One- or Two-Button?

One of the most confusing things about a Mac mouse is its lack of physical left and right buttons. Both the Magic Mouse and the Mighty Mouse which preceded it have only one click function, clicking anywhere on the mouse, but it’s possible to set up a secondary or right-click, too.

To enable a right-click, open up Mouse in System Preferences (>System Preferences) and find the Secondary Click setting. On the Magic Mouse, you can set the secondary click to either be on the right, or the left, for left-handed users. To use the right-click function when it’s turned on, perform your click on the right-hand side (or left, if you set it to left) of the mouse.

You can enable two-finger tap secondary clicking in the System Preferences>Trackpad options. Trackpads also have the option of a one-finger secondary click, where you click in the corner of your choice on the trackpad to perform a secondary click instead of using a two-finger tap.

If you uncheck the option for Secondary Click, then to perform a right click, you will need to hold down Control on the keyboard and click with the mouse. Clicking on the left or right-hand side without holding the Control key will perform a left-click.

Scrolling With Inertia

Both the Magic Mouse and trackpads have the option to scroll with inertia. This is the effect you see on the iPhone, where flicking makes the scroll carry on after you let go. The option can be found alongside the checkbox for Scroll, which for mice is under the One Finger heading in the relevant Systems Preferences pane, and for trackpads is under Two Fingers.

You can also turn off scrolling altogether, but that would become tiresome after a while, because it means either using the cursor keys to scroll, or dragging the scrollbar on the right of a window. I imagine you’d be turning scrolling back on fairly soon after turning it off.

Getting a Closer Look

System Preferences (under either Trackpad or Mouse) also offers the option to turn on Screen Zoom for your input device. By holding one of either Control, Option or Command, depending on your choice in the settings, you can then scroll upwards on your device to zoom in on your screen, and scroll down to zoom back out again. This is great for the visually impaired. There are some other options for Screen Zoom which let you change how the screen moves in relation to the cursor, and turn image smoothing while zoomed on or off.

Navigating Using a Mouse or Trackpad

If you use a Magic Mouse or a trackpad, you can turn on swipe to navigate, which lets you go back and forward in your web history, jump between pages in a Preview document, and much more, depending on which application you’re using. On a mouse, you swipe either left or right with two fingers, and for a trackpad it’s three. There are no settings for swipe to navigate; it’s a simple on or off setting.

Trackpad Multitouch

If you own an iPhone or iPad, and you like being able to pinch to zoom, and rotate with two fingers, you’ll be happy to hear that the new glass trackpads on MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs, as well as the Magic Trackpad, support both these multitouch gestures, and a few more. Each gesture can be turned on and off individually, and additional gestures to choose from include swiping up and down with four fingers to access Exposé and the Application Switcher (⌘⇥). These gestures are the best thing about Apple’s Magic Trackpad.

These are just the options which Apple has built-in to Macs by default. With an application like MagicPrefs, you can add even more functionality to your mouse or trackpad such as custom gestures other than the Apple specified ones. If you have any other input device-related tips or tricks, feel free to share in the comments.

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Removed from its minimalistic packaging, a press of the power button and the Magic Trackpad is recognized as a generic mouse by any Bluetooth-enabled Mac, even one running Windows. An update for Boot Camp provides basic mouse actions, but the “magic” of gestures is currently available via software update only for OS X 10.6.4 on Intel Macs—sorry, PowerPC users.

As for hardware, Apple’s industrial design superhero Jonathan Ive no doubt intended for form to follow function. The device is the surface, approximately five by four inches of tactile-pleasing glass.

Flipped upside down, the two rubber feet at the bottom are, in effect, right and left mouse buttons. “Clicking” the corners when the trackpad rests on any hard surface provides tactile feedback. Brilliant.

On its side, the Magic Trackpad is far less than an inch thin, excluding the cylindrical housing for two AA batteries. One end unscrews for battery access, and the other end holds the power button.

If this design seems familiar, it is. The Magic Trackpad is a perfect fit for the Apple Wireless Keyboard, except for one thing. It’s not a mouse.

