Topic: Won’t Somebody Please Think Of The Trackpads?

[sam]

Having reviewed several laptops in the last year, there is one thing that I have learned I can always count on: the trackpad on PC laptops is going to be a disaster. Every time. At least, a relative disaster, when you consider the quality of the trackpad that comes with every MacBook and MacBook Pro.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/15/wont-somebody-please-think-of-the-trackpads/

[Rik]

I have to agree with his sentiments, most touchpads I've used have been rubbish.

[sam]

they are getting better though

[sam]

and I hate most trackpads. Need a proper mouse.

[Rik]

I certainly do, Sam.

[Clive]

After all these years I don't understand how they haven't come up with a better idea   

[Simon]

Why can't they make the actual trackpad 'clickable', so you press it to click, instead of tapping harder and harder to make it work!  They've done it with BlackBerry screens.

[sam]

Why can't they make the actual trackpad 'clickable', so you press it to click, instead of tapping harder and harder to make it work!  They've done it with BlackBerry screens.

mine has buttons underneath it... I'm confused what you mean?

[Simon]

Well, make the whole pad a button, as well as the other buttons, so you point and press, rather than point and tap.

[Rik]

Still not with you, Simon. Are you looking for pressure sensitivity, eg so much pressure is a point, anything more is a click?

[Simon]

You're making it more complicated than it should be.    On most touchscreen phones, you 'touch' or 'tap' the relevent icon on the screen to get it to do what you want it to, yes?  Like any touchscreen computer or other device.  With the BlackBerry, the whole screen is like a big button, and you put your finger on, say, the Email icon, and press ('click') the screen to open the app.  When I am typing, I am 'pressing' the keys, almost like a 'solid' keyboard, so you get the tactile feedback when you type a character.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/23/video-storm-2s-new-touchscreen-tech-explained-with-mindblowing/

So, why cant they make the touchpad on a laptop 'clickable' using similar technology?  Obviously, what you're doing appears on the monitor, rather than actually under your fingers, but surely the principal is the same?

[Rik]

Right. Never met that kind of touchy feely screen.

[Simon]

So, what do you think?

[Rik]

Sounds a good way forward to me. The pad could also be backlit, so that you could see what you were doing on it...

[Simon]

You wouldn't need to, as you would be looking at the screen.