9 ms·

In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC, but after years of Apple laptops I grew bored with their aluminum fascism and decided (last year) to buy a top-of-th

In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC, but after years of Apple laptops I grew bored with their aluminum fascism and decided (last year) to buy a top-of-the-line Thinkpad. A couple of months later, taking a huge economic hit, I sold the Thinkpad and returned to Apple. I simply could not handle the trackpad (and I gave up on the weird Thinkpad nubbin back in the early 2000s). I quite literally felt like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease when I used the trackpad, and since "mousing" is almost certainly the primary way I interact with a computer, the laptop itself begun to give me a strong, strange aversion to use. I'm told Microsoft is working on improving trackpads in general, but they should really have every single engineer working on this issue. Forget about new features, let's get the simple stuff right.

damon_c 12y ago
I occasionally have to use an HP laptop and I concur. It is really a completely different experience. I need to use two hands to accomplish something like moving the cursor to a folder icon and right clicking on it. On a Mac this can be done with a single finger and without even engaging the brain. This model of HP laptop is used by everyone at this one company. They don't even know how awful it is. It's really like that 1984 Mac commercial.
yclept 12y ago
The Thinkpad nipple mouse on my x220 is glorious to use
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- ams6110 12y ago
  I agree, I much prefer this style of pointer to a trackpad because I don't need to move my hands.
  - serf 12y ago
    I love it, too. I hate that Lenovo no longer makes a ThinkPad with only that style pointer any longer. I always felt the trackpad was a big waste of space since I never use them.
    - ibrahima 12y ago
      Eh, as a T440s owner (granted, my first Thinkpad) I was a bit apprehensive about the lack of buttons but I actually exclusively use the Trackpoint now. The clickpad does click down like a button which is a little weird at first but you quickly get used to where the "buttons" are and then it just feels like normal. I use the middle click scroll a lot too. At least in Linux you can adjust the precise locations of the buttons yourself, I think in Windows you also get some options for configuring the button locations if the defaults don't feel right. Right now I feel like this is the best input system I've had on a laptop.
      - BostonEnginerd 12y ago
        I've tried the new big button T440s and really don't like the amount of force the big touchpad takes to click.
    - listic 12y ago
      I like the following logic: you could always disable it, and only switch on for the time someone else is using your laptop, so win-win. But getting rid of 7-row keyboard and clicky mouse buttons, so that a huge trackpad would fit? Not worth it.
- tacoman 12y ago
  It is, however I find that sometimes I get a sore and after a couple hours of use and I have to switch to a mouse.
- nerderloo 12y ago
  You'll be disappointed in X240. The buttons for trackpoint are removed in X240. Instead, they made the trackpad clickable. It's a miserable experience. It is simply impossible to use trackpoint with trackpad enabled because you inevitably slide finger over trackpad to register a click. That moves the cursor. Disabling trackpad made trackpoint somewhat usable but clicking the whole trackpad is much harder than just a button.
aftbit 12y ago
I think a big part of this is just personal preference. I've never used a Mac until a few weeks ago (for work), and I'm dying to return to my X220 or W530 trackpad. The giant glass pad is sticky and hard to use, and the scrolling gestures feel wrong to me. I've solved it by carrying a small external mouse in my laptop bag, and by using my MBP with a mechanical switch keyboard and a Logitech mouse 90% of the day.
- quinndupont 12y ago
  I said the same thing at the start too, and after months of use I never managed to re-train myself (although, maybe those habits run deep!)
- DigitalJack 12y ago
  The trackpad should never feel sticky. Something is wrong if it does. My MacBook Pro trackpad feels as smooth as my phone (2009)
  - archagon 12y ago
    I think trackpads on new Macbooks tend to be a little sticky until they smooth out over a week or two.
    - bobbles 12y ago
      Brand new iPhones have this same sensation
      - jarin 12y ago
        This might sound kind of dumb, but just rub it on your face. I'm pretty sure the "smoothing out" is just getting a nice thin coating of oil on it, like seasoning a cast iron pan.
        ajcarpy2005 12y ago
        This is the kind of insight that sets HN comments apart. Simple but possibly Useful.
overgard 12y ago
I don't know that apple gets this right either. (I have a macbook). The actual tracking feels fantastic and precise, and it has a nice texture, but I /hate/ how they refuse to put real buttons below it. Things like "right mouse drag" which I use all the time become a nightmare, and the whole "no buttons" thing just seems like it's putting aesthetics over functionality.
- RandallBrown 12y ago
  I love the lack of buttons. It makes it much much easier to click on things since I don't have to precisely hit a button. I don't think I've ever used a right click drag for anything, but it seems easy enough to do on my macbook pro. Just click with two fingers and drag.
  - ars 12y ago
    It's not an either/or situation. You can have physical buttons, and still let you tap for a click.
