On Monday , Apple updated its PowerBook line with faster speeds , new features , and lower cost . One of these new features is a “ scrolling trackpad”—whereas all trackpads lease you move the mouse cursor by drag a single finger across the inkpad ( and “ sink in the shiner ” by tapping the domiciliation ) , the fresh trackpad pattern also lets you scroll through document ( or pan out within windows ) by draggingtwofingers across the pad .
Unfortunately for users of older PowerBooks , this functionality is n’t provided via a simple computer software update ; it ’s really a feature of speech of new trackpad computer hardware . However , other PowerBook ( and iBook ) owners can gain exchangeable functionality by installing a premature Mac Gem , the $ 15SideTrack 1.1 ( ) .
SideTrack is a alternate trackpad machine driver for Mac OS X. When put in on a PowerBook or iBook , it get you destine a portion of your PowerBook or iBook trackpad as a “ scrollpad”—simply scuff your fingerbreadth up and down ( or left and right ) to scroll through windows . In addition , you may alter your trackpad so that urge on the trackpad button and tap on the trackpad itself can do two different thing ; for model , one can be a stock dog and the other a mastery - chink . It also lets you specify the corners of the trackpad to different functions . Here ’s a full lean of the features provide by SideTrack :
As I noted in the original revue , I ’ve been using various beta and release adaptation of SideTrack for the past year , and now using a laptop without it find limiting . I in person have SideTrack set to scroll up / down using the right side of the trackpad and scroll left / right wing using the top sharpness . I ’ve also aim the lower - correct corner of the trackpad typeset to keep in line / right - click , the upper - rightfulness set to control - W ( for closing windows ) , the upper - provide set to command - sink in ( great for open links in Safari in new check ) , and the lower - leave circle to shift - statement - Right pointer ( for switching between tabs in Safari ) .
Even if you do n’t use SideTrack ’s clit / scrolling functionality , its features for customizing the speed and sensitivity of your PowerBook or iBook trackpad are significant improvements over the choice useable in Mac OS X. It even offers a “ Redmond switcher ” trackpad quickening place that emulate the trackpad visibility of many Windows laptops — helpful for newfangled Mac users switching from Windows laptop computer .
SideTrack is a kernel extension , so ensure to learn the support provided before you install it . But once you do , you ’ll in all likelihood never go back to the standard trackpad functionality .
[ mark : At this metre , I do n’t know how well , or even if , SideTrack works with the raw PowerBook trackpad ironware . Hopefully it will be compatible , because despite their nifty scrolling feature of speech , the fresh trackpads are still missing a hatful of functionality provided by SideTrack . ]
