ubuntu users: trackpad tapping vs conventional buttons. your opinion?

[princeofnam]

i've long stayed aw ay from trackpad tapping, but my friend got in a slightly heated argument with me about my archaic habits. what do you guys think on the issue?

[Bachstelze]

Never. Disabling tapping is the first thing I do after I install an OS on a laptop. It's just too easy to trigger it accidentally while typing.

[sgosnell]

I do it both ways, more or less interchangeably. You do need to make the sensitivity rather low to prevent spurious taps, but I like to be able to tap instead of pushing a button, it's quicker and more efficient.

I don't see the need for a heated argument about it, though, it's certainly a matter of personal preference, and I don't care at all what anyone else does.

[princeofnam]

i didn't really intend for this to be a serious argument. i just wanted to see if there were any real reasons for using trackpad tapping.

[Iowan]

I use both methods (usually tapping) - but I've had the false triggers Bachstelze mentioned, too.

Not really a support request, so moved to Cafe - you could even create a poll here ;)

[princeofnam]

can't you avoid that by turning on teh feature which disables the trackpad while you're typign?

[Linye]

I use both.

[Bachstelze]

can't you avoid that by turning on teh feature which disables the trackpad while you're typign?

Not all touchpad/driver combinations support that (also adjusting the tapping sensitivity).

[Xianath]

I realized I was a buttons person when I got this MacBook. 10 minutes later I was a tapping person :) When my Dell arrives I guess I'll take the middle ground. It usually works best for a lot of things.

[CharlesA]

I've been tapping on the touchpad instead of clicking (unless I need to right click >.<) for a while. I find it easier then having to click.

Of course, I still cannot get 2 finger scrolling working. =/

[princeofnam]

thanks. i'm at a lost as to how to configure any of the aforementioned trackpad properties though. touch sensitivity and functionality for right clicking, dragging, etc. in ubuntu. is it not in the trackpad tab of the Mouse properties?

[chessnerd]

I use the buttons when I have to, but I almost always have my mouse with me. I really don't like trackpads...

I have nothing against those who touch their trackpad to click, but I find the buttons to be easier because you know for sure when you've clicked it. Also, without multitouch support, you can't right-click without the buttons.

Personally, I wouldn't mind having the little nub in the center of the keyboard back. I've always found that to be easier to use that the trackpad.

Oh well, I guess I'll always live in the past. 30 years from now, I'll be the last American to use a mouse and keyboard. Everyone else will have moved on to touch screens and voice commands... ;)

[buddyd16]

first step after an install of any os on a laptop for me is to disable tapping. I do not have a very steady hand and find with tapping enabled I am constantly initiating clicks when just moving the mouse pointer.

[libssd]

Never. Disabling tapping is the first thing I do after I install an OS on a laptop. It's just too easy to trigger it accidentally while typing.
I suspect that it strongly depends on the trackpad, but on an Acer D150 netbook, I am constantly making accidental selections if trackpad mouse clicks is enabled. I'm not against the concept in principle, but in my environment it causes more trouble than it's worth.

[Spr0k3t]

Double taps yes... tap'n drag definitely not. I've not seen a decent solution to the tap'n drag (buttonless) yet.

[princeofnam]

aren't there mouse gestures or something similar available to ubuntu as available with windows?

[McRat]

We were discussing a related issue today, why touchscreens create vacuum (they suck).

Three problems:

Ergonomically, your hands have better defined dexterity the closer they are to your torso, and in a perpendicular orientation.

A mouse or trackpad requires a movement of under 2" to go across a screen, a touchscreen requires 14"+.

You cannot see the screen under your finger, nor is the contact patch as controllable, so icons and such need to be larger, effectively reducing your screen size.


On trackpads, I'm normally a "tapper". I like the Mac design for trackpads. But some things like dragging and dropping are best with a button to assist.

[Steve603z]

I realized I was a buttons person when I got this MacBook. 10 minutes later I was a tapping person :) When my Dell arrives I guess I'll take the middle ground. It usually works best for a lot of things.

I'm not a Mac owner, but at least with the new MacBooks "tapping" actually has a physical click to it, But I'm still not a fan.

What annoys me the most is if you use somebody else laptop, and they have the trackpad sensitivity really low, so you have to move your finger across the trackpad like 3 times to move half way across the screen, so you try to move across the screen as fast as you can, and you accidentally click on 3 things because they still have tapping disabled. But generally, I end up disabling the "tap to click" on whatever laptop I'm on, and usually when I ask people if it's okay, they are so happy that theres actually a way to disable it. I think it's stupid that it's the default, most people I talk to don't like it.

However, I'm a fan of these:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/appropriate_term.png

[Bachstelze]

I'm not a Mac owner, but at least with the new MacBooks "tapping" actually has a physical click to it, But I'm still not a fan.

Those are different. You can either "tap" the same way you do with a "normal" trackpad, and "click" by actually pressing the trackpad. Tapping is the same, the only difference is that when you click, the whole trackpad acts as a button, instead of having the button separate.

[princeofnam]

okay so apparently there's two finger touches which = right click and double clicks initiate a tap and drag. is this built into synaptics? are there any other tricks i'm not aware of?

[audiomick]

Don't know any tricks, sorry, but here's my 2 cents worth.

I use the touchpad on the laptop sometimes, but wouldn't miss it if it weren't there. Despite searching, I haven't found a way to disable it on the laptop's, and often have problems when typing with one of them with accidental touches.

I have also had the experience of accidently muting an entire PA system during a show with an accidental tap on the way past a button in the program of the digital matrix I was using...

All in all, I don't like tapping much.

[RiceMonster]

Well I use 2 finger scrolling and tap for left click all the time. I never seem to get the 3 finger tap for right click to work on the first try, so I just use the button for that. Definitely couldn't live without edge scrolling or 2 finger scrolling. I would hate to have to click on a scroll bar and drag it every time. REALLY annoying.