The Trackpad has long been considered a competitor of the mouse. With its flat design and ‘click anywhere’ feel, it seems that the mouse should have been obsolete years ago. However, there is far more to consider when comparing both the mouse and the trackpad. For the purposes of this study, we will consider reviews from actual consumers of the Magic Trackpad, Apple’s answer to a mouse alternative, and will address the pros and cons they discovered while in the process of using them. While laptop trackpads and other trackpads made by other computer companies do exist, and have existed for a longer period of time, a concentrated study on a single kind of trackpad and its reception by consumers is the main purpose of this page. First, the benefits of trackpads in general will be covered, followed by reviews from actual users. For most of the reviews, consumers have nothing but good things to say about using a trackpad for all their pointing and clicking needs. Nonetheless, there are still some devoted users who refuse to loosen their grip on their Logitechs and Mighty Mice.
“The how many buttons does your mouse have poll.” Digital Image. McNeel Forums. August, 2016. March 16, 2017. https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/the-how-many-buttons-has-your-mouse-got-poll/36300/11
The trackpad has quickly grown into its own right as an indispensable piece of technology. Most reviews of Apple’s trackpad specifically have been positive. Comments began with statements about their mice giving them hand cramps, leading some to exposure to RSI or “repetitive stress injuries” [1]. On the other hand, the Magic Trackpad allows users to “relax [their] hand and leave it in an open, natural position for most of the day [2]. Not only that, another user stated that “the angle of the Trackpad” helped to alleviate the discomfort in his wrist after only “a few days” [3]. Besides the comfort of using the Magic Trackpad, users have also commented on its accuracy of selecting and clicking on the screen. One consumer stated that “even the smallest onscreen targets are easy to hit” [4]. With such a large platform for moving the cursor, it would be expected that there could be some lag between one’s motion and the cursor’s position on the screen. However, according to the reviews, the Magic Trackpad does a flawless job. A final benefit expressed in the reviews was the ability to perform additional commands, such as “pinch to zoom and swiping three fingers to go back in a browser” [5]. In this way, the trackpad is not only matching the capabilities of the average computer mouse, but rather doing one better: providing users with even more control of their Graphic User Interface, or GUI.
“The how many buttons does your mouse have poll.” Digital Image. McNeel Forums. August, 2016. March 16, 2017. https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/the-how-many-buttons-has-your-mouse-got-poll/36300/11
After taking these benefits into consideration, it may seem like a mystery why everyone hasn’t abandoned their mice for trackpads. While there are definite advantages to using the trackpad, there are also some downsides that are significant. The first one is the price. At $69, a device should improve their lives in some sort of dramatic way, especially since cost was such a big deal with mouse development from the very beginning. For most people, unless it comes with the machine, the extra investment for an additional device that does the same thing as the complimentary mouse is not worth it. For those purchasing a laptop, the inverse is true: a mouse is seen as an unnecessary frill when they can receive a perfectly good trackpad for free. , a customer reported additional pain caused from using the trackpad versus the mouse. This was because he does “a lot of clicking and dragging” and “holding my thumb down on the trackpad while moving the cursor with [his] index finger usually leads to shooting pain” [6]. A final complaint was that the Magic Trackpad fails miserably when compared to the mouse in gaming ability. One user commented “the Magic Trackpad makes it too hard to jump around and click things very quickly” and finds attempting to play games using the trackpad “downright frustrating”[7].
As co-existing pieces of technology, it is obvious that both devices have pros and cons that keep them in production and valued by loyal consumers. While the mouse nor the trackpad will be able to meet all the needs of every critique, they remain alternatives to one another in a way that harmoniously provides users with greater freedom of choice. It is crucial that, when evaluating the current popularity of certain devices, we inquire what the people who are using them daily think. After all, they will be the ones buying the product and deciding when another is obsolete, slowly creating a movement of rejecting one option and flooding in support for the superior alternative. In the case of the mouse and trackpad, there is no clear superior choice. Only time will tell what is in store for the mouse and its “frenemy” the trackpad.
Footnotes:
- “A Week with the Magic Trackpad: It’s Bye Bye Mouse Forever [Review].” Cult of Mac, August 8, 2010. http://www.cultofmac.com/54210/a-week-with-the-magic-trackpad-bye-bye-mouse-forever-review/.
- Ibid.
- James Kendrick. “One Week With the Magic Trackpad — No Pain,” August 9, 2010. https://gigaom.com/2010/08/09/one-week-with-the-magic-trackpad-no-pain/.
- “A Week with the Magic Trackpad: It’s Bye Bye Mouse Forever [Review].”
- Ibid.
- Apple Magic Trackpad 2 Review: Solid Performer Doesn’t Feel Essential.” Macworld, October 20, 2015. http://www.macworld.com/article/2995044/input-devices/apple-magic-trackpad-2-review-solid-performer-doesnt-feel-essential.html
- James Kendrick. “One Week With the Magic Trackpad — No Pain,”.
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