<story><title>Linux Touchpad Like MacBook Update: 2023 Progress on Smooth Scrolling</title><url>https://www.gitclear.com/blog/linux_touchpad_like_macbook_2023_update_smooth_scroll</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>iknowstuff</author><text>I’m sorry what&lt;p&gt;You can adjust the pressing force required in software, and the glass does in fact depress under your finger. It’s cushioned - that’s how they detect pressure.</text></item><item><author>asdff</author><text>&amp;gt;I believe that the 3D Touch tech that was once in the iPhone is the same tech that is in the track pad and the Apple Watch&lt;p&gt;3D touch was only in the iphones for a few years, it was too expensive so they cut it in favor of the haptic touch they have now. The macbook trackpad is nice but honestly I prefer the old 2012 one they had with the actual physical button you could tweak the pressure of with a screwdriver. It seems a lot more ergonomic to have some actual give in the device instead of just jamming your finger onto an unmoving slab of glass. You don&amp;#x27;t even realize how hard it is you are pressing onto these things until you try testing your muscle memory with the computer off; its sort of alarming.</text></item><item><author>nerdjon</author><text>It is an interesting thing to think about, I have friends that use Windows that are shocked that I willingly chose to get an external trackpad when I use my Mac as desktop.&lt;p&gt;Even more interesting is when I see my partner try to do something on my Mac using a trackpad, he seems... apprehensive? Like he is so afraid of doing the wrong thing and for me this trackpad has never done something I didn&amp;#x27;t want it to do. Like without even thinking about it while I was re-reading this comment, I had fingers just resting on my trackpad.&lt;p&gt;It has to be a combination of software and hardware. Likely shared software and hardware.&lt;p&gt;Like is wrist detection on the trackpad the same as the wrist detection on an iPad?&lt;p&gt;I believe that the 3D Touch tech that was once in the iPhone is the same tech that is in the track pad and the Apple Watch.&lt;p&gt;We saw them use the same (or similar) tech on the iPhone home button when they removed the physical button.&lt;p&gt;Is the multitouch functionality of the trackpad the same technology as in iPhones and iPads?&lt;p&gt;I am genuinely curious about some of these because they feel like the same technology from the outside looking in and it would explain a lot about why it works as well as it does.&lt;p&gt;And yeah on the ROI, I mean they sell a $130 external trackpad... that I had zero qualms about buying. Because when using my MacBook Pro as a laptop I heavily rely on gestures. Those gestures only work if the trackpad is as perfect as it can be. But those gestures is also software.</text></item><item><author>al_borland</author><text>Why does this seem like such a hard problem to solve for everyone that isn’t Apple, when Apple seemingly solved the Trackpad over a decade ago?&lt;p&gt;Is this it? An unknown ROI?&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt;the highly uncertain ROI for trying to align touchpad acceleration has prevented us from proposing a system change to the default Linux settings.&lt;p&gt;I can only speak for myself, but I gave up using trackpads on anything that isn’t a MacBook many years ago. Very occasionally I’ll try them and have always been disappointed. This prevents me from buying any laptop that isn’t a Mac and prevents me from running any OS that isn’t macOS on a laptop. I can’t be the only person who prioritizes the quality and feel of input devices when choosing a system. If this can make or break sales and adoption, it seems like the ROI would be pretty good. Even if we are just talking about Java app, if I’m using an obviously Java app that feels like a clunky Java app, I’ll usually find an alternative app that doesn’t feel horrible to use.&lt;p&gt;I’m glad progress is being made, but I struggle to understand why it’s still a problem at all when it’s been so good for so long with Apple. They even sell Bluetooth trackpads for desktops it’s so good.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>johnwalkr</author><text>They barely deflect, strain gauges measure the deflection and trigger the haptic part. When off, it does feel pretty solid. When on, the effect is very convincing, you would never know it&amp;#x27;s not a button without being told. I had a coworker once that was ready to open up his turned-off macbook because he had been near sand recently and was convinced sand must be trapped inside the trackpad because it &amp;quot;didn&amp;#x27;t depress&amp;quot;.</text></comment>
