Magic Trackpad-2

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MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

I never took to the ver 1. Love ver 2.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by Shooshie »

Magic Trackpad 2 is an adjustment, but overall I like it much better than the original Magic Trackpad, or any other trackpad I've ever seen. The one thing that gives me problems with it is the click-through extra click, where you click through the first click, and on down to a 2nd "level." If you select a large group of files in the Finder, and start to drag them, you must not push down hard, because you may go to the 2nd click which will de-select all but the one file under the cursor. Clicking and dragging is a tedious process until you get it moving; only then can you click hard without losing your selection.

Outside of that difficulty, I love everything about the 2nd version. Continued usage has only endeared it all the more to me.

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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by mhschmieder »

Yeah it looks good from the description... pricey though.

Did you all notice there's also a new Magic Mouse 2? Supposed to be lighter as it has a self-battery that can recharge (via USB?) as opposed to taking heavy AA batteries. But it's $79 (Trackpad is $179).

I hated all previous mouse designs from Apple until Magic Mouse came along. I have tiny hands and most mouse designs -- even expensive ones -- are for "average" people. I get CTS immediately, with most designs.

For my Windows box I use a Logitech Nano Mouse (I think that's the name) but had to swap for a co-workers' mouse as they made it 1 mm taller (even with the exact same part number) and that was enough to cause wrist problems.

The main issue I've had with Magic Mouse is its weight -- especially when remoting to a Windows box from home, where the translation of mouse events is less than stellar and requires more precision than when working directly on the Mac (I also tried at work on my Windows box but the middleware scared me so I decided not to go that route).
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by Shooshie »

mhschmieder wrote:Trackpad is $179
I think I paid $123 at Amazon for the Magic Trackpad-2. Same-day shipping was free!
They must be trying to get people to try same-day shipping. Some day, once we're spoiled to it, they'll charge $35 for it. I'd likely go for it always, if it's free!

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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by Shooshie »

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Been using that new puppy for a few weeks (months?) and love it. The tactile feedback via vibraton is great.
That click vibration is interesting. They call it haptic feedback, and it only clicks when it's turned on in preferences. Turn it off and the surface still distorts when you push on it, but there is no click. It's strange, because we're so programmed to associate a click with our actions on an input device, you'd swear that there is a mechanical clicker linkage in there, but theres on such thing.

There's an extra click when you push further, and they made it louder with more haptic feedback. Haptic means it's associated with touch, so it's tactile feedback. Wonder whats wrong with "tactile?" It's all exteroception, proprioception, perception. I think the hierarchy there is tactile, haptic, exteroception, proprioception and perception, each a subset of the next.

Anyway, the solid wedge which is the trackpad 2 contains a haptic feedback device that is computer-controlled. I just find that interesting, for whatever reason. If nothing else, it made me figure out the hierarchy of physical perception.

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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by stubbsonic »

It's hard for me to justify spending that much (since I'm blissfully ignorant and content with my intellimouse). But I'll try one the next time I'm at an Apple Store. I'm not opposed to investing in a more effective input device, but I'm not sure I'd be taking full advantage of it. The mouse has always been a natural extension. The trackpad on my laptop is just ok, not so comfy.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by mhschmieder »

We ordered one of each for the SQC team to share, and just the Magic Mouse 2 for me. They're expected mid-week. I'll order a Magic Mouse 2 for home as soon as I've tried it at work and am confident I prefer it to rev 1.

At the point at which I upgrade the mouse, I'll probably package my battery recharger, several sets of Lithium batteries, Magic Trackpad 1, and Magic Mouse 1, and sell them as a bundle, to partially recuperate the expenditure. Or maybe keep Magic Mouse 1 as a backup.

I'm sure I'll eventually get Magic Trackpad 2, but I have too many other priorities for time and money right now. We got a fairly good discount at work on both products, but I don't order personal use items through work for ethical reasons. I think we paid $114 for the trackpad and $79 to $84 for the mouse.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by mhschmieder »

Oh, sorry about that -- I didn't notice all those prices were including CA 10% sales tax plus shipping.

