Hey, I was wondering if there are any hardware reasons why we couldn't get the macbook air's new touchpad multi-touch gestures (three finger forward and back, pinch zooming) to work on the current gen of Macbooks and MBPs? If not do you think apple will put out a patch for us to use them or is there some sort of mod that could enable it? Just wondering because i think that would be pretty awsome!
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new touchpad gestures on Macbook and MBP?
- Thread starter cyberk007
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I don't think Apple will give other Leopard MacBook/Pro users the functionality, although they probably could very easily in 10.5.2. Shame 
I do hope though that if Apple doesn't, some enterprising person will find what files need to be copied over for it to work.
I do hope though that if Apple doesn't, some enterprising person will find what files need to be copied over for it to work.
my thoughts exactly. however thats one of the features that the new macbook air is holding over the previous generation computers so theyre unlikely to share the software or drivers in the spirit of kindness. though i think it would be possible to get some of that functionality working on the current line up.
i think some clever group could distribute their own software to implement those features successfully but apple probably wont have a hand in it.
hope im wrong!
i think some clever group could distribute their own software to implement those features successfully but apple probably wont have a hand in it.
hope im wrong!
Of course they will! Sorta like the iphone, buy now for $599, then in 2 months we will lower the price $200 so more folks can have it!
On a more serious note, Apple is famous for debuting new things that they secretly pre planned long ago. Remember the $1.50 wireless 'N' upgrade?
I would rumor that they will give it to existing laptops that currently support multi-finger gestures.
Already most can do the 2finger scrolling (as the news item here touches base on) so that means the current trackpad DOES recognize multiple touches.
That being said, (being a programmer) I would believe it would be a matter of software that would do the rest.
Since the MBA isn't even shipping yet, I would hope or guess that a comparable update to existing laptops wouldn't come out until the MBA ships.
Could be a reason 10.5.2 hasn't officially released yet. Might be holding out until MBA ships.
Who knows. Makes no difference either way but if it were going to happen, I would guess it wouldn't until MBA ships. I don't feel however, that since the MBA had it as one of the biggest features, that it would be JUST for the MBA. MBA is just a form factor. The trackpad is something (for those that can support it) that can be updated. In fact people with HID experience can even write their own code to register the gestures. So there's no reason why it couldn't come to other MBX's as long as the trackpad supported it.
Already most can do the 2finger scrolling (as the news item here touches base on) so that means the current trackpad DOES recognize multiple touches.
That being said, (being a programmer) I would believe it would be a matter of software that would do the rest.
Since the MBA isn't even shipping yet, I would hope or guess that a comparable update to existing laptops wouldn't come out until the MBA ships.
Could be a reason 10.5.2 hasn't officially released yet. Might be holding out until MBA ships.
Who knows. Makes no difference either way but if it were going to happen, I would guess it wouldn't until MBA ships. I don't feel however, that since the MBA had it as one of the biggest features, that it would be JUST for the MBA. MBA is just a form factor. The trackpad is something (for those that can support it) that can be updated. In fact people with HID experience can even write their own code to register the gestures. So there's no reason why it couldn't come to other MBX's as long as the trackpad supported it.
The pad doesn't have to be a touchscreen size to take advantage of the gestures.
Already I use the alternate click and the scrolling one quite often on my wife's MB. Her trackpad is a reasonable size to work in. It's almost a tad bit bigger than my palm treo screen and a tad bit smaller and an iphone/ipod touch screen (by tad I'm not talking 1/16" yes we all know it's smaller than those 2 devices) but it's well within reasonable size to use over half the gestures.
Look at it this way. They put the update out people b!tch about the size of the trackpad, they don't put the update out people b!tch about not having it. The solution? Take their MBX's away and send them to bed with no diner.
I prefer they send it out and give us the OPTION to enable them or not. If our trackpads support it, I think having the choice of using them is better than not having the choice at all.
I can see what you mean. I think my MacBook's trackpad is large enough to do all those extra Multi-Touch gestures like pinch and rotating. Of course, others will complain, but I am happy with how big the trackpad is at the moment.
I almost posted this last night but got caught up in other things. But an update/fix to my previous post...
As I sat down with the wife's MB I specifically paid attention to the size of the trackpad. It's about the same size as the front of the iPhone, it's doesn't seem THAT much smaller if it's even smaller at all. I don't have an iPhone to compare but it's about twice the size of my palm treo screen. So it's plenty big for adding gestures.
When I explained what I was talking about to my wife (she's not very computer savy and does't get as giddy as me over computer gizmos and gadgets) but she said "That would be cool as hell"
I still say, If the current trackpads allow the ability, I think having the choice is better than not having a choice at all to use the gestures.
As I sat down with the wife's MB I specifically paid attention to the size of the trackpad. It's about the same size as the front of the iPhone, it's doesn't seem THAT much smaller if it's even smaller at all. I don't have an iPhone to compare but it's about twice the size of my palm treo screen. So it's plenty big for adding gestures.
When I explained what I was talking about to my wife (she's not very computer savy and does't get as giddy as me over computer gizmos and gadgets) but she said "That would be cool as hell"
I still say, If the current trackpads allow the ability, I think having the choice is better than not having a choice at all to use the gestures.
The current trackpads obviously recognize how many fingers are touching it. One finger moves the pointer, two fingers scroll, but three fingers...well...they kill it all together. I sure do hope that Apple will allow others to use their trackpads in a similar fashion to the MBA.
I also hope that we MB and MBP users get this option - but I have a slightly different question, but it is mostly on-topic.
Is there any way that on the touch pad you can move through the open tabs in FireFox (I can live with the double finger tab to go forwards and backwards), but is there any way to access the tabs without having to navigate to there?
Maybe this wold be part of the MBA features?
Is there any way that on the touch pad you can move through the open tabs in FireFox (I can live with the double finger tab to go forwards and backwards), but is there any way to access the tabs without having to navigate to there?
Maybe this wold be part of the MBA features?
Is there a built in shortcut other than apple-shift-{ to move between tabs? I don't find that combination very useful.
just bought a new MB last night, i hope they can make it a software update. I wanted the air, but the MB is just .32 inches thicker...
Has anyone actually tried doing the multi-touch gestures on their MB/MBP touchpad? Things like rotate and pinch seem to require more trackpad for it to feel comfortable.
By the looks of the photos, the MBA's trackpad looks about the same width of my MB's trackpad, but the MBA's does look significantly taller.
The trackpad on my MBP is plenty big. It's probably close to the size of iPhone screen.