Apple trackpad: is it still the thing to go for?

[sophiecentaur]

TL;DR

Is it worth changing to mouse from trackpad? (Apple system)

I have ben using an apple trackpad for years now. The trackpad on my MacBook Pro is excellent to use and I cannot understand why people still prefer a mouse with a 'laptop' machine. I guess that trackpads on other makes must be inferior to the Apple system and mouse users are stuck in the mouse groove. The dynamics on other laptop makes seemed to be pretty clunky and not well thought out when I tried them a while ago. Maybe Apple have some strong patents to keep it that way.
But I'm not evangelising; I'm after comments from Apple users, mainly. I started with a Magic Trackpad when I got an iMac a long time ago. I also bought a Mac mini and used a Magic Mouse. That mouse had a number of 'pad-like' features which I believe you can find on non-Apple mice. I've seen wheels for the equivalent functionality on other mice.

I am looking to upgrade from the 13" MacBook (I have a 25" extra monitor) and a Mac mini is attractive. But I will need a new keyboard and 'pointing device'. Is there any reason why not to buy a new Apple trackpad and keep off the mouse system?

I don't intend to move away from Apple as I am a 'user' rather than an 'enthusiast'. Only the other day, a friend of mine was moaning about printer driver problems on a PC system. To get it to work, he had to resort to a AI search for help. Too much like hard work for me; I don't think I ever needed to head scratch for that sort of thing. Plug and Play was around in 1990 and (with some minor exceptions) I've done just that since, with pretty well all my bolt-ons. Paying for that has, in my experience, has been well worth it for me.

But- Trackpads is my present topic; any comments?

 

[jedishrfu]

The trackpad is definitely a cool input device, but so is a mouse. I have a trackpad in my MacBook Air M2 and use it whenever I don't have my mouse.

The mouse is good for finding, scrolling, and clicking. The trackpad isn't so good here, as you sometimes need to flick your fingers more to get the pointer to where you want.

However, the trackpad is good for drawing, signing your name, and use in an airplane with a constrained environment.

I use a wireless mouse and found that it's good for controlling presentation slides, next and previous…

On my Mac mini desktop, I use a wired mouse. Once, I lost Bluetooth connectivity and couldn't use my mouse or Bluetooth keyboard to fix it.

Hence the wired mouse and keyboard.

 

[jedishrfu]

The trackpad is definitely a cool input device, but so is a mouse. I have a trackpad in my MacBook Air M2 and use it whenever I don't have my mouse.

The mouse is good for finding, scrolling, and clicking. The trackpad isn't so good here, as you sometimes need to flick your fingers more to get the pointer to where you want.

However, the trackpad is good for drawing, signing your name, and use in an airplane with a constrained environment.

I use a wireless mouse and found that it's good for controlling presentation slides, next and previous…

On my Mac mini desktop, I use a wired mouse. Once, I lost Bluetooth connectivity and couldn't use my mouse or Bluetooth keyboard to fix it.

Hence the wired mouse and keyboard.

 

[sophiecentaur]

The trackpad is definitely a cool input device, but so is a mouse.

They are both related to 'handwriting' but the trackpad needs less acreage to work on than a mouse - and it's already got a surface to work on. I have frequent 'conversations' on the topic with two of my PC based sons but they are only used to their own laptop pads. Personally, I'm so untidy that there's never been enough room on my desk to use a mouse conveniently; I push stuff away to make room and something falls off the edge of the desk.
But basically, you have confirmed my feeling that the Magic Trackpad is the only pad that's worth considering at present
. The Magic just seems to get better and better, with its dynamics and gestures.
The mouse started life during the 80's and was a pretty pedestrian thing. Forty years+ later there's got to be a better way. I guess we ned to wait for a new invention, involving more direct spatial information input. In the future, we can expect a neural implant to eliminate the mechanical interface entirely. Spoken input is hopeless for X-Y input; "up a bit left a bit" would be frustrating.