Snow Leopard to Add 4-Finger Multi-Touch Gestures to Original MacBook Air

MacRumors · Mar 9, 2009, 10:22 AM

When Apple introduced the new MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros in October, they also introduced a new four-finger multi-touch trackpad gesture that allowed users to easily switch between applications (swipe left/right) or invoke Exposé (swipe up/down). While it's long been known that the original MacBook Air and early 2008 MacBook Pros were also capable of detecting these 4-finger gestures, Apple has not yet announced or provided software support for the feature.

The latest Snow Leopard developer seeds, however, reveal that Apple will be adding support for these gestures to these "1st generation" multi-touch trackpad devices. Based on reports, this functionality has finally been added for the original MacBook Air (and presumably the early 2008 MacBook Pros).

The original MacBook Air was the first Apple laptop to incorporate a multi-touch trackpad when it was introduced in January 2008 and the MacBook Pros quickly followed with multi-touch support in February 2008.

Article Link: Snow Leopard to Add 4-Finger Multi-Touch Gestures to Original MacBook Air

Fotek2001 · Mar 9, 2009, 10:28 AM

They don't normally retro-fit features do they?

ozone · Mar 9, 2009, 10:33 AM

... but who cares? I use my MBAir (original model) all the time, and frankly, I'm quite satisfied with what it does already.

hiimamac · Mar 9, 2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozone

... but who cares? I use my MBAir (original model) all the time, and frankly, I'm quite satisfied with what it does already.

Exactly. While I would love this on my MacBook pro early 08 that I got new via apple friend for $1400, a report came out that said 90% or more didn't use these new features after a week so I find it intersting that instead of a free update, Apple wants to get you money by forcing an upgrade if you want this feature. Plus of course, releasing all this new hardware so everyone will have to upgrade. Next mac will probably be another new Mac Pro via apple inside discount as the 8 core would be cheaper then the new 4 core and give better rendering. For me FPU is critical for logic plug ins and virtual instiments, orchestal samples.

Peace.

talkingfuture · Mar 9, 2009, 10:44 AM

Sounds like multi touch will become more and more a part of the OSX experience.

scottishwildcat · Mar 9, 2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by talkingfuture

Sounds like multi touch will become more and more a part of the OSX experience.

Sadly so. Personally I find it really awkward to use, and it also seems to be somewhat prejudicial against people who don't possess a full set of fingers!

iMaggot · Mar 10, 2009, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by talkingfuture

Sounds like multi touch will become more and more a part of the OSX experience.

Yep and that's a good thing, because i love Multi-touch

Chobit · Mar 9, 2009, 10:34 AM

It's a bit misleading to say the first Macbook Air was the first apple laptop with multitouch support. My first gen intel macbook has 2 finger scrolling (and I think it even goes back to the last of the powerbooks), albeit they say the trackpad isn't up to snuff to do the more complex multi-touch capabilities, but it's still a multitouch gesture.

optophobia · Mar 9, 2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chobit

It's a bit misleading to say the first Macbook Air was the first apple laptop with multitouch support. My first gen intel macbook has 2 finger scrolling (and I think it even goes back to the last of the powerbooks), albeit they say the trackpad isn't up to snuff to do the more complex multi-touch capabilities, but it's still a multitouch gesture.

I think you are missing the point.

rjheys · Mar 9, 2009, 10:45 AM

Old News, I posted this fact over two months ago in the forums. This has been in Snow Leopard way back since build 10A222. Try to keep up.

arn · Mar 9, 2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjheys

Old News, I posted this fact over two months ago in the forums. This has been in Snow Leopard way back since build 10A222. Try to keep up.

it really hasn't. this is brand new.

arn

MysterMac · Mar 9, 2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjheys

This has been in Snow Leopard way back since build 10A222. Try to keep up.

the very definition of SMUG

erifneerg · Mar 9, 2009, 10:52 AM

very exciting, no need to hack osx to get that same feature. it seems silly to prevent a feature like this simply based on release day and not the technology it has build in it.

