I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

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Killahurts
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I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by Killahurts »

I got one as a birthday present. I'm really stoked about it, being a huge fan of the first Trackpad. The problem is, I apparently have to have El Cap installed to use it. I'm still on Yosemite and had no real desire to move to 10.11, until now.

However, this is my main DP workstation, and moving to El Cap could break something.. or maybe a lot of things.. I don't know the first thing about this update or what it changes, except I know you can't repair permissions anymore (without Terminal). I understand that Java containing the legacy Java 6 is not supported, which would be a deal-breaker for me, as my SSL console uses it. Then there is Quicktime 7 support, but I think read there is a fix for that. Regarding El Cap, I've only run across bits here and there about what one can no longer can do with their Mac, and practically nothing about what can be done now. That's why I've stayed with Yosemite.

So, has anyone here tried out the MT2? I know the click is missing, which generated a lot of complaints, but I don't use the click on my current Trackpad anyway. I have a condition in my hands that has me using the trackpad more and more, only resorting to the mouse when necessary (like editing in DP :( ). It is a big enough deal to me to possibly risk going to the new OS in order to have this functionality (the force touch looks rad!). But hopefully someone here has tried it out or is using one now!

Thanks!
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mikehalloran
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by mikehalloran »

There are a bunch of threads on OS 10.11. Do we really need to post it all again? Since you don't know the first thing about it, that's where to start.

Highlights:
There were some USB issues. All seem to be fixed now. You may have to download the latest drivers including MOTU.

You need the latest Java 6 Run Time from Apple. There are many 32bit programs that still require it including Finale and Masterwriter. You also needed to do this for Yosemite, remember?
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1572?locale=en_US

There was an earlier Java 6 RT from 2014. It doesn't work in El Cap but the 2015 above does.

You will also need to download the latest Java updates from Oracle. You can do this from the Java Control Panel in System Preferences. After the update, Safari will open to verify the update—don't worry that this verification will not work (although it does in Firefox), closing and reopening the Java Control Panel will show that the update is successful.

Yes, Permissions repair is done with the following Terminal Command. All sudo commands require your admin password to run. Just copy and paste.
sudo /usr/libexec/repair_packages --repair --standard-pkgs --volume /

This may or may not be required for DP 9 but, if running DP 8 or 7.24 still, it is a must. Do it anyway.

If you are booting from a non-Apple SSD, enable TRIM with this command (if on Yosemite 10.4 or 10.5, you should have done this already):
sudo trimforce enable
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stubbsonic
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by stubbsonic »

Thanks for boiling that down, Mike. There are SO many threads about El Cap and DP 9, it would be time consuming to sift through. I just pasted your email into a text file that I'll access when I update to El Cap.
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Killahurts
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by Killahurts »

stubbsonic wrote:Thanks for boiling that down, Mike. There are SO many threads about El Cap and DP 9, it would be time consuming to sift through. I just pasted your email into a text file that I'll access when I update to El Cap.
Yes thank you Mike! I will do my research before I make the switch.. just wanted to find out if this new Trackpad is worth the effort at this time.

I have other issues I have to address as well, before I upgrade. My computer is in a machine room 30 ft. away from the control room. My trackpad, Magic Mouse and logitech keyboard are all wireless, and have BT receivers on the extended USB in my control room. I have to use Bluetooth Explorer to set the mouse and trackpad to use the right receiver, otherwise it uses the one in the Mac Pro, which is too far away to work correctly. Bluetooth Explorer is the only solution I've found for this, so I have to be sure it works, before I upgrade the OS. Also, I might want to do a clean install of El Cap on this machine, and if I'm going to go to that trouble, I'm first going to get an SSD to replace my old spinner.. need to do that anyway.
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nk_e
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by nk_e »

stubbsonic wrote:Thanks for boiling that down, Mike. There are SO many threads about El Cap and DP 9, it would be time consuming to sift through. I just pasted your email into a text file that I'll access when I update to El Cap.
Yes. What he said. Thanks a ton Mike!

