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 size meant less finger movement and with the advent of multi touch, it suddenly felt like a more "natural" way to control the machine.
With the newer Macbook pros came this "the trackpad is the button" functionality and while it took me a day or so of getting used to, I absolutely cannot work with the dedicated button pads any more. Seing how quickly this became muscle memory, I assume that they did something (no idea what) right when they moved to that design.
This is how I went from "I hate trackpads" to "trackpads are the only really natural way to control the machine".
With this in mind, this new Apple device really interests me and I can't wait to get my hands on one. At worst it'll be a companion to my trackball, at best, it'll replace it (still also having a mouse connected for the eventual UT match though)
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.
The problem with trackpads are that you have to move your hand - great for normal browsing I suppose, but it sucks when you are writing code or typing.
I echo your sentiments completely. Side note, I bought some kind of multi-touch mini Wacom tablet for my Windows desktop to try to emulate the Mac trackpad experience, but it is complete garbage compared to the precision of the trackpad on my Macbook. It just doesn't feel the same.
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.
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'll second that. I actually find using a desktop computer with a separated mouse and keyboard to be uncomfortable as compared to the MBP with the big, multitouch trackpad.
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?
I actually think combining the Magic Mouse with Better Touch Tool (http://blog.boastr.net/?page_id=1722) is a better solution. I use the trackpad on my Macbook because it's more convenient than using a mouse when I'm on the go. In the office I prefer a mouse for precision, but I also want multi-touch gestures, and with Better Touch Tool I can pretty much customize my Magic Mouse any way I want to, which actually lends more credence to the hyperbole "Magic."
I have mine set up to move from tab to tab on two-finger swipes to the left and right, refresh the page with a three-fingered swipe up, close the tab with a three-finger swipe down, and two fingers up and down will activate expose and spaces respectively. There are a lot more gestures available to customize as well, I'm irritated Apple doesn't allow you that level of customization out of the box.
So with all that said, I think the track pad doesn't add much value, at least for me. My advice is to get the Magic Mouse, unless you actually hate it as a mouse (which some people do).
Finally some of the stuff from fingerworks starts to surface as add-ons products for desktops. I've been wanting something to replace my long dead fingerworks keyboard, so I for one am happy.
Now... if only there were drivers for something other than just OSX.
Looks like they're bringing out their version of the iGesture pad: http://www.amazon.com/Fingerworks-IGESTURENUMPAD-iGesture-Pa.... Apple acquired Fingerworks in 2005, which is how they got the multitouch technology used in iPhones, MacBooks, and now the Magic Trackpad.
The thing I'm wondering: My iGesture pad still works, and still has way more gestures than the Trackpad. For example - twisting clockwise with four fingers is "close" (it presses command-w for you), which is pretty natural. Will the Magic Trackpad be able to handle this with software updates, or will we have to hack it to do the things its predecessor could do 5 years ago?
Also, be sure to check out all of the crazy multitouch products Fingerworks had before they were acquired. My favorite was the insane keyboard at the bottom of http://fingerworks.com/.
I've owned http://www.fingerworks.com/igesture_tech.html for around 5 years. SOLID product. I'm glad I got one before they were acquired. It's definitely saved my mousing hand. And has way more features than Apple's product. Still, the iGesture cost me around $400 here in Canada. So to get something even close for $70, isn't bad.
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."
My guess is that it has to do with the battery losing its ability to hold charge with time. It makes sense to engineer a massive new battery for the iPhone or Macbook, but these peripherals don't have the same volume or margin cushion to absorb the cost, hence off the shelf battery technology.
Also, I think most people expect to change out a computer every couple years, but a mouse is supposed to last longer. If the thing became incapable of holding charge after 18 months it would get customers riled.
After using a Magic Mouse for 6 months, I can say the rechargeable battery station is a must buy, I have to change my MM batteries every 3 weeks or so.
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.
I actually think that they released an AA battery charger because of the retail stores. After the Apple staff ring up a person for a keyboard and mouse, they can easily make the suggestion to purchase their rechargeable batteries.
The performance for rechargeables vary quite a bit as well. Apple might be trying to control the all parts of the experience by providing good rechargeables.
Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Maybe they figure that making a battery charger is with AA batteries, in these cases, better than putting any sort of power input on the otherwise sleek device? An iPad or iPhone needs inputs on it to begin with, but solely bluetooth peripherals don't.
People complain when Apple makes non-user serviceable batteries, so they can never really win can they?
It's not a pocket portable so let's not get all hung up on saving space for packaging. It doesn't work that way with a Mac Pro either, why is there so much spaaaace in there?
There are so many chargeable AA's on the market that it's simple for someone to get a set of them cheaply and reuse them for a long time without having to dock their trackpad all the time. Wireless!
I already have something like 8-10 of them because I have a wii and a digital camera etc etc etc so I'm happy that I won't have to pay for a new battery in 2-3 years.
I'm able to use both hands equally well (though I might be hinging a tad bit to prefer the left hand). This could mean that I can alternate my pointing hand here and then
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 have the potential to be a game-changer in terms of PC productivity.
