Magic Trackpad Ergonomics

[Lava Lamp Freak]

After just one day of use my hand feels very tired. Someone recommended holding it in my lap and doing it that way feels very comfortable, but on my desk feels much more stressful on my wrist and hand than a normal mouse. Maybe there is a better way to use it than I am now. What is the best position to use it? Wrist flat on desk? Use a wrist pad? What do you do with the fingers that aren't in use? Curl them under like in the Apple videos?

 

[Becky Austin]

After just one day of use my hand feels very tired. Someone recommended holding it in my lap and doing it that way feels very comfortable, but on my desk feels much more stressful on my wrist and hand than a normal mouse. Maybe there is a better way to use it than I am now. What is the best position to use it? Wrist flat on desk? Use a wrist pad? What do you do with the fingers that aren't in use? Curl them under like in the Apple videos?

I just use my pointer finger most of the time with my other fingers held slightly in the air. I think the trackpad is pretty comfortable. You definitely don't have to move your hand around as much as with a mouse. However, it gets kind of annoying when you're dragging something and you run out of trackpad because you can't lift your finger up and keep the button pressed at the same time like you can with a mouse.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

I just use my pointer finger most of the time with my other fingers held slightly in the air. I think the trackpad is pretty comfortable. You definitely don't have to move your hand around as much as with a mouse. However, it gets kind of annoying when you're dragging something and you run out of trackpad because you can't lift your finger up and keep the button pressed at the same time like you can with a mouse.

You can enable drag lock to fix that problem.

I think what is uncomfortable for me is having to hold my fingers up in the air versus resting them on a mouse all day. It is creating tension in my upper hand, and my whole arm feels tired right now because of it. My hand is cramping up.

 

[iHateMacs]

it gets kind of annoying when you're dragging something and you run out of trackpad because you can't lift your finger up and keep the button pressed at the same time like you can with a mouse.

I don't like using the button because the closer to the top of the trackpad you get the harder you have to press.

I have mine set so that tapping lightly is like a click.

Using this method, even without drag lock on, there is a slight delay when dragging windows. So you CAN lift and move you finger and resume dragging if you find yourself running out of trackpad. You can lift and continue to drag as many times as you like as long as you don't leave it too long.

 

[Becky Austin]

I don't like using the button because the closer to the top of the trackpad you get the harder you have to press.

I have mine set so that tapping lightly is like a click.

Using this method, even without drag lock on, there is a slight delay when dragging windows. So you CAN lift and move you finger and resume dragging if you find yourself running out of trackpad. You can lift and continue to drag as many times as you like as long as you don't leave it too long.

Wow, that's cool. I haven't used a trackpad in a while. I forgot that it delays so you can reposition your finger on the pad while you're dragging. Very nice feature.

By the way, I use the tap-to-click feature as well. I hate clicking on trackpads...hehe.

 

[Queso]

Without wanting to belittle what you're saying you are now using muscles that are not used to being used during your daily routine. As an MBP owner who has been using trackpads for a while the MT is completely natural to me.

Think of it in the same terms as if you'd just suddenly started doing exercise after many years. For the first couple of weeks it's hell, then your body starts getting used to the movements and two months down the line anything else feels wrong.