Why do trackpads on PC's suck so bad?

[slugg]

You know... Not to sound like an Apple fanboy or anything, but it seems to me like the only good track pads ever made have been Apple's more recent multi-touch pads. It's funny, because every single mouse ever made by Apple has been total crap, including the carpel-tunnel-inducing Magic Mouse.

So why is it that PC's can't get it right? I just don't get it. One advantage that Apple had was to closely design the device with the operating system, so they're tightly integrated. I hate to say it, but it works very well and is second to none. Well, in OS X, at least; it's almost equally crappy in Windows.

PC trackpads tend to be too small and awkward. They collect oil and dirt way too easily. They don't seem to be precise at all. The multi-touch support is mediocre, at best (slow, inaccurate). Can't anyone copy Apple, already?

Software support isn't there, either. Windows 7 (and earlier) just wasn't designed for track pads, in my opinion. Sure, it supports some gestures and tricks, but the operating system itself was clearly designed for use with a physical mouse. I don't know anything about Windows 8, so no comment.

I'm loving my new Thinkpad T520. It's equipped with both a trackpad and a pointing stick (IBM/Lenovo's TrackPoint). The TrackPoint is way better than any trackpad on PC's, but it still doesn't come close to the experience of using my old MacBook Pro in OS X.

Apple really kicked some ass with their design. They really are the absolute best in this regard. So why haven't PC's caught up? When, if ever, will they do so?

 

[corkyg]

Good points. I dislike all trackpads. They interfere with typing. That is caused by wrist movement on the pad - which moves the insertion point to wierd places. I liked HP/Compaq when they had a simple switch to turn them off. I keep it disabled on my T510 T-Pad. I prefer a real mouse (the small, wireless, VX-Nano.)

 

[zCypher]

Good points. I dislike all trackpads. They interfere with typing. That is caused by wrist movement on the pad - which moves the insertion point to wierd places. I liked HP/Compaq when they had a simple switch to turn them off. I keep it disabled on my T510 T-Pad. I prefer a real mouse (the small, wireless, VX-Nano.)

My thoughts exactly. Hate trackpads with a passion.

 

[notposting]

This cheapo Acer trackpad is just fine. Of course it's slightly recessed from the rest of the surface, a different texture...doesn't interfere with typing at all either. I hate the Trackpoints...of course I really dislike the Mac trackpads too though *shrug*.

 

[podspi]

Good points. I dislike all trackpads. They interfere with typing. That is caused by wrist movement on the pad - which moves the insertion point to wierd places. I liked HP/Compaq when they had a simple switch to turn them off. I keep it disabled on my T510 T-Pad. I prefer a real mouse (the small, wireless, VX-Nano.)

They still have this/brought it back. My dm1z has this option.

 

[Joseph F]

You know... Not to sound like an Apple fanboy or anything, but it seems to me like the only good track pads ever made have been Apple's more recent multi-touch pads. It's funny, because every single mouse ever made by Apple has been total crap, including the carpel-tunnel-inducing Magic Mouse.

So why is it that PC's can't get it right? I just don't get it. One advantage that Apple had was to closely design the device with the operating system, so they're tightly integrated. I hate to say it, but it works very well and is second to none. Well, in OS X, at least; it's almost equally crappy in Windows.

PC trackpads tend to be too small and awkward. They collect oil and dirt way too easily. They don't seem to be precise at all. The multi-touch support is mediocre, at best (slow, inaccurate). Can't anyone copy Apple, already?

Software support isn't there, either. Windows 7 (and earlier) just wasn't designed for track pads, in my opinion. Sure, it supports some gestures and tricks, but the operating system itself was clearly designed for use with a physical mouse. I don't know anything about Windows 8, so no comment.

I'm loving my new Thinkpad T520. It's equipped with both a trackpad and a pointing stick (IBM/Lenovo's TrackPoint). The TrackPoint is way better than any trackpad on PC's, but it still doesn't come close to the experience of using my old MacBook Pro in OS X.