    - RandallBrown 12y ago
      I'm not talking about tap to click. I'm talking about the whole trackpad being a button.
      - MereInterest 12y ago
        I have a chromebook designed like this, and it removes any precision in clicking. I push down, and my finger slips as the trackpad depresses.
        dysfunction 12y ago
        Usually I don't find myself clicking on my Macbook trackpad anyway. I usually just tap, plenty of precision that way, plus OSX tends to have larger click targets than Windows and lots of gestures (especially with BetterTouchTool) that make precision less important. My only issue is click-and-drag, but that was at least somewhat alleviated when I learned to hold the click with my index finger and do the drag by moving my middle finger (which is similar to what I'd do with a trackpad with dedicated mouse buttons anyway) instead of just using my index finger.
Encosia 12y ago
It really depends on the hardware you choose. I switched from a MacBook Air to a Samsung ATIV Book Plus (what a name...) and can't say that I've noticed a difference between the trackpads.
klibertp 12y ago
> In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC Oh, but you're doing it anyway. Whatever, sounds like fun! ;) > I quite literally felt like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease when I used the trackpad [EDIT: I should mention that I'm using almost exclusively keyboard for interacting with my computers, so I may be missing some obvious things.] I'm using mac book pro and some hp notebook (both a year and a half old at this point) and I don't feel any difference in how the touchpads in them work. Aside from the mac's one being overloaded with functions which shouldn't be there (for me ofc). What exactly was a difference that make you feel like that? Maybe it was something that could be easily remedied by switching some options?
- quinndupont 12y ago
  I tried ALL of the internal Lenovo-supplied utilities, and even "upgraded" to a generic driver provided by Synaptics (maker of the trackpad hardware). Moving the mouse cursor around the screen was usually not a problem, but scrolling and click-and-drag (to say, move a file using the GUI) would only actually work about 70% of the time. Instead of scrolling it would stutter and zing about, and instead of click and drag it would pick up the file and drop it some other place. It's actually a bit hard to describe, since it actually made me genuinely wonder if there was something wrong with my hand/brain. Tiny little errors for such a critical thing really do cause havoc.
  - pyk 12y ago
    There have been some really really awful Lenovo Thinkpad trackpads in the last 2-3 years -- one specific one that I have used that you see a TON of complaints about was the X230 trackpad (google it, it's a mess). One of the worst I have ever used, with no amount of adjustment that can fix it -- Lenovo really dropped the ball when cutting costs. The worst part was that the X220/T420 and plenty of other older models had perfect trackpads.
  - skunkvomit 12y ago
    I found that Windows configuration (Synaptics and Lenovo) utilities were all lacking in configurability. I have primarily switched to Linux (openSUSE) which has far better support for common two-finger scrolling and right-clicking as well as more configurable for the sensitivity, palm detection, etc. I couldn't believe how much better my Thinkpad Edge touchpad worked under Linux, and the trackpoint nub was able to be sped up and adjusted so its my preferred means of movement when typing. So I think there's something to be said for both hardware and software (and drivers) which affect the final user experience; unfortunately there seems to be less concern or attention towards that aspect with PCs than Macs.
spion 12y ago
How do you manage to type on Apple laptop keyboards though? For a serious typist, Thinkpad's keyboard feel is just beyond any comparison - especially on the older models.
- cowabunga 12y ago
  I had a serious Mac typing problem. I had a T61 and got seduced by a 2011 MBP. Liked it for about 3 months and then realised I couldn't type properly on it and that it was knackering my productivity. Also as I'm in the UK, the keyboard map is totally unlike other UK keyboard which makes it difficult to move to and from other machines and use remote desktop software. Back on an X201 and life is good. My wife still uses the 2011 MBP and hates it for typing on as well but she doesn't like black laptops, so her funeral!
cowabunga 12y ago
Ex Mac user and now ThinkPad user here. The MBP pad makes my fingers sore after a couple of hours as the surface is slightly abrasive. The Apple wireless mouse thing nips my fingers when I press it giving me sore fingers plus it weighs and ton and the gestures make my wrist hurt. The ThinkPad nipple mouse works pretty well as it's in the home row but my hands ache after a couple of hours. The trackpad on the ThinkPad X201 I use is tiny and useless so I turned it off. Solutions for me: 1. I bought a Logitech M185 wireless mouse for £8. I am happier than I've ever been with this. It's orders of magnitude better than any other mouse I've used. 2. I use Windows and the keyboard where possible. It's really easy to drive windows from the keyboard entirely unlike OSX which requires this dude's hands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkyZGZRnQb4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkyZGZRnQb4 ... plus the editing system is inconsistent and wonky in some OSX apps. Yes forget about the new features. Buy a wireless mouse and use the thinkpad's wonderful keyboard more. That worked for me and yes I did feel like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease as well!
- Moru 12y ago
  I would never buy a mouse without a back button. It's a wonder they still make those.
  - cowabunga 12y ago
    I have back/forward keys on my keyboard and tend to use them instead of the mouse.
- tripzilch 12y ago
  > Logitech M185 wireless mouse for £8 Anyone got any tips for a great non-wireless USB mouse in this price-range? I dislike when wireless mice (or keyboards) tend to run out of battery when it's really inconvenient, as I hardly ever have spare batteries lying around (not much other devices use them).
  - cowabunga 12y ago
    I had the same problem with the Apple mouse. The two AA batteries lasted about a month at best. I've had the M185 for 9 months now and it's still got the original single AA battery in it! I threw a single AA in my bag in a ziplock in case of emergencies. I wouldn't go back to wires after that mouse.
msh 12y ago
For personal use I am apple all the way but I must admit that the HP probook I have at work actually is a quite nice machine. Drivers seem reasonable and the hardware is good too.
ibrahima 12y ago
Incidentally, as a lifelong PC user every time I have to use a Mac touchpad (which is quite often since a lot of my colleagues have them) I want to throw the light and shiny piece of junk out the window. I don't understand how you people use those things. As a recent Thinkpad convert I've actually switched exclusively to the Trackpoint too, but the touchpad is perfectly fine to me, I just prefer not moving my hands off the keyboard.
- rayiner 12y ago
  There is this trade-off between making it fast to do big mouse movements and making fine mouse movements possible. Typical high-friction PC touchpads are awful for fine movements. Trackpoints are good for fine movements, but they don't have enough travel to also make it easy to throw the cursor to the other side of the screen quickly. In my experience with both, the high-sensitivity, low-friction glass touchpad on the mac enables as much fine control as the trackpoint while also allowing sweeping large mouse movements.
  - PhasmaFelis 12y ago
    High-friction pads do indeed make fine movements difficult--with a very gentle push, your fingertip doesn't move at all, until it overcomes static friction and jumps several pixels. I found a trick to get around that a while back: When small movements are needed, don't slide your finger but roll it. No friction involved, that way.
lucb1e 12y ago
My father has a Thinkpad and the touchpad is horrible. Really seriously horrible. I dislike my Asus full-touch (no buttons) touchpad but I've learned to work with it -- I've learned to work with any touchpad, except a Thinkpad's. So I get where you're coming from, but to write off all non-Apple laptops all at the same time?
rsynnott 12y ago
> I grew bored with their aluminum fascism Oh, THAT'S what happened to the titanium Powerbook; another victim of Metal Eugenics.
MichaelGG 12y ago
The ThinkPad click pad is an abomination. After nearly a year after regretfully "upgrading" from the IBM style to the new style... I still can't click with accuracy. Right, left - I have to make several attempts. And many times, the pointer moves during the process. I actually have to lug around an external mouse with my "top of the line" laptop. The keyboard isn't anything great, either. Few companies have earned as much emotional hated as Lenovo has for making such junk. Hardware hackers take note. I'd pay hundreds of dollars to replace the layout with one from an older series like the X201 or so. Just put back the triple buttons and the nice full sized keyboard and take my money.
- nerderloo 12y ago
  I started using X240 a week ago. I am usually not a complainer. I concurrently used X220 and Macbook fine. But I could not like the click pad on X240. I think the trackpad/trackpoint on X240 is simply a failed experiment. As someone who is fine with trackpoint or trackpad on Macbooks, I can't see how anyone can like this click pad thing.
randyrand 12y ago
Two finger scroll on thinkpads has generally sucked. Nowdays it has gotten better, but I still use this much better 3rd party implementation: https://code.google.com/p/two-finger-scroll/ https://code.google.com/p/two-finger-scroll/ Solved all my problems.
return0 12y ago
> In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC It should by now be obvious that this is impossible. If you dont want to start a flamewar, never mention the words mac and pc in the same sentence.
na85 12y ago
> quite literally felt like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease when I used the trackpad Was it jittery? I had this problem with an older thinkpad when plugged into AC, but the problem went away when unplugged, so I assume it was just a case of bad isolation from the 60Hz AC signal.
coldtea 12y ago
>In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC, but after years of Apple laptops I grew bored with their aluminum fascism So, they like killed millions of people, or invaded other countries to make them use aluminum laptops?
- quinndupont 12y ago
  If we must, METAPHORICALLY, yes. <the literal Internet strikes again>
  - coldtea 12y ago
    Nope, not even metaphorically. In fact, even the other thing that's directed at them ("it's just because of marketing") is not true either. While they had good ads, their marketing spending was historically miniscule (especially compared to companies such as Samsung and Microsoft) and of course they began from near zero budget (actually near banruptcy) circa 1997 and grew with products that made people want to buy them and the press write about them, not ads.

