Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Productivity, Macbook Pro, MacBook
Dear Apple: stop leaving your early adopters out in the cold
Dan Lurie from The Apple Blog pointed me towards an early MacBook review at Macworld in which Jason Snell points out the new MacBook's ability to right-click when you have two fingers on the trackpad. It's a setting you can toggle in the MacBook's System Preferences, and it apparently also exists on the 17" MacBook Pro (and possibly on the revamped 15" models; reports pending).But not on the 15" MacBook Pro that I bought three weeks ago.
Dear Apple: please stop leaving your early adopters out in the cold. I realize you're a company whose purpose is to make money. That's fine, in fact: I can't think of many other companies I'm happier to give my money to. That said, tiny new features like this which you aren't even bragging about on your product sites obviously aren't crucial selling points designed to sell X many more MacBooks and 17" MacBook Pros. They're small but important innovations that all MacBooks to date should have, especially when you consider the fact that right-clicking on a Mac has been a topic of geek controversy since someone first took a side on the Mac vs. PC debate.
Apple, if you're listening (of course, you aren't), please give your early-adopting MacBook Pro buyers (what I'm hoping is) a simple software update so they can right-click with the rest of their MacBook brethren.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Samuel McConnell said 10:07AM on 5-17-2006
This really doesn't matter to me unless they release that update for their Windows trackpad driver. Not being able to right-click in Windows is crippling.
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Rolphus said 10:10AM on 5-17-2006
I find it impossible to believe that this can't be enabled with a simple software or firmware change on any two-finger-scrolling trackpad. My 15" High-res PowerBook should be perfectly capable of this trick, and in fact, I'm sure someone could write an HID driver that can do it. I might even look at the specs tonight and see if it's possible.
It's a great idea, and it doesn't sound like it could conceivably be hard to implement.
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Quang Minh said 10:15AM on 5-17-2006
Agree with you, Apple shouldn't release their stuff too soon, or at least should give some upgrade to customers who bought early like us. My MBP 15' 2 months old has whine, and no Right Click at all :(
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John Sheffer said 10:18AM on 5-17-2006
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. I, too, am disappointed with how early adopters are often left out and/or ignored by Apple. I am going to reconsider being an early adopter unless Apple can provide us with the software updates that give us the same features as others. I spent a great deal of money on my 15" MacBook Pro and would love to be able to right click on the trackpad. Now, someone with a cheaper MacBook who likely does not use it for professional applications has a better featured laptop than I do. I'm upset with Apple; it did the same thing to me with the iMac last year then released the Intel iMac within months.
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Steve said 10:18AM on 5-17-2006
Call me crazy, but I'm SURE all of these macbooks & macbook pros DO have two button track pads, but they're just not enabled. I have a strong feeling this will be enabled with a future software update or in Leopard. Three reasons for this:
1. Look how much wider the trackpad is on the new macbooks & macbook pros, seems like there is a button under each end of the bar
2. Boot Camp... Apple says this will be built in to Leopard. If the're going to be somewhat supporting Windows, they'll need to have a right mouse button
3. Mighty Mouse. New macs (iMacs) that ship with mice are now shipping with the mighty mouse (two button)
I think it's obvious that apple will be FULLY supporting two button trackpads on laptops soon
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Paul said 10:23AM on 5-17-2006
Hold on, were on Apples product page does it say the track pad is a two button track pad?
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Alex said 10:23AM on 5-17-2006
Stop moaning and whining. Give Apple at least a chance to release the next OS X update. If you don't get what you want it is still early enough to cry.
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John Laur said 10:27AM on 5-17-2006
Or stop whining and buy a copy of SideTrack. My one button trackpad is now a five button monster complete with horizontal and vertical scrolling. Admittedly, there isn't a MacBook version yet but he's working on it!
I would be very interested if someone ever comes up with a bolt-in two or three (or more) button replacement for the stock trackpad's massive button. I wonder if the connector on the mainboard actually has pins for this...
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nalilord said 10:28AM on 5-17-2006
I have a PowerBook G4 FW800, and well, after I've read this article, i tried this clicking with two-fingers on touchpad and... it worked! It acts as a right mouse button click.
Maybe it's because i have iScroll 2.0 installed..
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Lucian said 10:32AM on 5-17-2006
PS. Please fix all of the problems with the rev A's....They suck. And burn. And turn off. And the balloon doesn't seem to go away.
