Multi Touch on the Old MacBook

[sho0sh]

So the touch Pad recognizes when you put one finger on.
It recognizes two fingers.
You put a third on and it also recognizes that it is not 2 fingers - does it then take the third finger as one finger or does it actually recognise that it is a third finger?

 

[cherry su]

Well if you want multi touch on the old macbooks you have to dig for the driver/kext if it doesn't require new hardware. if it does then you *could* get the functionality by buying a new top case (keyboard & trackpad) for your macbook

 

[cmaier]

Apple has already said that it is not possible to add multi-touch with merely a software update.

 

[digitalpencil]

I started a thread discussing this and a competition from CruchGear to deliver this functionality to older MB/MBPs.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/444647/

Basically, it's all contingent on how the new MBP is achieving multi-touch as no teardowns have shown presence of a BRCM controller so far. If this is the case, then multi-touch on the MBP is through software emulation which would imply that this functionality could be expanded to older MB/MBPs.

 

[Stella]

The trackpads are new hardware.

Multi-touch capabilities will not happen for machines without the new Trackpad. Period.

 

[digitalpencil]

The trackpads are new hardware.

Multi-touch capabilities will not happen for machines without the new Trackpad. Period.

The trackpads aren't new hardware, they are the same trackpads as the previous gen MBP. They possibly have a broadcom bcm5974 on the interconnect board same as the MBA however, this is yet TBC.

 

[mbrydone]

I'm pretty sure that it either doesn't care that you have more than 2 or it just plain reads it as two because there aren't any functions for more than 2 on the old MacBooks

 

[sho0sh]

I'm pretty sure that it either doesn't care that you have more than 2 or it just plain reads it as two because there aren't any functions for more than 2 on the old MacBooks

well one finger moves the mouse, 2 fingers scroll and 3 fingers the cursor stays still, so it does recognise it...

 

[Chafka]

well one finger moves the mouse, 2 fingers scroll and 3 fingers the cursor stays still, so it does recognise it...

I would assume then that the 3 fingers are read as a palm (ie. disables the trackpad so your mouse isn't moving when your trying to type). There must be a certain square area that is a threshold for reading a palm or not.

 

[davim]

If you install Linux in a macbook you can asigne 3 finger tapping to middle click in Xorg configuration, and it has been like this since years...

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBook#head-416529dc6edd6f93a12df4f0b4c71144441dcbce

 

[valvehead]

If you install Linux in a macbook you can asigne 3 finger tapping to middle click in Xorg configuration, and it has been like this since years...

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBook#head-416529dc6edd6f93a12df4f0b4c71144441dcbce

I saw a post on another forum where someone was using the trackpad (on a Merom/SR MBP) as a MIDI controller under Linux. He confirmed that the trackpad was able to register 3 fingers. I can't find this post now, so take it as you may.