Calling SweetErika....

[fair_warning]

On the GB I asked a question and PeterHenson suggested I come here and ask you cos you know stuff.....

I have a new HP Compaq 6710b laptop that totally stumbles and trips over it's own feet when I use it in Gmail. Typing text in any other function is fine - just Gmail...

Can you tell me why? And is there a cure, if so what is it? Please?

 

[SweetErika]

I don't know why you're having this problem, and I can't find a reference to it with a quick google search.

What OS and browser are you using?

Do you have any "extras" associated with gmail, like Gmail Notifier, installed?

Have you tried accessing the HTML version of Gmail (if you click on the gmail link from google.com, there should be an HTML option link in the bottom right hand corner)?

Have you tried contacting HP support to see if it's a known issue and seeing what you can find in Gmail support?

I can tell you that I had so many issues with Vista and the HP laptop I got a couple of years ago that I ended up switching to XP (didn't work at all, as the laptop was made to run Vista), and finally Linux (specifically, Ubuntu). Maybe Vista has improved since then, but I'm sure it still has plenty of bugs and incredibly annoying features.

 

[fair_warning]

Yes, I'm using Vista but no I have no Gmail extras enabled. I will certainly try the HTML suggestion as I noticed a Yahoo! advert the other day asking people "finding Gmail clunky and clumsy? - try Yahoo! blah...blah...blah.." So I think it is a recent Vista enabled problem.

Ahhh...yeah...I tried phoning HP but after a long, long time speaking to many different help desk people (in Mumbai I think) who really, really didn't care I gave up.

Other than the keyboard having a mind of its own in Gmail I like this HP just fine

I will keep you informed, and thanks for replying.

 

[SweetErika]

How about the browser? IE? Firefox? Opera? Chrome? Do you have the same issue in IE and FF, for instance? How about Chrome?

Yahoo has a bunch of problems on its own, so I wouldn't suggest switching to that. Even if you've tried everything to fix the gmail problem, you can probably do a lot better than Yahoo.

 

[PertPerth]

Modzilla Firefox was having issues with Hotmail for a while. The Explorer 8 has a "compatibility view" setting to help with issues. I agree trying another browser is your best option.

 

[SweetErika]

Modzilla Firefox was having issues with Hotmail for a while. The Explorer 8 has a "compatibility view" setting to help with issues. I agree trying another browser is your best option.

Yep, Hotmail didn't play well with Firefox for a loooong time. It kind of makes sense considering Hotmail is a tentacle of Microsoft.

Between that, and all of the idiotic restrictions Hotmail started instituting several years ago, I finally ditched my very first email account (which I got like the first year Hotmail was around) and switched to Gmail.

 

[fair_warning]

Yes I use IE.
However once I changed to the HTML setting on Gmail, this keyboard missing and stuttering has vanished....
I know I should just be grateful and I AM...but I'm also curious as to why?

 

[SweetErika]

It could be a bug in the version of IE you got or an issue with gmail.

Try switching to Firefox, then only using IE if/when you absolutely have to.

 

[Eilan]

Between that, and all of the idiotic restrictions Hotmail started instituting several years ago, I finally ditched my very first email account (which I got like the first year Hotmail was around) and switched to Gmail.

I finally switched from Hotmail to Gmail last year. With Hotmail, I was getting a ton of spam despite my filter settings, while some of the emails I wanted to get weren't coming through.

 

[SweetErika]

I finally switched from Hotmail to Gmail last year. With Hotmail, I was getting a ton of spam despite my filter settings, while some of the emails I wanted to get weren't coming through.

Yep, I had those problems. Plus, after I started using gmail, I logged into hotmail one day to find everything in my account (including my address book) had been deleted for 'lack of use.'

And that's what pushed me over the edge. It's SO nice to have an email that doesn't get rid of my stuff on its own and allows me to link multiple accounts!

 

[jowen442]

OMG SweetErica I have read many of your posts. You are always very insightful and thought provoking. Now I discover you speak geek as well? Very hot, brains and beauty good for you!

 

[SweetErika]

Thank you, Jowen; that's very nice of you to say.

I'm extremely fortunate to be married to a techno whiz, and that's one of the main reasons why I speak some geek, as you call it.

 

[jowen442]

Not a problem at all . Kindness is in short supply around here.