<story><title>Linux Touchpad Like MacBook Update: 2023 Progress on Smooth Scrolling</title><url>https://www.gitclear.com/blog/linux_touchpad_like_macbook_2023_update_smooth_scroll</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>iknowstuff</author><text>I’m sorry what&lt;p&gt;You can adjust the pressing force required in software, and the glass does in fact depress under your finger. It’s cushioned - that’s how they detect pressure.</text></item><item><author>asdff</author><text>&amp;gt;I believe that the 3D Touch tech that was once in the iPhone is the same tech that is in the track pad and the Apple Watch&lt;p&gt;3D touch was only in the iphones for a few years, it was too expensive so they cut it in favor of the haptic touch they have now. The macbook trackpad is nice but honestly I prefer the old 2012 one they had with the actual physical button you could tweak the pressure of with a screwdriver. It seems a lot more ergonomic to have some actual give in the device instead of just jamming your finger onto an unmoving slab of glass. You don&amp;#x27;t even realize how hard it is you are pressing onto these things until you try testing your muscle memory with the computer off; its sort of alarming.</text></item><item><author>nerdjon</author><text>It is an interesting thing to think about, I have friends that use Windows that are shocked that I willingly chose to get an external trackpad when I use my Mac as desktop.&lt;p&gt;Even more interesting is when I see my partner try to do something on my Mac using a trackpad, he seems... apprehensive? Like he is so afraid of doing the wrong thing and for me this trackpad has never done something I didn&amp;#x27;t want it to do. Like without even thinking about it while I was re-reading this comment, I had fingers just resting on my trackpad.&lt;p&gt;It has to be a combination of software and hardware. Likely shared software and hardware.&lt;p&gt;Like is wrist detection on the trackpad the same as the wrist detection on an iPad?&lt;p&gt;I believe that the 3D Touch tech that was once in the iPhone is the same tech that is in the track pad and the Apple Watch.&lt;p&gt;We saw them use the same (or similar) tech on the iPhone home button when they removed the physical button.&lt;p&gt;Is the multitouch functionality of the trackpad the same technology as in iPhones and iPads?&lt;p&gt;I am genuinely curious about some of these because they feel like the same technology from the outside looking in and it would explain a lot about why it works as well as it does.&lt;p&gt;And yeah on the ROI, I mean they sell a $130 external trackpad... that I had zero qualms about buying. Because when using my MacBook Pro as a laptop I heavily rely on gestures. Those gestures only work if the trackpad is as perfect as it can be. But those gestures is also software.</text></item><item><author>al_borland</author><text>Why does this seem like such a hard problem to solve for everyone that isn’t Apple, when Apple seemingly solved the Trackpad over a decade ago?&lt;p&gt;Is this it? An unknown ROI?&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt;the highly uncertain ROI for trying to align touchpad acceleration has prevented us from proposing a system change to the default Linux settings.&lt;p&gt;I can only speak for myself, but I gave up using trackpads on anything that isn’t a MacBook many years ago. Very occasionally I’ll try them and have always been disappointed. This prevents me from buying any laptop that isn’t a Mac and prevents me from running any OS that isn’t macOS on a laptop. I can’t be the only person who prioritizes the quality and feel of input devices when choosing a system. If this can make or break sales and adoption, it seems like the ROI would be pretty good. Even if we are just talking about Java app, if I’m using an obviously Java app that feels like a clunky Java app, I’ll usually find an alternative app that doesn’t feel horrible to use.&lt;p&gt;I’m glad progress is being made, but I struggle to understand why it’s still a problem at all when it’s been so good for so long with Apple. They even sell Bluetooth trackpads for desktops it’s so good.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>jxdxbx</author><text>My Apple trackpads don’t click when they are powered off.  It just feels like pressing a piece of glass.</text></comment>