Why do no PC laptops have a touchpad as nice as Apples?

[AltecXP]

Now I love win7 and like my mac, but everything I wanna move back to a PC laptop its the dang trouchpad that keeps me from doing it. Why has the PC laptop makers not caught up to the Apple touch pad?

[Mr. Gibs]

Because there really is no need for a glass touchpad on Windows PCs.

1. Multitouch - Windows doesn't support multitouch to the extent that Mac OSX does (I personally think multitouch stuff on a touchpad is stupid, but hey thats a different topic).

2. Size - The algorithm MS uses to calculate mouse acceleration on Windows is far better than Apple's one.

Design wise, sure the touchpad on Apple's macbook pros look a lot nicer and is slightly smoother (glass vs. plastic) but I couldn't live without buttons...yes I know you can just tap the touchpad but that's just annoying imo.

[brominated]

Now I love win7 and like my mac, but everything I wanna move back to a PC laptop its the dang trouchpad that keeps me from doing it. Why has the PC laptop makers not caught up to the Apple touch pad?

I've wondered this myself. Why is it so hard to make one out of glass? Why do Windows trackpad drivers always always completely suck? I mean, come on...does anyone really want a stupid little icon by the clock showing when the trackpad registers a movement? Or even a stupid little icon, period? I know they can be turned off, but jesus, it's so gimmicky and tacky to begin with. I'd hope that it has something to do with patents and whatnot, otherwise that would only mean that PC trackpad makers are just completely clueless.

[Stetson]

Mostly it has to do with manufacturers not having a handle on all parts of the stack. Most major manufacturers use touchpad controllers from companies like Synaptics and usually end up using the drivers supplied by the touchpad manufacturer. Apple does their own touchpad manufacturing. I believe that they use the same capacitive sensor tech and controller chip that they use in the iPhone, which is a level of hardware that only recently is making its way into other companies' trackpads. Apple also controls the OS and the drivers so they can make it interface really well and then make sure that the OS supports the gestures.

Some recent PC touchpads are pretty nice and definitely catching up, but it's really difficult to make it seamless the way Apple does.

[brominated]

Because there really is no need for a glass touchpad on Windows PCs.

1. Multitouch - Windows doesn't support multitouch to the extent that Mac OSX does (I personally think multitouch stuff on a touchpad is stupid, but hey thats a different topic).

2. Size - The algorithm MS uses to calculate mouse acceleration on Windows is far better than Apple's one.

Pinch-to-zoom isn't stupid, and two-finger scrolling is anything but stupid in comparison to that gimped slide-your-finger-along-the-edge scrolling that never seems to work right, and gets jumbled at the slightest touch beyond the sensitivity zone, resulting in inadvertent scrolling all the time. On a windows laptop, an external mouse is a necessity.

If the algorithm used by Windows is far better, then why does it invariably suck far more?

[Mr. Gibs]

I've wondered this myself. Why is it so hard to make one out of glass? Why do Windows trackpad drivers always always completely suck? I mean, come on...does anyone really want a stupid little icon by the clock showing when the trackpad registers a movement? Or even a stupid little icon, period? I know they can be turned off, but jesus, it's so gimmicky and tacky to begin with. I'd hope that it has something to do with patents and whatnot, otherwise that would only mean that PC trackpad makers are just completely clueless.

You don't need any trackpad drivers unless you're using some obscure one from like the 1990s. I don't have one installed on my laptop and it works just fine.

And not to mention...you do realize you can hide icons in the system tray right?

Pinch-to-zoom isn't stupid, and two-finger scrolling is anything but stupid in comparison to that gimped slide-your-finger-along-the-edge scrolling that never seems to work right, and gets jumped at the slightest touch beyond the sensitivity zone. On a windows laptop, an external mouse is a necessity.

Really? Amazing how I use that daily :rolleyes: Amazing how I haven't used a mouse on my laptop for like 5 years now.

Notice how I said "it's stupid but hey that's a different topic". My opinion doesn't have to agree with yours...so stop getting your panties in a knot just because I don't like something you do.

If the algorithm used by Windows is far better, then why does it invariably suck far more?

Go do a Google search for Mac Mouse Acceleration and see how many complaints you have.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I'm sure there are some that are just as good. The thing is, there are a lot of PC manufacturers out there - each with touch-pads of varying quality. In Apple's case, they're the only company that makes the MacBook, MacBook Pro, etc. After all, it's their product line.

