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How does the Glass Trackpad compare to the old one?

Xapphire13

Xapphire13

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 14, 2009
212
0
South Australia
I don't actually own a Mac/MacBook yet (but have ordered my first), and was wondering how the trackpad compares to the old one. I have used the WhiteBook a few times and fell in love with the trackpad on that... so am I expecting to be totally blown away when I recieve my MacBook?

p.s. I heard it doesn't feel like glass, what does it feel like?
 
Well, from my experience using my sister's white macbook, my Aluminum one is MUCH better I think. It seems to be a lot smoother, due to the fact that it is glass (textured glass, not "window" glass). If you have ever used an iPhone that has the Anti-Glare screen protector on it (mine does), that's what I can probably best describe as the texture of the trackpad.

It's amazing, and I love the buttonless aspect. Even though the actual size of it is the same, without the button, you have so much more space to track and do all the gestures. And since I pretty much always use the tap-to-click option, it kinda makes sense to "not have a button."
 
well, the glass trackpad is just awesome. It doesnt feel like its glass... actually i dont believe it is glass. It feels like a regular touchpad in the material, really smooth but it is not uncconfotable on touch.

Getting used to the button takes a while, but if you use tap to click then you dont need to worry about it.

The gestures is awesome, paired with the multiclutch app you can assign finger gestures to do custom assignments per application.

Also the size is big and it is very nice, once you use it and go back to other computers tochpad they feel incredibly small.

The one thing that I dont like is its performance on windows... it sucks there big time. The driver for windows kinda has a hard time and the experience is frustrating, i rather use an external mouse than the trackpad in windows it is bad. (boot camp) but besides that it is a very good experience.

On windows I have a hard time clicking and moving, dragging can be a pain and it is not consistent under windows, it is better to use the click there and not the tap to click cause that is what is a bad experience on windows.

Try it in a computer store, im sure you'll like it.
 
I found this picture that indicates that it really is glass
trackpad_fail.jpg


After seeing this picture, how strong is the trackpad?
 
Maybe it's just the camera, but from that picture it seems that whoever owns that MacBook Pro doesn't take care of their computers at all. So long as you don't abuse your computer, the trackpad should last. It's not fragile by any means, but come on! That MBP looks like it's been through hell... Poor little guy :(
 
I think they did a great job on the glass trackpad, I love it. Of course, the gesture muscle memory makes me look a bit crazy when trying to make gestures work on someone's non-multitouch trackpad. ;)
 
After using the glass trackpad for a week, you will find the feel of other trackpads distasteful. It's that good.
 
skorpien said:
Maybe it's just the camera, but from that picture it seems that whoever owns that MacBook Pro doesn't take care of their computers at all. So long as you don't abuse your computer, the trackpad should last. It's not fragile by any means, but come on! That MBP looks like it's been through hell... Poor little guy :(
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree =(. Computer called it :eek:.
 
It is so much better then the regular trackpad. It's big, and when you touch it, it feels silky. I like this trackpad too much and I don't like using regular trackpads now that I've had it for 3 weeks.
 
The new trackpad is amazing, its huge especially compared to other laptops like my old HP. The trackpad is glass as shown above in that picture of the busted trackpad, but it was mentioned somewhere else its actually a mixture of glass and plastic or something like that.

Unless you flat out abuse your trackpad and try to break the glass, I think you'll be alright
 
Just to add to the choir: it's absolutely AWESOME compared to the WhiteBook's trackpad. The texture is much better. The sensitivity is cranked to 11 in the sense that it's never missed a two/three/four finger click/gesture from me. And the size is just perfect. You just forget the button exists.
 
I agree! Had my MB for a couple months now and don't know how I ever coped without it before. I am constantly despairing at the size of the trackpad on my bf's hp and trying to scroll with 2 fingers on it! It feels so unnatural to use Page Down or the scroll bar!
 
Xapphire13 said:
I found this picture that indicates that it really is glass
trackpad_fail.jpg


After seeing this picture, how strong is the trackpad?
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly, a coffee mug fell on that. I dropped a coffee mug on a ceramic floor and it cracked and that was a strong floor.
I love the glass track pad, much better than my whitebook that I had... I'll never tell my wife now since she has it lol
 
Sorry to bump an old topic but I'm getting a MacBook next week and I'm just wondering since the trackpad is made from textured glass how much pressure do you apply on the trackpad when moving your finger across it? I've owned previous notebooks which touchpads have felt rough when my fingers are dry, is this the case for you with the MacBook's multi touch glass trackpad?

Thanks.
 
Don't like it

The glass trackpad is too slippery. Very often my fingers are moving and the trackpad isn't sensing the movement. It seems like there is not enough friction. It is also MUCH too large. It is very easy to make accidental contact with the base of a thumb. Finally, be sure to deactive the pinch gesture, or you will be endlessly frustrated while trying to merely scroll.

In short, the glass pad is better than the white ones, but far inferior to the old G4 aluminum PowerBook trackpads.

If I were to have it to do over, I would shop for a used black MacBook rather than my MacBook Pro. And, I would NOT go to Snow Leopard. iCal is dysfunctional in Snow Leopard!
 
the glass ones are incredible, but also the biggest annoyance to me as I have had to send back my unibody macbook and will replace it with the old style. I wish that i had never had the bliss that is the glass trackpad:(
 
The glasspad IMO is unbelievable. It opens up a whole new way of using the laptop...three finger programmable swipes for FireFox with multiclutch, expose...the whole deal.

Everytime I use a PC/older Mac now I hate using the trackpad just because of the lack of the features. I'm seriously considering getting a Wacom Bamboo for my work desktop just because I love the large trackpad+multitouch so much and I think it could replace a mouse on the desktop for what I do pretty nicely.
 
I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like the trackpad, well until now. I personally think that the trackpad is amazing, I love the feel, find that it picks up every movement I make. At first the size was bothersome and I had to find a new home for my thumb but after that the experience has been amazing. The gestures are great, the feel is amazing, the size is magnificent, and the overall use is just perfect, I really love it. Using any other trackpad now is hugely disappointing and others really feel small.
 
I used the trackpad on the new MacBook for an hour, went back to my old laptop and kept trying to make the trackpad click, it feels very natural and 2 finger scrolling is very handy.
 
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