damon_c 12y ago

I occasionally have to use an HP laptop and I concur. It is really a completely different experience. I need to use two hands to accomplish something like moving the cursor to a folder icon and right clicking on it. On a Mac this can be done with a single finger and without even engaging the brain. This model of HP laptop is used by everyone at this one company. They don't even know how awful it is. It's really like that 1984 Mac commercial.

yclept 12y ago

The Thinkpad nipple mouse on my x220 is glorious to use

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
ams6110 12y ago
I agree, I much prefer this style of pointer to a trackpad because I don't need to move my hands.
- serf 12y ago
  I love it, too. I hate that Lenovo no longer makes a ThinkPad with only that style pointer any longer. I always felt the trackpad was a big waste of space since I never use them.
  - ibrahima 12y ago
    Eh, as a T440s owner (granted, my first Thinkpad) I was a bit apprehensive about the lack of buttons but I actually exclusively use the Trackpoint now. The clickpad does click down like a button which is a little weird at first but you quickly get used to where the "buttons" are and then it just feels like normal. I use the middle click scroll a lot too. At least in Linux you can adjust the precise locations of the buttons yourself, I think in Windows you also get some options for configuring the button locations if the defaults don't feel right. Right now I feel like this is the best input system I've had on a laptop.
    - BostonEnginerd 12y ago
      I've tried the new big button T440s and really don't like the amount of force the big touchpad takes to click.
  - listic 12y ago
    I like the following logic: you could always disable it, and only switch on for the time someone else is using your laptop, so win-win. But getting rid of 7-row keyboard and clicky mouse buttons, so that a huge trackpad would fit? Not worth it.
tacoman 12y ago
It is, however I find that sometimes I get a sore and after a couple hours of use and I have to switch to a mouse.
nerderloo 12y ago
You'll be disappointed in X240. The buttons for trackpoint are removed in X240. Instead, they made the trackpad clickable. It's a miserable experience. It is simply impossible to use trackpoint with trackpad enabled because you inevitably slide finger over trackpad to register a click. That moves the cursor. Disabling trackpad made trackpoint somewhat usable but clicking the whole trackpad is much harder than just a button.