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mikehalloran
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by mikehalloran »

... Also, I might want to do a clean install of El Cap on this machine, and if I'm going to go to that trouble, I'm first going to get an SSD to replace my old spinner.. need to do that anyway.
Absolutely do that. The Samsung 850 EVO is a proven performer now with a street$ well under $300 for 1T and under $600 for 2T with a 5 year warranty. It outperforms everything but the 850 Pro in all the shootouts.

Unless you install a PCIe-SATA card, you can't take advantage of the slight performance boost of the Pro except for the 10 year warranty. Otoh, such a card gives you a 6G SATA bus instead of the 3G bus it has now. Your spinners can't take advantage of 6G SATA, only an SSD.

As for Bluetooth, go in and make certain you have paired the right device with the right machine. As you've found out, it's freaky when the wrong Mac is reading the wrong mouse or keyboard. 10.11 is better in that regard (nothing could have been worse than OS 10.7 in that regards—it would automatically pair anything as I found out).

If any app followed the Apple Toolkit and worked in Yosemite, it will work in El Capitán. There are a few legacy apps that didn't follow the Toolkit and only work if the SIP is disabled. SIP is the new security protocol. Disabling SIP makes your Mac no more vulnerable than running Yosemite but still...

It shouldn't take too much research to find if your BT app is compatible. Likely it is or there's a new version. 10.11 has been out seven months now and is on its fifth build.

I do not believe in doing a clean install but admit that doing one every 20 years or so isn't a bad idea. I lightened the load on my system by about 300G when a major bug on Mavericks 10.9.4 forced me to do it. If you are going to do one, good idea to read this recent thread.
http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... =4&t=61635
Last edited by mikehalloran on Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by Killahurts »

Thanks for the advice, yeah the Samsung is probably how I'll go.. I do have a 1TB SSD PCIe "Blade" in my system. I get astonishing speed from it, but I have to keep that as my sample drive and I can't install a second one (only 2 X 16 slots in my 2010 Mac Pro, and one of those has to be the video card).

About the Trackpad 2, I had heard that it was missing the click, and I thought that meant it was missing the physical click.. but I plugged it in and used it (in a driverless way) and discovered it does have a physical click. So now I'm thinking that it is missing the touch to click feature? If that's the case, it's going back. Coolest thing about the trackpad IMO is that you don't have to physically mash a button to select things and move them around.
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by mikehalloran »

I do have a 1TB SSD PCIe "Blade" in my system. I get astonishing speed from it, but I have to keep that as my sample drive and I can't install a second one
Hmmmm... In that case, I would make the blade the boot drive and put your samples on the SSD. This will maximize overall performance but doing it the other way isn't going to be slow.

I don't know the Magic Trackpad 2. Mine is the first version and I like it a lot—the lower left and right corners do have a physical click switch.

Anyway, the MT2 the 'click' isn't really gone but it has gone virtual. The best description I've read is this:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/10/mi ... rackpad-2/

Actually using the new trackpad is almost the same as using the old one. Dragging your finger across its surface feels similar, and it supports all of the same trackpad gestures. The biggest addition is Force Touch support—as in the Retina MacBook and the newest Retina MacBook Pros, the Magic Trackpad doesn't physically move much when you press it down. Rather, it creates haptic feedback that simulates the feeling and sound of a click. Go into the settings and turn the feedback to "firm" and, as in the MacBooks, the new trackpad feels just about the same as the old one (albeit still not quite as clicky).

One benefit of this simulated clicking is that it's just as easy to click at the bottom of the trackpad as it is to click at the top, which may result in less finger movement. You could click the old Magic Trackpad at the top, too, but being so close to the trackpad's hinge made it more difficult to do.

Force Touch also enables pressure sensitivity. There are a couple of spots throughout the OS where you can click down to change the operating system's reaction based on how much force you use. If you're looking at a QuickTime video, for instance, holding down harder or less hard on the fast-forward and rewind buttons will speed up or slow down the rate at which you're scrubbing through the video.

And finally, there's the Force Click, enabled by clicking once and then holding your finger down until you've heard a second click. Force Clicking is usually a way to access data quickly, though you could often already access this data in some other way. Force Click an item in Safari to open a context-sensitive window to give you more information (a three-fingered click on older trackpads). Force Click something in the Finder to activate Quick Look. I haven't found it to be incredibly useful, but app developers still might do some interesting things with it.


