MacBook type skips around

Question

I have an MacBook using OS. When typing the type skips around all over the place. The only thing I do to correct it is re-type. Any ideas why this is doing this craziness?

Answer 1

You don't mention which MacBook you have, but a common problem, especially in the older white or black thermoplastic MacBooks 1,1 through 4,1 built 2006-2008 is that the removeable battery can bulge or swell enough to distort the topcase assembly (one piece containing keyboard, trackpad, and palmrests) enough that it causes keyboard and/or trackpad errors.
The original batteries are expected to have a useful life of about 300 charge/discharge cycles, or about 3 years.
Apple never formally acknowledged any problem, nor 'recalled' swollen batteries, although reading through these forums over the years, some users have received a replacement for a swollen battery while the computer was under Applecare.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If the battery is severely swollen, it may be difficult or impossible to put it back into the computer, once it is removed.
So if your battery still holds a charge and you absolutely need to use the computer powered ONLY by the battery without being plugged into an outlet before you have the opportunity to secure a replacement battery, you might NOT want to remove it right now.
It is easy enough to check to see if a swollen battery is causing the problem:
Turn off the computer, unlock and remove the battery.
Plug in the Magsafe power adapter and use it to power the computer, and turn it back on, with the battery still removed.
Try doing using the apps you normally use. If the problem is gone, it was the bulging battery.
If the battery visibly bulges or swollen, and problem goes away with the battery removed, you should replace the battery.
New replacement batteries from Apple are US$129.00. There are other less expensive vendors, some far less expensive. I tried a replacement battery from a reliable vendor of other Mac products and found that for the way I use my MacBook, plugged in a substantial amount of the time, and discharged only about once a month, the lower-cost replacement battery swelled sooner than the original (2 years and 150 cycles) versus 3 years and 500 cycles for the original, so I purchased another Apple battery to replace it.
If you have a newer MacBook or MacBook Pro designed without a user-removable battery, the battery can still swell and still distort the keyboard and/or trackpad enough to cause a malfunction. Then you should take it to an authorized Apple repair facility to have the battery condition assessed.