[aftbit]

I think a big part of this is just personal preference. I've never used a Mac until a few weeks ago (for work), and I'm dying to return to my X220 or W530 trackpad. The giant glass pad is sticky and hard to use, and the scrolling gestures feel wrong to me.

I've solved it by carrying a small external mouse in my laptop bag, and by using my MBP with a mechanical switch keyboard and a Logitech mouse 90% of the day.

[quinndupont]

I said the same thing at the start too, and after months of use I never managed to re-train myself (although, maybe those habits run deep!)

[lucisferre]

I've used Windows machine and every type of mouse from logitech trackballs (loved those for FPS games and Warcraft too bad they don't make good ones anymore), include the ones you could clip to the side of a laptop, to nubbins, and of course trackpads of every sort for about two decades.

I also lean more to using the keyboard vs. the mouse. As I spent more and more time developing software I become more adept at not using a mouse to the point where I could pretty much avoid touching it for most of the day. In Windows, this really was much better than using the mouse most of the time.

When I first got a Mac I found myself using the trackpad again for the first time in a long time. It was a huge improvement, the responsiveness of the trackpad and utility of many multi-touch gestures were quite surprising. Because it was so close to the keyboard I could easily use the gestures in place of keyboard commands, without slowing down. When it came time to get an external keyboard I actually bought a trackpad, not a mouse to go with it. It is honestly that good, at that's what I've found.

[DigitalJack]

The trackpad should never feel sticky. Something is wrong if it does. My MacBook Pro trackpad feels as smooth as my phone (2009)

[archagon]

I think trackpads on new Macbooks tend to be a little sticky until they smooth out over a week or two.

[bobbles]

Brand new iPhones have this same sensation

[jarin]

This might sound kind of dumb, but just rub it on your face. I'm pretty sure the "smoothing out" is just getting a nice thin coating of oil on it, like seasoning a cast iron pan.

[ajcarpy2005]

This is the kind of insight that sets HN comments apart. Simple but possibly Useful.

[lucisferre]

Really? This part of the thread looks like Reddit trolling, but you're right, it is hard to tell, could be serious. That probably scares me more.

[yen223]

A sticky trackpad could be a sign of ... let's just say hygiene issues.