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Apple Magic Trackpad

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Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#101

Post by gamble »

pixelbath wrote: post #88
pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

So, Apple trackpads are better in that they are more precise? Not being a Mac user, it's hard for me to understand what advantage a trackpad like this gives over any other third-party trackpad, other than the multitouch capability. Please help me understand why people are gushing over a $70 trackpad (even made by Apple), when most people mock similar input devices costing over $30.

Two reasons.

First, external multitouch trackpads have been basically unobtainable until now. Apple bought the one company that used to make them and incorporated their technology into Apple products years ago. The only other model I've seen was an obscure Japanese import that only supported Windows. If you like trackpads, the Magic Trackpad is the first time in years you can buy one for your desktop.

Second, Apple makes the best trackpads in the industry by a huge margin. They're smooth and precise to a degree that PC laptop trackpads seem incapable of matching. The experience is comparable to the touchscreen on an iPhone or iPad. If you're not a Mac user it can be hard to appreciate the difference; I'm always shocked at how awful PC trackpads are every time I use non-Apple hardware. I'm used to hearing people complain about how much they hate trackpads, but if everyone had an Apple trackpad I suspect opinions would be quite different.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#102

Post by mikeryan »

pixelbath wrote: post #88
pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

So, Apple trackpads are better in that they are more precise? Not being a Mac user, it's hard for me to understand what advantage a trackpad like this gives over any other third-party trackpad, other than the multitouch capability. Please help me understand why people are gushing over a $70 trackpad (even made by Apple), when most people mock similar input devices costing over $30.

Its not precision so much as the increased usability of the multi-touch. With multi-touch I feel the trackpad is every bit as usable as a mouse (Note - I don't play video games)

I have 2 laptops - one mac and one windows both with trackpads. On the windows laptop I still use an external mouse.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#103

Post by ezy »

pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

I fail to see the advantage (swipe, swipe, swipe, press) has over (move, press). Not to mention that trackpads are fairly sensitive to sweaty fingers. Do people really rely on multitouch gestures that much?

Frankly, I don't get it. Trackpads are vastly inferior to mice. I bring a mouse with my macbook whenever I can.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#104

Post by andreyf »

pixelbath wrote: post #88
pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

So, Apple trackpads are better in that they are more precise? Not being a Mac user, it's hard for me to understand what advantage a trackpad like this gives over any other third-party trackpad, other than the multitouch capability. Please help me understand why people are gushing over a $70 trackpad (even made by Apple), when most people mock similar input devices costing over $30.

Just one example: let's say you want to save an image from a web page to your desktop. With the Apple's trackpad, you can start to drag the image, holding it with your thumb on the bottom of the trackpad, four-finger swipe-up to show the desktop, move the image to where you need it, and release your thumb to drop. Four-finger swipe again to bring back your browser.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#105

Post by Maro »

I can't get my head around how Apple manages to come out with products that are cool enough they could come from a startup with some very motivated founders working day and night.

Almost all other companies with >100 employees are turning out mostly crappy products that no one gets excited about. When's the last time you talked about a Xerox printer or HP laptop? In my mind this is why a company like Nokia can't make a comeback into the smartphone market: they're probably unable to motivate a small team and then let them work out a cool product. Or they can't amortize away the risk of that team being on the wrong track, the way most startups are.

Apple can consistently pull this off, how do they do it?

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#106

Post by jokermatt999 »

stcredzero wrote: post #75

What I want just a bit more than this: an iPad app that emulates the Trackpad and does just a bit more. For starters, a command-key could reconfigure it into a numeric keypad. Then incorporate custom per-app controls. (There are already iPad apps that do this.) Such an iPad app would have the promise of the Optimus OLED keyboard. It would be much better, since high fabrication costs wouldn't be a barrier. It would ha…

There's an app for Android that has some of that functionality called Gmote. It controls VLC quite well and allows you to browse your computer for movies and music to play, although I don't believe it has the extensibility that you mention.

http://www.gmote.org/

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#107

Post by [deleted] »

Maro wrote: post #105

I can't get my head around how Apple manages to come out with products that are cool enough they could come from a startup with some very motivated founders working day and night. Almost all other companies with >100 employees are turning out mostly crappy products that no one gets excited about. When's the last time you talked about a Xerox printer or HP laptop? In my mind this is why a company like Nokia can't make…

[deleted]

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#108

Post by scott_s »

ezy wrote: post #103
pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

I fail to see the advantage (swipe, swipe, swipe, press) has over (move, press). Not to mention that trackpads are fairly sensitive to sweaty fingers. Do people really rely on multitouch gestures that much? Frankly, I don't get it. Trackpads are vastly inferior to mice. I bring a mouse with my macbook whenever I can.

Using two fingers to scroll has become so natural to me that if I use a non-Apple trackpad I'm momentarily bewildered why it doesn't work.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#109

Post by sliverstorm »

pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

It's ironic you say the Apple trackpads allow you to move your fingers less. My biggest complaint about Apple laptops has always been the excessive mouse movement required, at least vs. the trackpoints I love.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#110

Post by guns »

ezy wrote: post #103
pilif wrote: post #36

Back in the days, I always preferred the Trackpoints the IBM ThinkPads used and I never quite liked the trackpads. I'm even going as far as to say that I'm quite the trackpad hater - they never felt precise to me and required way too frantic finger movement to be really comfortable for me. But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger…

I fail to see the advantage (swipe, swipe, swipe, press) has over (move, press). Not to mention that trackpads are fairly sensitive to sweaty fingers. Do people really rely on multitouch gestures that much? Frankly, I don't get it. Trackpads are vastly inferior to mice. I bring a mouse with my macbook whenever I can.

> I fail to see the advantage (swipe, swipe, swipe, press) has over (move, press)

Turn up your trackpad's sensitivity.

Also, if you have a keyboard driven workflow, a trackpad means shorter travel from the keyboard to the mouse.

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