Our Verdict
Apple ’s late trackpads and the ship’s company ’s Magic Mouse stand out from the comment - twist crowd thanks to Multi - Touch functionality — one- or multi - finger gestures , such as pinching and swiping , that execute particular actions depending on the context . However , those gesture are few , and Mac OS X does n’t bring home the bacon a path to lend more .
That ’s whereJitouch , which I first covered back in late 2009 but has been significantly update since , come in . This third - political party System Preferences back breaker provides a slew of additional gestures , as well as the capability to make your own .
Jitouch lets you configure up to 31 ( yes,31 ) different trackpad gesture and 19 unlike Magic Mouse gestures . Some are dewy-eyed , such as the three - finger tap , while others , such as the Two - Fixed Fingers , One Slide Right , are truly for the gesture addicts . Wherever you fall on the motion - using spectrum , hovering the mouse cursor over a motion in the Jitouch window pop up a useful , animateddemonstrationof that motion . ( A simple clink Army of the Righteous lefties swap the orientation — and the animation — of all gesture . )
While most motion have a nonpayment action associated with them , you’re able to edit out any gesture to do the specific action you hope . Action options execute the gamut from flip tab in your browser app to to resize a window to switch between Spaces workspaces . you could also configure a motion to spread out a fussy file or Website , or you could impute a simple keyboard shortcut to any gesture . Among my favorite actions are a pair that let you quickly maximise window to the rightfield or left one-half of the cover , severally . Each gesture can be configured either with a single single-valued function across all computer program , or to do different action depending on the computer programme .
Jitouch ’s other unequalled feature article is that it lets you use , on a trackpad or a Magic Mouse , what the developer callsCharacter Gestures . rather of having to remember complicated two- , three- , or four - fingerbreadth gesture , you’re able to assign military action to mere , finger - drawn fibre . Just “ eviscerate ” the character — on a trackpad , using the combining of your indicant and halo fingers , or with the Magic Mouse , by moving the black eye while pressing with your index and middle fingers — and the character will actually appear on the screen , followed by the comparable action being performed .
In my testing , Jitouch ’s heavy drawback is that it provides so many different gestures , and all of those gestures are enabled by nonremittal . I recommend disabling all but a few gestures until you get the hang of them , and then step by step contribute more until you touch the limit point of your personal sleight and gesture remembering .
Our 186 - page Mac Gems Superguide is a veritable greatest strike of Mac Gems . It ’s uncommitted as a PDF download , PDF on CD - ROM , or as a print book . acquire more about the Mac Gems Superguide .
[ Dan Frakes is a Macworld senior editor . ]
