input

Magic Mouse preferences not showing in OS X

Apple's Magic Mouse is a unique input device that offers a multitouch surface for scrolling and performing various other functions in OS X. When it's connected to your Mac, the Mouse system preferences will change from a view that shows simple settings for speed and scrolling behaviors to options for the various finger gestures supported on the Magic Mouse. However, for some people the Magic Mouse settings will not appear and it will show the standard mouse options instead.

The Magic Mouse is ultimately a Bluetooth input device, so if the driver for the Magic Mouse does not … Read more

MagicWand pairs Apple's keyboard with its trackpad

Sure, you could use Apple's gesture-friendly Magic Trackpad and the wireless keyboard separately, but why do that when Twelve South has a device that allows you to connect them together Voltron-style? It's called the MagicWand and it acts as a bridging contrivance between the two wireless input devices. It's not electrical; it's just a mini-mount that allows you to use the keyboard and trackpad together without needing a tabletop, such as while you're in bed or on a therapist's couch.

Or, as the makers point out, it's great for controlling a Mac-based home … Read more

CES: Lenovo unveils Windows 7 IdeaPad Slate

LAS VEGAS--We thought we had seen everything Lenovo was ready to throw at us at CES 2011 in the laptop/tablet universe, but a surprise new addition was unveiled late last night: a Windows version of the LePad slate coming later this year, tentatively called the IdeaPad Slate.

The 10-inch tablet has nearly the same hardware design as the LePad, with different internal components: the same flash storage, but a next-gen Intel Atom CPU instead of the LePad's Qualcomm Snapdragon. The Windows tablet, at this point not officially named, has a stylus for pen input as well as multitouch, … Read more

MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed from our readers. This week we have questions on Web browsers not loading Web pages, trackpads and mice getting stuck in a "clicked" mode, and Safari not being able to load PDF files. We continually answer e-mail questions, and while we present a few here, we certainly welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Browser not loading Web pages or connecting to Wi-Fi hot spots

MacFixIt reader "Philippe" asks:

Until last week, [my daughter] … Read more

Sometimes it's the mouse

If your computer is lagging and behaving slowly, there is a possibility the problem could be your mouse or keyboard. When input devices do not work properly, sometimes button clicks may take a while to register, or there may be intermittent disconnects that can cause cursors to move in a jerky manner. At times, the behaviors may be similar to those when systems experience slowdowns, which may cause people to assume their systems are running slowly when in fact their mice are malfunctioning.

If you have a wireless mouse and keyboard, be sure to regularly check the battery level because … Read more

Managing problems with Apple's Magic Trackpad update

A few people who have installed Apple's "Magic Trackpad" update are experiencing problems with the new behaviors. The main issue seems to be that scrolling is jittery instead of smooth, but others have had problems with mouse movement also not working well.

If you experience these problems, the first step is to test the trackpad behavior in another user account, since there may be a faulty settings file in the primary account that is interfering with the software. If everything works properly, then you will need to locate the trackpad's settings file and remove it.

An … Read more

Touch pads compared: Apple Magic Trackpad vs. Wacom Bamboo

With the Apple Magic Trackpad creating ripples regarding the spread of touch across all Apple devices, it's important to regard a product that visited this territory last year, and perhaps even attempted it more ambitiously. The Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch, a combination multitouch trackpad and pen-based tablet that theoretically offers a killer alternative to the Apple's pad for one reason alone: its versatility.

After reviewing the Magic Trackpad this week, I realized that a Bamboo was still in a drawer in my cube, and I pulled it out to revisit. How did it compare with Apple's sleek square? And, more importantly, are there any areas where it's even better?

First off, the Bamboo is larger than the Magic Trackpad. The extra-wide Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch I have is a lot larger. It's similarly colored to Apple's tiny device, but made of a less sturdy-feeling plastic that's prone to scratching. The Bamboo Pen and Touch is a also a USB-wired device, unlike the wireless Magic Trackpad. It's also more expensive: while a $69 model offers only pen or touch input but not both, the combination pen and touch-pad combo that most users would want costs $99. The extra-large version we reviewed, the Fun, costs $199. The not exactly cheap $69 Magic Trackpad comes off as a relative bargain. … Read more

The best (and worst) laptop touch pads

Though battery life, keyboard, and processing power are all very important parts of the laptop experience, it's the touch pad that can really make or break a mobile PC. These tiny slabs of plastic or metal (or glass) are responsible for navigating everything from Web site buttons to document creation to photo editing--which means that a badly designed touch pad can really ruin your day.

It's true that many laptop users hook up to an external mouse when their machines are docked or parked on a desk--but in nearly every other situation, whether lounging on your couch or sitting at an airport or coffee shop, it's just you and the touch pad, attempting to replicate the wide variety of movements and tasks associated with the traditional mouse. (If you recall, we caught some serious flack for predicting the eventual end of the mouse-driven computing era recently.)

Fortunately, PC users have become increasingly acclimated to the idea of touch interfaces on tech products, thanks to everything from iPhones and iPads to touch-screen all-in-one desktops (and even ATM machines). We're already tuned to accept touch pads as our primary methods of input, but that also makes flawed ones all the more aggravating. So, what makes a good one?… Read more

Performance issues in Safari could be related to third-party add-ons

Safari may experience performance issues, including quitting unexpectedly, running slowly, an inability to download files properly, and other unexpected problems. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms when running Safari, follow these simple steps to help restore Safari's full capabilities.… Read more