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phlyingpenguin said 10:37AM on 5-17-2006
The argument that something like a software change should be supported throught seems good, but this is a pretty shortsighted post. The apple I bought two years ago doesn't support this functionality either. In fact, it doesn't support scrolling at all. I still have scrolling though. Odd isn't it? iScroll2 has been around for quite a while enabling those of us who have non-scrolling trackpads (but trackpads that *could* support it technically) for quite a while. Not only that, I've been able to hold two fingers down and click for my right click since iScroll2 came out. Whowzorz. iScroll isnt made for newer machines, but my point is that the scheming Mac user need not be left in the dust.
The same thing happened for FrontRow too, if anybody remembers back to G4 machines when we didn't have remotes and cameras. Also a wonderful hack that I employ on my PowerBook. Big whoop.
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Micah Acinapura said 10:58AM on 5-17-2006
Samuel McConnell, you can right click in windows with this small program called apple mouse. I think this is the link: http://www.geocities.com/pronto4u/applemouse.html
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Steven Wagoner said 11:00AM on 5-17-2006
I'm sorry, but I couldn't disagree more. If you bought a Toshiba laptop last week and Sony came out with one this week that was exactly the same but with a webcam you wouldn't complain. In the computer world new computers come out on a regular basis with new features and upgrades. If Apple didn't do this they would get left behind. PC users learned a long time ago that they need to be happy with a computer and its capabilities when they buy it, because the world moves on and Dell won't send you a disk that unlocks new and extra features. Maybe it's time that Apple users started to realize this as well. Be happy with what you have and realize that your 6 month old Mac is as obsolete as a 6 month old PC.
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AJB said 11:01AM on 5-17-2006
Dear David:
Suck it up. In any first-generation product, the technology is unproven. Technology matures over time, and, generally speaking, products add features. It is the trend of most PC makers to add features to their computers as the technology is developed. This trend is spreading to other industries, which have traditionally been "slower" in changing their products; for example, automobile manufacturers no longer wait until a new model year to introduce upgrades, but will often change available features when new technology is available.
Apple has generally avoided incremental upgrades by releasing new products every few months; this prolongs the life of their existing products, and keeps the product lines distinct. You knew what you were getting when you bought the MacBook Pro. Unless you live in a cave, you should expect your laptop to be outdated (not obsolete, but not containing the most cutting edge features) right after you buy it.
In closing, I repeat: suck it up. Stick to news postings, and skip the editorials.
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james gross said 11:01AM on 5-17-2006
My MBP is on my lap right now and burning a hole in my jeans. The 2.0 is no where near the benchmark speeds they promised and now I can could have got the 2.16 for the same price.
I wont make the mistake of buying one so soon next time. In the end it will only hurt Apple and it's shareholders.
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wastern said 11:03AM on 5-17-2006
i wish my macbook pro's mouse button worked like the mighty mouse. it would look like 1 button but know which side you were pressing so it could left click....please make is so with a firmware update so it will work in OS X and Windows
yeah, its something that needs to be built-into the hardware, but i can hope they did and just hid it
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Wheels said 11:03AM on 5-17-2006
Dear David and your fellow apple community,
Stop your effing whining. Life is not inherently fair. This falls under the case of tough luck. Computers and the technology within them often changes, often within months. It has been well warned, on this blog and on other sites, not to buy Rev. A products. If you did not heed that warning, it's not Apple's fault, they do not have to coddle you unless your product is defective or broken, and we should not have to read your inane whining.
Let the buyer beware. Never be the first to try or the last to buy.
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Daniel Koeppel said 11:04AM on 5-17-2006
Early Adopter. If you know what the term means, then you know the risks it entails - missing features are the least of it. Bad design, bugs, mechanical issues are all part of the implicit bargan you make when you buy the first version of anything. By this time, everybody is aware that no high-tech company releases product without making (often substantial) 1.1 changes.
I know. I bought a MacBook on day two. Would I like it if Apple added missing features? Absolutely. Do I think they're mistreating me if they don't? No. I bought what I bought, and as long as it isn't defective, Apple owes me nothing.
Just my opinion.
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Mark said 11:19AM on 5-17-2006
if you hold down the trackbook button for a second or so it brings up the context menu, ie same as right hand click.
I have MacBook Pro 15.4", with the first three "tracball gestures" options all ticked in the trackball preferences pane.
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Bubbler said 11:22AM on 5-17-2006
Translation of this blog entry into English:
NO FAIR! I want Apple to stop all innovation the instant that I buy a computer so nobody can ever have anything better than I have!
How self-centered can you possibly be?
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