Trackpad++: Must-have Mac productivity-boosting utility for Boot Camp users

Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributor

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Contributor

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over two decades to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera. Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs.

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Posted in Hardware 2.0 on June 23, 2015 | Topic: Hardware

One of the most frustrating things about switching between OS X and Windows is remembering which gestures you can use on which operating system, and at no time is this more of a headache than when you're running Windows on a Mac.

The problem is that because you're running Windows on the same hardware as you normally run OS X on, you expect everything to work the same, and that includes the trackpad. But it doesn't, and this is something that can be infuriating and highly unsatisfying.

Enter Trackpad++, a utility that is basically a third-party Windows driver (supports Windows 7 to Windows 10) for Apple's Multitouch and new Force Touch trackpads found on MacBooks. Not only does it support 2, 3, and 4 finger OS X gestures, but it also supports Windows 8 gestures, and has the ability to detect and ignore accidental touches of the trackpad.

This is the closest you're going to get to having the full Mac trackpad experience while running Windows on your Mac.

If you're looking for a driver that offers support for the Apple Magic TrackPad, then you should take a look at TrackPad ExtraMagic, also by the same developer.

Both Trackpad++ and ExtraMagic are donationware, which means that you can use them for free, however unless you buy a license you'll have to update the driver regularly. I happen to think that if you run Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp or you use the Magic TrackPad on a PC then this software is easily worth $15 to $20 for a license. Once you have a valid serial code then there's no requirement to update the driver regularly.

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