Will i benefit from important features of Lion with a trackpad/MacBook?
I am an avid iMac user and have no intention of buying a MacBook/MacBook Air or a trackpad.
I have just installed Lion and have seen Launchpad and Mission Control in my Dock. I could see myself using these lots, but I am concerned that it's not going to be quite as natural as finger-gestures. Will I have to learn keyboard shortcuts or is there something I'm missing?
Will I gain the full Lion experience without a MacBook or a trackpad?
Solution 1:
Another way to address your question:
If this is the Mac you're using to make your living, then DEFINITELY run don't walk and get a touch input now. Recommend Magic Trackpad if it's a desktop, but not a strong opinion there.
If you're in college, just in your first job, or in a financial situation where someone bought your Mac for you and the $60-70 for a touch input is pricey - I definitely think you can get by without one without feeling like a 2nd class citizen.
Same answer if you're planning to upgrade soon to another Mac that'll come with one and don't want to pay for one twice.
Otherwise, if you're using this Mac several times (or several hours) a day, I'd say get a touch-based input sooner than later.
If you're only using it occasionally and you're asking because spending another $70 (on a computer you thought important enough to invest $1000+ in, mind you), then I'd wait until you can try it out on someone else's computer.
Finally, if you are considering getting one and $20-30 will make a substantial difference in your decision calculus... keep an eye on discount sites, including Apple clearance online.
Every few months they typically offer discounted refurb devices that are easily as good as buying new.
Solution 2:
These answers are going to vary from person to person. Additionally, I have a Magic Mouse, which only supports a subset of the total gestures.
I think the the "Natural" scrolling really make sense on a touch-sensitive controller like the Magic Mouse or the Trackpad.
The two gestures that I've found most useful are:
- Move backwards and forwards in Safari. I know this technically existed before Lion, but as I've previously said, the feedback of the animation makes it far more useful.
- Two-finger swiping between spaces is wonderfully fluid.
On the contrary the two-finger double tap for Mission Control has been used a handful of times. I'm finding the ctrl + up far more useful, plus ctrl + down gets you to Exposé.
I think there are plenty of things to like about Lion without any gesture support. I can certainly recommend the Magic Mouse, something I would've hesitated to do before Lion.