For years my wife has been trying to tell me how to use my computer correctly, but as a “tech-guy” I refused to think that I could learn something from her. Afterall, I have been using a computer much longer and pretty much taught her everything she knows on how to use one. The main difference, I am a PC guy and she is a Mac girl. I got her first MacBook as an anniversary gift in 2010…and she is still using that chunk of aluminum (with a few upgrades along the way). So for 8 years she has been using the trackpad on the mac and learned to not use a mouse. I have been limited to using a mouse and have gone through so many usb and bluetooth connected mice, more than I can count. I have really hated traveling with the limited space of the folding tray on the airplanes and felt that I needed to conform to trying to use the trackpad. One day we were working side by side and she started to make fun of how I used the trackpad. I looked like a 80 year old person learning to type on the first typewriter using one finger at a time, but instead of using two hands I was using one hand on the trackpad like I used a mouse – navigating with the pointer finger and then double clicking to select or open. I struggled moving panels across the screen and moving files into folders. Every now and then I would look up to see a smirk on her face. She would say, “use both hands silly” and I refused to think I needed to use both hands. Afterall, I did not use both hands with a mouse…why would I need two hands to use a silly trackpad. I thought to myself, “I refuse!” Then one day I looked over to see what she was doing. Left hand to select and right hand to move around. The lightbulb went off in my head and I got it. Why did she not explain this to me? Because. It was fun for her to see me struggle, naturally. Now I am faster than ever – maybe faster than when I use a mouse since my hands are so close to the keyboard and the trackpad. I don’t need to move my hand to the mouse and back to the keyboard. I even find myself using my left thumb to select and my right thumb to navigate never leaving my other fingers from the keyboard. I know, you all learned this 8 years ago like my wife did… and longer ago if you are a millenial. I am a convert to the trackpad and now question what else I have missed the last 8 years that I refused to learn.
Lesson learned. I will be open to learning…even from those who I think might not have something to teach me.
Trackpads are awesome!