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Apple Magic Trackpad

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Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#161

Post by city41 »

niels_olson wrote: post #152
nevinera wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I honestly don't think it's placebo. Well if you did, it wouldn't work!

I've used a lot of pointers (keyboard, joystick, mouse, trackball, trackpad, multitouch, retinal motion, wacom) on a lot of operating systems (TI-94A, solid-state radar displays, Apple II, whatever was behind ACDS and CEC, Windows, Linux, Solaris, Mac, FreeBSD, etc, etc) in a lot of different contexts (tracking targets, directing fire, games, fetal ultrasound, planning and reading MRI, CT, Da Vinci machines, surgical…

Keep in mind though, it only really performs that well in OSX. In Windows there are gestures that clash with each other, in particular trying to right click a link in Chrome causes the window to scroll, very frustrating.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#163

Post by astrodust »

pornel wrote: post #40
adolph wrote: post #8

I'm amazed that Apple seems so set on the AA battery format for desk peripherals that it is releasing a AA battery charger with the trackpad. I don't find AA objectionable, but Apple's marketing regarding removable batteries centers around "we can pack more battery in by eliminating the packaging."

When mouse/trackpad dies, you don't want to stop working for 2 hours until internal battery charges. AA batteries are cheap and common, so people will have spares to swap. OTOH laptop batteries are much more expensive and non-standard, so less users are going to have spares. It makes sense to cater to majority of users who never buy & carry extra battery.

You also don't want the irony of having to plug in your "wireless" keyboard via USB to charge it, not unlike the PS3 controller.

Maybe I'm an idiot but I didn't realize the PS3 controller was wireless in the first place. It felt too light to have a battery in it.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#164

Post by alexyim »

ugh wrote: post #155
sliverstorm wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Mice can’t be made very fast on OS X but trackpads can (I don’t even have the speed all the way cranked up). I don’t know what it is with Apple and mice but their trackpads are pretty great.

Their mice acceleration curves sucks

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#165

Post by bbgm »

catch23 wrote: post #145
scott_s wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I also love the 3 finger navigation in web browser. I remember in the old days I would right click the page and select the "back" option so that I didn't actually have to do much movement.

Likewise. Also heavily use the four finger swipes (for Expose, and switching between apps). At work I have a keyboard and mouse, but when I want to rotate something, I end up using the trackpad. Can't wait to get this one.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#166

Post by madars »

sliverstorm wrote: post #158
ugh wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mice can’t be made very fast on OS X but trackpads can (I don’t even have the speed all the way cranked up). I don’t know what it is with Apple and mice but their trackpads are pretty great.

My personal suspicion has always gone like this: More advanced users have more key presses, larger, faster and more precise cursor movements, and are in general much more in control of the machine, moving quickly. I notice that I look where I want the cursor to go. Less advanced users tend to move ploddingly slowly, and become very disoriented when the mouse moves quickly. I notice that my less technically apt friend…

More advanced users tend to dislike being forced to move away from the home row. TrackPad forces the slow hand movement while TrackPoint doesn't; and this is why I can't imagine using an Apple computer again (except maybe with this - http://www.google.com/products/catalog?&cid=102343875510... ).

All IBM TrackPoints come with three different caps. The old default was "classic dome", the new default is "soft dome", but the one you want for featherlight touch is "soft rim" -- http://i27.tinypic.com/sfl6dk.jpg . Set sensitivity to the highest value and now you get a pointing device that's perfect for advanced users. :)

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#168

Post by smackfu »

gamble wrote: post #132
smackfu wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because people will buy their products on faith, where a startup would just be ignored. Belkin could release this exact same thing and it would be mocked.

Apple's multitouch technology comes from a startup called Fingerworks that Apple bought years back. Fingerworks trackpads were so well liked that they're still selling on eBay for hundreds of dollars. The difference between Belkin and Apple is that Belkin has a history of mediocrity, while Apple does not. Apple earned their enormous reservoir of good will through years of great products.

Well fine, replace belkin with fingerworks. How many people have even heard of their trackpad?

Apple has the power to move something out of a niche market.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#169

Post by blahblahblah »

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…

In this case, the answer is that Apple didn't come up with the idea. A startup (FingerWorks) invented multitouch trackpads and sold them. They were originally marketed as an alternative mouse technology for people suffering from RSI. They were rather expensive at the time (~$130), which is probably why they didn't have much mass market appeal originally.

Apple bought FingerWorks to get the patents. The "new" trackpad from Apple is essentially a reimplementation of the iGesture pad with some modifications. Specifically, it's now cordless, there have been some cosmetic changes (color and shape), and they've made some changes in the mapping of gestures to operations and added some new gestures that weren't in the original product.

Re: Apple Magic Trackpad

#170

Post by csixty4 »

Malic wrote: post #79

I have some doubts that this will be comfortable to use for hours at a time. The Magic Mouse is bad on the wrists because of it's low profile. I have to wonder if the same will happen here. I suppose a bit of experience with using it is what it will take.

I use a bean bag under my wrist when I use the Wacom touch pad. Works great.
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