Synaptics comes out with a new clickable trackpad

The new ClickPad resembles the one used on MacBooks

Synaptics clickable touchpad

Synaptics, a leading developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, is demonstrating a new trackpad which does not have the regular buttons, but instead it has a clickable interface. This ClickPad is just like the ones present on the MacBooks. The new ClickPad has an innovative design and will enable users to use multi-finger gestures. Moreover, it will save a lot of space as it eliminates the use of the traditional physical buttons. Hence, what the users get is a fairly large trackpad which can be clicked to initiate a user action. This solution is surely set to become popular among netbook manufacturers.

This ClickPad will be compatible with all the gestures that are there in Synaptics Gesture Suite (SGS) 9.1, like: two-finger scrolling, two-finger PinchZoom, two-finger pivot rotate, three-finger flick, and three-finger press. For example, users can start their laptops using the three-finger press gesture by placing three fingers on the TouchPad and then releasing them to automatically launch from one to six user-selected applications. Moreover, the drivers of the ClickPad are compatible with Windows 7 operating system which is due to be launched later this year.

Synaptics Dual Mode TouchPad enables OEMs to add custom 0D buttons and 1D scrolling support directly on the TouchPad surface, thereby enabling new features like multimedia controls. It transforms the traditional touchpad from a navigation device to a launch and control center. There is a mode switch button on the top right corner of the touchpad, when LEDs illuminate icons on the surface of the touchpad which allows OEMs to customize the feature functionality of the icons to highlight key notebook features.

These solutions will be available to OEMs in the 3^rd Quarter of 2009; this means users will be able to get their fingers on this ClickPad by year end.