From Photoshop to StarCraft to Pages, the lack of precision compared to a $5-off mouse a close-out table at Best Buy was constantly irritating. Even when precision was not an issue, like scrolling in a web browser, the Magic Trackpad–any trackpad–will simply not be as smooth as a mouse.

If the comparison seems unfair, it is because the mouse is the device the Magic Trackpad is meant to replace. On a MacBook, the multitouch trackpad is a portability compromise–the best portable input device ever made–but still a compromise. Unfortunately, the Magic Trackpad doesn’t even compare well against a MacBook trackpad.

It’s not the size of the trackpad, but how you use it that matters. The MacBook trackpad is well-integrated in front of the keyboard and as part of the palm rest, allowing for thumb or finger movement, and more importantly two-handed usage.

Who drags a file by clicking with a finger on one hand and dragging with a finger on the other? Not someone using a Magic Trackpad. While you could use a three-finger swipe via preferences, you’d lose the fabulous navigation swipe. As for placing the Magic Trackpad in front of the keyboard, I found the larger size and lack of palm rest integration hindering more than helping. So, what’s the solution?

Besides being the ultimate keyboard in conjunction with a Home Theater Mac, the as-yet-non-existent Magic Keyboard would eliminate the last difference between the laptop and desktop Mac experience in terms of input device. And make no mistake, with seven of 10 Macs sold last quarter being laptops, portability is the future.

“Just as you would on a MacBook,” asserts the blurb on the back of the box regarding the multitouch experience of the Magic Trackpad; however, that’s wrong. While the Magic Trackpad is the next step towards a multitouch future, it’s not there yet, and therefore I cannot recommend it.

But just wait till the Magic Keyboard gets here.

The product was a bluetooth Apple trackpad similar to what is built in to every Apple ntoebook, but would essentially replace the Magic Mouse that currently ships with the Mac mini, Mac Pro and iMac. Some people prefer a mouse but I prefer the trackpad and we all know that Apple makes the best trackpads in the world. If you don’t believe me, visit a Best Buy and try using similar trackpads on currently available PCs and you’ll be amazed at how bad they are.

A Bluetooth trackpad that I’ve eloquently dubbed “MagicPad” (Magic Mouse = Trackpad) would be Apple’s next step into a buttonless world that it so desperately is striving for. The Magic Mouse has fewer buttons than the Mighty Mouse and this would be one button as the entire trackpad is, exactly like we are used to on Apple’s notebooks. It’s a more portable form factor than a mouse and gestures would be standard to the ones that already exist for the today’s trackpad.

I hope this device is real and I hope it ships soon because I really would like a choice between mouse and trackpad and think this small peripheral would be a huge hit. Maybe I’m just dreaming and we’ll never see it because it was a two hour Photoshop job submitted to Engadget the evening before the keynote.

Would you buy a MagicPad? Would it replace your Magic Mouse?

Now, the Bamboo line is getting a much-needed update, and part of that update includes multi-touch gesture support. That’s right, the staunchly stylus-oriented Wacom is releasing touch-enabled devices, available today.

Gradually, Wacom has introduced customizable buttons, scrolls, rockers, and touch strips to make them easier to use without the aid of a keyboard and mouse. And they’ve made great strides. My 12WX has 10 customizable keys and two touch-sensitive scroll strips, all of which result in a much less clumsy drawing experience than I ever had using any of my Graphire tablets. Still, it can’t help but feel somewhat awkward and counter-intuitive.

The new multi-touch controls so closely resemble those already in use on Macs with trackpads that experienced Mac laptop users will likely feel right at home with them. Judging by the promo video, in fact, having a Bamboo with touch could actually completely eliminate the need of using a mouse at all, which represents a massive technical leap for the tablet maker.

Pinch to zoom and spread to expand, two-finger swipe left and right to scroll or move backwards and forwards, two-finger swipe up and down to scroll, and two-finger rotation are all included as usable gestures, and more besides.

