“I have been using laptops since they weighed 30 pounds,” James Kendrick writes for ZDNet. “Until the unibody MacBook came along, the first thing I did with a new laptop is plug in a wireless mouse. It’s been like that for years, and I don’t understand why, out of all the companies making laptops, Apple is the only one that makes a decent trackpad.”
“Apple trackpads work exactly as they should, with no ill effects. The sensitivity is just right, the integrated mouse buttons work just right, and the palm rejection is just right,” Kendrick writes. “I am beginning to think making a trackpad that works properly must be incredibly difficult, or everyone would be doing so.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Perhaps the PC assemblers are striving for consistency of suckage from the OS all the way through to the hardware design? If so, they’re to be commended as it’d be the very first time they paid any attention to consistency whatsoever.
If your device doesn’t have an Apple logo on it, it’s crap in comparison.
Related articles:
Apple sweeps PCWorld Satisfaction Surveys for desktops, notebooks, smartphones, and tablets – December 7, 2011
Apple Mac tops American Customer Satisfaction Index customer satisfaction for 8th consecutive year – September 20, 2011
American Customer Satisfaction Index: Apple Mac dominates for seventh straight year – September 21, 2010
ACSI: Apple Mac again leads Windows PCs by wide margin in consumer satisfaction – August 18, 2009
Study: Apple beats Dell and HP in customer satisfaction – June 26, 2009
J.D. Power: Apple iPhone ranks highest in smartphone customer satisfaction – April 30, 2009
Survey: Apple Mac users report highest level of satisfaction by far – February 19, 2009
ChangeWave: Apple Mac holds its corporate share; clearly leads in corp customer satisfaction – December 31, 2008
ChangeWave: Apple iPhone’s ‘very satisfied’ rating more than double that of RIM’s BlackBerry Storm – December 22, 2008
J.D. Power: Apple iPhone ranks highest in business wireless smartphone customer satisfaction – November 06, 2008
ACSI: Customer satisfaction rockets for Apple’s Mac; rest of Windows PC industry drops again – August 19, 2008
ChangeWave: Mac OS X Leopard satisfaction far outpaces Vista; Apple Mac strong despite PC slowdown – March 26, 2008
ChangeWave: Apple iPhone maintains big lead in customer satisfaction; top choice among likely buyers – February 07, 2008
ChangeWave survey shows big Apple Mac sales, very high Mac OS X Leopard, very low Vista satisfaction – January 17, 2008
ChangeWave: Apple’s iPhone races to huge lead in customer satisfaction – October 18, 2007
Apple Mac desktops, notebooks top PC Magazine’s Annual Reader Satisfaction survey – again – September 18, 2007
Survey: Apple iPhone nabs unprecedented 92% satisfaction rating (plus likes and dislikes) – August 16, 2007
Study: Apple iPhone owners ‘off the charts’ satisfied with device – July 13, 2007
Microsoft’s customer satisfaction drops following Windows Vista launch – May 17, 2007
Apple’s secret ingredient? A large group of very satisfied customers – April 10, 2007
Apple Mac desktops, notebooks top PC Magazine’s Annual Reader Satisfaction survey – again – August 22, 2006
Apple Computer tops PC satisfaction study – August 15, 2006
Apple Mac desktops, portables top PC Magazine’s 2005 Reader Satisfaction survey – August 24, 2005
Apple continues to lead in customer satisfaction, Dell loses more ground – August 16, 2005
Apple Macintosh leads in personal computer customer satisfaction – August 24, 2004
Apple Macs top PC Magazine’s ‘17th Annual Reader Satisfaction Survey’ – August 10, 2004
I was helping someone with her new Sony Laptop, just yesterday, and I was thinking how crappy the trackpad is compared to the Macbooks.
Besides the general unsatisfactory feeling using it, I was surprised that I couldn’t use two fingers to scroll.
Exactly my experience the last couple of times I tried to help someone on a laptop. Good news is that the Apple conversions around me has begun to reach saturation point. Only a few holdouts remain, and I see the trend lending to total Apple domination in my sphere of influence (the few PC users I have around me already have iPhones and/or iPads, so the halo just needs a little more time to pull them in)
The toner for the Microsoft copy machine hasn’t bee replenished yet.
I’ve got a Toshiba Satellite for testing sites in Windows and Linux browsers, and find it a bit odd that Ubuntu supports two-finger scrolling while Win7 doesn’t.
It’s not a hardware limitation, and no, the trackpad isn’t very good, even if it’s much better than the Samsung netbook I had previously.
On my PC laptops I used wireless mice almost exclusively. The trackpad was a grind to use, and I would use it only a few times a year.
On my first MBAir, it was 50-50: I would jump back-n-forth from the mouse to the trackpad.
On my MBAir upgrade (2011 model), I carry the mouse in a side pocket of my bag, and — I forget exactly — but I think I took it out and used it once. The trackpad is fine. It is a jarring experience to go back and attempt to use a PC’s trackpad.
Can’t wait for the iMac upgrade later this year when I’ll get the Magic Track Pad!
On my desktop, I now use the Magic Trackpad. It works splendidly. For a particular game I use, the perfect device I found is Kensington’s Expert Mouse. Both of these devices don’t have the issue of needing alot of desk space to use them, and also have a benefit of giving less strain on the hand.
I just got a magic trackpad to go with my new Mac mini…OS X Lion isn’t the same without gestures
Because they care about the user experience.
POS PC laptop vendors by from the cheapest vendor.
This is not a big secret.
I’m pretty sure it’s been said many times that the only thing consumers are getting from paying more for Apple products is the Apple logo. Still most consumers are probably happy to buy lower quality products because they cost less and feel they are getting a bargain. Wall Street is absolutely certain that any company can come along and commoditize everything that Apple does to put Apple out of business. I don’t think it’s that simple when a company is cutting corners, but that’s just my take that you can’t fake quality components with lower quality ones.
At some point if not already, Apple product rivals will end up having to cut so many corners trying to keep costs low, there’s no way they’ll be able to keep up quality standards at Apple’s level. Although, I’m not sure most consumers can actually appreciate that fact. I think the Windows ultrabook cost problems are just the tip of the iceberg.
@MDN Take, have you been taking poetry lessons over the holidays?
MDN Take: “Perhaps the PC assemblers are striving for consistency of suckage from the OS all the way through to the hardware design?”
Aren’t all those PC manufacturers building on Microsoft’s “reference” platforms? If so, the common origin of that suckage is clear.
Suckage is right. My work laptop, a Lenovo, is an excercise in frustration. The trackpad is abysmal. Then it has 2 separate sets of left/right input buttons for God knows what reason. Then it has the nipple tracker in the middle of the mushiest plastic keyboard you’ll never want to use. Horrid…..
Probably the closest they’ve come is the AirBook. Wait, that steals pretty much all but the OS from Apple.
“consistency of suckage” LOL!!!
I would reword it as “Consistency Of Computing Krafted Suckage”
Yep that’s the MS, Google, Android, All Asian windows pc – Android manufacturers business goal. We make…… Wait for it…….”COCKS”
Apple products are Scottish. Everything else? It’s crap!
When I was buying my MacBook it was a toss up between the white poly and the alu unibody for about £200 more (per MB pro alu uni). The only difference in the spec other than the body was the trackpad. The white poly had the smaller pad with separate physical button.
I’m so glad I spent the extra money, it was worth it for the trackpad alone. I have used the magic mouse from my iMac with it when travelling, but TBH it usually stays in the case.