• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

getting used to the magic trackpad

 
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
How long did it take folks to get used to the Magic Trackpad? I got my standalone one today and am trying to use it instead of the mouse. (I don't use the laptop keyboard/trackpad so I've been using a Mac keyboard and Windows mouse until now. (And I was on a work trip most of last week so I was using pure Windows then.)

I really like the gestures for scrolling and expose. Actually moving the cursor feels a bit more awkward. As does clicking. I imagine this is based on 15 years experience with a mouse vs a few days with a trackpad that I hardly used since I was relying on the mouse. I'm curious how long it took people to get used to the trackpad. Or if there are any tips.

It probably doesn't help that I'm still learning keyboard shortcuts at the same time. (home/end don't do the same thing on the Mac as on Windows and I use them a lot!) And that I touch type so am not used to finding the command key without looking. Getting better at that though.
 
Sheriff
Posts: 67746
173
Mac Mac OS X IntelliJ IDE jQuery TypeScript Java iOS
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hmmm, I don't think I'm going to be of much help as I hadn't used a mouse in about a decade before I got the Magic Trackpad -- I had used a trackball for many years, and had also been quite accustomed to using the trackpad on the laptops, which I used even more than the trackball. So when I got the Magic Trackpad, it was already 2nd nature for me to use it.

Perhaps someone who's recently just started using a laptop trackpad might have more pertinent experiences...

Learning new keyboard shortcuts and new gestures all at once is a pretty steep climb. But you're motivated enough to succeed, I'm sure!
 
clojure forum advocate
Posts: 3479
Mac Objective C Clojure
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have always been mouses user, ten years to be accurate.
I got used to the Magic TrackPad in no time but it is worthing mentioning that I have been using MBP Touch Pad for about one year and half before I got Magic TrackPad.
 
Jeanne Boyarsky
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Bear,
For the keyboard shortcuts, it is muscle memory more so than "learning" them. For example, I'm starting to get used to control-arrow instead of home/end to go to the beginning and end of each line. I can't say I do it 100% of the time, but I'm getting closer. This is just going to take some time, but it's not frustrating.

For the trackpad, it feels like a dexterity thing. I've never liked the trackpad on my Windows laptops and avoid it as much as humanly possible. I have a portable mouse that I use more than the trackpad. So I have no base of experience for this. I don't want to give up too fast though because there is a good chance I'll like the trackpad once I get better at it. At some point, I can rollback to the mouse. I'm hesitant to do that though as I wouldn't be using the gestures much if I have a mouse out because then the trackpad wouldn't be convenient. I guess I'm hoping for someone to stay "stick with it, it took me a week to get used to the trackpad."
 
ranger
Posts: 17347
11
Mac IntelliJ IDE Spring
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yeah at first I had to get used to the track pad, it wasn't overnight, but it also wasn't a long time to get used to it.

Now I find it extremely awkward for me to use a mouse or even a Windows laptop track pad. I get disappointed when I can't use the two finger scroll gesture on a PC laptop.

I still though have issues when I try to get my cursor to the beginning or end of a line with the keyboard. Even though I know it is just CMD-arrow key.

Mark
 
Jeanne Boyarsky
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
On Facebook, a guy said 2 days. I'm at a day now and I'm "close enough." This means I can click on links without looking at the trackpad or getting frustrated. I could still be faster, but that will come naturally over time. It was getting over the heap of frustration at using the trackpad that was worrying me.

I still use a mouse at work so I don't think it will be awkward to use a mouse. I'm currently using the Windows trackpad on my old machine (I haven't transferred everything I need over yet.) I tried clicking on the trackpad. Doesn't do anything

As an aside, I can now control arrow and control shift arrow without looking at the keyboard. Which is ironic because I could never hit the home or end keys without looking at the keyboard. And I can use the command key shortcuts without looking at the keyboard. I had the keyboard longer so I'm not surprised I got to fluency faster there.
 
Rancher
Posts: 4803
7
Mac OS X VI Editor Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I may be slow, but I can't use it yet. I've had my MB Pro for 10 weeks. I use a mouse.

I hear its great, but it seems clumsy to me. YMMV, etc.
 
Bartender
Posts: 11497
19
Android Google Web Toolkit Mac Eclipse IDE Ubuntu Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Took me about a week.
2 Finger ->Scroll
2 Finger Tap-> Right click
Command+Tab to toggle.
Thats all I really need.
Other effects I just use to show off my Mac.

I am that kind of person who likes everything on the keyboard. So trackpad works for me just fine.
 
Mark Spritzler
ranger
Posts: 17347
11
Mac IntelliJ IDE Spring
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Maneesh Godbole wrote:Took me about a week.
2 Finger ->Scroll
2 Finger Tap-> Right click
Command+Tab to toggle.
Thats all I really need.
Other effects I just use to show off my Mac.

I am that kind of person who likes everything on the keyboard. So trackpad works for me just fine.



Or you can set it up that when you click on the bottom right it does a right-click with just one finger.

Mark
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 15304
6
Mac OS X IntelliJ IDE Chrome
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I don't recall how long it took me to get used to it. I've always hated PC trackpads. So when I got my mac I was less than enthused to use one, expecting the same crap. I was oh so pleasantly surprised to find out that Apple actually made the darn thing usable! I don't mind going back to a mouse and in fact, there are some things where I get better precision with a mouse (like doing wireframes and such) so I'll just plug my mouse in on those occasions.

The most used gesture for me beyond clicking and moving the pointer is the 4 finger swipe down. Love me some expose.
 
Mark Spritzler
ranger
Posts: 17347
11
Mac IntelliJ IDE Spring
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I actually tend to use two finger scroll, single finger clicks with right click with one finger on the bottom right of my trackpad.

I find That I use two hands. My right hand does the two finger scrolling, right hand does single click with index finger on bottom right for right click, and I use the right hand index finger to move the cursor to something I want to click, then click with my left index finger.

I rarely use the three or four finger slides.

Mark
 
Bear Bibeault
Sheriff
Posts: 67746
173
Mac Mac OS X IntelliJ IDE jQuery TypeScript Java iOS
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Like Gregg, I love the multi-finger gestures. I'm a constant user of the 4-finger-⇑ for desktop access, the 4-finger-⇓ for Expose, and 4-finger-⇒ for the app list.

 
Jeanne Boyarsky
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Mark Spritzler wrote:I find That I use two hands. My right hand does the two finger scrolling, right hand does single click with index finger on bottom right for right click, and I use the right hand index finger to move the cursor to something I want to click, then click with my left index finger.


One of my hands is busy pressing the command key .
 
Jeanne Boyarsky
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
A few weeks later:
I like the trackpad for scrolling and clicking big things. I'm "used to" it for clicking but it still feels a little awkward. I'm also not good at selecting text with the trackpad, but I imagine this is because I use the keyboard so much more often for this use.
 
Slideshow boring ... losing consciousness ... just gonna take a quick nap on this tiny ad ...
a bit of art, as a gift, the permaculture playing cards
https://gardener-gift.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic