Please recommend a replacement input device for my Macbook, the trackpad isn't working for me.

August 5, 2009 8:13 AM

Loathe the new Macbook trackpad in XP, what input device should I use instead that doesn't require a desk and is OK for gaming?

New Macbook. The buttonless trackpad takes about twice the force to click as my old Macbook trackpad and after half a day my thumb was going numb. Tap-to-click works fine on the OS X side but is very inaccurate on the XP side even with the updated trackpad driver, more so when the machine gets hot. What kind of input device can I plug in and use to game with no desk around? Wired is a plus, and I don't play twitch games so it doesn't have to be insanely precise, just more precise and ergonomic than the skittish anti-thumb trackpad. Thanks!

posted by Your Time Machine Sucks to computers & internet (7 comments total)

I have one of these and its convenient and easy to use.
posted by dualityofmind at 8:39 AM on August 5

I have the same problem. The drivers Apple supplies for the trackpad in Windows are utter garbage, going so far as to make the machine bluescreen on occasion. I'd accuse Apple of incompetence, but they're too good for that. I chalk this one up to malice. fwiw I found that a trackball gets the job done, it's great for gaming, and doesn't require any space to wave it around like a mouse would.
posted by mullingitover at 9:53 AM on August 5

I use one of these on my mac. I'm pretty happy with it: no wires, decent battery life, does what it's supposed to and nothing more. The only downside is Bluetooth devices have to exchange a little crypto to get going so it takes about 5 seconds to wake up if it's been idle for a long (20 minutes?) time.
posted by chairface at 10:18 AM on August 5

A decent laser mouse will work on just about any surface (I'm using mine on the arm of my couch at the moment, I've used it on the carpet and on blankets with no problems.). I've got one of these from Logitech and it's great. The usb adapter is super tiny, I just leave it plugged in all the time, and the batteries last most of a year.

The Loop Pointer is very slick but is more to control your media center computer or presentations. It's a pain to use when you're also typing.
posted by Ookseer at 12:12 PM on August 5

No desk, eh? Have you tried a trackball?
posted by paulg at 12:12 PM on August 5

I haven't used a trackball in over a decade but I've been considering one for this issue. But, it has to be the kind of trackball that doesn't fall out of the cradle, or I'd surely become even grouchier about my new computer.
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks at 12:59 AM on August 6

Some balls fall out easily, others don't. The Logitech Trackman Wheel has a very secure ball, but I'm not wild about the thumb positioning. The balls on the Logitech Optical Marble Mouse and the Kensington Orbit Optical fall out very easily. That pretty much exhausts my knowlege of trackball ball tightness. Good luck.
posted by paulg at 9:43 AM on August 7