Or is it? There are so many computer tools available to us and yet, we totally ignore many of them. In some cases, it’s not ignorance it’s lack of training. In this post, we’ll see if we can educate you about one of the most popular items on a laptop computer – the touchpad!

Yes, my statement “one of the most popular items…” was sarcasm! Many, many people hate the laptop’s touchpad. Some, even turn it off. Why do people hate it? Some dislike it because it will move the cursor if the user is typing and let’s his or her palm accidentally slide across the pad. Some because they just can’t get used to using the left and right click on the touchpad.

However, I say that most people dislike the touchpad for the following reasons: 1) they don’t give it a fair chance. They have already decided they are going to hate it before they actually try to give it a fair shot; and, 2) people don’t know some of the cool things you can do with the newer touchpads using just your fingers.

Please note that it might take some practice to get these gestures to work correctly but, I promise you, they all do work!

For Windows 10 users, here are some ways to make good use of your touchpad:

Touchpad gestures for Windows 10

Power users! Try out these gestures on the touchpad of your Windows 10 laptop:

• Select an item: Tap on the touchpad.
• Scroll: Place two fingers on the touchpad and slide horizontally or vertically.
• Zoom in or out: Place two fingers on the touchpad and pinch in or stretch out.
• Show more commands (similar to right-clicking): Tap the touchpad with two fingers, or press in the lower-right corner.
• See all open windows: Place three fingers on the touchpad and swipe them away from you.
• Show the desktop: Place three fingers on the touchpad and swipe them towards yourself.
• Switch between open windows: Place three fingers on the touchpad and swipe right or left.
• Open Cortana: Tap three fingers on the touchpad.
• Open action center: Tap four fingers on the touchpad.
• Switch virtual desktops: Place four fingers on the touchpad and swipe right or left.
• Some of these gestures will only work with precision touchpads, so don’t fret if a move won’t work for you.

For Apple users, if your laptop comes with a touchpad that will handle different commands via touch, Apple has a great page to explain and show you how to use them. Just click on the button to read it.