I've owned non-Apple laptops before and the trackpad can usually register a press from anything being pressed onto the trackpad. My MacBook Air (2019 model) trackpad works normally, but there is something strange about it.. a gloved finger will not register a press. Bare skin will register a press, but a gloved finger will not - I used a towel wrapped around my finger. This leads me to believe that the trackpad isn't just a normal piece of glass-covered metal, but the glass may actually be a capacitive screen similar to the digitizer of the iOS devices. I suppose it would have to be this way since the trackpad can differentiate between a one finger press and a two finger press. Is the MacBook Air/Pro actually a type of iPhone screen without the iOS bit?