Magic Trackpad or MX Master 2S?

[east1999]

Hi guys,

I'm finally done with the Magic Mouse, and I'm looking for a replacement. I had used USB mouses with scroll wheels, but the MM2 was very good for me when I bought it: totally silent, easy to switch on/off and carry in a bag, no cables, rarely had to charge it, and zero configuration. Except it has proven to also be really bad for my hand. I've tried to make adjustments to my posture and even to the way I hold it, but I'm looking for major improvements, not quick fixes.

I have a 2016 MBP Pro that sits on a top of books when I'm at home, connected to a Magic Keyboard and the MM2. I often take the MBP to work.

My rationale has been

1. I'm very very used to gestures thanks to the larger trackpad in the new MBP. I also use the three finger gesture to drag all kinds of items. I imagine the Magic Trackpad can be positioned areas (parallel to keyboard, before the keyboard, left or right), thus avoiding locking my hands/arms in routine efforts, and its soft inclination seems to indicate its easier to rest your palm when you're not using it. Is this true? Also, has anyone gone MT solo, and really cut off from using a mouse for precise tasks? I would sell the MM2 so I don't want to panic later about this.

2. On the other hand, Logitech's MX Master 2S has great reviews and seems to be *the* mouse to get. I'm kind of afraid to step outside of Apple hardware for the long term (for instance, bluetooth connectivity seems to improve and then drop again, according to OS versions). It also seems huge and has too many buttons and options I'll never use. If it nevertheless ends the horrible strain I'm feeling from the MM2, I'm willing to try it. So really I'm just looking for confirmation that it is ergonomically sound. Or is the strain always a consequence of using a mouse?

What do you guys think?

 

[Glmnet1]

I love the Magic Trackpad 2, it's a great input device and works just as well if not better than the trackpads on MBPs. I don't know if I would go "MT solo" though, I'm not sure why. I don't mind using the trackpad on my MBP for hours but when in desktop mode, with an external screen, I end up using a G300 most of the time. Which is why I ended up returning it.

As for the MX Master 2S, I never tried it yet but I ordered one a few days ago and it should arrive tomorrow I'll come back here to give my feedback.

 

[east1999]

Yeah, I'm wary of the duplication, because you only have so many hands. I see setups with the MT on the left and a mouse to the right and it seems superfluous. Why did you end up picking the mouse though?

Do tell us about the sound of the MXM2S scroll wheel!

 

[Glmnet1]

Yeah, I'm wary of the duplication, because you only have so many hands. I see setups with the MT on the left and a mouse to the right and it seems superfluous. Why did you end up picking the mouse though?

Do tell us about the sound of the MXM2S scroll wheel!

I'm not sure, my best guess would be that a trackpad, while a great input for the smaller screen of a laptop, doesn't scale well to a 27" 4k monitor.

It's also less precise for some applications. This was always the case but it seems more manageable on a smaller screen.

But the trackpad does reduce strain on my wrist compared to using a mouse all the time.

So in your case it might not be too bad since you're using the MBP screen all the time. You'd have to try it for a while.

 

[Glmnet1]

Received it a few hours ago and I'm slowly getting used to it, here are my first impressions:
- Looks great, I ordered the white/grey one and it looks much better than I expected.
- Feels great in my hand, better than any mouse I ever owned (I didn't own many though ) Weight is perfect too.
- Couldn't get it to connect via Bluetooth which is quite disappointing. It works with the unify adapter but that takes up a port and there's only one included. I will try again later and try to make it work. If it doesn't I'll return it because the main reason I wanted that one is to use Flow between my MBP and a PC I'm building so I'll need to connect to more than 1 computer.
- Scrolling was weird at first, it would click while scrolling and every time I scrolled quickly it would stop clicking and when I stopped it would make a loud click. Strange and a little bit annoying. But when I clicked on the button below it changes to a smooth scroll with "auto-shift" which makes it very nice to scroll long documents which I do all the time (programming).
- I like having a button under the thumb, not sure what I will assign to it but I think it can be very useful.
- I'll have to get used to the side wheel, it has a different feel with more resistance than both mode of the main wheel.

I hope it helps making a decision, let me know if you have questions.

 

[east1999]

So I got the trackpad a few weeks back. It looks great and all, but as for the experience: it simply does not replace a mouse. The accuracy is still inferior and the fact that it is external makes you use it in an inferior position — not with your palms resting on the laptop and using the keys at the same time, but constantly lifting your palm to make a gesture, and leaving it mid-air before you do something else. It seemed tiring to me, and inefficient. I also didn't quite know where to place it.

I put it on sale, reverted to the Magic Mouse, and ordered an MX, which I have just received. Comparing the two, I have not yet felt the absolute sigh of relief from horrible MM ergonomics, but it does feel more comfortable. A huge plus is not needing any kind of mat. The one thing that is really annoying me is the loud clicking sound (not to mention the scroll wheel, but I've turned that off.)

 

[chabig]

I'm not sure, my best guess would be that a trackpad, while a great input for the smaller screen of a laptop, doesn't scale well to a 27" 4k monitor.

It scales just like the mouse does, I’d say. I’ve never had a problem with it on my 27” display. Also, I don’t understand accuracy claims. I find it easy to put the cursor anywhere I want very precisely.

 

[Glmnet1]

It scales just like the mouse does, I’d say. I’ve never had a problem with it on my 27” display. Also, I don’t understand accuracy claims. I find it easy to put the cursor anywhere I want very precisely.

It probably depends on your preferences and you usage. While coding, writing, using Numbers etc. I prefer a trackpad. But for editing photos, 3d modelling, gaming etc. it's just not the right tool. It definitely feels less accurate at comparable speed.

There's also the fact that you can't scroll and move the pointer at the same time with a trackpad. Not an issue when reading but, for most creative apps, scrolling is a way to modify parameters of the tool you're using, such as the radius, so it becomes slightly frustrating not being able to do it at the same time.

I think the scaling to a bigger screen issue is related to the accuracy one. I like having high enough tracking/mouse speed to reach anywhere on the screen without moving a lot and at that kind of speed, the trackpad's lack of accuracy really shows.

 

[east1999]

Just to come back to this discussion, because I've been switching between Magic Mouse 2 (MM2) and MX Master (MXM2), here's a few notes.

1. MXM2 is still very noisy. This is an issue in public environments.. though of course Apple's keyboard have also increased in clacking lately.
2. MXM2's arched profile, though comfortable by itself, is inconsistent with the keyboard's low profile. When switching between keyboard and mouse, I feel like my hand moves best if both inputs sit a parallel line, so I don't have to keep adjusting to different heights.
3. Using a scroll wheel again gives me mixed feelings. I switch between using my index and middle fingers on the MXM2, as I quickly get tired of the wheel's texture (I'm used to feeling none). The wheel also seems to have different inertial scrolling (if any).
4. The thumb buttons all seem very useful, but only the back and forward buttons are completely responsive. The horizontal wheel is hit and miss, and the thumb button requires habit. I've mapped the back and forward buttons to specific shortcuts in Chrome, and the wheel to ctrl-tab for switching between tabs. It is interesting, but again, not much new here: is there a point in having this functionality in the mouse, when my left hand is already used to those keyboard shortcuts in tandem with the mouse?

I think I'm going to return the MXM2. Seems like a typical "grass is greener" situation.