Laptop mouse

[forestranger52]

I would like to get a laptop so I can read and search in bed. However the mouse on the laptop will not recognize my pointer that I use on my hand to type and do mouse clicks. My fingers don't work.
How do people operate the laptop mouse without fingers?
How do laptop mouses work? Is it heat, because it will not recognize anything inanimate.
I would rather not have to use a separate mouse in bed either. I would have a hard enough time keeping hold of the laptop as is.

Thanks. MAC

[Wise Young]

I would like to get a laptop so I can read and search in bed. However the mouse on the laptop will not recognize my pointer that I use on my hand to type and do mouse clicks. My fingers don't work.
How do people operate the laptop mouse without fingers?
How do laptop mouses work? Is it heat, because it will not recognize anything inanimate.
I would rather not have to use a separate mouse in bed either. I would have a hard enough time keeping hold of the laptop as is.

Thanks. MAC

Forestranger, I don't know what laptop you are using but I assume that you are referring to the trackpad type of mouse where a finger is placed on the pad and moved to control the cursor. Most of these trackpads are based on electrical capacitance detection. It requires something that has the electrical characteristics of a finger. You may be able to use a conductive pointer. But, you can also just add a third-party mouse/trackpad that is designed for people who have limited or no hand control. I have seen many such devices, many quite good. I am sure that people here can tell you about them.

Wise.

[Patonb]

I, like alot of people here, use a knuckle to move the mouse. I use my pinky finger knuckle.

[SCI_OTR]

If you are running windows, you could purchase an external USB keypad for your notebook and enable the accessibility feature "mouskeys (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/access_mousekeys_howtoclick.mspx?mfr=true)". You could then use your pointing stick to move the cursor and click the mouse buttons using the numbers on the keypad.

Targus makes a wireless external keypad for ~$30 and corded one for ~$20. Click on the pic for a link to it at Target--who sell it online.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0009OAP52.16._SCLZZZZZZZ_SS384_.jpg (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_15/602-9864203-5199832?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0009OAP52)

Here is a diNovo cordless keypad made by Logitech that I mounted on the hand pad of an Otto Bock arm trough.

http://www.wcjpics.com/data/541/medium/DiNovoKeypad.JPG

Using Windows keyboard shortcuts (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301583)with StickyKeys (http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsxp/stickykeys.aspx)enabled can also eliminate a lot of mousing.

Hope this helps.