forum.osx86project.org— Now you can right-click on your 15" MacBookPro without needing to press ctrl. Just click on the trackpad using two fingers, and the context menu will appear.
May 23, 2006View in Crawl 4
Oh, come on, what do you expect. That site even rips off Apple's GUI - WTF?The bit at the bottom about apple's site really running on Windows 2000 made me laugh!
Speaking as someone who uses PCs running Windows and my PowerBook running OS X on a daily basis, I personally have no problem with Apple's stylistic decision to have only one button on track pads and mice. And that's all I think it really is, a *stylistic* decision. It seems like many people are forgetting the best part of Apple designed hardware, and that is the attention to detail and elegant industrial design. Apple has made a choice to only have one button, and I would guess this has to do with the symmetry that is afforded from only have one central button. Maybe also they are cognizant of the fact that having one button avoids the issues that would have to be overcome (through non-intuitive software configuration) for left hand users versus right hand users.By comparison, the iPod could probably do more with fewer keystrokes by adding more buttons. But Apple, in similar fashion, has continued to make iPods with the same number of buttons (excusing the variations in implementation).Apple's operating system and hardware are a complete package. And whether Windows fans like it or not, OS X simply does not have nearly as much frequent and universal need for contextual menus compared to Windows XP. Apple has nothing against buttons. It just has something against taking a huge step and adding a totally separate hardware element--which steals space and focus from the button used almost 100% of the time--when that button only offers occasional benefit.Instead of contextual menus (only available via a right-click), Apple has made a *stylistic* decision and placed all options in the menu bar grouped by type (Application-specific, Edit, View, etc.). Some of these options only become available depending upon the situation/context. And if navigating to the menu bar is too much work for you, there's always hitting the control key in the event some of these same options are available through a context menu. Allowing people to use the occasional context items via a control key is a MUCH more elegant solution than adding a second button.
This isn't a hack. Why does it sound like some genius figured this out? My brother just got a new MacBook and right in the System Prefs Keyboard/Mouse control panel there is a box to check to "enable 2-finger right click". It was cool when it worked, but I had more problems with freezing when it was enabled, so I turned it off and problems went away.
Apple, just give in and split the one trackpad button into two. Please?For all of you people who say adding the 2nd button "adds more junk" to the design, tell that to the vast majority of people who are used to having that contexual menu right at your cursor tip. I can't tell you how annoying it is to use my Powerbook without a mouse and trying to right click on items using the ctrl key or command key or whatever key it is. I can't remember for the life of me the difference between the command and ctrl keys. And besides, many times I will be laying on my side and using the Powerbook. Right-clicking when you only have one hand to use is a huge pain.
maybe i'm weird, but on every PC laptop i've had in the last 8 years, the *only* time i ever hit *any* mouse button is when i have to right click. i use one finger on the trackpad for everything - single tap to left click - double tap and drag for drag and drop. i'm really used to it and for me is the most efficient way to work - one finger - easy.i'm about to buy a new laptop and am thinking about a dual boot 15'' MBP, but i neeeed right click functionality for my windows apps. so, i'm wondering if it's possible to configure the single button on the MBP for right click only? i'd keep doing what i've been doing for left click.it actually seems a bit odd to me that more people don't configure their trackpads to deal with left clicks - it's much less movement than having to click a button, and no hand gymnastics to do drag and drop. talk about simple.
secondary_trackpad_click works great on my 15" MacBook Pro (week 21), but with one glitch: doesn't work after a restart and sometimes a prolonged sleep. Opening the prefpane and unselecting/reselecting the option fixes it. Anyone else notice this?
Yep, this is exactly what I do on my PC laptop. The left button functionality is the mousepad tap and the right button function is my thumb on the button. If configuring the left mouse button as a right click were possible, I would order a MBP today.
I know this is a super-old topic, but I wanted to share something I found out about iScroll2 on my iBook G4 1.25GHz. A couple days after installing it and removing my SideTrack driver, I noticed that the fan on my iBook was running constantly and the machine was getting hot even when the machine was doing nothing. I begin to suspect that the iScroll driver was the culprit. Sure enough, when I uninstalled iScroll, the heat and fan issues stopped. I suspect that iScroll is cranking up the trackpad to be more sensitive to touch activity. And therefore, the machine is always doing work, and maybe the trackpad is generating extra heat too. I suppose that I should have tried adjusting the sensitivity settings. If anyone has similar experience or knows how to make iScroll behave better, please share the info.
t3hxMay 23, 2006
Oh, come on, what do you expect. That site even rips off Apple's GUI - WTF?The bit at the bottom about apple's site really running on Windows 2000 made me laugh!
