New PowerBook TrackPad: Bad?

m01ety · February 9, 2005 7:26AM

So I went to CambridgeSide to check out the new PowerBooks and to play with the new trackpads...

The two-finger scroll salute is pure genius. It's amazing. Brilliant. So very natural. I hope a new SideTrack version backports the feature for those of us on older models.

But I was a little dissapointed that there was no option for iPod-like circular scrolling, which is implied as a feature in this graphic at apple.com... If you try circular scrolling, the trackpad freaks out. I do hope they add this feature in a later system software update...

Anyways, but my biggest dissapointment was that the trackpads seemed, I don't know, bad. I tried all of them -- 12, 15, and 17 -- and moving the cursor felt unbelievably jerky and unnatural.

I toyed with the trackpad settings in SysPrefs, but nothing I did improved the experience. When I got home I checked my own PowerBook's trackpad (last gen Alu), and mine did indeed seem more "natural".

I'm wondering if anyone else has been able to make comparisons and noticed a difference like this?

nth · February 9, 2005 9:36AM

I read that the trackpad is velocity sensitive - maybe that helps?

I also read somewhere that if you go to the Universal Access settings in the System Preferences - choose the Mouse Tab and adjust intial delay and speed sliders - it will solve the issues.

I haven't tried them yet - my new Powerbook 17" is still on the back of a postvan on its way from Shanghai...

Neale

lewd0006 · February 9, 2005 11:37AM

I'm jealous

m01ety · February 9, 2005 4:21PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NTH

I read that the trackpad is velocity sensitive - maybe that helps?

I also read somewhere that if you go to the Universal Access settings in the System Preferences - choose the Mouse Tab and adjust intial delay and speed sliders - it will solve the issues.

I haven't tried them yet - my new Powerbook 17" is still on the back of a postvan on its way from Shanghai...

Neale

Hmmmm, interesting. I will have to check this out next time at the store. I certainly hope you can turn this "velocity" thing off, as it bugs me as hell.

rolandg · February 9, 2005 5:25PM

Quote:

Originally posted by m01ety

Hmmmm, interesting. I will have to check this out next time at the store. I certainly hope you can turn this "velocity" thing off, as it bugs me as hell.

Aren't the "old" ones velocity sensitive as well? Depending on how fast you move your finger, the cursor will move farther for the same distance.

m01ety · February 10, 2005 1:55AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RolandG

Aren't the "old" ones velocity sensitive as well? Depending on how fast you move your finger, the cursor will move farther for the same distance.

That's what I thought, but I perceive the new trackpads to be "different" somehow. As in, worse. Jerky. Unnatural. I don't know.

Anyone else in a position to make comparisons between new-Alu and old-Alu trackpads? What do you think?

palled · February 10, 2005 4:42AM

I just upgraded to a 15" from a Titanium 1GHz, and yes, the new trackpad is different. In a bad way. It's just to slow when you move your finger slow. Could somehow compensate in the speed/acceleration setting, but it's still different.

maccrazy · February 10, 2005 8:02AM

Quote:

Originally posted by palled

I just upgraded to a 15" from a Titanium 1GHz, and yes, the new trackpad is different. In a bad way. It's just to slow when you move your finger slow. Could somehow compensate in the speed/acceleration setting, but it's still different.

does 10.3.8 help?

palled · February 10, 2005 9:30AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MacCrazy

does 10.3.8 help?

No difference...

maccrazy · February 10, 2005 10:02AM

Quote:

Originally posted by palled

No difference...

well i'm getting one soon, it better not be dodgy! hopefully apple will fix it

cj3209 · February 10, 2005 11:17AM

On our 15" Al 1.67 PB the Trackpad works fine; just as responsive as our older 15" AL 1.25 PBs. With the added feature of the two-finger scroll, it's actually even better.

Perhaps you should contact applecare and have them take a look at it?

Quote:

Originally posted by palled

I just upgraded to a 15" from a Titanium 1GHz, and yes, the new trackpad is different. In a bad way. It's just to slow when you move your finger slow. Could somehow compensate in the speed/acceleration setting, but it's still different.

cartier · February 10, 2005 10:07PM

I just got a 1.67 GHz PowerBook, my first Mac. The steep acceleration curve bothers me quite a bit, but what REALLY drives me crazy is how the acceleration is quicker in the horizontal direction than the vertical direction. As a result, the cursor always moves at a shallower angle than you expect it to.

