HN Explorer

Why are PC laptop touchpads so terrible?

10 points by pkamb ↗ HN
Specifically, why are they all only two buttons? 'PC' mice have always handily beaten Apple mice by cramming as many buttons, scroll wheels, and thumb switches as possible onto the things. Why doesn't this happen at all on laptops?

13 comments

[ 1.9 ms ] story [ 39.6 ms ] thread
maushu
I believe it's because most laptop vendors (besides Apple) think of touchpads as a "backup". Meaning that you are supposed to use a mouse and only use a touchpad when you have no option.
pkamb
Yes, this is probably very true. I wonder what the actual usage statistics are?
Terretta
Centimeters away, you have over a hundred buttons.
emrahyalaz
I always wondered why are they so small? why aren't they wider, the width of almost the entire laptop? That would be so much easier to calibrate to touch.
guynamedloren
That's actually a really good idea. I'm envisioning Macbook Pros with touchpads that are seamlessly integrated into the laptop body, spanning the entire width just below the keyboard. You could use two hands and it'd almost have iPad functionality.

Edit: Actually, it looks like this is almost what the MagicTrackpad is, just not quite as wide as it could be. http://www.apple.com/magictrackpad/

emrahyalaz
I agree, I've been thinking about it more and more about two hands. How would I go about following through though? I'm new to SF and having a hard time finding a really bright tehcnical co-founder for a start-up site.
sandipagr
My thinkpad technically has 3 buttons (just for the record). I think the user experience would suck (for me at least). With mouse, I use my index finger and middle finger for left and right buttons so my thumb is free. But with laptop, I use my thumb to press both left right buttons. I don't think I would want to use my middle/index finger to press any touchpad buttons except the touchpad itself.
pkamb
I also have a Thinkpad, and I think they solve this quite nicely. You can clearly differentiate between the 3 buttons due to how '3D' and sculpted each button is. None of the buttons feel the same to the thumb. (At least for the Trackpoint buttons. The touchpad buttons are as terrible as any other laptop manufacturer).
pkamb
And on a side note, Thinkpads are the reason I started this thread. I'd never buy another brand of PC laptop, and I realized that's entirely because of a $.10 middle buttton and a $.50 Trackpoint. Seems insane that PC laptop manufacturers aren't differentiating themselves with extra buttons, scroll wheels, etc... they all use the exact same tiny touchpads and 2 smooth, shitty buttons.
emrahyalaz
You nailed it. I always wondered how come somebody like Dell never wised up to the trackpoint and middle button. I'm wondering whether they have some sort of exclusive patent on design.
miniatureape
I'm more or less happy on a Mac when I use one, but the thinkpad keyboard is actually one of the biggest reasons I use linux. I can't give up the trackpoint.
dstein
I don't know. But after using a MBP touchpad and now the external one they started selling a while ago, I quite simply will never be physically able switch to a PC ever again.