Preferences
Ever since I got my first laptop in 2003, I've had a love/hate relationship with trackpads. My Thinkpad had a tiny 2/2 square and it was frustrating to get to where I was going on the screen. In short order, I bought a mouse for it, probably because I'd had one with every machine I'd owned, going back to 1991.
A couple of years passed, and the want of a newer machine meant I got a newer laptop in 2005 and that HP had a much nicer trackpad. It was 3x3, and I never realized how much of a difference that would make. The next machine, (the Toshiba that GameTeen now uses) however, had a textured surface and doing schoolwork on it all day meant my index finger hurt if I used the computer too long.
Then I got the Macbook Pro. I loved the multifunctionality and the smooth surface. At one point, someone suggested getting an Apple mouse, but I was firmly in the camp of 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it,' because switching to the Apple way of doing things took no time at all.
Then I got the iMac and it came with a mouse. People rave about these bluetooth mice, that they're easy to use and more ergonomic that the old Windows mice. I agree. They are easier to use and my hand doesn't stiffen up if I'm doing a lot of work for class that involves editing.
Still, due to the neurological quirks that I barely notice, there were occasions where I would inadvertently swipe myself across the screen. Twice last week, I booted myself out of an online quiz I was taking without realizing that my fingers were moving. (Yes, there are issues going on and I will be seeing the neurologist soon.)
Since I have those quirks, I figured I would get a magic trackpad and grabbed one today. There is a noticeable difference in sensitivity in the favor of people like me, who tend to be a little 'twitchy' without realizing it.
While I do like the mouse, it isn't the right fit for me and the work I tend to do. It's funny how in a relatively short amount of time (barely 2 years), you get so used to one way of doing things that you get optional equipment to keep doing things that way.
One more box for the Apple tree...
A couple of years passed, and the want of a newer machine meant I got a newer laptop in 2005 and that HP had a much nicer trackpad. It was 3x3, and I never realized how much of a difference that would make. The next machine, (the Toshiba that GameTeen now uses) however, had a textured surface and doing schoolwork on it all day meant my index finger hurt if I used the computer too long.
Then I got the Macbook Pro. I loved the multifunctionality and the smooth surface. At one point, someone suggested getting an Apple mouse, but I was firmly in the camp of 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it,' because switching to the Apple way of doing things took no time at all.
Then I got the iMac and it came with a mouse. People rave about these bluetooth mice, that they're easy to use and more ergonomic that the old Windows mice. I agree. They are easier to use and my hand doesn't stiffen up if I'm doing a lot of work for class that involves editing.
Still, due to the neurological quirks that I barely notice, there were occasions where I would inadvertently swipe myself across the screen. Twice last week, I booted myself out of an online quiz I was taking without realizing that my fingers were moving. (Yes, there are issues going on and I will be seeing the neurologist soon.)
Since I have those quirks, I figured I would get a magic trackpad and grabbed one today. There is a noticeable difference in sensitivity in the favor of people like me, who tend to be a little 'twitchy' without realizing it.
While I do like the mouse, it isn't the right fit for me and the work I tend to do. It's funny how in a relatively short amount of time (barely 2 years), you get so used to one way of doing things that you get optional equipment to keep doing things that way.
One more box for the Apple tree...
Comments