The new Bamboo line now includes five distinct products, including one that doesn’t support touch at all, so if you’re thinking about getting one, think carefully about what you want out of the device. Since I already have a drawing tablet, I’m thinking about picking up the Bamboo Touch ($69), which doesn’t allow pen input at all and basically just brings multi-touch to your desktop. Could come in handy for browsing through large photo libraries, for example.

For the same price, you can get the Bamboo Pen, which doesn’t allow finger input at all. Maybe good for digital artists who only need the very basics, or for business people who only use it to digitally sign documents, but I don’t see this one being a hot seller.

The Bamboo ($99), Bamboo Fun ($199), and Bamboo Craft ($129) all offer both pen and multi-touch input. Price differences account for size, mostly, since every device includes the same ExpressKeys and pressure levels sensitivity. If you manage to get your hands on one of these, let us know how the multi-touch experience stacks up. Check out the following video for more info.

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Imagine if this happened to you while you were out at a cafe or are about to give a presentation, and you’ll understand why I was near the brink of insanity. After some investigation,¹ it became clear there was a fundamental design flaw present in the MacBook Pro that was causing the problem. If your MacBook Pro does not have the new unibody design, this design flaw could give you grief sooner or later.

The Symptoms

Your MacBook Pro may exhibit any or all of the following symptoms:

• Upon waking from sleep, the keyboard and trackpad become unresponsive; log entries in OS X’s Console say “IOUSBFamily failed to enumerate a device.”
• Booting up the MacBook Pro and into the login screen with neither keyboard nor trackpad input. The only way to do anything further is to force shutdown of the system by pressing and holding the power button.
• The keyboard is sometimes present at boot, and sometimes isn’t. You can verify this by hitting the Caps Lock key and seeing if its corresponding light lights up or not while you are at the white boot-up screen with the gray Apple logo.
• Plugging in an external keyboard and mouse works, thereby eliminating the possibility that software is at fault.
• While OS X is running, the keyboard and trackpad may become intermittently unresponsive.

The Problem

Prior to going the way of the unibody enclosure, the MacBook Pro sported a design largely carried over from the PowerBook G4. A design trait common to all such MacBook Pro models is that of the battery bay. In this design, the battery bay of the MacBook Pro is located beneath the trackpad, in roughly the middle of the wrist-rest area in front of its keyboard. MacBook Pro models that share this design are:

• 15-inch Early 2006, Intel Core Duo (MA463LL/A, MA464LL/A, MA600LL, or MA601LL)
• 17-inch Early 2006, Intel Core Duo (MA0922LL/A)
• 15-inch Late 2006, Intel Core 2 Duo (MA609LL, or MA610LL)
• 17-inch Late 2006, Intel Core 2 Duo (MA611LL/A)
• 15-inch Mid 2007, Intel Core 2 Duo (MA895LL, MA896LL, MA895LL/A, or MA896LL/A)
• 17-inch Mid 2007, Intel Core 2 Duo (MA897LL/A)
• 15-inch Early 2008, Intel Core 2 Duo (MB133LL/A, or MB134LL/A)
• 17-inch Early 2008, Intel Core 2 Duo (MB166LL/A)

Removing the battery

Remove the battery and you will see the partially exposed circuitry of the trackpad. Notably, you will see a orange ribbon cable that ends in two connections to the trackpad.

Take a closer look at this ribbon cable and you will see that it does not lie completely flat against the floor of the battery bay.

I have my MacBook Pro in a sling bag whenever I’m on the move, placed in such a way that the battery side of the notebook is always against my hip. I suspect that the jostling of the MacBook Pro, specifically its battery, against my body over time has weakened the connection of the ribbon cable to the trackpad.

Replicating the Problem

If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting the symptoms I’ve described above, here’s how to replicate the problem.

Before you proceed, install HardwareGrowler. HardwareGrowler is a subset of Growl that notifies you whenever hardware is disconnected and connected from your Mac. This is extremely useful, as it lets you see, in real time, the keyboard and trackpad disconnect and connect while you troubleshoot.

