Inertial scrolling, three-finger drag comes to some MacBook trackpads

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Apple on Tuesday issued an update to a number of recent notebooks -- including the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air -- bringing inertial scrolling and three-finger drag gesture support to some trackpads.



Magic Trackpad and Multi-Touch Trackpad Update 1.0 was released Tuesday afternoon by Apple. It is a 75.09MB update that requires Mac OS X 10.6.4. In addition to adding inertial scrolling and three-finger drag in recent MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks, it also adds support for Apple's newly released $69 Magic Trackpad.



According to Apple, the following MacBook and MacBook Pro models now have both inertial scrolling and three-finger drag gesture:



MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009)

MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009)

MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)



MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008)



Inertial scrolling, but not the three-finger gesture, is offered in four additional models:



MacBook Air

MacBook Air (Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008)



The new three-finger gesture was first discovered earlier Tuesday with hands-on tests of the Magic Trackpad. The capability allows users to quickly drag windows around. At the time, the feature was exclusive to the new hardware.



Also Tuesday, Apple released updates for Windows that add support for the Magic Trackpad hardware. A 6.62MB update is available for 32-bit flavors of Windows, while the 64-bit software is 3.98MB. It works with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines, as well as Macs running the operating system via Boot Camp.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    What is inertial scrolling again?
  • Reply 2 of 45
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Am I reading that right, the 2010 releases of the 13" MB and MBP don't get this update, but older models of the same size and class do?
  • Reply 3 of 45
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe hs View Post


    What is inertial scrolling again?



    Scrolling like on the iPhone, where you flick to scroll and it continues to scroll until you slow it down or stop it (or let it eventually slow down and stop on its own).
  • Reply 4 of 45
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    edit: Pipped by John B... again.
  • Reply 5 of 45
    rbonnerrbonner Posts: 635member
    I like this, the scrolling is great, and nothing to buy. +1 to Apple, will save for the next time something goes wrong, they have 1 in the bank. (I almost upgraded my laptop for this feature, saves me 2K!)
  • Reply 6 of 45
    rkrickrkrick Posts: 66member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Am I reading that right, the 2010 releases of the 13" MB and MBP don't get this update, but older models of the same size and class do?



    I noticed the same thing but when I went to check for updates for my mid 2010 13" MBP the update was there. As far as I know I already had inertial scrolling but not the 3 finger drag. As an example 3 fingers was used for forward page and back page in a browser (swipe to navigate). I have just updated and noticed that I now have the option to choose either "dragging" or "swipe to navigate" for 3 fingers. I wish there was a way to change back and forth on the fly as I prefer to use swipe to navigate when using a browser but would also like the option of using 3 fingers to drag windows using other programs. Oh well...
  • Reply 7 of 45
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    I want a video of track pad's capabilities like the one they made for the mouse.
  • Reply 8 of 45
    icyfogicyfog Posts: 338member
    Cool. I'll have to download that update. I'm still a mouse guy. I can make finer, more precise movements with mice than I can with trackpads.
  • Reply 9 of 45
    joe hsjoe hs Posts: 488member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by John.B View Post


    Scrolling like on the iPhone, where you flick to scroll and it continues to scroll until you slow it down or stop it (or let it eventually slow down and stop on its own).



    ohhhh i see now. I might get one now.
  • Reply 10 of 45
    rokradrokrad Posts: 143member
    Three fingers on the magic mouse maybe?
  • Reply 11 of 45
    noogenooge Posts: 7member
    Update for OSX 10.6.4 = 75MB

    update for Windows XP, VIsta, 7 = 7MB



    Why are Apple's updates for OSX so huge?

    I can't imagine the actual code to make this work is so large. What else is in there? Do they have every possible dependency in there too?
  • Reply 12 of 45
    kstlouiskstlouis Posts: 10member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nooge View Post


    Update for OSX 10.6.4 = 75MB

    update for Windows XP, VIsta, 7 = 7MB



    Why are Apple's updates for OSX so huge?

