Why The Trackpad Is Destroying The Mouse

What feels more natural to you when you're using a computer? A trackpad or a mouse?

If you said mouse, then perhaps you're not thinking about the 'right' sort of trackpad. To rephrase that question: What feels more natural to you; using a mouse and a keyboard, or using a tablet device?

The answer, from most people, would probably be that they prefer a tablet device or trackpad over a mouse. But why? It's important to consider what a person does to interact with content on a screen when it involves either pointing a cursor, or directly touching it. With a mouse, the user's whole hand is clumsily dragging across a surface to convey what they want to do on-screen. However, with a trackpad, it is possible to glide a finger over the surface of the trackpad and do whatever you need to do on-screen. Of course, perhaps ironically, you never really eradicate a cursor with a trackpad (like you do with a tablet), although it still feels much easier, more direct and also more immersive.

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Gestures are also forming a huge part of what trackpads are being used for today, and slowly giving them the edge over a conventional mouse. It's true that everything on the page is literally at your fingertips with a trackpad, and that a mouse presents you with the task of managing lots of buttons and hand movement.

Instead of using a button to right click on a mouse, you can tap with two fingers on a trackpad. Apple's technology, especially, is starting to bring a multitude of gestures to the consumer computing experience: not only making computing easier, but far more enjoyable. For example, if you're having to move between lots of pages whilst browsing the web (on a PC), you may have to use a mouse and either point to click on the browser's 'back a page' button, or use a hardware button. With OS X Lion, and a trackpad, all it takes is a swipe to the left or right, with two fingers, to move a page backwards or forwards.

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That example is one of many that can change the way someone uses a computer, and improves it in almost every way. Of course, there are going to be hardcore gamers or designers who require a mouse's response over a trackpad, but there are far fewer reasons NOT to use a trackpad than ever before, especially if you're using a Mac.

Windows users are seeing gesture advancements with their trackpad too, although seemingly not as fast as Mac users. Many Mac desktops are now being configured with a 'Magic Trackpad' instead of a mouse. What this shows is a trend towards using the trackpad as a replacement for the mouse, and its use rapidly declining, in favor of gesture-based control that can ultimately lead to a greater experience.

What may seem as an already great time to be using computer operating systems, it's continually getting better with hardware changes to suit. Such changes are as innovative as the software updates themselves; changing how consumers see computers, and how they can fit into their lifestyles. Not only is the trackpad becoming more fashionable, but it's also improving the user experience when it comes to day-to-day computing, and even pushing the mouse further and further away.

 



 

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