user it still appears that this is a MS problem and not a Dell problem as you so hastily put the blame on.

Hi, As OEM Dell is responsible for the proper operation of both the hardware and Windows. So regardless of the cause it is Dell's to resolve. And that is true even if they are not the originator of any device, software, or Windows. And you are assuming that such an issue is the controlling software when it may be the hardware. Contact Microsoft direct for more : Call Microsoft Customer Service direct - 1-800-642-7676 - hours 5 AM til 9 PM PST time (USA) - Saturday and Sunday, 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM PST time (USA). In Canada, call (877)568-2495. Contact Microsoft Customer Service http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295539 Microsoft Support - Contact Us http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support#tab0 Microsoft - Phone Numbers for Microsoft Technical Support http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319726/en-us Microsoft - Contact Us by Email http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/cu\_sc\_selector\_email?ws=support%2csupport Windows 8.1 Solution Center - there are options and a "Get live help" http://support.microsoft.com/find-solutions/windows/windows-8-1/ Windows 8 Solution Center - there are options and a "Get live help" http://support.microsoft.com/gp/windows-8 Microsoft Solution Centers - Select Product http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub Hope this helps. Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle <- Mark Twain said it right!

Dell builds using Microsoft's platform. Even if the platform they code on has an issue, Dell built on top of it, it has a problem, and then they sold it to you. You need to contact the person you gave your money to (Dell) for resolution.

Microsoft Precision Touchpad, not very precise

Anonymous

I recently purchased a laptop from Microsoft (2015 Dell XPS 13") that uses the Microsoft Precision Touchpad.

There are a few issues I'm having with this touchpad that I've never noticed with other laptops and I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing these or if there are any fixes.

There is a noticeable delay when trying to make slow light movements. My finger can move several millimeters before the cursor responds. It may not sound like much, but if you're trying to make subtle movements in photoshop, or select a specific character anywhere it's very noticeable and difficult to use.
The majority of the time when I lift my finger the cursor will jump several pixels, often moving away from the object I'm trying to target.
If you use any browser besides IE, two finger scrolling is very choppy and has a similar delay that's experienced in the first issue.

There are a few other minor annoyances, like poor palm detection and using two hands (one to move the cursor and one to click with) but the issues above are the biggest annoyances, ordered by most annoying to least.

If anyone has any ways to fix these issues or install different drivers, I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks!

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63 answers

@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2015-03-03T22:08:16+00:00

Microsoft provides a options panel for precision touchpads, but Microsoft did not build your touchpad nor the software drivers that control it. I looked up who did build it, and it was built by the Synaptics corporation on behalf of the Dell hardware vendor. Since Dell packaged it, they will provide support for these issues.
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Anonymous

2015-03-03T22:58:20+00:00

Shawn is correct. Microsoft only created the specification and not the hardware or drivers.

Rob - SpiritX
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Anonymous

2015-05-07T12:35:52+00:00

I urge you MVP's to read this thread on the Dell community forums. (Specifically around pages 6-8)

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19616659?pi239031352=8#20760800

Also read this AMA on Reddit to one of the Precision Touch Pad developers.

http://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/1hky29/precision_touchpads_the_future_of_touchpads_on/

Also this follow up comment by the same MS PTP developer.

"Dell's correct that there's nothing they can do for this - it's entirely on our end. While I'm not working on PTPs this release, I've forwarded your feedback to the current owners."

So as an end user it still appears that this is a MS problem and not a Dell problem as you so hastily put the blame on.
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Anonymous

2015-05-07T16:36:32+00:00

Hi,

As OEM Dell is responsible for the proper operation of both the hardware and Windows.

So regardless of the cause it is Dell's to resolve. And that is true even if they are not the

originator of any device, software, or Windows. And you are assuming that such an issue

is the controlling software when it may be the hardware.

Contact Microsoft direct for more :

Call Microsoft Customer Service direct - 1-800-642-7676 - hours 5 AM

til 9 PM PST time (USA) - Saturday and Sunday, 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM

PST time (USA). In Canada, call (877)568-2495.

Contact Microsoft Customer Service

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295539

Microsoft Support - Contact Us

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support#tab0

Microsoft - Phone Numbers for Microsoft Technical Support

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319726/en-us

Microsoft - Contact Us by Email

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/cu\_sc\_selector\_email?ws=support%2csupport

Windows 8.1 Solution Center - there are options and a "Get live help"

http://support.microsoft.com/find-solutions/windows/windows-8-1/

Windows 8 Solution Center - there are options and a "Get live help"

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/windows-8

Microsoft Solution Centers - Select Product

http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle <- Mark Twain said it right!
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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2015-05-07T16:49:42+00:00

Dell builds using Microsoft's platform. Even if the platform they code on has an issue, Dell built on top of it, it has a problem, and then they sold it to you. You need to contact the person you gave your money to (Dell) for resolution.
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