SkippyThorson · Mar 9, 2009, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjheys

Old News, I posted this fact over two months ago in the forums. This has been in Snow Leopard way back since build 10A222. Try to keep up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arn

it really hasn't. this is brand new.

arn

Fail. I don't know what super secret one-of-a-kind build you had, but you need to be sure of things before you post with sureness of something.

Small White Car · Mar 9, 2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chobit

It's a bit misleading to say the first Macbook Air was the first apple laptop with multitouch support. My first gen intel macbook has 2 finger scrolling (and I think it even goes back to the last of the powerbooks), albeit they say the trackpad isn't up to snuff to do the more complex multi-touch capabilities, but it's still a multitouch gesture.

No, that's not multitouch in the sense we mean it. Yes, it involves 2 fingers, but by that definition a 2-button mouse is multitouch! (Heck, "holding a cookie" is also multitouch if you mean it that way.)

When we use the word multitouch it implies that the computer knows where each finger is in relation to each other. This makes things like 'pinch to zoom' possible.

Your laptop could detect if 1 or 2 fingers was touching it, but that was it. It didn't know how far apart they were or where they were moving. It just used 2-fingers as another modifing 'control' key, basically.

bplein · Mar 9, 2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Your laptop could detect if 1 or 2 fingers was touching it, but that was it. It didn't know how far apart they were or where they were moving. It just used 2-fingers as another modifing 'control' key, basically.

Not entirely true. Macbooks and MacBook Pros could do two finger vertical gestures. I use that for scrolling while reading MacRumors, for instance. Moving them sideways doesn't do anything, but vertically scrolls the page.

But I understand your point. Earlier "two finger" systems don't qualify as multi-touch the way it's understood by Apple and their users.

Small White Car · Mar 9, 2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplein

Not entirely true. Macbooks and MacBook Pros could do two finger vertical gestures.

That action is still consistant with what I said. I realize I said "moving" which was confusing since I left it at that. I meant fingers "moving in relation to each other."

The point I was trying to make is that putting two fingers on the trackpad is a lot like holding "control" or "alt" or something like that. It's telling the computer to do something different with the mouse, but it's still only tracking one of those 2 fingers.

Olivier L. · Mar 9, 2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplein

Not entirely true. Macbooks and MacBook Pros could do two finger vertical gestures. I use that for scrolling while reading MacRumors, for instance. Moving them sideways doesn't do anything, but vertically scrolls the page.

But I understand your point. Earlier "two finger" systems don't qualify as multi-touch the way it's understood by Apple and their users.

Actually, for this "multi-touch" vertical scrolling, you only 1 finger to scroll ,but 2 fingers touching the pad.
Moreoever, sideways scrolling also works (try for example when zooming a lot on a picture in Preview, until you have both vertical and horizontal scroll bars.)

Chobit · Mar 9, 2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Small White Car

No, that's not multitouch in the sense we mean it. Yes, it involves 2 fingers, but by that definition a 2-button mouse is multitouch! (Heck, "holding a cookie" is also multitouch if you mean it that way.)

When we use the word multitouch it implies that the computer knows where each finger is in relation to each other. This makes things like 'pinch to zoom' possible.

Your laptop could detect if 1 or 2 fingers was touching it, but that was it. It didn't know how far apart they were or where they were moving. It just used 2-fingers as another modifing 'control' key, basically.

I realize that difference, and I wasn't saying anything to the effect that it could do more than that. However, 2 finger scrolling is a basic multitouch gesture, the pad has to be able to tell that there are 2 fingers on it rather than one. In that sense the Macbook air wasn't the first mac with multitouch support, but the first mac with the ability to detect all the current gestures capable in OS X. To me (I have a current gen macbook as well), two-finger scrolling is by far the most important multi-touch gesture, so I guess my thinking about it is just different than others.

Scott6666 · Mar 9, 2009, 12:14 PM

Yippee.

astrofoo · Mar 9, 2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chobit

It's a bit misleading to say the first Macbook Air was the first apple laptop with multitouch support. My first gen intel macbook has 2 finger scrolling (and I think it even goes back to the last of the powerbooks), albeit they say the trackpad isn't up to snuff to do the more complex multi-touch capabilities, but it's still a multitouch gesture.

