Clickpads - Do you like them?

Seeing all the clickpads that are coming out on Win8 laptops and previously more and more on Win7 laptops, I'm wondering what percentage of enthusiasts actually like them as compared to the traditional touchpad and separate left and right buttons. I'm not wondering about whether you like clickpads as they are now, but whether you prefer the general idea of having the left and right buttons integrated into the touch surface or separate from them.

 

yes if the name of the pc has apple on it I like em very much

 

My experience with them is the clicking mechanism tends to be stiffer than the buttons that come with a traditional touch pad, particularly the top thrid or so of the touch pad. This is true of Apple clickpads in my experience too. There are ways around this like tap to click, but if it were my choice, every notebook would have a ThinkPad like stick with buttons.

 

how I think highly of you brave man that have mastered the dreaded nipple. I never could use it as pleasantly as I can with a mouse or touchpad that was worth its salt

 

I hate anything but a traditional mouse. I go nuts trying to use a touchpad or trackpoint or anything else. Mouse is it for me. I always have a spare one in my bag too. My touchpad almost never gets used.

 

I adjust yes at first it seemed less than desirable. But really very easy to adjust. Funny thing is I should/can press anywhere say right/left sides to cause the action. But out of habit I almost only press the bottom right/left.

I hated, I dealt with, I got no problem now. Oh and as HT said, I use a mouse when at home.

Don't worry when "touch screen" takes over we won't even have touch pads to complain about. Maybe even mouse's.

 

only on macbooks, seriously, PC OEMs really have to track down the company that makes those bad boys and get some for their designs. Its a pipe dream but the ideal I/O setup for me without resorting to a proper mouse would be the Apple clickpad with the Lenovo Pointing nub+buttons.

 

OK consider it tracked down, Foxcon.

 

Really? I didn't think Foxconn made Clickpads

 

No way touch screen will replace mice unless we just want our PC's to be oversized and overpriced PDA's which is all smartphones are right now.

 

1.2 million underpaid overworked workers? I think a few touchpads could be made.

I agree, I was trying to be funny. I know touch and smart phones. I just went back to PC for the better environment. Now MS wants to shove touch screens down our throats. I spent 2+ years with no PC. I like the size and keyboard. I do not want to touch the screen. My S3 is one thing to wipe off but a notebook? Not so good or easy. I am so 2 years past wanting to touch my PC screen.

I think MS is so off their rocker on touch screens. I should consider posting more in depth on this. I would like a 10" tablet or 7" even more with the specs of my Asus and of course it would be touch screen. But we are so far away from that and touch screen is needed on the hand held not real computers. I wonder how the desktop guys are doing. What's next touch screen TV? Fingerprints suck. Also consider what is the current market share/infiltration of touch capable systems? Not much, and they introduce a OS heavily designed to make use of. Also at the expense of no touch.

Forgive me if Millennium/Vista did not go well. These guys are geniuses'.

 

Requoting Karamazovmm, I've mastered the nipple (and I'm loving it). Clickpads (and regular touchpads + buttons) are okay, but I'd much rather use a nipple + buttons (or, on laptops without them, a mouse) instead. Touch screens are crap on clamshell-type laptops (I can only see eventual hand/wrist injury with daily use of those things >.>...), and are only good on convertible PCs imo (a la Thinkpad X230t or the like), but even then I'd gladly trade in the touch capability for a good Wacom pen input. I'd rather leave the finger usage on phones/tablets instead.

 

the main problem here is that OEMs like to throw a touchpad that is just dreadful to use. Case in point get a mac, use whatever other notebook you want and compare, low and behold, the difference is astounding.

I do agree with zaz that the top of the touchpad is harder to press, but I tap to click and got used to it a long time ago.

 

If Apple included a decent nipple (and supporting buttons), I could see myself getting one. But comparing my Thinkpads to the trackpads on MBPs (both friends' laptops and store models), I personally find the TrackPoint to be the better tool imo.

 

I've used Mac clickpads, and I can't stand them. Tap to click never worked right for me, and pushing the whole trackpad down to click takes more effort than it should and is annoying. I much prefer having dedicated buttons.

 

TrackPoint + physical buttons is my favorite setup, although I can also use a touchpad with physical buttons. Never liked any clickpad, including those on MBPs.

 

I haven't really used any clickpads for any decent amount of time, but I've never understood why they don't make it so you can't press in the middle, but only on the right and left sides, and not at the bottom 3rd of the pad.

 

I like to have physical buttons with a touchpad. Tapping usually works, but for precision, the button is preferable. Sometimes it's also really handy when you're clicking in the same spot a bunch of times in a row - I do this when scanning documents - in which case the touchpad buttons are even better than a mouse since they don't move.

The pseudo-button clickpads, it's better than, for example, how on older MacBooks you could only tap and scroll, with no buttons (drove me nuts when I borrowed one from someone). It wouldn't surprise me if in time, as they mature, they end up working well and being popular. Kind of how it used to be that mice had two physical buttons, and then a few started integrating it so the buttons weren't actually visible, but it was kind of clunky at times compared to a two-real-button mouse, and now you can buy a mouse with a smooth surface but both buttons work really well. But for now, I'm glad my new Dell work laptop has physical buttons by the trackpad.

 

I've used clickpads on a few Windows notebooks and, while sounding like a little bit of an Apple fanboy, I have to say it seems like Apple is the only one to get it right. It seems as though with my MacBook Pro, you can press just about anywhere on the bottom half of the trackpad and it will register a click. However, on the few Windows systems that I've used a clickpad on, you absolutely must be on either the left or right side of the surface to have it register a click. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10v is a prime example of this.

 

OK so looks like you guys like ThinPads and Apple? Have fun, no more comment for you guys.

 

After using the MBP's clickpad for a short while (as well as a few Wintel ones while playing with them in Bestbuy), Apple does seem to have a handle on how to design them. Though I still prefer the TrackPoint as it's much more accurate than dragging/pointing a finger on a touchpad of any design, plus it's easier to use than bringing around a mouse (don't have to worry about having a free USB port, or extra carrying space, etc.).

 

tell me a good touchpad that isnt apple, or other interaction means that isnt the nipple (available on dell and hp as well) that is good?

and those trackpads of yore also are terrible, yay I got physical buttons! but every gesture is a pain! it doesnt track accurately!

 

You don't think the reason might be that Apple only have one button and Windows wants two? Anyway one does a clickpad there will be people complaining on the design.

 

apple actually use "2" buttons.