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Apple brings multitouch to early Airs

Published on 10th March 2009 by Gareth Halfacree

The next version of Mac OS X, Snow Leopard, is due to bring four-finger multitouch tracking to the original MacBook Air.

If you're a Mac fan who plumped up the readies for an original-model MacBook Air only to find you'd been diddled out of the neat four-finger multitouch tracking of later models, there's good news: Apple's next incarnation of Mac OS will bring you all that you desire.

According to MacRumours, the latest developer versions of Mac OS X Snow Leopard introduce full support for four-finger multitouch for the original MacBook Air model plus some MacBook Pros sold in early 2008.

Both the MacBook Air and the 2008 models of MacBook Pro have always had the support for multitouch tracking built in to the hardware, but as the technology had not yet been finalised by the time the products were launched Apple chose not to enable the functionality in the software. This is set to change with the next release of Mac OS, however, which brings full multitouch functionality to both systems.

With the innovative multitouch system finally added to the premium-priced MacBook Air, there's at least one thing less for early adopters to feel bitter about. Indeed, with other problems including overheating and unstable WiFi connections largely licked, it appears that MacBook Air owners could finally be getting the system they thought they'd purchased.

Sadly, the move does nothing to help third parties who wish to implement their own multitouch interface: with no-one yet seeking to challenge Apple's patent on the technology, official multitouch support on the Android platform might be a while away yet.

Any MacBook Air users glad to hear that early adopters are finally being looked after by Apple, or is the technology nothing more than a neat distraction in the first place? Share your thoughts over in the forums.

8 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

Bauul 10th March 2009, 10:37

How exactly does four finger multitouch work? Allowing you to resize, rotate and drag all at the same time? (Like that would be remotely useful)

dyzophoria 10th March 2009, 10:54

I think it would be more useful and tad cool if multi-touch was actually on the screen, multi-touch on the trackpad for me is more of a show off of the technology..

mclean007 10th March 2009, 11:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by dyzophoria
I think it would be more useful and tad cool if multi-touch was actually on the screen

Like on the iPhone and iPod Touch, you mean?

Atomic 10th March 2009, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by dyzophoria
I think it would be more useful and tad cool if multi-touch was actually on the screen, multi-touch on the trackpad for me is more of a show off of the technology..

So you would have to take your hand off the trackpad, move it to the screen, do the action then move your hand back to the track pad to move the mouse... great idea.

When apple makes a tablet PC this will be a very neat feature.

Blademrk 10th March 2009, 13:32

Fingerprints all over the screen? it's annoying enough on the ipod Touch.

Horizon 10th March 2009, 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclean007
Quote:
Originally Posted by dyzophoria
I think it would be more useful and tad cool if multi-touch was actually on the screen
Like on the iPhone and iPod Touch, you mean?

yeah...but like on...a "laptop"

p3n 11th March 2009, 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bauul
How exactly does four finger multitouch work? Allowing you to resize, rotate and drag all at the same time? (Like that would be remotely useful)

It triggers 'expose' by default (show all windows or desktop) pretty nifty.

frojoe 11th March 2009, 05:03

I use the two finger multitouch on my macbook pro and now I cant use a trackpad without it. Moving one finger around obviously moves the mouse, but if you move two fingers around it scrolls in any direction. Tapping with one finger of course clicks, and if you tap with two fingers it right clicks. These two features are great, where as the 3 finger multitouch is useless, because it only works in apple specific software. I haven't used 4.