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Older MBP Can You have Multi Touch update??

I

idle0095

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 3, 2008
50
0
I have a 16 month old macbook pro. it dont have multi touch. is there a software update that will allow multitouch.
 
I have to write something cos of 'forum rules', but the pic explains it all.
 

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Yeah it's like asking why your ipod touch won't make phone calls. It just doesn't have the necessary hardware.
 
drewsof07 said:
Yeah it's like asking why your ipod touch won't make phone calls. It just doesn't have the necessary hardware.
Click to expand...

Well yeah, but you got to admit that his question makes a lot more sense as it's a lot harder to spot the hardware difference...
 
raymondu999 said:
Well yeah, but you got to admit that his question makes a lot more sense as it's a lot harder to spot the hardware difference...
Click to expand...

I was just using a more creative way to say No...
I wondered the same thing when the multi-touch MBP was released.
 
In theory, any MacBook Pro prior to the 4th revision (with Intel "Penryn" processors) are indeed capable of multi-touch, which is why features such as 2 finger scrolling and 2 finger "second clicking" are possible. 3rd party utilities, such as SideTrack, can add functionality to the trackpad on your Mac.
 
I've read someone has used a top case from the latest generation (multi touch) with a SR and older with success. Multi touch works, but you just don't have the instructional videos to go along with it. I've never tried it myself though.
 
Cadium said:
In theory, any MacBook Pro prior to the 4th revision (with Intel "Penryn" processors) are indeed capable of multi-touch, which is why features such as 2 finger scrolling and 2 finger "second clicking" are possible. 3rd party utilities, such as SideTrack, can add functionality to the trackpad on your Mac.
Click to expand...
Those are just very clever hacks. It goes based on the size/location of the blot that your fingers are creating on the trackpad instead of actually detecting multiple events.
 
NoOneButMe said:
Those are just very clever hacks. It goes based on the size/location of the blot that your fingers are creating on the trackpad instead of actually detecting multiple events.
Click to expand...

Those are clever hacks, but not for the reasons you think. Apple patented the current method they use to track two fingers, so third parties have to figure out another method, and its all software-based.

Same with the new multi-touch gestures.

I have a 17" Powerbook G4, and had no two finger click on Tiger. Upgrade to Leopard, and huzzah, its now available. Same hardware, new features. Apple simply chooses to lock new features on newer hardware.
 
blaskillet4 said:
I have a 17" Powerbook G4, and had no two finger click on Tiger. Upgrade to Leopard, and huzzah, its now available. Same hardware, new features. Apple simply chooses to lock new features on newer hardware.
Click to expand...

actually not quite. The last generation is two finger scroll capable. Not all G4 powerbooks are two finger capable (i.e. only the faster 12" powerbooks were two finger capable. the earlier ones, slower than 1GHz, no). the controller on the top case of a multi touch enabled penryn is different than the controller located on the SR macbook pro. Merely switching the top cases (hardware) enables multi touch on earlier models.
 
blaskillet4 said:
Those are clever hacks, but not for the reasons you think. Apple patented the current method they use to track two fingers, so third parties have to figure out another method, and its all software-based.

Same with the new multi-touch gestures.

I have a 17" Powerbook G4, and had no two finger click on Tiger. Upgrade to Leopard, and huzzah, its now available. Same hardware, new features. Apple simply chooses to lock new features on newer hardware.
Click to expand...

Wrong. The hardware capabilities were always there for two-finger on certain PB models. But not multi-touch (think of it that your PB has bi-touch)
 
I tried using the older keyboard on the Peryn MBP and it didn't work, so I don't think you can put the multitouch trackpad either; my guess is Apple has some kind of lock, so you can't use one part on the other computer.
 
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