Force Touch on Old TrackPads

[Peter0571]

It would technically be possible for Apple to program old trackpads (Also trackpads on MacBook Pros and Airs) to also have the new Force Touch features.
They could add as an option to tap-to-click as the only way of clicking.
Then program the actual "clicking" as the Force Touch.
I only tap-to-click anyways, so actually clicking goes unused.

Am I on to something here??

 

[LewisChapman]

Very interesting idea here. I think you may be on to something.

 

[jermy4]

It's not a horrible idea, I wonder if a 3rd party program like better touch tool would be able to do something like this.

 

[DeltaMac]

It would technically be possible for Apple to program old trackpads (Also trackpads on MacBook Pros and Airs) to also have the new Force Touch features.
...

You make a statement here, as if it were a fact. Do you have a link to some information to back up your statement

How would you program a feature that the hardware is not capable of using?
Remember, the touch click on the new pads is not a physical movement, and the force touch is a response to deeper pressure.
The older trackpads are not pressure sensitive. They sense location, but not pressure levels. The "press to click" pressure will vary, because the trackpad uses a hinge to actuate that click switch, so the actual pressure varies across the pad. A force touch would be very difficult to implement because of that. The force touch pads don't have an actual mechanical movement to click, so can be much more sensitive, and consistent across the pad surface. There's no way to do that on the older pads.

 

[squirrrl]

You make a statement here, as if it were a fact. Do you have a link to some information to back up your statement

How would you program a feature that the hardware is not capable of using?
Remember, the touch click on the new pads is not a physical movement, and the force touch is a response to deeper pressure.
The older trackpads are not pressure sensitive. They sense location, but not pressure levels. The "press to click" pressure will vary, because the trackpad uses a hinge to actuate that click switch, so the actual pressure varies across the pad. A force touch would be very difficult to implement because of that. The force touch pads don't have an actual mechanical movement to click, so can be much more sensitive, and consistent across the pad surface. There's no way to do that on the older pads.

I think you missed the point here buddy. He's saying that you could make a tap like a regular and an actual click the force touch click. As it is now, most people have the tap programmed as a click and the actual click is then redundant

 

[DeltaMac]

I think you missed the point here buddy. He's saying that you could make a tap like a regular and an actual click the force touch click. As it is now, most people have the tap programmed as a click and the actual click is then redundant

I think you also missed the point that I was trying to make, but maybe it is just not technically sound.
I was also not making any claims as fact like the OP.
But then, I hate the tap-to-click with a passion, and always turn it off. I am too "ham-handed" for tap-to-click. Every trackpad I have ever tried tap-to-click is too sensitive (from iBooks to netbooks to high-end PC lappies to multi-touch pads - I can't make adjustments to allow it to work for me, so first step is turning tap-to-click off. That being said, the new force touch, etc. works great in my hands.
On the older pads, the actual mechanical click relies on mechanical response, and depends on a hinge angle inherent in the design of the trackpad, will not respond in a way to make it nearly as effective as a pad that is designed for that function.
Can you program an older pad to respond to a deep touch (the mechanical switch actuates) that will be stable everywhere on the pad, like the deep touch on a force click pad? Seems really far-fetched to me... maybe it needs more imagination than I possess...

 

[squirrrl]

I think you also missed the point that I was trying to make, but maybe it is just not technically sound.
I was also not making any claims as fact like the OP.
But then, I hate the tap-to-click with a passion, and always turn it off. I am too "ham-handed" for tap-to-click. Every trackpad I have ever tried tap-to-click is too sensitive (from iBooks to netbooks to high-end PC lappies to multi-touch pads - I can't make adjustments to allow it to work for me, so first step is turning tap-to-click off. That being said, the new force touch, etc. works great in my hands.
On the older pads, the actual mechanical click relies on mechanical response, and depends on a hinge angle inherent in the design of the trackpad, will not respond in a way to make it nearly as effective as a pad that is designed for that function.
Can you program an older pad to respond to a deep touch (the mechanical switch actuates) that will be stable everywhere on the pad, like the deep touch on a force click pad? Seems really far-fetched to me... maybe it needs more imagination than I possess...

There would be no change to the mechanics of the old touch pad. All you have to do is change the result of the action that the old touchpads normally do.

Currently on old touch pads:
Tap ( if turned on) = click
Physical click = click

You reprogram these two actions to get these different results:
Tap = click
Physical click = website preview (or other actions that would be triggered on the new pad as a deep click)

All they would have to do is change the software to respond to these two actions differently.

 

[squirrrl]

Oops. Double post.

 

[Peter0571]

There would be no change to the mechanics of the old touch pad. All you have to do is change the result of the action that the old touchpads normally do.

Currently on old touch pads:
Tap ( if turned on) = click
Physical click = click

You reprogram these two actions to get these different results:
Tap = click
Physical click = website preview (or other actions that would be triggered on the new pad as a deep click)

All they would have to do is change the software to respond to these two actions differently.

Right.
You wouldnt be able to adjust the zoom speed in Maps, or adjust fast-forward speeds in Quicktime. But I'm taliking about all the simple deep clicks. For example the link preview deep click. It would just be a useful add-on option for those who dont use the "click" on the old trackpads anyways.

 

[darkinners]

It would technically be possible for Apple to program old trackpads (Also trackpads on MacBook Pros and Airs) to also have the new Force Touch features.
They could add as an option to tap-to-click as the only way of clicking.
Then program the actual "clicking" as the Force Touch.
I only tap-to-click anyways, so actually clicking goes unused.

Am I on to something here??

Yes you are on to something and it's 100% doable.
But Apple won't do that won't they? Otherwise how they sell a double priced trackpad?