Talk:Touchpad

Early untitled section
It is a common misapprehension that touchpads measure transcapacitance: the capacitance between x and y lines on an circuit board. This is not true, please see. I reverted the edit. -- hike395 20:12, 22 May 2004 (UTC)

Someone seems to dislike Cirque...

There is most definitely programmability on the Alps touchpad - i'm usng it right now. Revised!--Chao 21:27, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Manufacturers paragraphs are MS Windows centric.
Personally I don't think that the fact if a driver is Windows certified belongs in an encyclopedia. What about X11/Linux, MacOs or Zeta drivers?

Hermit: By all means, tell me that the driver is or is not Windows Certified, that's information, and has it's place in an encyclopedia. What bothers me is that the implication is that there are problems simply because the driver isn't "Windows Certified". ("Windows Certified" should be WHQL-certified, where WHQL is "Windows Hardware Quality Labs".) It may be true that the driver didn't achieve WHQL certification because it was of poor quality, but it wasn't of poor quality because it wasn't WHQL certified. I've seen WHQL-certified drivers that crash reliably under easilly replicated circumstances (For the longest time, the certified Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG driver reliably caused a B.S.O.D. when using Telnet on high-latency connections) .... and have used non-WHQL-certified drivers that have never crashed. Implying that WHQL is the ONLY standard that should be applied to drivers is a MAJOR NPOV faux-pas.  -Hermit
 * Windows-certification stuff removed. -- Orborde 02:24, 20 August 2005 (UTC)

"Touchpad"
I often see the word "touchpad" used to describe the plastic-membrane-covered buttons commonly found on home appliances, especially microwave ovens. They're not truly touch-sensitive (they usually require pressure to deform a plastic "bubble" and close an electrical contact) but the usage is very common, if not universal, within that industry. Exia 09:47, 4 February 2006 (UTC)
 * Motion seconded to expand 'Touchpad' category to multiple non-computer related applications. --vex5 06:16, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Relative/absolute motion
Touchpads are relative motion devices

Really? Doesn't the moodpad thing that comes with the synaptic drivers show that touchpads use absolute positioning? Playstationman 00:09, 23 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I agree it is misleading to say that "touchpads are relative motion devices", even if it is technically true that touchpad device drivers often emulate a relative motion device. The touchpad hardware itself gives the absolute position of the user's finger. And many touchpad device drivers often have absolute position features -- such as tapping the (absolute) upper right corner or (absolute) lower right corner to scroll up or down.
 * Nearly all computer mouse hardware are inherently relative motion device -- it's practically impossible for software to take mouse data and deduce the absolute position of the mouse. --68.0.124.33 (talk) 16:30, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

"The first laptop ever to carry such a device" was the Psion MC 400
"The first laptop ever to carry such a device" was the Psion MC 400 (Psion MC 200/400/600/WORD series) and not from Apple. It was introduced in 1989.
 * The Psion pad, unlike the touchpads used in modern notebooks, was an absolute-position system. As the link says, "The pad corresponds to the screen..." The Psion tap-to-point design did not catch on, however, the Apple stroke-to-point design has. Both are probably significant. (unknown user)

The article should have info on what was the first device to use the current "standard" touchpads and also the first laptop to do so. The psion didn't function the same as current laptop touchpads. (I mean first device as well as first laptop.) Ergzay 05:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

This entire section has no proofs. AFAIK, DEC produced laptops with touchpads at least as early as 1992. Until there are proofs, all the "firsts" should be deleted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.25.22.14 (talk) 08:32, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