The "raw" prices at the Apple site are much lower.

I have eBay Bucks coming soon and may wait as otherwise I won't have anything to spend them on in the tiny window they give you to use them. That is, if it is possible -- I long thought Apple had exclusive sales rights to their accessories.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by Shooshie »

stubbsonic wrote:It's hard for me to justify spending that much (since I'm blissfully ignorant and content with my intellimouse). But I'll try one the next time I'm at an Apple Store. I'm not opposed to investing in a more effective input device, but I'm not sure I'd be taking full advantage of it. The mouse has always been a natural extension. The trackpad on my laptop is just ok, not so comfy.
I never liked trackpads on laptops. In fact, I always carried a trackball with my laptop so that I wouldn't have to depend on the trackpad. There was little about it that I liked, except that it was flat and featureless, and thus compact. But practically, it seemed to stand in the way of my doing a good job of anything.

The Magic Trackpad came along at a stressful time for me. My Kensington Turbo Mouse Wireless trackball was dying slowly. It was a matter of attrition of parts. I had bought several others to raid for parts as my main one declined, but it still was just becoming a burden, and yet nothing else worked nearly as well.

It was because I had bought and tried half a dozen of the "best" input devices out there that I ended up throwing my hands in the air and saying "why not?" I bought a Magic Trackpad. The first thing that took my breath away was scrolling in DP. What had been a repetitive task, rolling a ball vertically or horizontally until the desired track or bar had arrived on screen, suddenly became a magical swoop. It FLEW to the location, and seemed to know when to go slow and stop. It felt intelligent.

Then I found Jitouch, a 3rd party app that allowed me to create dozens of gestures and apply them to individual applications, for hundreds of possible workflow commands and gestures. I knew I could never go back. This was the device.

But there was a problem. My hands didn't know this thing well. I would be flying along, then suddenly I'd be plodding at beginner speed for a movement that was awkward. I'd want to reach for my old Kensington Trackball, and did many times. I realized that to fully utilize this, I would need to master it, and to do that, I'd have to put my other input devices into a closet too remote to dig into every time I hit a rough spot. I did that. Within 2 weeks, I could not see myself using anything else, ever again. Within a month, I could not REMEMBER using anything else. This was my device.

I tell you this, because I was like you; I didn't like trackpads. But I did recognize that it would take a commitment to weather the withdrawal from other devices and force myself to learn this one. That, I did, and it wasn't hard to do, but I found that putting real distance between those other devices and me was the answer. They were in a box in my closet, buried behind clothes and junk that never sees the light of day. That easily did the trick.

Since then, I've bought another trackball (Logitech M570) and another mouse (Logitech Performance MX), AND a Magic Mouse. I gave all three a good try to make sure I wasn't selling myself short. The upshot is that the Magic Trackpad is orders of magnitude faster, easier, and more useful than any of those. They are all within arm's reach. I can pull them out at any time and use them, and I did to look up those model numbers above. But the fact that I don't use them tells the whole story.

The new Magic Trackpad is a great improvement over the original one. Trust me on that. The original ran into intermittent acceleration problems (signal was getting side-banded, double-timing the flow. It needed a multiplexed antenna) and it needed to be shaped like a monitor: wider than it is tall. It needed an OFF switch, desperately. The new one has all that and fixed the multiplexing problem that occasionally let the cursor get away from you. This is a solid device.

Lastly, let me remind anyone who tries it to use a tall wrist-rest. It must be tall enough that your fingers dangle onto the Magic Trackpad without effort to hold them up. That will save your wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome, and it will make the trackpad seem very free and easy. I use one from HandStands.

