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Slow(ish) touchpad response on all MacBooks?

N

NewGenAdam

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 29, 2008
459
1
I have an Air, but I'm assuming this is an "issue" common to the complete line, if not all touchpads ever.

I click with a single tap on the touchpad, and I've recently noticed that clicking as such gives a, roughly, quarter second delay.

Which I found somewhat shocking; it probably decreases my efficiency somewhat, and is annoying.

Fixes?

EDIT: it's more obvious if you compare single click time to two finger click time. There's a noticeable difference.
 
If I understand you correctly, you are saying it takes about 1/4 second to register your tap-click, correct?

If this is something that affects all touchpads, then it is not an "issue" but actually a limitation of the technology. Issues are problems.
 
I've never had a hint of delay on any Powerbook (back to Wallstreet G3) or Macbook/pro I've owned or used. I've always used the tap-click.

If the machine is unresponsive or slow, there is something else going on - and it's not related to the trackpad (or trackpad design in general).

In fact, Apple's trackpads have always been more accurate and responsive than the PC's I've used (many different makes and models over the years).

Using Activity Monitor, check for any unusual CPU usage - like hidden background processes. Also, look for a high relative number of page-outs - you might be in need of more physical RAM. Those are just a couple of things to check - I'm sure we can help sort things out.
 
I might have found something which does cause a slight delay in clicking:

In the last day or so, I've enabled the trackpad tap for "Dragging". With that enabled. there is ~1/4 delay on clicking. I disabled it, and I'm back to the normal instant responsiveness I mentioned earlier.

I stand corrected. :eek:

It makes sense there'd be a delay, though. It has to know whether you want to click or click-drag, and it uses your timing to determine it.

I'm a bit disappointed. The reason I enabled it was to cut down on my use of the new (UB) integrated button. It's a bit stiffer than I'd like (and a bit louder). I do like the fact it's part of the pad, and I can click [almost] anywhere. It's my only complaint of the new UB - everything else is awesome.

Oh well - everything's a compromise... But at least I know why there's a difference in response and I can switch to tap-dragging when the physical button bugs me or disable tap-draggin when the delay bugs me. :rolleyes:
 
No. This is a software issue that Apple should fix and hasn't yet. All PC laptops have double-tap-to-drag feature and they do not cause a delay in the registrations of single-taps.

With Dragging enabled, single-taps have delays, double-taps do not and are instantaneous. Remember that dragging is really double-tap and hold, so why add delay to single-taps? This is a bug that Apple hasn't fixed.

I think this bug is a result of the enabling of the temporary Drag Lock feature when dragging is enabled, even though Drag Lock is not enabled. Remember that if you only have Dragging enabled and not Drag Lock, and you double-tap and drag an item and then release your finger and then quickly put your finger back, you're still going to be in dragging mode. It seems if you wait a second before putting your finger back, the item is released.

This is crazy, right now I have to actually physically click to drag. This is not right at all. I paid $2000+ for this MacBook.
 
I absolutely agree with the above post.

I hate the physical button, and also noticed the delay when both dragging and tap to click are enabled. So I called Apple and spoke to a genius and he basically told me that's a delay caused by the processor. Psht. Yeah right. My hackintosh eee can tap, drag and whatever instantaneously. I bought my first real mac and so far, using a hackintosh has been a much more enjoyable experience solely due to the finicky touchpad drivers.

I emailed Steve Jobs with my complaints and got a call from someone named Jazz over in Cupertino the next day, in which he held a three-way call with me, him and an Apple Engineer to confirm that the touchpad was working as it should. So, my problem isn't solved. They just don't understand that it works, but it works POORLY.

And how about that forced drag-lock, even when the option is disabled. Complete BS
 
the OP had a valid observation, my MBA has a 1/4 second delay with tapping. This is especially noticeable if you compare it to the MBP's glass trackpad. The tap response on MBP is basically instantaneous. Other gestures (pinch zoom, swipes etc) are all affected as well, but to a lesser degree.
The rev. C macbook airs at apple store seem to be affected by the same issue.
This MBA problem is especially agonizing if you have a really stiff button and you have to rely on tap.
 
gr8tfly said:
n the last day or so, I've enabled the trackpad tap for "Dragging". With that enabled. there is ~1/4 delay on clicking. I disabled it, and I'm back to the normal instant responsiveness I mentioned earlier.

I stand corrected. :eek:

It makes sense there'd be a delay, though. It has to know whether you want to click or click-drag, and it uses your timing to determine it.
Click to expand...

I agree. I get a still 0.25 second click-lag on my new MBP. But this is only with 'dragging' enabled; without it the click is instant. I'd compare it to my trusty Air but I no longer have it.
 
This delay ticks me off so much because I will click on a location and start typing, but what I type is inserted where the cursor was previously during the delay, and then jumps up, mid-word, to where I had clicked.
It is a serious loss in productivity.
I noticed the delay went away when I started using a magic mouse.
Disabling Dragging took care of it too.
Thanks guys.
 
Even on a 2011 MBP with Snow Leopard 10.6.8 is still happens, but thanks to you dudes I've realised it's only with dragging enabled as well.
 
Luckily three-finger dragging prevents this delay.

remerge said:
Remember that dragging is really double-tap and hold, so why add delay to single-taps? This is a bug that Apple hasn't fixed.
Click to expand...

Every double tap looks like a single tap for a brief moment? The computer can't know that you're about to tap again, so it has to wait.
 
Please don't necropost. This thread dates back to the original launch of the MBA.
 
Why not necropost? This delay for tap to click is still present in the latest MBA's that launched recently.

Yesterday I played around with a 11" MBA of a good friend of mine and I noticed the instant tap to click and I was wondering where that came from as my current MBP (2010 13" but with SSD and 8GB ram) was much slower. I always enable dragging with my trackpad but once I disabled it, I experienced the same instant tap to click. I've disabled it for now and will get used to using the three finger gesture to drag or a trackpad click and drag combination.
 
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