# Got a Macbook Air. First Mac. Touchpad is awesome. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829 "2011-01-16T16:35:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/21 "2011-01-18T06:55:22Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I like the MacBook Air, but I hate, hate, hate the new trackpads. If I had a nickel for every time it’s interpreted a click and drag operation as a pinch zoom I could pay for a new wireless mouse. Is there a sensitivity level adjustment that might help this? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/22 "2011-01-18T08:49:12Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I like the MacBook Air, but I hate, hate, hate the new trackpads. If I had a nickel for every time it’s interpreted a click and drag operation as a pinch zoom I could pay for a new wireless mouse. Yeah I haven’t had this, but I tend to click and drag with both hands, the left clicking in the bottom left corner of the trackpad which is purposely excluded from gesture detection, and the right doing the dragging. In this way it is quite possible to use the pad as a traditional track pad with mouse buttons. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/23 "2011-01-18T11:21:43Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Wife was wanting me to leave the Ipad for her to use on the tread mill too. I hate you! And your wife! Why do you give me ideas, I’m not supposed to buy any new computer-like items this year! _grabs herself to keep herself from running in search of an iPad to use on the static bycicle_ ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/24 "2011-01-18T14:05:25Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Really? I haven’t experience that once. Weird. It’s been a known issue since the “no button” trackpads first came out: [Here](http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1882922) and [Here](http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2432424) are two discussions about it on Apple’s forums. There’s also the fact that if your thumb moves a bit while clicking, you can accidentally move the pointer from where you wanted to click. I deal with it by using a mouse most of the time and disabling the trackpad when the mouse is plugged in. (That option has been moved to Universal Access–apparently to make it harder to find.) ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/25 "2011-01-18T14:10:09Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > I’m seriously considering this for when I get my tax refund, I still get a student discount (which only takes off about $50, but hey). I travel a lot so I would only be worried that although it looks very light and thin, it it would hold up to a beating very well. Any insight on this? Slightly different model, but my MacBook Pro has been banged around in my backpack all last semester, dropped, had beer spilled on it, and it still looks and acts the same as the day I got it. Don’t be fooled… they’re tough little machines. And **Cubsfan** , I’m totally with you on the touchpad. Genius! And it was amazing how quickly you get used to it… I felt like I knew how to use it my whole life. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/26 "2011-01-18T16:30:02Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Someday someone will code some Multi-testes gestures for it. 😃 The movement to “zoom in” is the most difficult to master. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/27 "2011-01-18T19:27:18Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > It’s been a known issue since the “no button” trackpads first came out: > > [Here](http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1882922) and [Here](http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2432424) are two discussions about it on Apple’s forums. > > There’s also the fact that if your thumb moves a bit while clicking, you can accidentally move the pointer from where you wanted to click. I deal with it by using a mouse most of the time and disabling the trackpad when the mouse is plugged in. (That option has been moved to Universal Access–apparently to make it harder to find.) Why don’t you just turn off pinch zoom entirely? I don’t mean to be a Mac apologist… I can see how anyone could feel they ought be be able to use both gestures and not have the device mistake your intent. But from a practicality point of view, since your solution has been to avoid using the trackpad as much as possible, it seems like a reasonable middle ground. I know there was a gesture I turned off because it annoyed me. I couldn`t even tell you what it was or exactly why it was annoying me. …Oh, it was drag. Maybe I had the exact same problem as you once and solved the problem by turning off the offending gesture. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/28 "2011-01-18T22:09:37Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > It’s been a known issue since the “no button” trackpads first came out: > > [Here](http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1882922) and [Here](http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2432424) are two discussions about it on Apple’s forums. > > There’s also the fact that if your thumb moves a bit while clicking, you can accidentally move the pointer from where you wanted to click. I deal with it by using a mouse most of the time and disabling the trackpad when the mouse is plugged in. (That option has been moved to Universal Access–apparently to make it harder to find.) It must depend a lot on your natural hand position when using the track pad. For example my thumb gets nowhere near the track pad, the only thing touching the pad is my finger. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/29 "2011-01-18T23:48:21Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > I like the MacBook Air, but I hate, hate, hate the new trackpads. If I had a nickel for every time it’s interpreted a click and drag operation as a pinch zoom I could pay for a new wireless mouse. What software are you using where “click and drag” and “pinch to zoom” are both reasonable things to do? I know your pain from using the Cr-48 that has really atrocious click/drag handling, but I’ve never encountered it on my macbook. I wonder if I have pinch to zoom turned off and didn’t realize it. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/30 "2011-01-19T01:00:17Z")
in theory, iPhoto, but I sure don’t use it. I’ve never had any unintentional trackpad behavior, either. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/31 "2011-01-30T16:36:55Z")
I’m bumping this because I just got a MacBook Air too, 13", and it is pretty damn cool. This is my first Mac computer, though I have had the iphone for a couple years now. I am really loving this computer. There are a few things that it left off for space considerations, like a cd drive and an ethernet port, but I can’t remember the last time I popped a cd into my laptop anyway. Most drivers are available online. I bought an external superdrive for it just in case though. I have to say, this thread went a long way towards convincing me to take the plunge, and I’m glad I did! ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829/32 "2011-01-30T16:46:56Z")
I also wanted to second the request for anybody’s favorite apps at the app store, and share a really cool sleeve I found for it: [voila! Inter-office envelope!](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FR4ZP8/ref=ox_ya_os_product) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-macbook-air-first-mac-touchpad-is-awesome/567829.md?page=1)