I stand behind my statement that the Magic Trackpad is not just better than any other input device, but better by an order of magnitude, if that can be a real thing in such a comparison. In other words, it's like all the other input devices are still learning how to jump, and the Magic Trackpad has been flying with jet engines and anti-gravity propulsion. It's not a subtle difference. The Magic Mouse is not even half as good. (and yes, it's within arm's reach, also, as I speak) I came into this to replace a device I was addicted to and had used for 20 years, but it was dying, and there were no replacements for it. I ended up getting on a magic carpet and riding to Shangri-La. Tried all the other devices that people raved about. If one of you said "this is the best," I ordered it and tried it. I've got a drawer full of them somewhere, though I've given most away. I feel confident that there is not a device out there which could kick the ass of the Magic Trackpad, because its proverbial foot wouldn't be able to catch up with the Trackpad's ass to apply the kick. It's just that much better.

And when I say Magic Trackpad, I mean the device plus the software called Jitouch, and a wrist-rest. All together, they create the perfect input storm. I sincerely hope that I am able to use these for the rest of my computing days. And let me remind folks to rock your fingers for small details. Rocking your finger in the direction of travel will move it incrementally. Always beats a slide for small stuff.

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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

I agree with the Shooshmeister. I do miss a little about the Performance MX mouse (actually I miss a lot) but the MTP2 is great. I use Better Touch Tool as opposed to Jtouch. I do wish there was a good replacement for Quickeys. Keyboard Maestro sucks so badly...
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by stubbsonic »

I do very much appreciate your taking the time. Clearly this device has revolutionized your workflow. I remember some awkward period where something in DP was causing some worrying scroll response issues. I'm glad to hear those were worked out.

Thanks also for the two tips about wrist rests and rocking the finger. I'll bear both of those in mind as I try them out in the Apple Store. I will also take advantage of the amazon deal, to shave some pain off.

I'm a bit of a tough sale on this front, because unlike the "normals", the thing I hate most about my iPad is the touch-screen.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by mikehalloran »

stubbsonic wrote:...unlike the "normals", the thing I hate most about my iPad is the touch-screen.
Ok, a bit OT but here goes.

The omission of arrow keys in iOS is ridiculous, IMO, but a keyboard corrects that oversight. I assume you know that any Bluetooth keyboard works with an iPad and you can buy smart covers that include a BT keyboard, right?

I bought this one after wearing out a couple of PU (polyurethane imitation leather) plastic covers—it's heavier than most but the genuine leather is really nice and the keyboard is the best "mini" I've used (the grey distressed is still available).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I0 ... UTF8&psc=1

Back to topic: I've not tried pairing a BT trackpad or mouse with an iPad. Anyone know if that works? If so, that will be incentive for me to get v.2 of the MT—I'll use the other with my iPad.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by stubbsonic »

Continuing a little OT-- I do have a BT keyboard/cover which at least makes typing workable.

I did just try connecting a USB mouse with the CCK, but I don't think iOS supports a cursor at all-- which is understandable as it defeats the over-arching concept of the touch screen. I have to avoid the impulse to try to make my iPad more like a low-functioning laptop (which I already have).

**EDIT: I meant to say that I already have a laptop (not that it is low-functioning. It's actually quite high-functioning!)**

Don't get me wrong, the iPad and iOS have lots of things going for it.
Last edited by stubbsonic on Fri Jul 22, 2016 3:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by mikehalloran »

stubbsonic wrote:Continuing a little OT-- I do have a BT keyboard/cover which at least makes typing workable.

I did just try connecting a USB mouse with the CCK, but I don't think iOS supports a cursor at all-- which is understandable as it defeats the over-arching concept of the touch screen. ...
I suspected as much. Thanks for the confirmation.
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Re: Magic Trackpad-2

Post by stubbsonic »

I got to the Apple Store (unexpectedly was in the area). My spouse was with me, so I didn't have much time to "settle in" with it. The genius was demoing it mostly. I asked him to show me selecting and dragging multiple objects. He struggled with it, but always managed to get it done by the second or third try.

It does seem like it will have some useful applications with the force sensing-- as those capabilities get exploited. It was very responsive, too. I liked the feel of it, but I'd really just be taking Shooshie's word for it that I'd get the hang of using it in some reasonable amount of time.
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