Apple really kicked some ass with their design. They really are the absolute best in this regard. So why haven't PC's caught up? When, if ever, will they do so?

You just reminded me of why I loved my Thinkpads so much when I had them.
I would seriously have no problem playing Quake III and Battlefield 1942 on my Thinkpad R60 with its Core Duo T2300 and GMA950,
when I was using the trackpoint.
I think that if I ever find a good deal on one with a decent graphics card, that'll be my next laptop purchase.

 

[beginner99]

IMHO it's a driver issue. Trackpad of my eeepc sucked in win xp. Installed a "netbook linux" and bang, it was waaaaaaaaay better with the exact same hardware especially 1-finger scroll at the side seems to be a huge issue with the synaptics drivers. I really don't get it. Synaptics 1-finger scroll is just unacceptable. but I don't know of any alternative.

 

[jrocks84]

IMHO it's a driver issue. Trackpad of my eeepc sucked in win xp. Installed a "netbook linux" and bang, it was waaaaaaaaay better with the exact same hardware especially 1-finger scroll at the side seems to be a huge issue with the synaptics drivers. I really don't get it. Synaptics 1-finger scroll is just unacceptable. but I don't know of any alternative.

1-finger scroll works well on my Synaptics touchpad, it's two-finger that just totally sucks on mine.

 

[pcgeek11]

Trackpads suck period. Why can't Apple make a mouse?

 

[slugg]

Trackpads suck period. Why can't Apple make a mouse?

Have you used, and gotten used to, the OS X multitouch experience? It's pretty amazing. It'll have you thinking "WTF, this actually works?"

 

[ThatsABigOne]

I am using MSI X460DX-006.

Well, I am a big touchpad user. To me the movement is just very natural. I tried to play video games with a touchpad. I was good as a sniper in TF2, but anything else just sucked.

To achieve this, I run absolutely no drivers, gestures, etc. All in all, I use it as a pointing device to point the cursor where I want it to.

One of the biggest issues with the way many touchpads are set up for me is how they are accelerated. In OSX, the touchpads are extremely accelerated. If I move my finger really fast to one, specific location on the screen, I tend to skip it. And under reach it on the return stroke because I do my movement slower. W7 suffers this as well(Enhance Pointer Precision sucks!).

So I just turn off the acceleration, set the sensitivity right in the middle, and let the trackpad's DPI do the work for me. I use dedicated keyboard keys for page up, down, home, etc. They are very conveniently located on my laptop. I do agree with someone that said that many touchpads are not proportionate with the screen. That is one of the biggest issues in many of PC products. Apple designs their trackpads nice and large, but they are way too large for my tastes, as I tend to touch them with my palm, placing the cursor somewhere where I do not want it to.

 

[fatpat268]

Have you used, and gotten used to, the OS X multitouch experience? It's pretty amazing. It'll have you thinking "WTF, this actually works?"

Yea. It's funny, I actually prefer using the trackpad when using OSX as opposed to the mouse. Apple has a weird mouse acceleration curve, that is just substantially different from windows. I just could not get used to using a mouse, even with programs supposedly supposed to make the acceleration mimic windows.

But a trackpad on OSX? Works perfectly. The cursor has the right amount of weight to it, and is smooth and responsive. Trackpads on windows are generally sluggish and feel weighted down. Not only that, I have yet to see multitouch work well in windows... well at least in the same way that it works in OSX.

You would think it would be fairly easy to fix by Synaptics/Alps/whoever, but either they don't really care, or there's some underlying issue with Windows right now that doesn't allow the same fluidity for trackpads in OSX.

Doesn't help also, that a lot of laptops are still being shipped with piece of shit trackpads either. There are some with some decent ones, but are hampered by driver issues.

 

[slugg]

Yea. It's funny, I actually prefer using the trackpad when using OSX as opposed to the mouse. Apple has a weird mouse acceleration curve, that is just substantially different from windows. I just could not get used to using a mouse, even with programs supposedly supposed to make the acceleration mimic windows.