aftbit 12y ago

I think a big part of this is just personal preference. I've never used a Mac until a few weeks ago (for work), and I'm dying to return to my X220 or W530 trackpad. The giant glass pad is sticky and hard to use, and the scrolling gestures feel wrong to me. I've solved it by carrying a small external mouse in my laptop bag, and by using my MBP with a mechanical switch keyboard and a Logitech mouse 90% of the day.

quinndupont 12y ago
I said the same thing at the start too, and after months of use I never managed to re-train myself (although, maybe those habits run deep!)
DigitalJack 12y ago
The trackpad should never feel sticky. Something is wrong if it does. My MacBook Pro trackpad feels as smooth as my phone (2009)
- archagon 12y ago
  I think trackpads on new Macbooks tend to be a little sticky until they smooth out over a week or two.
  - bobbles 12y ago
    Brand new iPhones have this same sensation
    - jarin 12y ago
      This might sound kind of dumb, but just rub it on your face. I'm pretty sure the "smoothing out" is just getting a nice thin coating of oil on it, like seasoning a cast iron pan.
      - ajcarpy2005 12y ago
        This is the kind of insight that sets HN comments apart. Simple but possibly Useful.

overgard 12y ago

I don't know that apple gets this right either. (I have a macbook). The actual tracking feels fantastic and precise, and it has a nice texture, but I /hate/ how they refuse to put real buttons below it. Things like "right mouse drag" which I use all the time become a nightmare, and the whole "no buttons" thing just seems like it's putting aesthetics over functionality.

RandallBrown 12y ago
I love the lack of buttons. It makes it much much easier to click on things since I don't have to precisely hit a button. I don't think I've ever used a right click drag for anything, but it seems easy enough to do on my macbook pro. Just click with two fingers and drag.
- ars 12y ago
  It's not an either/or situation. You can have physical buttons, and still let you tap for a click.
  - RandallBrown 12y ago
    I'm not talking about tap to click. I'm talking about the whole trackpad being a button.
    - MereInterest 12y ago
      I have a chromebook designed like this, and it removes any precision in clicking. I push down, and my finger slips as the trackpad depresses.
      - dysfunction 12y ago
        Usually I don't find myself clicking on my Macbook trackpad anyway. I usually just tap, plenty of precision that way, plus OSX tends to have larger click targets than Windows and lots of gestures (especially with BetterTouchTool) that make precision less important. My only issue is click-and-drag, but that was at least somewhat alleviated when I learned to hold the click with my index finger and do the drag by moving my middle finger (which is similar to what I'd do with a trackpad with dedicated mouse buttons anyway) instead of just using my index finger.

Encosia 12y ago

It really depends on the hardware you choose. I switched from a MacBook Air to a Samsung ATIV Book Plus (what a name...) and can't say that I've noticed a difference between the trackpads.

klibertp 12y ago

> In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC Oh, but you're doing it anyway. Whatever, sounds like fun! ;) > I quite literally felt like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease when I used the trackpad [EDIT: I should mention that I'm using almost exclusively keyboard for interacting with my computers, so I may be missing some obvious things.] I'm using mac book pro and some hp notebook (both a year and a half old at this point) and I don't feel any difference in how the touchpads in them work. Aside from the mac's one being overloaded with functions which shouldn't be there (for me ofc). What exactly was a difference that make you feel like that? Maybe it was something that could be easily remedied by switching some options?