    I can't imagine the actual code to make this work is so large. What else is in there? Do they have every possible dependency in there too?



    If I had to guess, I would say that it's because the Apple update includes both support for the trackpad as well as inertial scrolling for laptop trackpads, while the Windows update would only have support for the new trackpad but lack inertial scrolling.
  • Reply 13 of 45
    astrosmashastrosmash Posts: 86member
    Damn, that three-finger dragging is a lot more compelling than I would have guessed. I just wish it didn't clobber the old three-finger back/forward action; I rely on that quite a lot, too.



    I wish I could map 4-finger left/right to the back/forward action.
  • Reply 14 of 45
    mwm417mwm417 Posts: 1member
    Looks like Apple forgot to include the 13" mid-2010 Macbook Pro on the list of models available for the update.



    Just updated my mid-2010 13" MBP.
  • Reply 15 of 45
    mariofreak85mariofreak85 Posts: 202member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nooge View Post


    Update for OSX 10.6.4 = 75MB

    update for Windows XP, VIsta, 7 = 7MB



    Why are Apple's updates for OSX so huge?

    I can't imagine the actual code to make this work is so large. What else is in there? Do they have every possible dependency in there too?



    The mac version comes bundled with videos that show how to use it.
  • Reply 16 of 45
    rkrickrkrick Posts: 66member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by astrosmash View Post


    Damn, that three-finger dragging is a lot more compelling than I would have guessed. I just wish it didn't clobber the old three-finder back/forward action; I rely on that quite a lot, too.



    I will I could map 4-finger left/right to the back/forward action.



    Another option for dragging windows is to select check boxes under one finger for drag and drag lock, then you can double tap window at the top of the window with one finger and drag around then single tap to release lock. Also can be used to resize window by double tapping bottom right hand corner of window then dragging to resize and single tap to release. This is a standard feature for mid 2010 MBP before the update. Then you can leave the 3 fingers set to "swipe to navigate" which is what I prefer for web browsing.



    I love the trackpad on my mid 2010 MBP and am glad to see that I can now buy a Magic trackpad for my iMac but will have to upgrade OS from Tiger to Snow Leopard which I'm not sure why I haven't done so already.
  • Reply 17 of 45
    astrosmashastrosmash Posts: 86member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RKRick View Post


    Another option for dragging windows is to select check boxes under one finger for drag and drag lock, then you can double tap window at the top of the window with one finger and drag around then single tap to release lock.



    I never liked single-finger tap gestures; they're too easy to trigger by accident. That's one of the nice things about multi-touch.
  • Reply 18 of 45
    rkrickrkrick Posts: 66member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by astrosmash View Post


    I never liked single-finger tap gestures; they're too easy to trigger by accident. That's one of the nice things about multi-touch.



    Agreed but I like the "swipe to navigate" function for 3 finger gestures so much for web browsing that I'm finding it hard to decide. I have gotten used to the single tap gestures over time and rarely trigger by accident anymore, but when I do...



    What I hate the most though anymore is having to use the trackpads on my work laptop or my daughters laptop which both have Windows, really messes with my head switching back and forth.
  • Reply 19 of 45
    rkrickrkrick Posts: 66member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nooge View Post


    Update for OSX 10.6.4 = 75MB

    update for Windows XP, VIsta, 7 = 7MB



    Why are Apple's updates for OSX so huge?

    I can't imagine the actual code to make this work is so large. What else is in there? Do they have every possible dependency in there too?



    I would guess that the update for Windows is in addition to the OSX update so technically it is 82MB if you are running Windows on your Mac.
  • Reply 20 of 45
    johnnyb0731johnnyb0731 Posts: 326member
    Also not on the list is the late 15in model. I like the inertia scrolling but I don't particullarly like the three finger dragging. To enable that it takes away the navigation using three fingers which is something i've become accustomed to when broswing the web
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