Magic Trackpad dead zone

I find myself often clicking in that dead zone, and then noticing (sometimes too late) that the click had no effect. (I have tap to click turned off.)

Perhaps I could develop the habit of not clicking there, except that if I don't touch the top surface of the trackpad at all, but click just be catching the bottom edge with the side of my finger, the click does work -- and that's a sensible and intuitive thing to do sometimes.

So we basically have the very edge that works, then a strip of "dead zone", then the rest of the pad that works again. For me that's very unintuitive and increasingly annoying! (While writing this very message, I had the problem several times.)

Message was edited by: dpdpdp

Yes, it is the same as the macbook pro that I own. And I do think that it is there by design. I believe this area is intended for situations where you need to click down on something while also moving it (for example to drag a file from one folder to another).

I believe Apple's intent is that the user will hold the mouse clicker down using a finger from their left hand in this "dead" area. Then they move them item in question by moving the finger from their other hand on the "live" area.

At least that's how I have found it to be effective. I also consider it a very logical design approach.

How does the dead zone effect clicking? It is my understanding from other posts that the click is an actual switch in the feet of the trackpad and not associated with the touch sensitive surface, but the actual pressure on the trackpad and the down & up movement activating the switches, as with mouse buttons.

Clearly something in the hardware or software is telling the system to ignore the physical click when there is pressure from a finger in the dead zone.

If you have one of the devices try:

1. Pushing down on the very bottom edge. A click will register, if your equipment is like mine.
2. Now put your finger on the surface but very close to the bottom edge, and push down. You will feel and hear the physical click, but no click will register on the computer.
3. Move your finger a tiny bit up the surface, and push down. Now the click registers.

The dead zone for clicking appears to be the same as the dead zone for pointing.

dpdpdp wrote:
Clearly something in the hardware or software is telling the system to ignore the physical click when there is pressure from a finger in the dead zone.

There are two issues under discussion here.

The original poster was talking about a dead area in the touch sensitivity. He was asking if others have observed a dead zone (for dragging, not clicking) on the part of the pad that is closest to the user. I have certainly observed this and I believe it is there by design.

You are addressing the issue of the physical clicker embedded in the trackpad.

If I understand the design of the trackpad correctly, the audible click upon pressure is an actual switch being triggered (as with the clicker on any mouse). Based on my use of many different MB and MBP systems, I do not believe this click is ignored in certain areas.

However, the trackpad's surface is "hinged" at the edge closest to the keyboard (furthest away from the user). That is the point from which it pivots in order to provide physical clicking. Therefore, there is no physical clicking action in the area closest to the hinge (which is the part furthest away from you).

In the "lower" half of the trackpad, which is closest to you, the physical clicker should work at all times. That is how it works on my MBP and I have not observed different behavior on the other MB and MBP systems I have used.

If you're seeing different behavior, you may have something jammed in your trackpad. Food and dirt are the most common culprits. You could try taking a vacuum to the trackpad's perimeter and see if you can free the debris from the pad.

I'm a bit confused by your reply. You do know that we're discussing Apple's new standalone trackpad -- not the trackpad in a laptop? So there is no end near the keyboard, and no place for anything to get jammed.

No...the area that's dead for other functions also goes dead for clicking, as far as I can tell.

Yes, I know you're talking about the new, standalone trackpad. I had assumed apple designed it just like the pad in their laptops, just larger. Perhaps that's not the case.