Apple Portables: Using the Multi-Touch glass trackpad
Summary
Use the trackpad to move the cursor and click, scroll, tap, double-tap, and drag.
Unlike typical trackpads, this MacBook and MacBook Pro trackpad is a button in itself; you can click almost anywhere on the trackpad.
The speed of the pointer is dependent on how quickly you move your finger across the trackpad.
Products Affected
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008), MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009)
To fine-tune the tracking speed and set other trackpad options, choose Apple () > System Preferences > Trackpad.
Here are some useful keyboard and trackpad tips and shortcuts:
Deleting text
- Forward deleting deletes characters to the right of the insertion point.
- Pressing the Delete key deletes characters to the left of the insertion point.
To forward delete, hold down the Function (fn) key while you press the Delete key.
Tap to click
- Turned off by default.
- Enable by clicking the checkbox.
Tap on the trackpad to select an item (equivalent to clicking on the bottom of the trackpad).
Secondary clicking
- Turned off by default.
- Secondary clicking or “right-clicking” lets you access shortcut menu commands.
To secondary click, enable Tap to Click in Trackpad preferences, and then tap two fingers on the trackpad. Or use Trackpad preferences to set up a secondary click zone in the bottom left or right corner of the trackpad. You can also secondary click by holding down the Control key while you click.
Two finger scrolling
- Two-finger scrolling lets you drag to scroll quickly up, down, or sideways in the active window.
- This option is on by default.
Application-specific gestures
The following trackpad gestures work in certain applications. When you perform these gestures, slide your fingers lightly on the surface of the trackpad.
For more information, see the trackpad system preferences or choose Help > Mac Help and search for “trackpad.”
Two-finger rotating
Two-finger rotating lets you rotate photos, pages, and more.
Two-finger pinching
Two-finger pinching lets you zoom in or out on PDFs, images, photos, and more.
Screen Zoom
Magnifies an area of the screen. Click on Options... to customize the behavior of this feature.
Three-finger swiping
Three-finger swiping lets you rapidly page through documents, move to the previous or next photo, and more.
Four-finger swiping
- Four-finger swiping up or down for Exposé.
- Four-finger swiping left or right to Switch Applications.
You can change the default behavior by clicking Options on the Trackpad preferences pane.
Additional Information
For more information about Multi-Touch trackpads, refer to: