I have been using this for the past 6 months and its great, though I do wonder if it is causing some kernel panics. However I still dont know why Apple doesnt improve its trackpad software as its just a synaptics touchpad - most if not all other laptops using these trackpads have these features.

One thing i miss from my vaio days is that I could asign gestures to do things. Back and forward were a simple stroke in the right direction along the top edge. Minimise, maximise, hide all were directional strokes from just one corner. It be so nice to have exposé work from gestures and not hot corners. Gestures just feel better and the ammount of false positives are really small.

And while I am at it, I want my two button mouse!! ;)

I keep trying Sidetrack because of success stories like this, but it just makes my trackpad bug out. I callibrate and everything, but it just doesn’t like me or my pismo…

I’ve been using Sidetrack for a while too. I have the corners bound to middle click and the exposé actions instead. I’m switching between shell windows, NetNewsWire, a browser, vim and VoodooPad too often to waste corners on application specific actions. And since I’m deciding between Omniweb, Safari, and Firefox right now, there aren’t really common keys for all three. (Annoyingly, Firefox can use side-to-side scrolling, but it goes through the back/forward history, not tabs)

BTW, “Trackpad tap for left click during login??? allows you to tap the trackpad to do a left click, just like “Use trackpad tap to…” on the first page of options. Sidetrack just has to pull some extra tricks to do it on the login screen is all.

Oh, and Firefox doesn’t support middle click on OSX. So stupid.

I’m glad you wrote this entry, because I’ve had Sidetrack installed for a couple of weeks already, but I hadn’t actually enabled it in the System Prefs. I guess I got sidetracked.

By the way, if you happen to use a different keyboard layout such as dvorak, you need to map the key bindings to the physical key. (For example, to map a corner of the trackpad to close a tab (Cmd-W), you need to use Cmd-comma.)

sidetrack is the one thing I couldn’t live w/o on osx…ok, ONE OF THE THINGS - there are a bunch.

the tap takes some getting used to - and it drives people nuts when they ‘drive’ on my pb and keep getting context menus. But I love it. works perfect for me and my style of computing.

I’ve also grown to love the hot corners of the trackpad. I actually set mine to ‘previous song’ (in itunes, duh) ‘next song’ ‘copy’ and ‘paste’. it becomes second nature. such a time saver!!!

Right on, Nick.

It’s funny because it’s made me install Cocoa Gestures again. I want this functionality (or something like it) everywhere now.

I also use Desktop Manager to have multiple desktops on my 12” PowerBook G4. I defined the corner taps in SideTrack like this:

TAP IN UPPER CORNERS: Moves current desktop view to previous or next desktop.

TAP IN LOWER CORNERS: Moves window that you are hovering over to the previous or next desktop.

This combo has been REALLY helpful! Not to mention the ability to scroll using the trackpad…

For those of you who have tried SideTrack and maybe aren’t finding it to your liking (I got kernel panics from it, too, although that was a LONG time ago), I’ve found that uControl’s fn-scrolling is exactly what I wanted from my trackpad. My left pinky is always hovering over the fn key anyway, so a quick press lets me scroll in any direction with the trackpad. It’s a good alternative to look into. Isn’t it nice to finally have lots of options for good Mac software these days?

Oddly, I had SideTrack set up in nearly the same way, though as I’d also been driven nuts by the tap-to-right-click, I put that in the upper right corner, and middle click in the upper left. For me, at least, that’s more useful than closing all other tabs.

If you’re having difficulty with the horizontal scroll, I’d suggest dialing down the effect area so that it only happens very close to the bottom or top edge. With that adjustment you can just move your finger to the edge of the pad until it hits the ridge, and then move it left/right to scroll, but it won’t give you the false positives as often with such a small effect area.

It works for me.

I’ve been using SideTrack since February, and from the start I’ve set up the button as “right click” and pad tap as left click + drag lock. Surprised that no one else has mentioned this combo.

It works well because you are less likely to inadvertently click the button than to accidentally tap the pad. It also keeps your active finger in one spot while browsing, etc. I use my thumb on the button when it’s contextual menu time, and my index or middle finger remains on the pad.

The downside is that drag lock takes a bit of getting used to for guest users …

Thanks for the great post and introduction to SideTrack.

Where has this app been my whole life! Just installed and started using today and I’m already hooked. This is one of those things that is so no-brainer that makes you wonder why it isn’t included as a default option by Apple. As of yet, no panics to speak of.

I highly recommend to anyone reading this to give it a shot.

I’ve set up the button as “right click” and pad tap as left click + drag lock

Man, that’s clever, David, but I would seriously lose it trying to adjust to that. Just 45 seconds of testing it made me feel insane. ;)

I’ve settled on a happy compromise for now. I use SideTrack for the stuff mentioned above, but I use the Caps Lock key (remapped with uControl to now be Ctrl) to generate a right click. It’s amazing what a difference 2 cm can make. That remapping has also come in handy as I pick up UNIX and Ctrl becomes my new Command key. :)

Like David, I’ve used the trackpad button as “right click” and set up the trackpad tap as left click and drag lock. For me (being left handed, does it depend?) it seems like this is much more ergonomical and easily working than right-clicking with ctrl-click; I even prefer it from using my usb mouse. At least since I have SideTrack installed my usb two-button-scroll-whell-mouse has been deeply-hidden in my peripherals box.

Echoing some previous comments: Use the button for right click, the pad tap for left. Works a lot better for me.

Just found SideTrack last night via Google and it’s solved a major annoyance I had with the PB trackpad. Prior to using it, the cursor would jump around when typing emails and every time I looked up I was typing in the middle of previously typed words. Using the undo command became a regular routine while writing emails. To me the “Ignore accidental trackpad input” didn’t seem to work at all since if I’m typing quickly it should wait at least a few millseconds before accepting trackpad input. This application has saved me from pulling out my hair! When I’ve got more time, I’m going to use some of the other features that you’ve pointed out in your review. Regarding Firefox, am I the only person that has a bug in Firefox where the browser doesn’t take input unless you alt-tab between it and another application and then back again. I’ve had this problem on both my G5 at work and my PB at home. It got so annoying that I ended up switching to Safari.

-A Unix head that just converted from PC to Mac 6 months ago and much happier after the switch.

I’ve been using Sidetrack for 6 months and didn’t realise how much I relied on it until the Beta ran out. I use a number of functions: I assign ctrl-click to the bottom left corner (the corner I found least likely to click accidentally); I use the scrolling occasionally and I use it for clicking and double-clicking.

Most of all though the ‘Ignore trackpad while typing’ function is vital. I mostly use my iBook on a bumpy train ride and, without this function, I’m forever moving focus with accidental taps on the trackpad. $15 well spent.

Hot-rodding SideTrack for web browsing

43 Folders: Hot-rodding SideTrack for web browsing - SideTrack looks like a very interesting bit of software for anyone with a Powerbook or iBook.

Sidetrack

google(SideTrack) is a must have freeware for Mac users. Here is how you can hotrod your Sidetrack to enhance your browsing speed. Apple Pro Tip of the Week: To move a window that is behind your current window, hold down…

Tactile Trackpad

When I started using SideTrack I got annoyed by not touching it in the right places (oooh!) thus not triggering…

http://WWW.tsuibhne.net/knot/archives/000458.html

43 Folders: Hot-rodding SideTrack for web browsing…