Once you have HardwareGrowler installed, perform the following steps:

1. Your MacBook Pro should be running. If the keyboard and trackpad are still dead, use an external keyboard and mouse to login. Once you’re in OS X, unplug the external keyboard and mouse.
2. Make sure your MacBook Pro is plugged into AC power.
3. Flip your MacBook Pro over and remove its battery.
4. Then arrange your MacBook Pro so that its screen is flat on a surface and its lower assembly is vertical, 90 degrees to the surface.
5. Arrange yourself so that you can see both the battery bay and the screen of your MacBook Pro.
6. With one finger, press the ribbon cable in the spot just before where it bulges. You may need a couple of tries before you find the exact spot.
7. If you’re pressing the right spot, you should see two HardwareGrowler notifications appear on-screen. The first notification will say ‘USB Disconnection: Apple Internal Keyboard/Trackpad,’ while the second will say ‘USB Connection: Apple Internal Keyboard/Trackpad’.
8. Remove your finger from the ribbon cable. At this point, the keyboard and trackpad may or not remain working.

If this troubleshooting procedure yields the results in Steps #7 and #8, congratulations — you can now be certain that it is a hardware problem, that you are not going insane, and that you have a high-tech problem to which there is, fortunately, a low-tech solution.

The Solution

If the warranty on your MacBook Pro is no longer valid, like mine, don’t worry. Simply take a small piece of paper, such as a Post-It, and fold it in half. Stick it over the spot on the ribbon cable. Then reinstall the removable battery. The battery should exert enough pressure on the piece of paper to keep the ribbon cable working.

If your MacBook Pro is still under warranty, take it to an Apple service center. While Apple has not officially acknowledged that this is a widespread problem, it’s afflicted the machines of many owners, so surely it’s not unknown to them. Demonstrate the steps described above to whomever is helping you as letting him or her see the problem as it happens eliminates the guesswork and may help expedite the time needed for repairs.

The long-term solution is, of course, to have the ribbon cable replaced, because the last thing you want is to have the keyboard and trackpad fail on you when you need to use your MacBook Pro most. In the meantime, you have a temporary fix should you need one.

¹ _{I wish to credit Steve Eugene of Dallas for discovering the cause of the problem as detailed in his post on Apple’s discussion forum.}

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• Using your iPhone as a wireless trackpad — tracking, clicking, two-finger scrolling, two-finger tap, window dragging and screen zoom.
• Separate scrolling mode for easy one-finger scrolling in either linear (iPhone style) or iPod clickwheel-type circular scrolling.
• Separate keyboard mode for entering text.
• Automatic configuration — just install each piece of software and, so long as both devices are on the same network, it just works
• Can also be used in an environment without WiFi by creating an ad hoc network on your Mac.

On the iPhone

Snatch comes in two versions. There is the full featured version for about $8, and Snatch Test, with limited functionality (just single click and tracking). The software is really well designed, and seemed pretty much bug free. I think that a picture can indeed convey a thousand words, so here’s a few pictures of the software in action:

The standard trackpad in action

Scrolling with Two Fingers

The Wireless Keyboard

On Your Desktop

As with many applications which link to your Mac, there is a counterpart desktop application – Snatch Server – which runs in the background to allow your iPhone to connect with a password. It runs in the menu bar, and provides some basic options for configuring the software:

Limitations

Snatch has some great functionality, but there are a few niggles which I’d like to see fixed in future versions.

• No support for three finger or four finger scrolling as offered in the new MacBooks — I’m not sure if this is a limitation of iPhone hardware though
• Tapping with two fingers, if set to perform right click, doesn’t work
• When scrolling, the action is inverted. It would be good to have an option to change this, as it seems a little unnatural.

Limitations aside, this is certainly one of the most useful iPhone applications I’ve had the chance to use. For the price, it provides fantastic functionality, and seems to be improving all the time. I would definitely recommend giving the Snatch Test application a try to see if it’s something you’ll use.

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