5 ms·

Yes, please do! I've spent some time researching this as well, and to me it seems like the author has missed one thing; the Mac touchpad hardware is so much bet

by maggit 8y ago

Yes, please do! I've spent some time researching this as well, and to me it seems like the author has missed one thing; the Mac touchpad hardware is so much better than other touchpad hardware. (As I understand it, the competition is barred from making similar touchpads due to patents) I have been running Linux on MacBook Pros for many years, and the touchpad is a constant source of disappointment. For the effort to be worthwhile to me, the goal would have to include getting Apple's touchpads working excellently in Linux. I would definitely participate in crowdfunding this effort. (Kickstarter or otherwise)

chi3 8y ago
Microsoft's Surface Book comes very close actually, so while the MBPs are still ahead, the gap is getting smaller!
- Tepix 8y ago
  The Dell XPS 13 touchpad hardware isn't too bad either. It should be bigger though.
  - dijit 8y ago
    My precision 5520 touchpad actually feels very good. It's not MacBook grade but it's /very/ close.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - auscompgeek 8y ago
    If you're looking for a large touchpad, you don't have to look any further than the HP Spectre x360, which has a touchpad literally the size of a modestly-sized smartphone.
  - grubles 8y ago
    I have a Dell XPS 15 and it's on par with any Apple product I've used and it does not have the Apple tax nor touch bar.
- EnderMB 8y ago
  I said this in a previous thread, but I'm surprised that Microsoft haven't jumped on the developer bandwagon after the MBP fallout. I'd put the Surface Book as ahead of current gen MBP's. The trackpad isn't as good, but that's probably because it's a bit smaller and I like the large track pad. In terms of responsiveness, it's just as good. The only thing missing is native Linux support, which is why a lot of people on here seem to support the WSL on Windows as an option over just installing Linux on the Surface Book. If Microsoft were to come out and say "Here's the new Surface Book, available in Windows 10 and Linux flavours" I could see a huge shift away from the MBP as the de-facto developer device. Of course, given how fragmented Microsoft are as a company, I can't see their product team coming together to make this a reality, but a developer can dream.
madeofpalk 8y ago
> As I understand it, the competition is barred from making similar touchpads due to patents I'm unwilling to believe that Apple discovered the one and only way to make good Trackpad hardware.
- opportune 8y ago
  less "one and only", more "holy shit they have good lawyers and will ruin me if they want to and think they can"
- maggit 8y ago
  I agree, which I why I specifically said "similar" rather than "as good" or "better". I'm not impressed by competing touchpads.
- IshKebab 8y ago
  Have you used an Apple trackpad though? Because they genuinely are light years ahead of the competition. Why wouldn't they patent everything around that?
  - collyw 8y ago
    What do they do that is different? I had a Mac from 2013 with Ubuntu installed. I didn't notice anything different other than a lack of way to emulate a third button.
    - syspec 8y ago
      this whole thread is about getting the MacOS feel in linux when on mac hardeare becsuse it is not as good when hsed on linux. so what you tried is what this thread is trying to fix
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
      - collyw 8y ago
ubermonkey 8y ago
I'm not sure it's IP that's kept Wintel makers from doing decent trackpads. I think they just didn't care until recently. I have both a 2015 13" rMBP and a 2018 Dell XPS15 on my desk. The Dell's hardware is really fantastic. Overall, it's not QUITE the equal of Cupertino, but it's easily the best Windows hardware I've seen since the glory days of the ThinkPad. The trackpad in particular, though, is just as good as the Apple one, I think. First time I've seen a Windows trackpad that was worth a damn, so I was SHOCKED.
- satsuma 8y ago
  the xps are some damn fine machines. we give them to c-levels here and i'm always super excited to work with them and super jealous when i have to give them away.
  - ubermonkey 8y ago
    I really kinda wonder how viable desktop Linux would be for me on this hardware. I mean, I think the answer FOR ME is probably still "not yet," given the things that I enjoy about doing most of my computing in the Mac ecosystem, but historically the barriers for me have been twofold: hardware AND software. I suspect the Dell solves the hardware problem.

by maggit 8y ago

chi3 8y ago

Microsoft's Surface Book comes very close actually, so while the MBPs are still ahead, the gap is getting smaller!

Tepix 8y ago
The Dell XPS 13 touchpad hardware isn't too bad either. It should be bigger though.
- dijit 8y ago
  My precision 5520 touchpad actually feels very good. It's not MacBook grade but it's /very/ close.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- auscompgeek 8y ago
  If you're looking for a large touchpad, you don't have to look any further than the HP Spectre x360, which has a touchpad literally the size of a modestly-sized smartphone.
- grubles 8y ago
  I have a Dell XPS 15 and it's on par with any Apple product I've used and it does not have the Apple tax nor touch bar.
EnderMB 8y ago
I said this in a previous thread, but I'm surprised that Microsoft haven't jumped on the developer bandwagon after the MBP fallout. I'd put the Surface Book as ahead of current gen MBP's. The trackpad isn't as good, but that's probably because it's a bit smaller and I like the large track pad. In terms of responsiveness, it's just as good. The only thing missing is native Linux support, which is why a lot of people on here seem to support the WSL on Windows as an option over just installing Linux on the Surface Book. If Microsoft were to come out and say "Here's the new Surface Book, available in Windows 10 and Linux flavours" I could see a huge shift away from the MBP as the de-facto developer device. Of course, given how fragmented Microsoft are as a company, I can't see their product team coming together to make this a reality, but a developer can dream.

madeofpalk 8y ago

> As I understand it, the competition is barred from making similar touchpads due to patents I'm unwilling to believe that Apple discovered the one and only way to make good Trackpad hardware.

opportune 8y ago
less "one and only", more "holy shit they have good lawyers and will ruin me if they want to and think they can"
maggit 8y ago
I agree, which I why I specifically said "similar" rather than "as good" or "better". I'm not impressed by competing touchpads.
IshKebab 8y ago
Have you used an Apple trackpad though? Because they genuinely are light years ahead of the competition. Why wouldn't they patent everything around that?
- collyw 8y ago
  What do they do that is different? I had a Mac from 2013 with Ubuntu installed. I didn't notice anything different other than a lack of way to emulate a third button.
  - syspec 8y ago
    this whole thread is about getting the MacOS feel in linux when on mac hardeare becsuse it is not as good when hsed on linux. so what you tried is what this thread is trying to fix
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - collyw 8y ago

ubermonkey 8y ago

I'm not sure it's IP that's kept Wintel makers from doing decent trackpads. I think they just didn't care until recently. I have both a 2015 13" rMBP and a 2018 Dell XPS15 on my desk. The Dell's hardware is really fantastic. Overall, it's not QUITE the equal of Cupertino, but it's easily the best Windows hardware I've seen since the glory days of the ThinkPad. The trackpad in particular, though, is just as good as the Apple one, I think. First time I've seen a Windows trackpad that was worth a damn, so I was SHOCKED.

satsuma 8y ago
the xps are some damn fine machines. we give them to c-levels here and i'm always super excited to work with them and super jealous when i have to give them away.
- ubermonkey 8y ago
  I really kinda wonder how viable desktop Linux would be for me on this hardware. I mean, I think the answer FOR ME is probably still "not yet," given the things that I enjoy about doing most of my computing in the Mac ecosystem, but historically the barriers for me have been twofold: hardware AND software. I suspect the Dell solves the hardware problem.