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People with Trackpads, Do you use them?

C

claimed4all

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 26, 2008
414
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People with Magic Track Pads, do you use them?

I currently have the magic mouse, which I am liking less and less by the day. The lack of an actual scroll wheel is killing me. I have an older logitech bluetooth mouse that I used with my macbook that I love. So I was thinking about using that for applications that I need a mouse (Autocad and gaming) and using the trackpad for everything else.

Great idea, or will the track pad just sit there? I have been to the apple store a few times and played with them for awhile, I seem to like them, just not sure what the long term would hold.
 
There are many threads on this but yes, I use mine. Never thought I would love it nor did I think it'd replace my magic mouse but I do love it.
 
After having gone through half a dozen or so Apple Mice in the last 4 years (due to the scroll wheel getting stuck and after all the cleaning ops, staying stuck), I gave up and bought a trackpad the other day and I absolutely love it. My only regret is not having bought it sooner...
 
When I first used the trackpad, my opinion was 50/50 over a mouse. After a couple days, I greatly preferred it and am much more productive than I was with a mouse. Gestures help a lot.

I've since replaced all my mice with trackpads and personally recommend one over a mouse!
 
I don't do much stuffs that requires precision of the mouse. Most if not all of the time, I'm using the Magic Trackpad. It just feels right.
 
I own and use both. My trackpad is only used for Reeder and other gesture based programs, my mouse still gets most of my attention as the precision on the trackpad is not nearly the same as the mouse. That being said, I still do love my trackpad and will probably love it more when lion comes out.
 
I use the Magic Trackpad a vast majority of the time, but I also have a wired mouse plugged into the back of my ACD that is always ready to go at a moment's notice. I've only had the trackpad for about 3 weeks and I do think it is fantastic, especially when combined with the free Better Touch Tool. Still, there are some things that just require speed and/or precision, so having the mouse constantly available is a good thing.

My only complaint about the trackpad at this point is that it develops lags and skips every so often. I'm trying to zero in on the exact reasons. My first thought was that it was because a program was eating up my CPU as it only seemed to happen when a browser was going nuts or Carbonite was in the midst of a backup check. However, I can always make the lag disappear by picking up the trackpad and sitting it back down, so I'm thinking it must be a weak BT connection.

So to answer your question, if you have a Magic Trackpad and a mouse, I suspect both will get plenty of work. I really doubt you will just let the trackpad collect dust.
 
For some reason I find the trackpad uncomfortable, i.e. the angle of the trackpad and its elevation makes me keep the wrist in an unnatural position when using it..

So I can't use the trackpad for extended periods on iMac.

But I do use it.. It is a glorious implement...

I also have Razer Mamba for iMac which is a very good and comfortable mouse...
 
Magic mouse is the most horrible mouse I have ever used (and that's saying something). The trackpad is amazing. I love it and could never, ever go back to using that awful mouse.
 
Just picked up the Magic Trackpad yesterday to better take advantage of gestures in Lion and I love it. Still use my MM but can see myself using the MT more and more.
 
I've had mine a little over a week now and I very much enjoy it. It has a small learning curve but I'm flying now. I can do most anything much quicker and I find it very comfortable.

My wife on the other hand dismissed it immediately and only uses the MM. I'm sure she'll slowly adapt but even if she doesn't, it just shows; different strokes...
 
I even bring my Magic Trackpad to work. Moving forward, anything less than a Magic Mouse just doesn't work 'right' with Lion.
 
I use it more than the magic mouse, but not as much as a nicer mouse like the mx revolution.

It works great for doing regular internet browsing, typing, etc on the computer, but anything needing more fine control or gaming needs a mouse in my opinion.

So I use it, but switch it out.
 
I'd like to point out that "People with Magic Track Pads" are significantly more likely to like them and use them a lot. People who are "into" trackpads are more likely to purchase one for their desktops.

I don't own one because I don't like using them. To each their own!
 
I found the apple mouse too big for my hand (and that's saying something, I am 1.8 m tall), so it always felt awkward and cumbersome to use.

Bought a trackpad last week, and it has been a pleasant experience thus far, though still trying to get used to the sensitivity.

Only gripe - it's not cheap. For what I am geting, it should probably cost 1/2 its usual asking price tops. :(
 
Whenever I went in to the mac store I absolutely loathed using the Magic Mouse, and so when it came to purchasing my iMac I chose to replace the mouse with the Trackpad, I never expected to use the Trackpad as I already had a lovely Logitech mouse, I just thought it would be more useful to me than the mouse. After using the trackpad for a bit I absolutely love it! I only break out my mouse when I need to.

In the end I would recommend the trackpad over the mouse any day, so if you have the money and want the trackpad, go for it.
 
I have a magic mouse on my MBP and a TrackPad on my iMac. I love the trackpad for my "non-work" stuff on the iMac (web browsing, photo editing, etc.). It is silent, does not require much desk space and the multifinger gestures can speed up things like page forward/backward. However, for my work (software development), the trackpad fails on cut/paste operations that involve moving large blocks of text between windows. For that, a mouse seems to be a better device.
 
Look at the sales of external mice for laptops. That will make you understand why the magic trackpad is a worthless piece of junk. I hate having to use the built-in trackpad in my MBP, I always carry a mouse with me, even if it's just a cheap one from Microcenter, and I have a good Logitech at my desk.
 
2 points and 2 tips for using the trackpad

2 points.

Firstly, did you know you can scroll down with the magic mouse simply by stroking it? That's why it doesn't have a scroll wheel. The scroll action is also 'flick-able'. If you do a fast stroke, the screen scrolls on as if it had momentum.

Secondly, I have both a magic mouse and a trackpad. At first I used both, but I found that I used the trackpad more and more. Now I use it exclusively. My wife still prefers the mouse however.
:)


2 tips for using the trackpad.

1 To right-click, simple do a two-finger click.
2 To drag and drop things, click and hold with one hand / finger and move the item with another.
;)
 
I personally prefer 3-finger scroll for dragging/dropping files. The click-hold command seems to have some sensitivity issues on my side.

That said, I find I am actually more comfortable with the trackpad than the mouse. Different strokes for different people, I guess. :)
 
Obi Wan Kenobi said:
2 points.

Firstly, did you know you can scroll down with the magic mouse simply by stroking it? That's why it doesn't have a scroll wheel. The scroll action is also 'flick-able'. If you do a fast stroke, the screen scrolls on as if it had momentum.

;)
Click to expand...

I like the one finger scrolling, but with a program like Autocad where you are constantly scrolling in and out with precision, the touch system just isn't good enough. I have to feel the friction on the wheel.
 
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