Being one-handed nowadays, this might be something I can really use. OTOH, I really like the first version.
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by HCMarkus »

Killahurts wrote:I have to use Bluetooth Explorer to set the mouse and trackpad to use the right receiver, otherwise it uses the one in the Mac Pro, which is too far away to work correctly. Bluetooth Explorer is the only solution I've found for this, so I have to be sure it works, before I upgrade the OS..
Try this:

http://oliverwolfson.com/apple-mac-pro- ... ue-solved/

I have my Mac Pro located remotely, too, and never have to worry about which Bluetooth receiver my wireless stuff will access, 'cause there is only ONE, and it's right next to my mouse.
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by Killahurts »

HCMarkus wrote:
Killahurts wrote:I have to use Bluetooth Explorer to set the mouse and trackpad to use the right receiver, otherwise it uses the one in the Mac Pro, which is too far away to work correctly. Bluetooth Explorer is the only solution I've found for this, so I have to be sure it works, before I upgrade the OS..
Try this:

http://oliverwolfson.com/apple-mac-pro- ... ue-solved/

I have my Mac Pro located remotely, too, and never have to worry about which Bluetooth receiver my wireless stuff will access, 'cause there is only ONE, and it's right next to my mouse.
Awesome, thanks! I didn't know the internal BT could be disabled by removing a cable.. I'm going to open my machine and hook that little guy right out! :wink:
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MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

With my trusty Logitech MX Revolution mouse starting to show it's age I started using the original Magic Trackpad and was getting "ok" results, but it is just too small a surface for some editing jobs. So I sprung for a MTP-2 a couple of days ago. So far, I like it a lot and Better Touch Tool is awesome. The iPhone/iPad app to access macros, etc. for BTT is also very reliable and could act as a controller for DP and other apps in a pinch.

I do wish Force Click was customizable, but it is what it is. I'm getting the hang of all that and now that I'm forced to find a replacement for the mouse (none of the mice out there float my boat, not even at $150+) I've decided to invest the time and effort into the trackpad. Shooshie recommended that long ago and I should have listened, but it's hard to break old habits and/or bake old rabbits (or mice, in this case).

New, the MX Revolution is going for several hundred bucks. Used, the lowest price is $70. I have two of these guys and they both still work (what's clunky is the SteerMouse and other 3rd party software staying connected - which is an OS incompatibility). So on to Amazon these little guys go. That should easily pay for the MTP2 and a cup of Joe.
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Killahurts
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by Killahurts »

MIDI Life Crisis wrote: I started using the original Magic Trackpad and was getting "ok" results, but it is just too small a surface for some editing jobs. So I sprung for a MTP-2 a couple of days ago. So far, I like it a lot and Better Touch Tool is awesome.
How do you edit on the trackpad? I've switched to the trackpad for just about everything now, except editing MIDI/audio in DP. For that I'm still stuck on the mouse (The Magic Mouse actually, squirrely beast that it is). I never could get the hang of mashing my finger down and then trying to drag with that same finger.

I'm actually excited to try my MTP-2, but I have a few more things to do before updating to OS 10.11.
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Re: I got a Magic Trackpad 2, but..

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

Killahurts wrote: How do you edit on the trackpad? I've switched to the trackpad for just about everything now, except editing MIDI/audio in DP. For that I'm still stuck on the mouse (The Magic Mouse actually, squirrely beast that it is). I never could get the hang of mashing my finger down and then trying to drag with that same finger.

I'm actually excited to try my MTP-2, but I have a few more things to do before updating to OS 10.11.
With Force Click, it can be tricky - on the original Trackpad, very tricky. The selection process on the MTP-2 for selecting is a gentle click and drag. To move an item, a gentle click and release, then another gentle click and hold to move it. It takes a bit of nuanced finger action. Even when I remove my hand from the TP I can still expand the selection (something I couldn't do on the original TP). Better Touch Tool may be helpful as well for specific actions. If you don't have it, it's worth the $$$.

If you have a more specific issue,ask. If I can't answer it, I'm sure the Shooshmeister can.
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