Magic trackpad users

[KeiCar]

Just wondering if I should get this. I have a voucher from a contest at work to get one for free, I'll probably take it but Im not sure if Im going to use it. I already have a current get macbook pro 13" and I believe the laptop trackpad can do all the gestures that the magic one car, just at a smaller size.

I've seen overlays to make it a numeric pad, what else exists for this thing? Just trying to see what I can use it for, otherwise I'll just sell it. I do have a HTPC and Ive been using a wired mouse on it for the time being, its in a small room so it isn't too unwieldily. I might also end up using it for that, even if windows doesn't get all of the gestures as long as I can click and right click, Im good.

[ATL_Av8r]

Just send me the voucher and we'll pretend this thread never existed.

[DanG]

I bought one for one of the guys at work, he loves it.

[robbyb413]

even if windows doesn't get all of the gestures as long as I can click and right click, Im good.

I have a couple of them. It's all or nothing with Windows. If you don't install the drivers, while it will track and left click, it won't even give you right click-functionality (well, not without using your assistive technologies to make a long left click act as a right click). Once you install the drivers off apple's page though it pretty much does everything.

Bottom line: Score it, install the drivers, and see if you like it. If you don't you can always sell it.

I personally didn't care for them, at least at work which is the only place I use them. Not because of the design or features, those are great, but they gave me a ton of trouble in the office. I found them to be unreliable. I was constantly reconnecting mine because they would stop responding or would become laggy/intermittent. It was enough to frustrate me so I just stopped using them. I am not isolated in my experience, my company stopped providing them to new hires. As always, YMMV. If you're using it casually at home it's fine, so test it for yourself.

[mister_g60]

FWIW we love ours (used with an iMac). I sold the (not so great, imo) Magic Mouse because we never used it after we got the track pad.

[KeiCar]

I have a couple of them. It's all or nothing with Windows. If you don't install the drivers, while it will track and left click, it won't even give you right click-functionality...

WTHI was wondering what was going on, going nuts here

Gotta go get the drivers. I would think the right click at least would of been built in, but nope.

[robbyb413]

Well, the Magic Trackpad is made by the same company that labels their backspace keys as "Delete" while having no actual delete key, and also lacks page up, page down, home, end, insert and more on their most popular keyboards... soooo.....

[Oliver@triplezoom]

Well, the Magic Trackpad is made by the same company that labels their backspace keys as "Delete" while having no actual delete key, and also lacks page up, page down, home, end, insert and more on their most popular keyboards... soooo.....

My Apple keyboard has both type of Delete keys. And the arrow keys on all their keyboards double as page up/page down/home/end keys.

[robbyb413]

My Apple keyboard has both type of Delete keys. And the arrow keys on all their keyboards double as page up/page down/home/end keys.

Arrow keys masquerading as necessary keys when you hold control != having the keys, and that still doesn't deal with insert, print screen, pause, break etc... you have to remember more complex key combinations to trigger those: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1216

Apple keyboards have a key labeled as delete, and another labeled as forward delete. However the delete key is really backspace and the forward delete is really delete. However mis-labeled you're lucky if you have both because at all not all keyboards even have both to begin with in the Apple world.

So back to the OPs point, while he would assume that right-click is something that would just "work" without drivers, obviously the design philosophy guiding the creating of the track pad doesn't exactly approach things from the same mindset as everybody else does so you can't quite expect that to work.

[Jader Pack]

Arrow keys masquerading as necessary keys when you hold control != having the keys, and that still doesn't deal with insert, print screen, pause, break etc... you have to remember more complex key combinations to trigger those: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1216

Apple keyboards have a key labeled as delete, and another labeled as forward delete. However the delete key is really backspace and the forward delete is really delete. However mis-labeled you're lucky if you have both because at all not all keyboards even have both to begin with in the Apple world.

Meh, I grew up with Macs and now write long-ass documents on one for a living. I never had the "real" delete key nor page up, page down, print screen, etc., buttons and don't miss them now. Depends what you're used to.

I've been debating a Magic Trackpad for a long time. My Magic Mouse is nice in that it's a mouse, but it's kind of finicky with gestures. Also, it would be nice to no longer need a mousepad on my nice polished wood desk.