We're normally fans of "quirky," but there's nothing more frustrating than a quirky clicking experience, as has been reported by many of the ungrateful bastages who've snapped up the new MacBook and MacBook Pros since launch. The primary reported problem was with certain physical clicks not registering on that schmancy new glass trackpad, no small annoyance. Earlier this week an email from a disgruntled user to Mr. Customer Support himself, Steve Jobs, was responded to by a call from Apple's customer relations saying that they were "researching" the issue, and a couple days later a similar request from another user was met with a terse email from Steve: "Software fix coming soon." Of course, these conversations could all be the delusional fantasies of click-addled attention hounds, but we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that Apple does in fact have a fix in the works for this problem. So, while they toss that presumed update together, how has the new trackpad been treating you?
posted Nov 5th 2008 1:33PM
Interesting how majority havnt even used it yet.
Probably has something to do with no one being able to justify paying for it.
Been using a macbook for a week now and have to say that I've never noticed this problem at all.
Not really. That just means most Engadget readers don't have the new MacBook. I'd be surprised if the last option didn't receive the vast majority of votes.
Why not just add a view results link to all of the polls?
Poolie Girl just failed to mention she's using an external mizouse as well.
I've had mine since launch, haven't noticed anything weird like this, mine does have the slanted keys thing though.
@ Dan
"Slanted keys"? Racist!!!!
As of right now, 63% haven't used it while 37% have an opinion on it. Having 37% of all Engadget readers owning, not just a Mac, but a new MB or MBP would be huge.
this thread needs more fanboy.
@bender
To have used one doesnt mean that you own it. Ive played with one at the apple store and set up my sisters wifi and stuff on hers. I dont and probably wont ever own a mac.
Sorry, i only ever use a light tap to click anyways... so i don't even activate the button. Wouldn't know :P
Wait, so you're saying it doesn't work eh? I guess with these results they'd have to rethink their day dreams of a keyboardless macbook...
don't go giving steve-o any ideas... pretty soon he'll be teaming with ed begley to make macbooks powered by your own sense of self-satisfaction.
...Or powered by their own sense of self-importance. I can't believe mac is even pretending to care about what their overly loyal customers want or need...
Pfft, would never do that, the incredible surge of power would blow the damn thing up.
I'm having the problem, and it's much, MUCH worse than just a few missed clicks. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm losing my mind, but it's close. Hurry up, Steve.
is it in a particular app or system wide? I have had mine for over a week and I've not encountered this issue at all...
I have the some problems and was experimenting turning off - tap to click
but still found it inconsistent then realized that I think I know what I'm doing wrong.
(I'm right handed) I tend to use the pointer finger on my right hand to do the pointing
and sometimes tap to click or click/drags, but I'll also use the thumb on my left hand to do clicking..... now sometimes I will rest my thumb on the trackpad and I think that's where
things go wrong.
I know that today I woke my macbook from sleep and tap to click wasn't working
I went into settings and turned it off and then back on and tap to click was working ok
.... I'm not sure what's causing it but things are going ok, I thought it was ME.
I like the other features like app switching with a swipe and expose with similar swipes.
..... I feel like John King on election night swiping and sweeping.
The real new trackpad problems are with the Windows driver under Boot Camp - christ did Apple ever 'phone it in' on that one.
Its so bad I actually think it was to deliberately make Windows unusable.
-The cursor will often relocate itself when editing text, especially in web textfields.
-Right-clicking cannot be done with a 2-finger tap, but instead can only be accomplished with a THREE-finger physical click (!!)
-As a result of the right-click issue, right-click dragging (like when you want to copy rather than move or vice versa) is just not doable.
-Highlighting text while editing is impossible, as highlighted text becomes un-highlighted when you remove your finger from the trackpad.
There are two big raging threads on the apple forums, and we have all submitted feedback to apple on it, but when anyone ever actually speaks to an Apple rep about it, they swear its the first time they have heard anyone complain about it.
Its infuriating.
I haven't set up boot camp, but I have no problem at all in XP under Fusion
this may seem dumb, but how do you highlight text with the new trackpad?
To highlight text - click at the beginning of the text, then go to the end of the text and shift+click. (Or you can hold the click down and drag which is a pita really.
