Hi,

The laptop is not old. It's a Satelile, it's a monster machine as far as specs. It cannot be a speed issue.
The device is:

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0008 Version=7321
N: Name="AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio4/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio4/input/input7
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse2 event7 
B: EV=b
B: KEY=420 0 70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=1000003

xinput is:

Device 'AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint':
	Device Enabled (154):	1
	Coordinate Transformation Matrix (156):	1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
	Device Accel Profile (273):	0
	Device Accel Constant Deceleration (274):	1.000000
	Device Accel Adaptive Deceleration (275):	1.000000
	Device Accel Velocity Scaling (276):	10.000000
	Synaptics Edges (290):	153, 870, 115, 652
	Synaptics Finger (291):	12, 14, 127
	Synaptics Tap Time (292):	180
	Synaptics Tap Move (293):	56
	Synaptics Tap Durations (294):	180, 180, 100
	Synaptics Tap FastTap (295):	0
	Synaptics Middle Button Timeout (296):	75
	Synaptics Two-Finger Pressure (297):	139
	Synaptics Two-Finger Width (298):	7
	Synaptics Scrolling Distance (299):	25, 25
	Synaptics Edge Scrolling (300):	1, 0, 0
	Synaptics Two-Finger Scrolling (301):	0, 0
	Synaptics Move Speed (302):	0.400000, 0.700000, 0.039124, 40.000000
	Synaptics Edge Motion Pressure (303):	14, 79
	Synaptics Edge Motion Speed (304):	1, 102
	Synaptics Edge Motion Always (305):	0
	Synaptics Button Scrolling (306):	1, 1
	Synaptics Button Scrolling Repeat (307):	1, 1
	Synaptics Button Scrolling Time (308):	100
	Synaptics Off (309):	0
	Synaptics Guestmouse Off (310):	0
	Synaptics Locked Drags (311):	0
	Synaptics Locked Drags Timeout (312):	5000
	Synaptics Tap Action (313):	0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
	Synaptics Click Action (314):	1, 1, 1
	Synaptics Circular Scrolling (315):	0
	Synaptics Circular Scrolling Distance (316):	0.100000
	Synaptics Circular Scrolling Trigger (317):	0
	Synaptics Circular Pad (318):	0
	Synaptics Palm Detection (319):	0
	Synaptics Palm Dimensions (320):	10, 99
	Synaptics Coasting Speed (321):	0.000000
	Synaptics Pressure Motion (322):	14, 79
	Synaptics Pressure Motion Factor (323):	1.000000, 1.000000
	Synaptics Grab Event Device (324):	1
	Synaptics Gestures (325):	1
	Synaptics Capabilities (326):	1, 1, 1, 0, 0
	Synaptics Pad Resolution (327):	1, 1
	Synaptics Area (328):	0, 0, 0, 0
	Synaptics Jumpy Cursor Threshold (329):	0

xmodmap:

There are 12 pointer buttons defined.

    Physical        Button
     Button          Code
        1              1
        2              2
        3              3
        4              4
        5              5
        6              6
        7              7
        8              8
        9              9
       10             10
       11             11
       12             12

Now, the bad news.

Basically, when there is a "cursor is not moving" problem, events don't show up _at all_. Just to clarify: I can tap, *violently* against the touchpad, and nothing scrolls up. No events are logged... AS LONG AS the touch -- even though is quite strong -- is very brief. I can drag my fingertip as far as half way though the touchpad, and see absolutely no events scroll up. If I move it more freely, once the pointer was picked up, the cursor moves freely.

I have the slight feeling this might possibly be a kernel issue. I vaguely remember reading about kernel issues with this very device... but quite frankly I can't remember.