Hot Hands?

I have just recently purchased my G1 at the end of December. In the middle of January I started experiencing some issues with my hands. They stung, and felt like the circulation was reduced. Sometimes it felt like frostbite. Very uncomfortable. I've been working with my hands and having someone do reflexology treatments on them. Tonight I sat down and realized that maybe the pain and stinging is coming from close contact with the laptop keypad and metal face area. I feel this "hot" energy coming out of the keyboard face and near the touchpad as well. When I put my hands over the area, sometimes I feel stinging. I tried our other Asus system and it doesn't do this.

Is anyone else experiencing this type of issue with their G1? Is there anything I can do/buy to prevent this or should I report it to Asus? I'm very careful with my health and am perplexed why all of a sudden I have some bizarre issue such as this. Only today I made the connection that it could be my laptop causing my problems.

 

I've heard of a similar issue with the W3J (I think) touchpad. Apparently the metal border was conducting an electric charge or something ? I'll try to dig up that thread for ya.

EDIT: Ah, here it is: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=47690&highlight=touchpad+shock

Cheers.

 

when being on for days at a time... the wristrests touchpad and keyboard never get hot on mine...

btw, ive had my G1 about the same ammount of time as you...

the right corner on the bottom gets pretty warm after gaming for a while...

never HOT though

what mr pidgean said about an electric shock kinda sounds like what your problem may be...

 

Yep sounds like it to me, I've had notebooks in the past that have done similar.

 

Yeah it's not really HOT temperature hot, but like a slight charge coming out of it. I'm not getting zapped like the other people in that thread, but I'm very sensitive to things - like I can't use a cellphone up against my ear because that area of my head just buzzes. So it's not something that everyone can feel but it's affecting me just the same.

I'm going to buy a wireless keyboard today to use with this machine for awhile. It's going to be a pain - I bought the laptop for simplicity and ease. If the problem goes away, then it's the laptop. I think it is - I slept quite a few hours and when I woke up, my hands were somewhat better. But as soon as I come here to start typing, the stinging starts up again.

Unfortunately my return time has expired and I can't return the system. I can contact Asus, I suppose, and see if they'll replace the machine? I don't know if that will do any good.

 

You're motherboard is not grounded properly in the chasis. What you're most likely feeling is a potential difference of a few dozen volts (or maybe a few hundred if it's really uncomfortable) between the laptop and the desk. To find out, get a multimeter and set it to measure voltage, touch one pin to the laptop surface where you feel the "shock" and the other pin to the desk.

Since your nerves are operated by electrical impulses, what you're feeling is the tiniest current running along the surface of your hands, causing that "cold" and uncomfortable sensation.

So yeah, confirm this is the problem, then call your Asus reseller for options. Most likely, you'll send it in and they'll get it repaired for you under the general warranty (G1's carry those don't they?).

 

OK thank you. Right now I'm trying to hook up an external keyboard so I can finish my project ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=108598) then I'll contact them. I hate backing up, finding a temporary system....

 

I have a much simpler solution better then properly grounding the motherboard (genius). Why dont you take your hands of your keyboard and palm rest, flex and exercise them a little before you get carpul tunnel.
You all think your laptops are causing your discomfort? Amazing! No offense to anyone but this is simply ridiculous. return your laptop becuase of an invisible force and enrgy that eminates beneath your palm rest? ???

 

Hi Eddie. while i am skeptical as well. I have run in to numerous brand laptops that give shocks. my asus has dell acers. it might not be ground properly. although carpel tunnel may be the issue as well. but i wouldn't put getting electrical shocks out of the question. although you would normaly get them from touching the bottom of a laptop.

 

they are not talking about electric shocks here though. its one thing when you come over to your laptop and put you hands on it and there is a shock. clearly that is static eminating from your body. its another thing when you are sitting typing and the laptop either continually shocks you, sporatically or just here and there without you causing static build up. these guys are talking about a "force" under neath your palm rests that may be causing an invisible build of bad energy which affects your hands. It is a feasible as being affected by the emt eminating from having electronics surrounding you. I think its starting to affect my eye sight, my hands and my stress factor but the idea of an invisible, unfeelable energy sounds a bit far fetched. I will say this though. i may be repeating. if your laptop shocks you without you causing any static energy that is not normal. if your laptop is not shocking you and you think you are feeling some kind of energe but you are not sure then you need to type less, drink more, and take more breaks when you are working, possibly reposition your hands. Returning a laptop becuase you THINK (you are not sure) it may be shocking you is definitely your right as a consumer and nothing more then that.

 

Sound like carpal tunnel syndrome to me. Happens a lot with repetitive motions, along with other potential repetitive stress injuries. Typists get it all the time.

Go to a real doctor and not some "refelexologist" and they will be able to give you a correct diagnosis/treatment in 5 minutes. If it is a minor case they may just say take breaks, stretch, etc. If it's a bit farther along, they might give you a hand brace to wear for a few hours a day.

Basically, the nerve that goes into your hand is being compressed in your wrist (the carpal tunnel). This can result in muscle weakness and discomfort - tingling, etc.

 

It also happens to me. Only when I am in my laptop. I use it very rarely and it is as if i had no blood in them.

 

Eddie, you're missing the point. If it was carpal tunnel then it would still be there when he used other laptops. Carpal tunnel is carpal tunnel, it doesn't matter what you're using. This does actually sound like a case of improper grounding. Unfortunately with no knowledge of the G1 and its MB I have no clue how to check to see where the problem lies or how to fix it.

As was stated earlier because your nerves are electrical impulses then a minor electrical current passing through them will cause some weird sensations such as feeling cold/hot. I know this from experience when I fried my left hand trying to fix a PS2. I was frustrated after 2 hours of trial and error and forgot to unplug it after a disc test and I guess I grabbed something I shouldn't have. It wasn't serious but it felt weird.

But anyways, back on topic - have someone who knows a lot about electronics try and figure out the problem. If it is improper grounding, see if they can identify the exact source and try and fix it. Again I have no knowledge whatsoever about the G1 outside of basic specs and my own electrical knowledge is limited but if this is a known problem with laptops chances are some solutions have been found somewhere.

 

Couldn't you just put a sticker or transparent tape on the area where you are feeling the electricity?
Stickers and duct tape don't conduct electricity so that's the simplest solution I can think of right now.

 

Or just make sure you use a properly grounded power plug. Or else, just use a two-prong to three-prong adapter so that you cut the ground connection. That usually solves the problem (or at least diminishes the amount of current passing through the case)

My V6J is also very sensitive to this sort of thing.