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    magic trackpad on windows

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by Sir Punk, Mar 16, 2012.

  1. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

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    so one of the best features I like about Apple laptops is the trackpad. There are only old threads about it so I am wondering if the magic trackpad is working well on windows, are all the handgestures available. The most crucials for me are scrolling and switching between apps (alt+tab).
    Is the precision and ease of use close to a MB trackpad? I find that when I use a MB trackpad by hand/wrist don't get fatigued as much.
    I have a BT 3.0 internal card so I hope the connection is consistent and does not drop like the mini apple keyboard I had for my previous laptop that just drove me crazy.

    Thanks for any feedback.
     
    Sir Punk, Mar 16, 2012
    #1
  2. kornchild2002

    kornchild2002 Notebook Deity

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    Well, you would have to download 3rd party drivers as Apple doesn't have publicly available Windows drivers for their trackpad (unless you have a Mac). The only Windows drivers that Apple releases (aside from different hardware releases such as iDevices and their routers) are in Bootcamp. Some have put Apple's drivers up for download.

    Either way, the experience all depends on the drivers you are using and I don't think Apple's default Bootcamp ones cut it. There are third party drivers/options out there that provide a better experience than Apple's Bootcamp drivers but not as well as under OS X. I think Trackpad++ is about the closest thing you will get under Windows.
     
    kornchild2002, Mar 16, 2012
    #2
  3. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    In Windows, a Mac's trackpad is no better than any other notebook, mostly due to the aforementioned poor driver support. It's functional, but little more than that.
     
    saturnotaku, Mar 16, 2012
    #3
  4. jlyons264

    jlyons264 Notebook Evangelist

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    Apple Magic Trackpad Control Panel Adds Trackpad Properties In Windows 7

    I use it on my alienware all the time... I haven't had any issues...

    and if you don't trust that site to download the drivers here are links from the apple web site using their drivers... Follow these instructions:

    Magic Trackpad
    Follow these steps to download the necessary drivers.

    Download the update for 32-bit Windows operating systems or 64-bit Windows operating systems.
    The files are contained in a .zip file. Double-click BootCamp_3.2_32-bit.exe for 32-bit Windows systems or BootCamp_3.2_64-bit.exe for 64-bit Windows systems.
    When a permissions dialog appears, click Yes.
    Follow the onscreen instructions to install the update.

    The Multi Touch Trackpad has different gesture support depending on the operating system you are using. Refer to this chart to learn about the differences.

    32 Bit

    Boot Camp Software Update 3.2 for Windows 64 bit

    64 Bit

    Boot Camp Software Update 3.2 for Windows 64 bit

    and the support page saying what you can do with it:

    About Apple Magic Trackpad and 27-inch LED Cinema Display Update for Windows
     
    jlyons264, Mar 16, 2012
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  5. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

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    Thanks so much for the links, too bad that three and four fingers swipe don't work but you can't expect much. I am still wondering if I need to install boot camp if I use the Magic trackpad control panel app. I really didn't like boot camp starting up on my Windows as it's so slow and yet another program that runs on my already crowded memory.
    However how do you compare the trackpad in Windows versus MacBook? Is the scrolling up to par?

     
    Sir Punk, Mar 16, 2012
    #5
  6. jlyons264

    jlyons264 Notebook Evangelist

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    I turned the speed down a little... and I used the drivers on my alienware...
     
    jlyons264, Mar 16, 2012
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