[Beyond Godlike]

Pinch-to-zoom isn't stupid, and two-finger scrolling is anything but stupid in comparison to that gimped slide-your-finger-along-the-edge scrolling that never seems to work right, and gets jumbled at the slightest touch beyond the sensitivity zone, resulting in inadvertent scrolling all the time. On a windows laptop, an external mouse is a necessity.

If the algorithm used by Windows is far better, then why does it invariably suck far more?

I have pinch to zoom and two finger scrolling, glide, side scrolling, and all the works on my acer notepad with synaptics touchpad, works flawlessly with no delay to. Cost was 549 after sale prices, about half the price of an apple for the same feel and power

THAAANKS

[rajputwarrior]

You don't need any trackpad drivers unless you're using some obscure one from like the 1990s. I don't have one installed on my laptop and it works just fine.

that's not true. you still need up to date drivers for most trackpads. try using the new dell trackpads without the proper drivers. with the default windows driver more then half the functions don't work (such as the pinch-to-zoom feature that the new dell trackpad's support)

[Stetson]

At the very least two-finger lag-free scrolling is a pretty decent feature.

As far as trackpad size goes, I do know what you mean about the acceleration. I don't notice it on the trackpad much at all but I do when I plug in an external mouse. However, some PC laptops are just ridiculous. I once had a Dell salesman pull me over to a 13" XPS (I think) to show it to me. I asked what video chip it had, and after trying to get to the information screen with the 1"x2" (minus the scroll areas on the side and bottom) trackpad for about 30 seconds he gave up and switched to keyboard commands.

[brominated]

You don't need any trackpad drivers unless you're using some obscure one from like the 1990s. I don't have one installed on my laptop and it works just fine.

Dell Studio 15, core i5, less than 8 months old. Default Windows drivers will not scroll, necessitates using OEM ****ty drivers.

And not to mention...you do realize you can hide icons in the system tray right?

Guess you skimmed over the part where I said "can be turned off".

Really? Amazing how I use that daily :rolleyes: Amazing how I haven't used a mouse on my laptop for like 5 years now.

Masochism is an admirable trait, although not for everyone.

Go do a Google search for Mac Mouse Acceleration and see how many complaints you have.

drastically far less than I can find for 'crappy windows trackpads', I assure you.

[Mr. Gibs]

that's not true. you still need up to date drivers for most trackpads. try using the new dell trackpads without the proper drivers. with the default windows driver more then half the functions don't work (such as the pinch-to-zoom feature that the new dell trackpad's support)

Ah, yeh my current laptop is like 3 years old and doesn't support any multitouch lol. So for me the windows drivers work just fine without having to download anything else.

Guess you skimmed over the part where I said "can be turned off".

Turned off =/= hidden. And I find it funny that you're complaining about something that can be turned off / hidden.

Masochism is an admirable trait, although not for everyone.

Getting your panties in a knot again? Aww, here's a cookie.

drastically far less than I can find for 'crappy windows trackpads', I assure you.

Hm let's break that down shall we?

1. I was talking about ACCELERATION which doesn't have very much to do with the trackpad and instead on the code of the OS.

2. About 20x more people use Windows than Macs...naturally more users = more complaints since nothing in this world is perfect.

[rajputwarrior]

I have pinch to zoom and two finger scrolling, glide, side scrolling, and all the works on my acer notepad with synaptics touchpad, works flawlessly with no delay to. Cost was 549 after sale prices, about half the price of an apple for the same feel and power

THAAANKS

you seriously comparing a cheap acer to a macbook? :no:

while i agree with the OP that the apple trackpads are the best, PCs have some good ones too. I don't mind the new dell trackpads. it's just that apple has a huge advantage because they control both the hardware and software on their products. for reasons like this apple can get the most of out their hardware and design their software specifically to cater to the hardware they sell. synaptics and the rest of the other guys can't do that.

[Kyang]

There was an article on Engadget or something where they highlighted that Synaptics was releasing a new touchpad technology that was the same as what Apple was using. The lack of this tech was the reason why other laptops couldn't quite match Apple's precision in multitouch gestures, but the gap has been closed, and we'll see the fruits of that development soon.

I'll try to find the article and edit this post with the link.

