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Tip: New MacBook trackpad usage
The MultiTouch trackpads on the new MacBooks do not have separate clickable butons; instead, the entire surface acts as a button. While this new design has been well accepted by Macintosh users, some potential buyers may have concerns and a few new users may have to get used to the new trackpads having touch surfaces on the button mechanism.
In contrast to Apple's advertisements and popular belief, the new trackpads are not true "click anywhere" trackpads. They are mounted on a springboard-like hinge system that is connected to the chassis along the top edge of the trackpad opening. This means that while the trackpad can be clicked on the majority of the surface, as users click towards the top it will get harder to press down. At the very top edge of the trackpad it will be extremely hard to press the button down.
This results in the area along the bottom edge being the best place to click the trackpad, making the new trackpad system much easier to work with if users treat it like an old button-based system. As such, the first recommendation for new trackpad users is to just "trust it" and treat it like an old trackpad. On older trackpad systems, many users tended to click with the side of the thumb while moving and dragging around with their index finger, and this behavior will still work as it used to if users position their hands over the trackpad as they would any other trackpad.
Some users have found that using their thumbs on the "touch" surface has been a burden since they may inadvertently move the cursor or activate unwanted functions such as zooming. If users feel they want to change things up and no longer wish to use their thumbs, one way to help train the hand to not use the thumb is to tuck it under the front of the computer's body, or at least keep it off the front of the case. Doing this will keep it out of the way and allow only the fingers to have access to the touchpad and over time users will get accustomed to using only their fingers.
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Up to now, most (all?) trackpad gestures duplicate the functions of mouse or keyboard actions. As long as that continues to be the case, people with disabilities should not be affected much. There will be a problem if gestures become the only way to produce some actions.
Not necessary true that disable persons can't use gestured base trackpad. The gesture based trackpad just need to allow alternate forms of gestures to allow people with disabilities to do the same thing. For example is if a person doesn't have a hand and prosthesis to do same thing, they can train that device to recognize prosthesis gestures to do the same function. I know that Synaptics have an applications to show what the track pad is sensing and you can adjust the sensitivity of the trackpad and other sensors to allow prosthesis and other things to show on the track pad and function like hands. Apple should release a application to allow people to adjust trackpad function and allow them to adjust for any device they wish. Also Apple should release an developer kit to allow people to hack the trackpad to customized certain functions in the trackpad.
- by tkessler October 22, 2008 12:28 PM PDT
- Folks with disabilities may not be able to use the gestures, but Apple does not make the use of gestures a requirement and the basic functionality of the trackpad is still available. The larger trackpad may also be more beneficial to users with disabilities.
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