I think what you have was made by synaptics, the people that make touchpad for a lot of other companies. The multitouch that's on the MacBooks listed and the newest ones are made by Apple.

cg0def · Mar 9, 2009, 12:07 PM

Like you coudn't have guessed that this one was coming. There are a few features that the late '08 lineup brings which are merely software enabled. All of those are coming in Snow Leopard. You'll get gpu acceleration on all 2008 models also. But it is nice to have 4 finger gestures although they are somewhat of an overkill.

windowpain · Mar 9, 2009, 10:34 AM

I suppose they will be charging $2 for a multi-touch enabler?

tk421 · Mar 9, 2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windowpain

I suppose they will be charging $2 for a multi-touch enabler?

They'll charge $129. The article says it's part of Snow Leopard.

dubhe · Mar 9, 2009, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windowpain

I suppose they will be charging $2 for a multi-touch enabler?

$4 ($1 per finger)

Mar 9, 2009, 10:22 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Snow Leopard to Add 4-Finger Multi-Touch Gestures to Original MacBook Air When Apple introduced the new MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros in October, they also introduced a new four-finger multi-touch trackpad gesture that allowed users to easily switch between applications (swipe left/right) or invoke Exposé (swipe up/down). While it's long been known that the original MacBook Air and early 2008 MacBook Pros were also capable of detecting these 4-finger gestures, Apple has not yet announced or provided software support for the feature. The latest Snow Leopard developer seeds, however, reveal that Apple will be adding support for these gestures to these "1st generation" multi-touch trackpad devices. Based on reports, this functionality has finally been added for the original MacBook Air (and presumably the early 2008 MacBook Pros). The original MacBook Air was the first Apple laptop to incorporate a multi-touch trackpad when it was introduced in January 2008 and the MacBook Pros quickly followed with multi-touch support in February 2008. Article Link: Snow Leopard to Add 4-Finger Multi-Touch Gestures to Original MacBook Air

Mar 9, 2009, 10:33 AM	#3
ozone macrumors 6502 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada	It's probably just me... ... but who cares? I use my MBAir (original model) all the time, and frankly, I'm quite satisfied with what it does already. __________________ iMac C2D 24", HP2710p tablet, MacMini C2D, 17 PB G4 1.67 GHz, iPod Nano Ninja, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree...

Mar 9, 2009, 10:44 AM	#5
talkingfuture macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The back of beyond.	Sounds like multi touch will become more and more a part of the OSX experience. __________________ Futuristical bloggery with a twist.

Mar 9, 2009, 10:45 AM	#10
rjheys macrumors member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Pembrokeshire	Old news Old News, I posted this fact over two months ago in the forums. This has been in Snow Leopard way back since build 10A222. Try to keep up. __________________ 2.26 Octo Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac, iPhone 3G S⃣

Mar 9, 2009, 10:34 AM	#23
windowpain macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Japan	I suppose they will be charging $2 for a multi-touch enabler? __________________ TiBook,ibook,MacBook,shuffle,nano,touch,hackingtosh G4..

Mar 9, 2009, 10:28 AM	#2
Fotek2001 macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London, England	They don't normally retro-fit features do they?

Mar 9, 2009, 10:34 AM	#8
Chobit macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: NY	It's a bit misleading to say the first Macbook Air was the first apple laptop with multitouch support. My first gen intel macbook has 2 finger scrolling (and I think it even goes back to the last of the powerbooks), albeit they say the trackpad isn't up to snuff to do the more complex multi-touch capabilities, but it's still a multitouch gesture.

Mar 9, 2009, 10:52 AM	#13
erifneerg macrumors member Join Date: Aug 2008	very exciting, no need to hack osx to get that same feature. it seems silly to prevent a feature like this simply based on release day and not the technology it has build in it.

Mar 9, 2009, 12:14 PM	#20
Scott6666 macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Feb 2008	Yippee.

Mar 9, 2009, 12:07 PM	#22
cg0def macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2009	Like you coudn't have guessed that this one was coming. There are a few features that the late '08 lineup brings which are merely software enabled. All of those are coming in Snow Leopard. You'll get gpu acceleration on all 2008 models also. But it is nice to have 4 finger gestures although they are somewhat of an overkill.

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