EDIT:

Alright, so I guess my memory was off, it's not really some all new tech, but I was right in that there was some kind fundamental revision in their previous approach to multitouch, allowing PC makers to match the "Click-pad".

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/the-windows-pc-clickpad-finally-improved-synaptics-clickpad-is/

[+Warwagon MVC]

Does the track pad on Mac's have tap to click or do you always have to push on the pad itself?

[-KJ]

Because it's what's inside that counts on the PC laptops.

I also like Apples MBP touchpad. It's so smooth. PC laptop touchpads suck in comparison, imo.

[Raa]

Here we go again, another Mac/PC thread.

Just for what it's worth : I find the trackpad on Apple laptops good. I find the trackpads on a number of PC laptops good as well.

I guess it's just personal preference?

[AltecXP]

Yeah being made out of glass doesn't matter. I have found that even on many touch-pads that even 2-finger scrolling can be hit or miss. Thats a feature I would have hoped would be rather refined by now.

2-finger scrolling is really all I care about with the pads but I find that many of them are a let down. Even on the new ENVY lineup form HP that is supposed to have a great new touchpad. I find its rather poor.

[Stetson]

Especially in the last year there are more and more PC trackpads that support things like two finger scrolling, but it seems like something that should just be standard and expected. It isn't even something new with Apple's "multitouch" trackpads, they've had two finger scrolling since the Powerbook G4's from 2003. That's seven years ago. My 1.5 year old Dell E6500 still has the set-aside scroll bars on the sides and bottom of the trackpad and they aren't very easy to use. I actually end up using the mouse nub in the center of the keyboard to click and drag the scrollbar, or use the middle-click-scroll feature.

[brominated]

Does the track pad on Mac's have tap to click or do you always have to push on the pad itself?

Both, I use tap-to-click.

[ViperAFK]

that's not true. you still need up to date drivers for most trackpads. try using the new dell trackpads without the proper drivers. with the default windows driver more then half the functions don't work (such as the pinch-to-zoom feature that the new dell trackpad's support)

Yeah my gateway also has synaptics, it works by default in windows vista/7 but not very well, scrolling is way to fast, coasting doesn't work ect...

[brominated]

Yeah being made out of glass doesn't matter. I have found that even on many touch-pads that even 2-finger scrolling can be hit or miss. Thats a feature I would have hoped would be rather refined by now.

2-finger scrolling is really all I care about with the pads but I find that many of them are a let down. Even on the new ENVY lineup form HP that is supposed to have a great new touchpad. I find its rather poor.

Most of the complaints I've seen about the Envy pertain to the actual build quality of the trackpad, in that it's not quite level nor equally flush on both sides. Then again, there have also been complaints about the Envy having gaps in the body large enough to slide a credit card into, so I suppose it's all relative.

[Kyang]

There was an article on Engadget or something where they highlighted that Synaptics was releasing a new touchpad technology that was the same as what Apple was using. The lack of this tech was the reason why other laptops couldn't quite match Apple's precision in multitouch gestures, but the gap has been closed, and we'll see the fruits of that development soon.

I'll try to find the article and edit this post with the link.

EDIT:

Alright, so I guess my memory was off, it's not really some all new tech, but I was right in that there was some kind fundamental revision in their previous approach to multitouch, allowing PC makers to match the "Click-pad".

Ah, found the link:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/the-windows-pc-clickpad-finally-improved-synaptics-clickpad-is/

[sean l]

2. About 20x more people use Windows than Macs...naturally more users = more complaints since nothing in this world is perfect.

Just another addition to your point.. ;)

Even per capita, don't Windows users generally demand more out of their machines? Even if its not a majority, or even the average user...

Where as some/most Mac users tend to be along the lines of "ohh, look at how shiny". They are too busy staring at the light up Apple to notice performance issues.

"I use a Mac for photo/video/sound editing or... (insert one of the general artsy professions you NEED a mac for)". Anyone who tends to use the argument usually can't tell you WHY Apple computers are superior for such things. So they would not know a performance issue even if they had one :p

And yes, I do have a bitterness towards certain Mac users (i.e. - the people I go to school with). Part of this was just me venting to be silly, not attacking anyone here ;)

[brominated]

Ah, found the link:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/the-windows-pc-clickpad-finally-improved-synaptics-clickpad-is/

Wow...just..wow. Almost, but not quite there Synaptics.