Software Update Brings Inertial Scrolling and Three-Finger Drag Gesture to Recent Apple Notebooks

Tuesday July 27, 2010 2:04 pm PDT by Eric Slivka

As we've just noted, Apple has delivered a software update required for full functionality of its new Magic Trackpad device. In addition to Magic Trackpad support, the Mac OS X version of the update also extends several new functions to recent Apple notebook devices.

In particular, recent MacBook and MacBook Pro models receive support for the inertial scrolling that debuted on Apple's current MacBook Pro models, in addition to the new three-finger window dragging gesture that it included on the Magic Trackpad. The MacBook Air, as well as "Early 2008" MacBook Pro models gain only inertial scrolling. Inertial scrolling, already present in similar forms on Apple's iOS devices and the Magic Mouse, allows users to "flick" while scrolling as the trackpad senses the momentum of the gesture and smoothly scrolls through long documents and libraries.

Full details are included in an Apple support document:

Inertial Scrolling and Three-Finger Drag Gesture Support

These Mac portables support inertial scrolling and the three-finger drag gesture after you install Magic Trackpad and Multi-Touch Trackpad Update 1.0:

MacBook
MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009)
MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009)
MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)

MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008)

The following Mac portables support inertial scrolling after installing Magic Trackpad and Multi-Touch Trackpad Update 1.0:

MacBook Air
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008)

Related Roundup: MacBook Air

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Buy Now)

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