MacOS – Should I buy a trackpad

macostrackpad

I've never really been a huge fan of trackpads but after playing with the official Apple Magic Trackpad using Lion, I have to admit, I loved the full screen swiping and using two fingers to swipe Chrome web pages.

I'm a programmer by trade and do VERY minimal art work using Pixelmator.

What are your impressions of using Apple's multitouch trackpads?

Best Answer

I have both the Magic Trackpad and the Magic Mouse, and IMO the trackpad works really well for browsing, navigating in the general system, and is a very natural way to interact with the computer.

That being said, it is not precise enough to be used when you need to do photo/video editing, and in those rare occasions I use the mouse.

I also do programming, but barely use the mouse/trackpad when I'm coding.

Pros:

  • Very easy to navigate in pages (Web browsing, preview, etc.)
  • Enable one to use the built-in gestures, and that make a huge difference in day-to-day computer usage
  • Ideal for an "HTPC" usage of your Mac : I frequently casually use my Mac from the couch, and not having to move a mouse is a definitive plus.

Cons:

  • Precision
  • Doesn't fully replace a mouse
  • You'll miss the gestures as soon as you'll use a different computer.
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