Imagine integration with Eclipse for such a device. For example, when you execute your app in debug mode, it could configure itself as a debug remote. When you switch to an editor window, it could display editor macros and shortcuts.
Alternative: a 5" or 7" multitouch LCD device with a similar form factor to the Trackpad that doubles as a universal remote.
I have the iPhone version, and it's pretty slick even with the wifi in between. That said, I'm still a bit miffed they didn't make it a universal app. :\
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.
Is there any chance of this pairing with a non-Apple desktop? I'd dearly love to join in the multitouch trackpad fun, but my main workstations are Ubuntu.
It's a bit of effort because it requires new functionality throughout the software stack, from the low-level kernel drivers to higher-level X hooks, and ideally in the future, hooks in UI toolkits to do more application-level things with gestures.
Does anyone know if this will have some sort of way to trigger a "middle click", like when one clicks on the scroll wheel? As far as I've seen with Apple mice, they've never had support for middle click.
Mighty mouse had middle click support; you just click with your finger on the scrolling ball. Not great but you could program what to do with this button.
Unfortunately the Macbook trackpad doesn't have middle click natively. However, with BetterTouchTool you can assign commands for 2, 3, 4, and even 5 finger clicks. For five finger click you have to include the thumb. This means that clicking the trackpad with your thumb while a single finger is on it is a 2 finger click, which I prefer to be a regular left click. These are all settings you can control.
Anyway, BetterTouchTool lets you configure a whole bunch of different actions (clicking or swiping in different parts of the pad with a different number of fingers) to activate a whole bunch of commands.
Magicprefs will do this for you. It's free and works well most of the time. It actually has a bunch of settings you can change and tweak. One of those settings is a middle click and it allows you to change the hit zone so you can make the middle click really large or small depending on what you want.
Someone mentioned above jitouch which handles the mm trackpad and the magic pad. I haven't tried it but it looks interesting. Not free though.
Edit: I just tried out jitouch and it works with magicprefs as much as I use it for. I only use magicprefs for the middle click function and the tracking speed. I really like the tap to switch tabs. It's a well made application and only 6 bucks. I think I am going to permanently use it now.
No middle click irked me for a while, but the two-finger tap, followed by a quick movement and single finger tap can be so quick and natural I don't notice this anymore.
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.
Yeah, I could see using it for my Mac Mini, I just wish you could somehow attach it to the wireless keyboard. Having two separate devices on your lap doesn't really work...
next step is to make a one giant trackpad with keys printed on top of it. os if you touch it its a key press and if you drag it its a mouse movement. now only need to figure out how to mouse click ;)
The idea is solid in theory, but in practice I would not use it. Without tactile feedback it just feels weird and imprecise, and I can't help but look at the keyboardto make sure I press the right keys even on the ultralight keyboards that still have seperate buttons.
I'd really like it if two of these would play nice with other. I could see doubling up with one on each side of my keyboard. (Been thinking about this for a while.) I know little to nothing about hardware (UX/marketing guy) does any one more knowledgeable consider this use of the driver probable as built in functionality?
Does anybody know the dimensions of this trackpad? I've been looking for a way to accomplish something like the image below with 2-finger scrolling (either above or below the thumbkeys) on my Kinesis Advantage:
[+] [-] pilif|15 years ago|reply
But when I moved to Apple hardware, I basically was stuck with the trackpads, but this time around, it was different. The bigger size meant less finger movement and with the advent of multi touch, it suddenly felt like a more "natural" way to control the machine.
With the newer Macbook pros came this "the trackpad is the button" functionality and while it took me a day or so of getting used to, I absolutely cannot work with the dedicated button pads any more. Seing how quickly this became muscle memory, I assume that they did something (no idea what) right when they moved to that design.
This is how I went from "I hate trackpads" to "trackpads are the only really natural way to control the machine".
With this in mind, this new Apple device really interests me and I can't wait to get my hands on one. At worst it'll be a companion to my trackball, at best, it'll replace it (still also having a mouse connected for the eventual UT match though)
[+] [-] sliverstorm|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tomjen3|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] yobb|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pixelbath|15 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] ezy|15 years ago|reply
Frankly, I don't get it. Trackpads are vastly inferior to mice. I bring a mouse with my macbook whenever I can.
[+] [-] aaronbrethorst|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Maro|15 years ago|reply
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?
[+] [-] marknutter|15 years ago|reply
I have mine set up to move from tab to tab on two-finger swipes to the left and right, refresh the page with a three-fingered swipe up, close the tab with a three-finger swipe down, and two fingers up and down will activate expose and spaces respectively. There are a lot more gestures available to customize as well, I'm irritated Apple doesn't allow you that level of customization out of the box.
So with all that said, I think the track pad doesn't add much value, at least for me. My advice is to get the Magic Mouse, unless you actually hate it as a mouse (which some people do).
[+] [-] buro9|15 years ago|reply
Now... if only there were drivers for something other than just OSX.
[+] [-] perplexes|15 years ago|reply
The thing I'm wondering: My iGesture pad still works, and still has way more gestures than the Trackpad. For example - twisting clockwise with four fingers is "close" (it presses command-w for you), which is pretty natural. Will the Magic Trackpad be able to handle this with software updates, or will we have to hack it to do the things its predecessor could do 5 years ago?
Also, be sure to check out all of the crazy multitouch products Fingerworks had before they were acquired. My favorite was the insane keyboard at the bottom of http://fingerworks.com/.
[+] [-] z5h|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] adolph|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] replicatorblog|15 years ago|reply
Also, I think most people expect to change out a computer every couple years, but a mouse is supposed to last longer. If the thing became incapable of holding charge after 18 months it would get customers riled.
After using a Magic Mouse for 6 months, I can say the rechargeable battery station is a must buy, I have to change my MM batteries every 3 weeks or so.
[+] [-] pornel|15 years ago|reply
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.
[+] [-] xutopia|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Glide|15 years ago|reply
The performance for rechargeables vary quite a bit as well. Apple might be trying to control the all parts of the experience by providing good rechargeables.
[+] [-] mbateman|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] napierzaza|15 years ago|reply
It's not a pocket portable so let's not get all hung up on saving space for packaging. It doesn't work that way with a Mac Pro either, why is there so much spaaaace in there?
There are so many chargeable AA's on the market that it's simple for someone to get a set of them cheaply and reuse them for a long time without having to dock their trackpad all the time. Wireless!
I already have something like 8-10 of them because I have a wii and a digital camera etc etc etc so I'm happy that I won't have to pay for a new battery in 2-3 years.
[+] [-] cubicle67|15 years ago|reply
I don't think Steve know this has removable batteries ;)
[+] [-] maukdaddy|15 years ago|reply
{Magic Trackpad}{Keyboard}{Mouse}
Ultimate productivity!
[+] [-] pilif|15 years ago|reply
I'm able to use both hands equally well (though I might be hinging a tad bit to prefer the left hand). This could mean that I can alternate my pointing hand here and then
[+] [-] blasdel|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mrfabbri|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] stcredzero|15 years ago|reply
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 have the potential to be a game-changer in terms of PC productivity.
Imagine integration with Eclipse for such a device. For example, when you execute your app in debug mode, it could configure itself as a debug remote. When you switch to an editor window, it could display editor macros and shortcuts.
Alternative: a 5" or 7" multitouch LCD device with a similar form factor to the Trackpad that doubles as a universal remote.
[+] [-] tialys|15 years ago|reply
http://www.mobilemouse.com/
I have the iPhone version, and it's pretty slick even with the wifi in between. That said, I'm still a bit miffed they didn't make it a universal app. :\
[+] [-] jokermatt999|15 years ago|reply
http://www.gmote.org/
[+] [-] Sidnicious|15 years ago|reply
I think that putting screens on trackpads, keyboards, or remotes (you use them to control other screens) is a horrible idea.
[+] [-] regularfry|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] _delirium|15 years ago|reply
It's a bit of effort because it requires new functionality throughout the software stack, from the low-level kernel drivers to higher-level X hooks, and ideally in the future, hooks in UI toolkits to do more application-level things with gestures.
[+] [-] hexis|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zerokyuu|15 years ago|reply
Unfortunately the Macbook trackpad doesn't have middle click natively. However, with BetterTouchTool you can assign commands for 2, 3, 4, and even 5 finger clicks. For five finger click you have to include the thumb. This means that clicking the trackpad with your thumb while a single finger is on it is a 2 finger click, which I prefer to be a regular left click. These are all settings you can control.
Anyway, BetterTouchTool lets you configure a whole bunch of different actions (clicking or swiping in different parts of the pad with a different number of fingers) to activate a whole bunch of commands.
[+] [-] bombs|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] weaksauce|15 years ago|reply
Someone mentioned above jitouch which handles the mm trackpad and the magic pad. I haven't tried it but it looks interesting. Not free though.
Edit: I just tried out jitouch and it works with magicprefs as much as I use it for. I only use magicprefs for the middle click function and the tracking speed. I really like the tap to switch tabs. It's a well made application and only 6 bucks. I think I am going to permanently use it now.
[+] [-] irons|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] robgough|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] joelesler|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Malic|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] teilo|15 years ago|reply
No doubt BetterTouchTool will be updated to support this, making it far more useful: http://blog.boastr.net/
[+] [-] cwalcott|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chunkbot|15 years ago|reply
Why spend every day docking/undock the thing (or charging the batteries when they die) when I can slip new batteries in once every 6 months?
[+] [-] adolph|15 years ago|reply
* If it will be Inkwell compatible someday if not now: http://www.apple.com/accessibility/macosx/physical.html
* If it will BT pair with iPhone like the BT keyboard.
[+] [-] Vitaly|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ZeroGravitas|15 years ago|reply
http://www.fingerworks.com/
They got bought by Apple for their multi-touch experience.
[+] [-] silversmith|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] daredevildave|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rbxbx|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fragmede|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wmeredith|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zacharypinter|15 years ago|reply
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert-p/4408732537/