But a trackpad on OSX? Works perfectly. The cursor has the right amount of weight to it, and is smooth and responsive. Trackpads on windows are generally sluggish and feel weighted down. Not only that, I have yet to see multitouch work well in windows... well at least in the same way that it works in OSX.

You would think it would be fairly easy to fix by Synaptics/Alps/whoever, but either they don't really care, or there's some underlying issue with Windows right now that doesn't allow the same fluidity for trackpads in OSX.

Doesn't help also, that a lot of laptops are still being shipped with piece of shit trackpads either. There are some with some decent ones, but are hampered by driver issues.

I totally agree. Windows feels awesome with a good quality mouse. OS X feels like garbage with any mouse, even top-of-the line expensive mice. Windows feels like garbage with any trackpad, OS X feels like heaven with their multi-touch trackpads. It seems to be a universal truth, so I'm guessing the problem lies more with the operating system than the drivers.

Plus, the average consumer has no idea that the trackpads really suck. They just take it at face value and assume that's how it's supposed to work. Basically, there aren't enough people complaining about it so that it becomes a priority. I'm just speculating.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

IMO:

I know it's anathema to admit, but in some ways, you really do get what you pay for when you buy Apple.

If I go to Costsco and mess around with the PCs there, the trackpads are universally crap, except on the "high end" $900+ models. Most of them have trackpads which are at least on par with the one in my old pre-unibody Macbook. I haven't seen one with multitouch.

The trackpad in my Thinkpad T30 is also on par with my MB in terms of performance, although it's about half the size.

But when it was new, my T30 was like a $4000 laptop. (The keyboard is also, bar none, the best laptop keyboard I have ever used.)

I don't know anybody with a Windows laptop that paid more than $600 for it. None.

In my house, Atom netbooks aren't fit to be used as coasters.

Y U SO CHEAP?!

 

[pcgeek11]

Have you used, and gotten used to, the OS X multitouch experience? It's pretty amazing. It'll have you thinking "WTF, this actually works?"

Yes.My son has a macbook pro and it sucks too! I prefer a mouse.

IMO the trackpad on my Thinkpad is just as good as my sons MacBook Pro. Large mutitouch etc...

 

[hans007]

part of it is the ps/2 emulation so you cant do very good multitouch touchpads on a pc until windows 8.

the other part is the crappy materials on some cheaper mice.

 

[rabbitz]

The trackpad on my xps 15 is pretty large and is made of nice material. The driver is also quite good at emulating multitouch... I've never been a big fan of gestures so I've always had them off but I can do all the pinch zoom, two finger scroll, three finger swipe actions cleanly and easily. The only thing I'm missing right now is two finger tapping (for right click) although I'm sure it can be easily enabled with a registry edit.

The one advantage that macbooks have is that osx has smooth scrolling/zooming/etc.. which really helps the trackpad feel very responsive. Windows can only zoom/scroll in discrete amounts and sometimes it will feel like it is lagging behind. Also, zoom puts quite a strain on my laptop when it is not plugged in so that is a problem as well.

edit: so I did some googling and came across twofingerscrolling (http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...oll-two-finger-scrolling-done-right-more.html)

smooth scrolling, multi-finger tapping.... this thing has it all!! everyone should try this in combination with the latest synaptics touchpad driver.

 

[biostud]

I like the trackpad on my HP probook, it also has two buttons. I hate trackpads without buttons.

 

[Hacp]

You know... Not to sound like an Apple fanboy or anything, but it seems to me like the only good track pads ever made have been Apple's more recent multi-touch pads. It's funny, because every single mouse ever made by Apple has been total crap, including the carpel-tunnel-inducing Magic Mouse.

So why is it that PC's can't get it right? I just don't get it. One advantage that Apple had was to closely design the device with the operating system, so they're tightly integrated. I hate to say it, but it works very well and is second to none. Well, in OS X, at least; it's almost equally crappy in Windows.

