up vote 3 down vote favorite
share [g+] share [fb]

Anyone with a MacBook or MacBook Pro can scroll by using two fingers on the trackpad. I haven't seen this implemented on a PC laptop under any version of Windows.

Is it possible, and if not, how come?

If it is, someone write the driver!

P.S. Yes, I know about scrolling with the edge of the trackpad.

link|improve this question
This is only in newer MacBooks. My old MBP (a G4) doesn't support any of those. Newer macbooks (unibodies) already support four fingers. It's a hardware issue, not just software. – Uri Feb 15 '09 at 2:58
feedback

migrated from stackoverflow.com Dec 25 '09 at 3:10

This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.

6 Answers

up vote 9 down vote

You can do it on ubuntu using the synaptics touchpad driver, so long as it supports your laptop (I believe most will work with this?)

link|improve this answer
If it works in Ubuntu, why not Windows? HOw does this Ubuntu driver detect two fingers? – PetroleumJelliffe Sep 17 '08 at 22:10
It would work in windows if the company wrote a windows driver to do the same thing as the ubuntu driver. As far as I know, they haven't done this. As for why and how, I have no idea. It's probably incredibly hard to do properly in windows – Orion Edwards Sep 25 '08 at 2:28
feedback
up vote 3 down vote

Most trackpads only report a single position.

2 Finger scrolling needs to report 2 positions, and thus, requires the trackpad to be designed in a physically different manner.

link|improve this answer
Given time and research, I'm pretty sure one could guess quite accurately if a user is multitouching a resistive trackpad - but if it got it wrong it would be REALLY annoying. – Phoshi Jan 2 '10 at 0:48
feedback
up vote 1 down vote

I believe the MBP trackpad support multi-touch, while most laptop trackpads do not. This means that it's not just a matter of updating the driver, but the hardware itself has to support it!

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 1 down vote

For what it's worth, I can use two finger scrolling when I remote into my PC from my MacBook.

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

I have a couple obscure laptops (Nobilis) a whitebox brand of some sort, which do have a two-finger scroll option in the driver. It is a Synaptics driver, so I would think they are made by Synaptics or at least specified by them. Unfortunately, these are all sales laptops so I don't have any in house that I can give you the version info from, but I'll edit when I do.

I haven't seen that option on any other laptop, but it does work on these few. So it's obviously possible. That said, using 2 finger scroll on a touchpad that's only 1.75" high and inset almost 1/8" into the housing of the laptop is a very different experience from the 3x4" flush trackpad on the MacBook Pro.

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

Instead of two fingers, most PC laptops allow you scroll with one finger using the right edge of the touchpad.

I know that's in your question, but I wanted to make sure someone saw it in an answer, as well. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

link|improve this answer
feedback

protected by Diago Dec 17 '10 at 16:43

This question is protected to prevent "thanks!", "me too!", or spam answers by new users. To answer it, you must have earned at least 10 reputation on this site.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.