I dont think many ppl really own this product here. maybe apple fans like those on slashdot would consider this a feature, the patch an enhancement to the feature.
Funny, considering those claiming unbearable problems managed to hit the vote button...
I am on my 17" MBP at work... on my Macbook at home i probably would have given up trying to get to this page let-alone click the survey...LOL
Nice one, dumbass. I had to soft-click to vote on the survey
I'm glad that the poll does not have stupid options! While the 'I haven't tried it, just want to see the results out of morbid curiosity.' options should have been 'I don't own a new Macbook/Macbook pro' thanks engadget, now the statistician in me can look at this poll and not cringe with all of the stupid options that are normally added.
Spend less money on marketing apple and more money on fixing your f'n problems.
They've decided to have a bake sale. Then they'd have enough money for both.
Justin Long at a table with piles of cash on it.
MAC: "I'm sorting out my finances. Mock Vista, mock Vista, mock Vista... fix launch problems. Mock Vista, mock Vista, mock Vista"
PC: "It seems everything you've launched this year has had problems."
MAC: "You're right - I'd better put it all into mocking Vista"
Not alot of originality on the Windows team, is there? ;)
Nah.
Notice it at an apple store display Macbook too, when asked the guy if that was a common issue he changed the subject after clicking it really hard, of course, it worked that way. lol.
If pressing harder fixes it then it's probably not a patchable software issue (unless the signal is analog, which is almost unimaginable for a physical click). Do most of the people with the issue find that clicking harder works?
Clicking harder doesn't work for me...
I have a Macbook and it's ANNOYING. the click truly doesn't work all the time and sometimes registers as a right click or "Highlight". It's pretty random. I use the light tap now but would like it fixed.
"ungrateful bastages..."
You shouldn't have done that to me Jobsy. My mother did that to me once....only once.
Loving it! Can't go back to those tiny non-multi-touch PC trackpads.
Why don't you just activate tap to click and screw the annoying clicking trackpad? I thought it was pretty stupid that they made it click like that anyway, tapping is so much more hip.
As a Mac fanboy I can say that the clicknessity of the trackpad truly sucks donkey balls. I love the idea of no buttons, and I frikkin' love the multi-finger gestures to death, but when the hit-and-miss physical click does the "miss" thing, I want to pull my hair out. The only reason I haven't taken it back to get it replaced is because it appears to be a software/firmware issue.
Please fix, A-effing-SAP. Thanks.
This is news?
I've had my macbook for just over a week now.
my trackpad has this problem and it is really frustrating.
it only seems to happen when i have my thumb resting towards the side of the trackpad...about an inch in to the trackpad. no clicks seem to register the first couple of times.
other than that though it is outstanding.
If they can patch the lack of firewire I'll buy one with a buggy clicker.
I think there issue mainly because of the way users are using the new pad.
If you are use to having your thumb on the button and moving with your index finger this can
have some unseen problems. You may just want to use your index finger for everything. It does
become a pain when you want to click and drag but most of your problems will go away.
Advertising, advertising, advertising, fix Macbooks..... Sounds familiar now, doesn't it.
My morbid curiosity got the best of me so I wandered over to the campus store and poked at the new crApple. Sho'nuff I could duplicate the complaint, albeit with some lazy fingering. What appears to be happening is when there is a large single finger contact area on the pad, it disregards the mechanical click. I was able to duplicate this by laying my finger down on the pad rather than stabbing at it with the tip. Considering I have fat fingers ( I can just press a single key on an Asus eee 1000 series) I can't imagine many people having a problem with it. On the flip side, this obscure detail is obliterated by there being a second mouse "button" available. Congratulations, Apple users, you have graduated to the world of two mouse buttons!
"Congratulations, Apple users, you have graduated to the world of two mouse buttons!"
...You know the Rams moved to St. Louis too?
I hope they fix the other "clicky" issue where the hard drive head parks very often due to a overly sensitive sudden motion sensor.
Ive had to disable the sms just so I can move the laptop or even have it on my lap without it constantly clicking and possibly damaging the hard drive.