quinndupont 12y ago
I tried ALL of the internal Lenovo-supplied utilities, and even "upgraded" to a generic driver provided by Synaptics (maker of the trackpad hardware). Moving the mouse cursor around the screen was usually not a problem, but scrolling and click-and-drag (to say, move a file using the GUI) would only actually work about 70% of the time. Instead of scrolling it would stutter and zing about, and instead of click and drag it would pick up the file and drop it some other place. It's actually a bit hard to describe, since it actually made me genuinely wonder if there was something wrong with my hand/brain. Tiny little errors for such a critical thing really do cause havoc.
- pyk 12y ago
  There have been some really really awful Lenovo Thinkpad trackpads in the last 2-3 years -- one specific one that I have used that you see a TON of complaints about was the X230 trackpad (google it, it's a mess). One of the worst I have ever used, with no amount of adjustment that can fix it -- Lenovo really dropped the ball when cutting costs. The worst part was that the X220/T420 and plenty of other older models had perfect trackpads.
- skunkvomit 12y ago
  I found that Windows configuration (Synaptics and Lenovo) utilities were all lacking in configurability. I have primarily switched to Linux (openSUSE) which has far better support for common two-finger scrolling and right-clicking as well as more configurable for the sensitivity, palm detection, etc. I couldn't believe how much better my Thinkpad Edge touchpad worked under Linux, and the trackpoint nub was able to be sped up and adjusted so its my preferred means of movement when typing. So I think there's something to be said for both hardware and software (and drivers) which affect the final user experience; unfortunately there seems to be less concern or attention towards that aspect with PCs than Macs.

spion 12y ago

How do you manage to type on Apple laptop keyboards though? For a serious typist, Thinkpad's keyboard feel is just beyond any comparison - especially on the older models.

cowabunga 12y ago
I had a serious Mac typing problem. I had a T61 and got seduced by a 2011 MBP. Liked it for about 3 months and then realised I couldn't type properly on it and that it was knackering my productivity. Also as I'm in the UK, the keyboard map is totally unlike other UK keyboard which makes it difficult to move to and from other machines and use remote desktop software. Back on an X201 and life is good. My wife still uses the 2011 MBP and hates it for typing on as well but she doesn't like black laptops, so her funeral!

cowabunga 12y ago

Ex Mac user and now ThinkPad user here. The MBP pad makes my fingers sore after a couple of hours as the surface is slightly abrasive. The Apple wireless mouse thing nips my fingers when I press it giving me sore fingers plus it weighs and ton and the gestures make my wrist hurt. The ThinkPad nipple mouse works pretty well as it's in the home row but my hands ache after a couple of hours. The trackpad on the ThinkPad X201 I use is tiny and useless so I turned it off. Solutions for me: 1. I bought a Logitech M185 wireless mouse for £8. I am happier than I've ever been with this. It's orders of magnitude better than any other mouse I've used. 2. I use Windows and the keyboard where possible. It's really easy to drive windows from the keyboard entirely unlike OSX which requires this dude's hands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkyZGZRnQb4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkyZGZRnQb4 ... plus the editing system is inconsistent and wonky in some OSX apps. Yes forget about the new features. Buy a wireless mouse and use the thinkpad's wonderful keyboard more. That worked for me and yes I did feel like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease as well!

Moru 12y ago
I would never buy a mouse without a back button. It's a wonder they still make those.
- cowabunga 12y ago
  I have back/forward keys on my keyboard and tend to use them instead of the mouse.
tripzilch 12y ago
> Logitech M185 wireless mouse for £8 Anyone got any tips for a great non-wireless USB mouse in this price-range? I dislike when wireless mice (or keyboards) tend to run out of battery when it's really inconvenient, as I hardly ever have spare batteries lying around (not much other devices use them).
- cowabunga 12y ago
  I had the same problem with the Apple mouse. The two AA batteries lasted about a month at best. I've had the M185 for 9 months now and it's still got the original single AA battery in it! I threw a single AA in my bag in a ziplock in case of emergencies. I wouldn't go back to wires after that mouse.

