Apple (probably) prepping a patch for mysterious clicking issue on new MacBooks

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?

How's that new glass trackpad?

Loving it, no complaints at all.I miss the button, but haven't had any glitches.Physical clicking is hit or miss, update please!It's worse than just a few missed physical clicks, losing my mind over here.I haven't tried it, just want to see the results out of morbid curiosity.Vote

[y3k.nik @ Nov 5th 2008 1:41PM]

Interesting how majority havnt even used it yet.

[MediumSizedRob @ Nov 5th 2008 1:45PM]

Probably has something to do with no one being able to justify paying for it.

[Poolie Girl @ Nov 5th 2008 1:45PM]

Been using a macbook for a week now and have to say that I've never noticed this problem at all.

[Matt @ Nov 5th 2008 1:50PM]

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?

[Boarderwoot @ Nov 5th 2008 1:55PM]

Poolie Girl just failed to mention she's using an external mizouse as well.

[Dan @ Nov 5th 2008 2:01PM]

I've had mine since launch, haven't noticed anything weird like this, mine does have the slanted keys thing though.

[DirtyVegas @ Nov 5th 2008 2:10PM]

@ Dan

"Slanted keys"? Racist!!!!

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Nov 5th 2008 2:23PM]

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.

[Matthew Hilario @ Nov 5th 2008 4:53PM]

this thread needs more fanboy.

[James @ Nov 5th 2008 5:23PM]

@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.

[paragraph @ Nov 5th 2008 1:42PM]

Sorry, i only ever use a light tap to click anyways... so i don't even activate the button. Wouldn't know :P

[Boarderwoot @ Nov 5th 2008 1:44PM]

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...

[konshuss @ Nov 5th 2008 1:49PM]

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.

[ajfarson @ Nov 5th 2008 2:12PM]

...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...

[Valicore @ Nov 5th 2008 7:31PM]

Pfft, would never do that, the incredible surge of power would blow the damn thing up.

[Kevin @ Nov 5th 2008 1:46PM]

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.

[CraigJ @ Nov 5th 2008 2:51PM]

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...

[ropeburn @ Nov 5th 2008 4:57PM]

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.

[Seth Brundle @ Nov 5th 2008 10:57PM]

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.

[CraigJ @ Nov 5th 2008 11:49PM]

I haven't set up boot camp, but I have no problem at all in XP under Fusion

[atrain2787 @ Nov 6th 2008 1:44AM]

this may seem dumb, but how do you highlight text with the new trackpad?

[fxstb2002 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:41AM]

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.

[htd @ Nov 5th 2008 1:47PM]

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.

[Jinto @ Nov 5th 2008 1:49PM]

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.

[howarchaic @ Nov 5th 2008 1:49PM]

Funny, considering those claiming unbearable problems managed to hit the vote button...

[frank Da Tank @ Nov 5th 2008 2:04PM]

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

[John D @ Nov 6th 2008 8:45PM]

Nice one, dumbass. I had to soft-click to vote on the survey

[Knives_Out @ Nov 5th 2008 1:50PM]

Spend less money on marketing apple and more money on fixing your f'n problems.

[Boarderwoot @ Nov 5th 2008 1:56PM]

They've decided to have a bake sale. Then they'd have enough money for both.

[Decoy @ Nov 5th 2008 4:17PM]

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"

[mike @ Nov 5th 2008 6:40PM]

Not alot of originality on the Windows team, is there? ;)

[Decoy @ Nov 5th 2008 6:58PM]

Nah.

[Cibercat @ Nov 5th 2008 1:52PM]

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.

[JR @ Nov 5th 2008 2:12PM]

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?

[frank Da Tank @ Nov 5th 2008 2:16PM]

Clicking harder doesn't work for me...

[frank Da Tank @ Nov 5th 2008 2:01PM]

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.

[roman @ Nov 5th 2008 2:07PM]

Loving it! Can't go back to those tiny non-multi-touch PC trackpads.

[bevo4138 @ Nov 5th 2008 2:07PM]

"ungrateful bastages..."

You shouldn't have done that to me Jobsy. My mother did that to me once....only once.

[Justin Paulson @ Nov 5th 2008 2:09PM]

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.

[Dominic Cordisco @ Nov 5th 2008 2:15PM]

This is news?

[Francis @ Nov 5th 2008 2:19PM]

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.

[Enduro @ Nov 5th 2008 2:20PM]

If they can patch the lack of firewire I'll buy one with a buggy clicker.

[rawhead @ Nov 5th 2008 2:28PM]

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.

[Myootnt @ Nov 5th 2008 3:17PM]

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!

[ill trooper @ Nov 5th 2008 4:18PM]

"Congratulations, Apple users, you have graduated to the world of two mouse buttons!"

...You know the Rams moved to St. Louis too?

[Destos @ Nov 5th 2008 3:19PM]

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.

[Paul @ Nov 5th 2008 3:27PM]

Advertising, advertising, advertising, fix Macbooks..... Sounds familiar now, doesn't it.

[DirtyVegas @ Nov 5th 2008 3:28PM]

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*

[Tom @ Nov 5th 2008 4:26PM]

I havent noticed any problems with the new trackpad as regards to clicking, but the two finger right click sometimes doesnt register.

[TubeTop100.com @ Nov 5th 2008 5:02PM]

All Apple fans, repeat after me:

IT JUST WORKS!