Speaking of curiosity, how much of human factor testing goes into Apple products? They like keeping their cards close to their chest, so does that mean their testing is not as thorough as other h/w manufacturers may be? *not a flame attempt, just asking if someone knows*
I havent noticed any problems with the new trackpad as regards to clicking, but the two finger right click sometimes doesnt register.
All Apple fans, repeat after me:
IT JUST WORKS!
Try this solution
"Bertrand Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
A little update on what I said…
If fact I was wrong on the cause. I discovered, for my case at least, that it’s related to the rate I use between two click. If I click too fast between two clicks, it don’t work… And the workarounds I told you before worked because it artificially increased the delay between two click (as I had to remove all my fingers between two clicks).
Then; I told myself: “In that case it may be because it register my actions as double clicks?!”
So I increased the speed rate needed to get a double click registered at three steps before max… And guess what? Now it work just as I expect it to.
So it seems that the real cause is the default double click speed rate that seems a little too slow and double clicks get registered too easily.
I suggest that you play with the double click speed rate settings to find a settings that better suits your clicking habits
So at least in my case it was purely software… I hope for you that it’s also the same in your case, as otherwise it would maybe significate that there is a defect in your MacBooks particularly; that I don’t have personally."
I got my Macbook 13" two days after the release. I don't have any of the problems described in the article. I already love the multitouch gestures so much, that alone would be a reason never to switch back (it's my first Mac).
HOWEVER, my battery cover is a little loose, and by little loose I mean in the area of half a millimeter. I wouldn't bother because I can't see it, BUT whenever I tap on the track pad or anywhere near, the battery cover makes this clattering noise that's driving me crazy.
I read of other people having the same problem on macforums.com so I went back to the store to get it replaced. The Apple employee took 2 or 3 brand new macbooks out of their boxes and they had the same problem. So he didn't replace it as the new machines wouldn't fix my problem.
Is there anybody else who's got this problem with the loose battery cover?
I haven't had any missed clicks, but anyone else notice how loud the click is now? When I'm working in a quiet room (say, a library), the physical clicks are downright annoying. THUNK-WHUP. I switched to using soundless finger taps, but when I need to drag and drop, the click is needed.
"bastages". Nice.
Fargin' Eysholes!
It's fargin' war!
I'm done now.
MB/MBP Rev.B "new features":
- Improved trackpad
- Improved MacBook display on all configurations
- maybe a new "premium" MB with a P9500, 4GB RAM & cinema display at $1699 ($100 price reduction on current configurations)
- Better QC
- Matte option (maybe)
- MacBook with FW800 (dreaming)
It usually does make sense to wait for rev. B of any new design. I would expect things to improve early next year. As for the early adopters, maybe a software patch will help...maybe.
Here's a fix for the loud trackpad in the new MacBook Pro's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2meyH6SF-oE&fmt=18
How about glass/glossy vs matte screens poll?
My dell laptop has a clicking problem but there's no apple badge on it...
I love how Engadget reports this issue by saying Apple is (probably) working on a patch for a mysterious clicking issue, while if it were any other manufacturer the headline would be "(manufacturer) goes cheap with testing and design, working at a snail's pace to fix mistake"
And for the people who said just switch to using a tap instead of actual click: You shouldn't have to modify your behavior to circumvent the company's error. If this were a $200 Ookoolu laptop, I'd say "well that's what u get." But at the price Mac charges, it should work!
Had the new MacBook since launch day. No problems here.......
I have had many problems with my new macbook pro...
Yeah the clicks are not registering every so often... even the soft touch single clicks..
But the main problem is the rare--- well actually 4 -5 times an hour of use the curser doesn't move at all until i remove my finger and place right back on the pad..
and no.. my palm or extra fingers arn't confusing it thinking i'm trying to to a two finger gesture..
The apple store already replaced my macbook.. and it's still doing the same thing..
I have 5 videos if anyone wants me to post them ..
Whut!! Geez guys... just enable tap-to-click and be done with clicking. Clicking exerts too much energy, when tapping alone is so much easier to do! Loving the new trackpad .. very frustrating for me everytime I have to switch back to any other notebook(dell,etc).
I experience a problem often when trying to use right-click functionality. It will just treat it like a left click, so I have to do it a couple of more times in order to get the right click menu. Annoying.
hmmm What is that misterious clicking issue ?
Snape snape, severus snape....