PC trackpads tend to be too small and awkward. They collect oil and dirt way too easily. They don't seem to be precise at all. The multi-touch support is mediocre, at best (slow, inaccurate). Can't anyone copy Apple, already?

Software support isn't there, either. Windows 7 (and earlier) just wasn't designed for track pads, in my opinion. Sure, it supports some gestures and tricks, but the operating system itself was clearly designed for use with a physical mouse. I don't know anything about Windows 8, so no comment.

I'm loving my new Thinkpad T520. It's equipped with both a trackpad and a pointing stick (IBM/Lenovo's TrackPoint). The TrackPoint is way better than any trackpad on PC's, but it still doesn't come close to the experience of using my old MacBook Pro in OS X.

Apple really kicked some ass with their design. They really are the absolute best in this regard. So why haven't PC's caught up? When, if ever, will they do so?

Lots of manufacturers use alps which sucks.

 

[repoman0]

The only "trackpads" I've ever liked are Apple's and the red dot on Thinkpads. Actually I forced myself to get used to the red dot a while back and now I prefer it to any trackpad, lots of people end up having the same experience.

Used to hate the dots back in the day when I would use my high school's thinkpad computers, but they really are pretty brilliant.

 

[vbuggy]

Have you used, and gotten used to, the OS X multitouch experience? It's pretty amazing. It'll have you thinking "WTF, this actually works?"

Yes, but we have navigation options that actually work on the keyboard under Windows. If you're a 3-year-old just mastering fingerpainting, sure it's great.

For me, the smaller and faster the trackpad, the better. I really like the ones on the Sony Z2's and the Thinkpad X's for that reason. I just need to mouse and I don't need to be brushing the breadth of the notebook like some demented mini curler. I also like buttons, which sadly these have dispensed with - but I still have the experience on my older TP X's.

I have no problem with using the ones on my Apples, but I prefer to have my hands on the keyboard for the kind of stuff that the gestures trigger - although I will say that the Apple trackpads unequivocally do gestures better than PC ones. As for trackpad mouse tracking - well, it appears to be made, like most Apple gear, for people who find it hard to grasp the device in the first place. I don't really need that level of hand-holding (ahaha).

 

[rabbitz]

For everyone that has been complaining about windows trackpads being too slow or that trackpads in general get in the way of typing.... have you guys downloaded the latest drivers and played around with the settings? When I first got my laptop it was really sensitive and slow as well, but after a few minutes adjusting the settings I got it to work exactly as I want.

 

[theeedude]

Never had a problem with the windows trackpad. Not really a huge fan of Mac ones, they are too big for the comfortable range of motion. Also, I have middle button emulation by pressing two buttons on Windows trackpad, which is nice for VNCing into Linux.

 

[Fingolfin269]

To be honest I've been thinking about getting a new notebook to replace my MBP 13". I've thought about going back to Windows but like the OP said I've gotten to the point where I love the simplicity of using the trackpad. Then again all I really want is to be able to scroll and flip back/forth quickly like you can with the trackpad. Which PC manufacturers make trackpads that offer at least that level of functionality that actually work well?

 

[slugg]

To be honest I've been thinking about getting a new notebook to replace my MBP 13". I've thought about going back to Windows but like the OP said I've gotten to the point where I love the simplicity of using the trackpad. Then again all I really want is to be able to scroll and flip back/forth quickly like you can with the trackpad. Which PC manufacturers make trackpads that offer at least that level of functionality that actually work well?

Scrolling with the TrackPoint is actually very, very good. I'm not quite sure what you mean about flipping back and forth, however. The TrackPoint does let you scroll along the entire x/y plane, including diagonal angles.

As for track pads, I do know that the track pads on the ThinkPads are multi-touch capable, but they're nowhere near as smooth or accurate as your 13 inch MacBook Pro. To the average Windows user, they're good. To the average Mac user, they don't "feel right." I hope that makes sense...