thesolomonMay 23, 2006
Speaking as someone who uses PCs running Windows and my PowerBook running OS X on a daily basis, I personally have no problem with Apple's stylistic decision to have only one button on track pads and mice. And that's all I think it really is, a *stylistic* decision. It seems like many people are forgetting the best part of Apple designed hardware, and that is the attention to detail and elegant industrial design. Apple has made a choice to only have one button, and I would guess this has to do with the symmetry that is afforded from only have one central button. Maybe also they are cognizant of the fact that having one button avoids the issues that would have to be overcome (through non-intuitive software configuration) for left hand users versus right hand users.By comparison, the iPod could probably do more with fewer keystrokes by adding more buttons. But Apple, in similar fashion, has continued to make iPods with the same number of buttons (excusing the variations in implementation).Apple's operating system and hardware are a complete package. And whether Windows fans like it or not, OS X simply does not have nearly as much frequent and universal need for contextual menus compared to Windows XP. Apple has nothing against buttons. It just has something against taking a huge step and adding a totally separate hardware element--which steals space and focus from the button used almost 100% of the time--when that button only offers occasional benefit.Instead of contextual menus (only available via a right-click), Apple has made a *stylistic* decision and placed all options in the menu bar grouped by type (Application-specific, Edit, View, etc.). Some of these options only become available depending upon the situation/context. And if navigating to the menu bar is too much work for you, there's always hitting the control key in the event some of these same options are available through a context menu. Allowing people to use the occasional context items via a control key is a MUCH more elegant solution than adding a second button.
kraemerMay 23, 2006
Early MBP users rejoice! It indeed works. I'm guessing this will be updated anyway in 10.4.7, but if you can't wait that long, give this a go.
virtuous70May 25, 2006
This isn't a hack. Why does it sound like some genius figured this out? My brother just got a new MacBook and right in the System Prefs Keyboard/Mouse control panel there is a box to check to "enable 2-finger right click". It was cool when it worked, but I had more problems with freezing when it was enabled, so I turned it off and problems went away.
undresedmonsterMay 26, 2006
Apple, just give in and split the one trackpad button into two. Please?For all of you people who say adding the 2nd button "adds more junk" to the design, tell that to the vast majority of people who are used to having that contexual menu right at your cursor tip. I can't tell you how annoying it is to use my Powerbook without a mouse and trying to right click on items using the ctrl key or command key or whatever key it is. I can't remember for the life of me the difference between the command and ctrl keys. And besides, many times I will be laying on my side and using the Powerbook. Right-clicking when you only have one hand to use is a huge pain.
thankthecheeseMay 26, 2006
oh sorry i didnt see the other one. I presumed it was the one at the top of the page :-/
stephenrsJun 24, 2006
maybe i'm weird, but on every PC laptop i've had in the last 8 years, the *only* time i ever hit *any* mouse button is when i have to right click. i use one finger on the trackpad for everything - single tap to left click - double tap and drag for drag and drop. i'm really used to it and for me is the most efficient way to work - one finger - easy.i'm about to buy a new laptop and am thinking about a dual boot 15'' MBP, but i neeeed right click functionality for my windows apps. so, i'm wondering if it's possible to configure the single button on the MBP for right click only? i'd keep doing what i've been doing for left click.it actually seems a bit odd to me that more people don't configure their trackpads to deal with left clicks - it's much less movement than having to click a button, and no hand gymnastics to do drag and drop. talk about simple.
kabeyunJun 24, 2006
secondary_trackpad_click works great on my 15" MacBook Pro (week 21), but with one glitch: doesn't work after a restart and sometimes a prolonged sleep. Opening the prefpane and unselecting/reselecting the option fixes it. Anyone else notice this?
thermionicsAug 19, 2006
Yep, this is exactly what I do on my PC laptop. The left button functionality is the mousepad tap and the right button function is my thumb on the button. If configuring the left mouse button as a right click were possible, I would order a MBP today.
hughlangFeb 9, 2007
I know this is a super-old topic, but I wanted to share something I found out about iScroll2 on my iBook G4 1.25GHz. A couple days after installing it and removing my SideTrack driver, I noticed that the fan on my iBook was running constantly and the machine was getting hot even when the machine was doing nothing. I begin to suspect that the iScroll driver was the culprit. Sure enough, when I uninstalled iScroll, the heat and fan issues stopped. I suspect that iScroll is cranking up the trackpad to be more sensitive to touch activity. And therefore, the machine is always doing work, and maybe the trackpad is generating extra heat too. I suppose that I should have tried adjusting the sensitivity settings. If anyone has similar experience or knows how to make iScroll behave better, please share the info.