I really, really wish Apple would provide some acceleration control in the System Prefs.

firehc · February 11, 2005 2:01AM

off topic

work around for 'old' pb and ib,

http://www-users.kawo2.rwth-aachen.de/~razzfazz/

nth · February 11, 2005 8:46AM

Well it arrived this morning! Pbook 17"

Playing with the trackpad - I don't find any problems at all!

It is very responsive - the 2 finger scroll is fabulous.

It is velocity sensitive - so slow move = a few pixels, fast move = zip across the screen.

Plus Universal Access makes a difference - pull the 'delay' scroll right down and push the speed right up to get maximum feedback.

carson o'genic · February 11, 2005 4:20PM

I'm working on a new 15" 1.67GHz PB coming from a slightly older 1.25 GHz PB. I don't notice any big difference between the two. They both work well.

Love the new double finger scroll function.

maccrazy · February 11, 2005 4:47PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Carson O'Genic

I'm working on a new 15" 1.67GHz PB coming from a slightly older 1.25 GHz PB. I don't notice any big difference between the two. They both work well.

Love the new double finger scroll function.

cool, i can't wait for mine to arrive!!

i thrash therefore i am · February 12, 2005 3:07PM

I played with one at the Apple Store at the Grove in L.A. and it was fine. I second what MacCrazy says, I WANT MY POWERBOOK! DAMN FEDEX FOR MAKING IT SIT IN SHANGHAI FOR SO LONG! (or according to the guy on the phone, fedex hasn't updated their tracking site)

maccrazy · February 12, 2005 4:21PM

Quote:

Originally posted by I Thrash Therefore I Am

I played with one at the Apple Store at the Grove in L.A. and it was fine. I second what MacCrazy says, I WANT MY POWERBOOK! DAMN FEDEX FOR MAKING IT SIT IN SHANGHAI FOR SO LONG! (or according to the guy on the phone, fedex hasn't updated their tracking site)

Is yours on target for the estimated shipping? TNT haven't updated my status at all. When I ordered my iPod photo TNT were really good.

i thrash therefore i am · February 12, 2005 4:24PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MacCrazy

Is yours on target for the estimated shipping? TNT haven't updated my status at all. When I ordered my iPod photo TNT were really good.

I just called fedex and they told me that it was packaged into a container and still has to go through customs. Whats funny is that UPS hasn't updated the tracking page for my printer I returned either. I called them too and they told me that it was on its way through illinois. So, what I got from this was that tracking pages arent up to date at all.

Whats making me mad is I got standard 5 day shipping, and by their estimated ship date its gonna be over 6 days.

maccrazy · February 12, 2005 4:28PM

Quote:

Originally posted by I Thrash Therefore I Am

I just called fedex and they told me that it was packaged into a container and still has to go through customs. Whats funny is that UPS hasn't updated the tracking page for my printer I returned either. I called them too and they told me that it was on its way through illinois. So, what I got from this was that tracking pages arent up to date at all.

Whats making me mad is I got standard 5 day shipping, and by their estimated ship date its gonna be over 6 days.

I got standard shipping and Apple said in an email it would take 6-7 business days. It was shipped on Monday 7th so should arrive 15 or 16th!!

nth · February 12, 2005 6:01PM

Thought you might like to see the log of my powerbok as you're getting it delivered to the UK and I had a '6-7 day expected delivery' email as well. Thank God it came of Friday and is giving me the weekend to play!

_PBG4 17/1.67/SD/CTO

_Z0BA

_1

_Activity

_Location

_Date / Time (GMT)

_Shipment Picked Up

_SHANGHAI, SH, CN

_05 Feb 2005 00:20

_Shipment Picked Up

_(CNSHA02)

_05 Feb 2005 04:10

_Depart Terminal

_(CNSHA02)

_06 Feb 2005 07:40

_Arrive Terminal

_LUXEMBOURG, LU, LU

_08 Feb 2005 10:11

_Depart Terminal

_LUXEMBOURG, LU, LU

_08 Feb 2005 14:02

_Cleared Customs

_DUIVEN, GE, NL

_09 Feb 2005 19:54

_Shipment Picked Up

_EINDHOVEN, NB, NL

_09 Feb 2005 22:15

_Arrive Terminal

_READING, BK, GB

_11 Feb 2005 07:49

_Out For Delivery

_READING, BK, GB

_11 Feb 2005 09:06

_Depart Terminal

_READING, BK, GB

_11 Feb 2005 10:02

_Delivered

_READING, BK, GB

_11 Feb 2005 10:20

New PowerBook TrackPad: Bad?

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