What is the difference between a touchpad and a clickpad? - TUXEDO Computers

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What is the difference between a touchpad and a clickpad?

The question of whether Touchpad or Clickpad is a matter of preference in workflow and can therefore influence the purchase decision for a notebook. Therefore, we will briefly explain the differences here.

Both are touch-sensitive pointing devices, which are usually installed in the center or slightly offset to the side on the wrist-rest below the keyboard as a mouse replacement in notebooks. Thus, the path to access the cursor is shorter than reaching for the mouse. There are also keyboards outside of notebooks that have an integrated touchpad, like the Cherry G80-11900 or the Logitech K400 Plus Touch. Both variants, whether in a notebook or a standalone keyboard require a slightly different mode of operation, but lead to the same result. One example is the TUXEDO Book XP 15.

Visually easy to distinguish

Visually, the difference is easy to recognize because while the Clickpad is a flat surface, the Touchpad has 2 or 3 keys outside of the touch-sensitive area, like the InfinityBook S 15, which with the Clickpad are integrated into the touch surface. The physical keys correspond to the left, right and possibly the middle mouse button in their functionality and are simulated on the Clickpad. The majority of the Clickpad surface corresponds to the left mouse button, while pressing the lower right corner corresponds to the right mouse button and opens the context menu, as seen on the TUXEDO Book XP15 below:

The TUXEDO InfinityBook S15 Gen6 has a Clickpad without the buttons:

Simulated clicks

The right click can also be simulated by clicking with two fingers. The function of the middle mouse button is simulated by pressing the lower left and right corners or by a click with three fingers. However, this depends on the respective Clickpad and the preference set for input devices in the settings of the respective desktop environment. Meanwhile, there are Clickpads with a built-in fingerprint sensor. The TUXEDO Aura 15, for example, has such a sensor in the upper-left corner of the pad.

By the way, if you want to create individual touchpad gestures, we have a guide for you here.