msh 12y ago

For personal use I am apple all the way but I must admit that the HP probook I have at work actually is a quite nice machine. Drivers seem reasonable and the hardware is good too.

ibrahima 12y ago

Incidentally, as a lifelong PC user every time I have to use a Mac touchpad (which is quite often since a lot of my colleagues have them) I want to throw the light and shiny piece of junk out the window. I don't understand how you people use those things. As a recent Thinkpad convert I've actually switched exclusively to the Trackpoint too, but the touchpad is perfectly fine to me, I just prefer not moving my hands off the keyboard.

rayiner 12y ago
There is this trade-off between making it fast to do big mouse movements and making fine mouse movements possible. Typical high-friction PC touchpads are awful for fine movements. Trackpoints are good for fine movements, but they don't have enough travel to also make it easy to throw the cursor to the other side of the screen quickly. In my experience with both, the high-sensitivity, low-friction glass touchpad on the mac enables as much fine control as the trackpoint while also allowing sweeping large mouse movements.
- PhasmaFelis 12y ago
  High-friction pads do indeed make fine movements difficult--with a very gentle push, your fingertip doesn't move at all, until it overcomes static friction and jumps several pixels. I found a trick to get around that a while back: When small movements are needed, don't slide your finger but roll it. No friction involved, that way.

lucb1e 12y ago

My father has a Thinkpad and the touchpad is horrible. Really seriously horrible. I dislike my Asus full-touch (no buttons) touchpad but I've learned to work with it -- I've learned to work with any touchpad, except a Thinkpad's. So I get where you're coming from, but to write off all non-Apple laptops all at the same time?

rsynnott 12y ago

> I grew bored with their aluminum fascism Oh, THAT'S what happened to the titanium Powerbook; another victim of Metal Eugenics.

MichaelGG 12y ago

The ThinkPad click pad is an abomination. After nearly a year after regretfully "upgrading" from the IBM style to the new style... I still can't click with accuracy. Right, left - I have to make several attempts. And many times, the pointer moves during the process. I actually have to lug around an external mouse with my "top of the line" laptop. The keyboard isn't anything great, either. Few companies have earned as much emotional hated as Lenovo has for making such junk. Hardware hackers take note. I'd pay hundreds of dollars to replace the layout with one from an older series like the X201 or so. Just put back the triple buttons and the nice full sized keyboard and take my money.

nerderloo 12y ago
I started using X240 a week ago. I am usually not a complainer. I concurrently used X220 and Macbook fine. But I could not like the click pad on X240. I think the trackpad/trackpoint on X240 is simply a failed experiment. As someone who is fine with trackpoint or trackpad on Macbooks, I can't see how anyone can like this click pad thing.

randyrand 12y ago

Two finger scroll on thinkpads has generally sucked. Nowdays it has gotten better, but I still use this much better 3rd party implementation: https://code.google.com/p/two-finger-scroll/ https://code.google.com/p/two-finger-scroll/ Solved all my problems.

return0 12y ago

> In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC It should by now be obvious that this is impossible. If you dont want to start a flamewar, never mention the words mac and pc in the same sentence.

na85 12y ago

> quite literally felt like I had a degenerative neuromuscular disease when I used the trackpad Was it jittery? I had this problem with an older thinkpad when plugged into AC, but the problem went away when unplugged, so I assume it was just a case of bad isolation from the 60Hz AC signal.

coldtea 12y ago

>In no way am I trying to incite Mac vs. PC, but after years of Apple laptops I grew bored with their aluminum fascism So, they like killed millions of people, or invaded other countries to make them use aluminum laptops?

quinndupont 12y ago
If we must, METAPHORICALLY, yes. <the literal Internet strikes again>
- coldtea 12y ago
  Nope, not even metaphorically. In fact, even the other thing that's directed at them ("it's just because of marketing") is not true either. While they had good ads, their marketing spending was historically miniscule (especially compared to companies such as Samsung and Microsoft) and of course they began from near zero budget (actually near banruptcy) circa 1997 and grew with products that made people want to buy them and the press write about them, not ads.