On paper I dislike the idea of haptics but in practise, used sparingly, especially in a flashcard app I've been using lately it feels really satisfying to answer a card correctly and get that physical feedback.
Apple’s implementation on the Magic Trackpad, for example, is incredibly effective. On iPhone, it’s...fine but not great (it’s not usually a net negative, at least).
One of the worst I’ve ever seen was on an early Verizon “iPhone killer” back around 2008. The whole phone just vibrated — it wasn’t positional at all, the motor started up too slowly so it felt mushy, and it was used far too often.
+1. I held off on a new MacBook for years, stubbornly clinging to a 2014 model on the expectation that an imitation click can't possibly be as good as a physical one. But it's been entirely seamless, and if anything, a slight improvement, with consistent (and adjustable) response across the entire surface, and the perceptible misfire rate is zero.
I look forward to the day when iOS device haptic response is that good; it's certainly not there yet. :)
Not really, it just feels like a much mushier clickpad.
- I can click anywhere on the surface and receive the same feedback — it's highly realistic
- Fewer moving parts — in the past, I've had to replace trackpads on nearly all my Mac laptops after a few years
It’s incredibly helpful for getting an intuition of how far you’ve scrolled when fast-scrolling a list, without having to watch closely to read entries as they whiz by.
I miss it when using computers! Sadly, there isn’t really anything I have my hands on when using a computer that could generate the same feedback. (Maybe they could make Bluetooth haptic wristbands?)