Any non-macbooks that can compete with apples trackpads?

[thejadedmonkey]

It takes effort. First, make sure you have synaptic touchpad, they're better than other brands. Then download katMouse and TwoFingerScroll. I'm using my dell with 2-finger scroll and it's a fair implementation. Nowhere near as good, but better than nothing.

 

[dba415]

it has to do with both the trackpad itself and the drivers. Apple's os x was designed with multitouch in mind. Using windows on a macbook is still pretty bad despite the same trackpad. Scrolling is still not as smooth.

 

[grahamnp]

People don't equate trackpad quality with a good computing experience. They look at all the things like GPU benchmarks and HDD capacity and make their purchase decision based on that, which is not necessarily a bad thing, different people have different expectations. This is why manufacturers like HP can sell on things like screen resolution (without improving screen quality), and fast CPUs and GPUs while skimping on things like battery life, build quality and the overall experience.

After hearing my friends diss Macs for overpriced hardware and being underpowered, I would say there is little incentive for PC manufacturers to improve on things like the trackpad. People either don't care or don't think to care. Either way, tech reviewers may notice but attention to detail like that just goes unappreciated for the average user.

 

[bjm2660]

People don't equate trackpad quality with a good computing experience.

Agreed. People in the market for a new machine ought to critically assess the keyboard and trackpad. These are the primary methods of input--the first step in the user interface. If they aren't right, then everything is a struggle. No amount of processor speed, RAM, or HDD will fix it. As I said above, I never knew how good a touchpad/trackpad could be until I got my MBP. This is what I've been missing?