[Some Random Bloke]

My Magic Trackpad isn't so magic - it's killing my productivity and my wrist. I'm thinking of ebaying it and buying a mouse. What's the Magic Mouse like both ergonomically and for gestures?

[JamieD]

I far prefer the Magic Trackpad over the Magic Mouse, the Magic Mouse picks up false movement across the top of it and does weird things far too often. Plus it is way too small and flat to be anywhere near comfortable to use. The trackpad is great when you get used to it.

If the scroll-ball didn't keep gunging up on the old Apple Mouse I'd keep using that, but it has to be cleaned far too often.

[lumeswell]

Well, I have never had a magic trackpad, I only use the trackpad on my laptop when I'm on the go - I have a magic mouse for when I'm at home or set up somewhere properly.

But for my main work machine - tablet all the way - been using wacom tablets probably for the last 12 years, and when Im using that machine I touch the mouse maybe once or twice a day, and live with the pen in my hand the rest of the time. Productivity for me is through the roof compared to a mouse, and I only get pains after about 16 hours (yes, I have had those days).

I should add I obviously don't really make use of gestures, so if you use them a lot in your workflow then the tablet wont help there.

[JZ]

i have both and enjoy the benefits if both, i use the magic mouse for general navigating and the magic trackpad for gestures.

[bitingmidge]

Has anyone else had problems with the trackpad?

I have (of necessity) been using only the laptop for about nine months per year. It's pretty much second nature, but when I'm doing fine graphic work that needs a few pixels' worth of precision, the mouse still is my preferred option.

What sort of work do you do SRB, that causes the wrist problem? Is it something about the way you have the pad positioned?

This sounds strange, but I had major shoulder problems as a result of using a mouse(!) because of the angle of "attack", (I would often sit at an angle to the screen facing other documents etc, with keypad in front of me, mouse well over to the right) - none from the centred trackpad on the laptop!

Can you fix the problem by modifying your own position?

Cheers,

P

[Some Random Bloke]

It's two issues. One is the nature of the trackpad itself - it's just a pain trying to move files across the screen, for example, and not very precise (productivity issue). Ergonomically, if you rest your wrist on the desk, your hand is at an awkward angle. You don't tend to get that on a laptop as badly because the angles are different. I do have a wrist rest ordered so will see what that's like, but still considering a more efficient alternative. I like the gestures though, so that's the sticking point.

[Ken Gracey]

I am a huge magic mouse fan, once you get used to, it works brilliantly.

[JZ]

Some Random Bloke, on 21 May 2012 - 05:35 PM, said:

It's two issues. One is the nature of the trackpad itself - it's just a pain trying to move files across the screen, for example, and not very precise (productivity issue). Ergonomically, if you rest your wrist on the desk, your hand is at an awkward angle. You don't tend to get that on a laptop as badly because the angles are different. I do have a wrist rest ordered so will see what that's like, but still considering a more efficient alternative. I like the gestures though, so that's the sticking point.

That's why using both works best.