Two-finger-stuff
As far as I know, the two-finger-support in late Apple models is not hardware, but software. I have an older model, and I can use 2-finger-scroll with a 3rd-party-kernel extension.
 * IIRC it's actually a Firmware thing, the 3-rd-party kernel extension you mention will probably update the device's firmware accordingly. Also the devices are perfectly capable of detecting more than two fingers, in fact I've put Linux on my iBook and I can now use two-finger as well as three-finger clicks (for middle- and right-click respectively). 84.161.68.217 09:04, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

some extra useless information
I was just trying to operate a touchpad with something else but my fingers, and as is correctly stated in the article, hardly anything but fingers work... then i read about that virtual ground thing, and tried moving a battery on the touchpad. And it works, but only the - pole. Funny, isn't it...?84.57.94.95 (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 20:09, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Try your nose-- BorisFromStockdale | Discussion | Contributions  04:50, 11 January 2008 (UTC)
 * How about a french fry? I recall in a episode of Wired Science that an remote-controlled plane hobbyist discovered he could activate the features of his iPhone with that side dish.--Kevin586 (talk) 16:47, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Edge Motion Merger
An article on Edge motion has been created. The creator suggests that it be merged with Touchpad and I also think that there is not enough material for a separate article. --Gimme danger (talk) 16:02, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Support - As per rationale above.--Kevin586 (talk) 16:30, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Orthogonally?
Does it really need to say "The conductors in these layers are oriented orthogonally to one another"? Why not say perpendicular or in a grid fashion? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.202.89.125 (talk) 20:19, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Touchpad Gestures
I've worked extensively to enable touchpads to simulate preexisting physical systems(main musical instruments), during my work I have come to a number of realizations regarding touchpads and the general "gestures" that can be performed. At the root you have tap and release. If you take groups of these gestures over time, rather than instantaneously checking state you can then get the idea of a drag, once you extend drag you can come to more complex gestures such as drag across, rub, encircle, etc... Using gestures such a drag across it is possible to simulate the playing of guitar strings with a touchpad, using a rub one could simulate tremlo. Would anyone object to a short section regarding touchpad gestures and their uses in software/hardware design? --Jessecurry (talk) 23:38, 25 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Yes, I think "touchpad gestures" should go in Wikipedia somewhere -- but perhaps the gesture recognition article would be a better place? --68.0.124.33 (talk) 18:26, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

This article should be updated to include the myriad of possible user inputs available on the latest mac OS X. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cwrobinpenny (talk • contribs) 20:21, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

CAT
Wouldn't Xerox's CAT touchpad from, what was it, the 1970's or early '80's, be an early touchpad? I don't know enough about it (though I used one briefly, forever ago) to add the info to the article. Might someone be able to add this info to a history section of this article? Xenophon777 (talk) 20:17, 9 September 2008 (UTC)


 * Yes Another user mentioned it here in the talk page but said he doesn't have sources. If this ever gets added who ever does should also note that catpad became a generic term used to describe all track pads, since cat and mouse are commonly connected in culture.  At some point it fell out of favor due to being a proper name like kleenex.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by IRMacGuyver (talk • contribs) 09:19, 28 August 2020 (UTC)

Number of fingers detectable
I noticed that it is stated in the article that track pads can sense up to four fingers at a time, yet my Macbook Pro's track pad can sense 5 that I know of. I haven't found software that lets me use more than that, but does anyone know what the real limit is? Is it infinite, just limited by how many fingers you can fit on it? Daleman112290 (talk) 08:37, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

hi71.209.50.180 (talk) 01:24, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

Proposed Move
Let's rename Touchpad to Touchpad (computing), same as Mouse (computing). I'll check back in a week or so, and if no one has objected I'll make the move. --Uncle Ed (talk) 02:35, 11 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Disagree. Why would you want to do that? The only reason "Mouse" has a disambig suffix is because the animal clearly takes precedence. What do you suggest is causing confusion in this case? --rpeh •T•C•E• 22:19, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Apple Inc. Multi-touch TrackPad section
I have removed this section for it is unsourced (and I believe inaccurate) and sounded like advertisement. I think it is inaccurate as I think Apple uses Synaptic touchpad instead of manufacturing themselves; And the section sounded like only Apple laptop uses multi-touch touchpad, which is completely untrue. Those "feature description" lines also sounded like advertisement.

