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Comment by bscphil | Hacker News Reader

I know this back-and-forth happens every single time there's a conversation about this on HN, but I just want to point out that trackpads are extremely personal, and I've had nothing but bad experiences with Apple trackpads until recently. The "hinge" models of the previous decade border on unusable for me because of the force required to click them, whereas my (early decade) XPS model has the best trackpad of any laptop I've ever used and it includes physical left/right buttons, which I love.

My advice is to try out the trackpad on a laptop before you buy it if this is something that matters to you, not trust the opinions of Internet strangers.

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>My advice is to try out the trackpad on a laptop before you buy it if this is something that matters to you, not trust the opinions of Internet strangers.

I can’t disagree, but trying out Mac hardware is far easier than trying PC hardware. I can walk into an Apple store and try all the major hardware variations.

I had to get my XPS 17 based on online reviews. Because I can’t go out and try it. Buying PC laptops is the very definition of trusting internet strangers.

> My advice is to try out the trackpad on a laptop before you buy it if this is something that matters to you, not trust the opinions of Internet strangers.

This really applies to most products, especially those that you interact with so frequently and directly. It's one reason that in the EU you have a 14-day "right of withdrawal" for all purchases made at a distance (most commonly being internet purchases).

huh? apple hasn't used the "hinge" touchpad since 2015, more than 7 years ago. unlike afaik every other touchpad out there, the actuation force is actually adjustable. i'm not sure whether this is necessarily a good change, but it certainly is a change, and your data seems woefully out of date.

My comment is literally a response to someone talking about a MacBook Air from 2012.

Regardless, the comment stands, as even though Apple's trackpads have improved I would still strongly prefer a device with physical left/right buttons.

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