4 ms·

the touchpad performance on the mac is second to none. Can modern windows or linux come even close?

xenospn 7y ago
No.
nbevans 7y ago
I tested them all (well, the main contenders) and even the flagship Surface Book trackpad is not comparable to a current MacBook. The Surface Book trackpad is like almost identical to a MacBook from around 2012-2013 era. Admittedly the current MacBook trackpad is too big - but is otherwise functionally perfect in terms of its multi-touch and haptic feedback.
copperx 7y ago
Absolutely not. The good thing is that any extended development session calls for an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad. Also, you can use the external Apple trackpad they sell with any OS.
- saagarjha 7y ago
  > The good thing is that any extended development session calls for an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad. For you. I do all my development on a 13" laptop.
  - copperx 7y ago
    Have you done any iOS development in Xcode on that 13" MPB of yours? Unless you have excellent eyesight and use a screen resolution that gives you the max real estate, it's incredibly frustrating to use the code assistant editor, or to run the simulator.
    - saagarjha 7y ago
      I must have spent a couple thousand hours of iOS development on it. I use the default 1280x800@2x resolution with Xcode filling the screen (but not in fullscreen).
- flohofwoe 7y ago
  I do all my work on a vanilla 13" MBP, it works just fine. I also use 13" Linux and Windows laptops almost daily, and the "touchpad experience" there is indeed painful. > Also, you can use the external Apple trackpad they sell with any OS. I think the problem isn't the hardware, but the software (or more likely a combination of both). The MBP touchpad under Windows with Bootcamp is also quite terrible.
crispinb 7y ago
I guess touchpads must be far more important to some of you than they are to me. I'll only touch mine on the rare occasion I'm lazily reading on my laptop rather than a tablet. I'd hardly miss if it stopped working.
whywhywhywhy 7y ago
> Can modern windows or linux come even close? The Surface line trackpads are extremely close and their keyboards actually surpass current Apple boards.

No.

I tested them all (well, the main contenders) and even the flagship Surface Book trackpad is not comparable to a current MacBook. The Surface Book trackpad is like almost identical to a MacBook from around 2012-2013 era. Admittedly the current MacBook trackpad is too big - but is otherwise functionally perfect in terms of its multi-touch and haptic feedback.

copperx 7y ago

Absolutely not. The good thing is that any extended development session calls for an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad. Also, you can use the external Apple trackpad they sell with any OS.

saagarjha 7y ago
> The good thing is that any extended development session calls for an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad. For you. I do all my development on a 13" laptop.
- copperx 7y ago
  Have you done any iOS development in Xcode on that 13" MPB of yours? Unless you have excellent eyesight and use a screen resolution that gives you the max real estate, it's incredibly frustrating to use the code assistant editor, or to run the simulator.
  - saagarjha 7y ago
    I must have spent a couple thousand hours of iOS development on it. I use the default 1280x800@2x resolution with Xcode filling the screen (but not in fullscreen).
flohofwoe 7y ago
I do all my work on a vanilla 13" MBP, it works just fine. I also use 13" Linux and Windows laptops almost daily, and the "touchpad experience" there is indeed painful. > Also, you can use the external Apple trackpad they sell with any OS. I think the problem isn't the hardware, but the software (or more likely a combination of both). The MBP touchpad under Windows with Bootcamp is also quite terrible.

crispinb 7y ago

I guess touchpads must be far more important to some of you than they are to me. I'll only touch mine on the rare occasion I'm lazily reading on my laptop rather than a tablet. I'd hardly miss if it stopped working.

whywhywhywhy 7y ago

> Can modern windows or linux come even close? The Surface line trackpads are extremely close and their keyboards actually surpass current Apple boards.