I think we need a section on multi-touch touchpad, but I don't think the removed section is worth fixing. I think it should be completely re-wrote and thus I have removed it. 99.248.215.129 (talk) 18:15, 20 February 2011 (UTC)

Trackpad
How about I move Touchpad into Trackpad. If no one rejects in three days, the move is set.-Mike28968 (talk) 20:24, 31 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Trackpad is a pretty much uniquely Apple term. Why would you want to move it to there?  Dicklyon (talk) 20:40, 31 July 2011 (UTC)


 * I did my reseach and found Trackpad is Not much of Apple's term anymore. Therefore,the move is reset.Mike28968 (talk) 17:28, 3 August 2011 (UTC)
 * I can't possibly see of a reason to perform the move, regardless of whether or not 'trackpad' is a strictly Apple term. 72.88.44.60 (talk) 07:08, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Keeping Up
The information is outdated. It seems the latest technology in the record is from two years ago, and we know that in computer-years that's like at least 50. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.19.84.207 (talk) 20:10, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

I agree. The options available on modern trackpads such as those on Mac or Samsung laptops greatly eclipse what is described in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cwrobinpenny (talk • contribs) 20:22, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

Early history
Need more early history, especially who invented the touchpad and when. The Xerox 860 CAT is the earliest I can find, but I can't find a reliable source so didn't add it. Kendall-K1 (talk) 21:21, 21 August 2012 (UTC)

Suggested addition
I do not know whether I missed this information, I just thought it would be useful to have a clear section which explains why the touchpad may sometimes be to disabled and how to enable it again. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 16:38, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

What I was thinking of is this. If one presses the key with a cross inside a square which is just to the right of the key marked F12, it is likely that the touchpad will be disabled to that one can no longer shift the arrow on one's screen around. If one presses this key again, this should enable the touchpad again, and it should be possible to move the arrow on the screen around again. Is this explained in this article? I really think that it should be. If it is not I think that some one should insert into the text in the most appropriate place.ACEOREVIVED (talk) 15:13, 29 January 2013 (UTC)

Interaction with power supply
The following paragraph from this article is cited in several places on the Web, and is clearly useful. It has been useful to me, as I have had this problem. This text was deleted from the article. "If the computer is powered by an external power supply unit (PSU), the detailed construction of the PSU will influence the virtual ground effect; a touchpad may work properly with one PSU but be jerky or malfunction with another (this does not imply any electrical risk; a delicate capacitive ground, not a contact ground, is at issue). This has been known to cause touchpad problems when a manufacturer's PSU, which will have been designed to work with the touchpad, is replaced by a different type. This effect can be checked by touching a metallic part of the computer with the other hand and seeing if operation is restored. In some cases touching the (insulated) power supply with some part of the body, or using the computer on the lap instead of on a desk, can restore correct operation."

The Web is full of instances of this problem, but in a quick check I couldn't find an authoritative one. Could I suggest that if anyone can find a source, they reinstate the text with reference? I think this is a real enough issue to use WP:IAR: If a rule [in this case lack of a source deemed reliable] prevents you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore it. There are quite a lot of technical issues for which Wikipedia-reliable sources are hard to find, but where forum discussions (often by real experts) establish the facts in a way which anyone reasonably familiar with the topic can judge to be useful. The deleted paragraph is informative and useful. While "proper" published references (words) are hard to find, it is far easier for a reader to verify the text by plugging a cheap Chinese power supply into, say, a Dell Inspiron, finding the touchpad doesn't work, touching metalwork on the computer, and finding it now works, than to follow up a Wikipedia-reliable reference (say) to a book to be found only in a national copyright library. Pol098 (talk) 07:14, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

A Microsoft Surface tablet. The touchpad is labeled in brown at the bottom.
I see no brown labeling. SGPolter (talk) 16:11, 13 February 2017 (UTC)

sensel morph
A new improved version of a touchpad or a new device? 95.178.135.0 (talk) 18:35, 12 May 2020 (UTC)

clickpad
the part about clickpads is wrong. clickpads are touchpads with an integrated button that allows the whole pad being "clicked" down. i don't know what a touchpad without any buttons would be called. this might not even exist. 2003:D9:DF2D:9D01:F411:BDBF:2A8D:7CED (talk) 20:19, 2 January 2022 (UTC)

PlayStation
DualShock 4 and DualSense Doremon764 (talk) 18:08, 24 December 2022 (UTC)