iMac M1 24" – Pointer imprecise, jumps, delayed, too fast, acceleration illogical

[Pinkulinku]

Hello, it looks like there is an issue with the bluetooth trackpad on the iMac M1. Not the trackpad, but macOS Monterey or the M1 processor in a combination.

I've been working on an iMac 27" for many years. The pointer (the trackpad) works precisely and perfectly. A real dream. Also with macOS Monterey.

BUT: I've had an M1 24" iMac for a few months now and I'm just extremely frustrated. The pointer ist imprecise, he jumps some times, is often delayed or too fast and I think, that the acceleration works illogical. I often have the feeling, that I'm working with windows millennium (beta 0.7) and a $5 mouse from a discount store.

I've done everything! The mac was installed directly via usb with the latest monterey 12.5. The SSD was completely erased beforehand. Correctly deleted! All structures! A brand new iMac without any other installed apps. Just Apple. The feeling of absolute precision is completely gone. Monterey 12.5 works without problems on my MacBook Air M1.

Several people seems to be affected and nobody finds a solution to it. Apple support was completely overwhelmed for me. With this error I don't need to go to the Apple Store either. They look at it for 5 minutes and say ... what is the problem, the pointer is moving. The problem comes and goes. Sometimes in a lower level, sometimes in a frustrating version.

 

[Pinkulinku]

Testing: "deactivate universal control"

Same problem. This doesn't change anything in the weird pointer movements.

AND ... i tested this new feature with my MacBook Air M1. Going from iMac to MBA ... the pointer works weird on the MBA. Going from die MBA to the iMac ... the pointer ist working good (not perfect, but good).

NO ... it's NOT the trackpad. I bought a new one and this makes the same problems.

 

[BanditoB]

Try connecting the trackpad to the iMac via the USB-to-Lightning cable and see if that makes it work better. You could be experiencing occasional interference with the Bluetooth signal. Sometimes WiFi signals, wireless keyboard/mouse dongles, or microwave ovens will cause interference with Bluetooth signals. Connecting the trackpad via USB will eliminate Bluetooth from the equation.

 

[Pinkulinku]

Try connecting the trackpad to the iMac via the USB-to-Lightning cable and see if that makes it work better. You could be experiencing occasional interference with the Bluetooth signal. Sometimes WiFi signals, wireless keyboard/mouse dongles, or microwave ovens will cause interference with Bluetooth signals. Connecting the trackpad via USB will eliminate Bluetooth from the equation.

I forgot to say, that I did this very often. It doesn't change anything. Same problem. But you are absolutely right. In some cases this can solve some problems.

We are more and more at the point, that the problem causes to the new universal control in Monterey. Primarily the acceleration is completely crazy and illogical. During this, the pointer is jumping, too slow, too fast, inaccurate and so on. It feels like a low level discounter PC from 1988. This can't be true. Using "linear mouse" shows a much better pointer, BUT ... this isn't the quality from the same machine with Big Sur. It isn't the same HIGH QUALITY in the same place in my room, with the Intel iMac 27 inch. Apple has changed important things in the deepest deep in macOS. This sucks, because they forgot the quality. From my side, this shows 1000 steps back.

Most of us hadn't that problem on the same machine with Big Sur. Yesterday, I visited the Apple Store and .... tatataaa ... same problem on the iMac (M1) in the store. I asked the sales man and what do you think that he said? Yes, ... he can't see my problem. Everything is working normal. I asked him about his configuration at home and he said (holding the hand to his mouth) ... a PC. Days before I called Apple Care, because my watch has some problems. What do you think that the expert, the super duper advisor said to me? He isn't using an Apple Watch. Can you hear the primarily problem? I'm absolutely sure, that there aren't any experts anymore. Just actors with a script.

Years before, I had some real problems with the 27 inch iMac. And? I had a lot of real experts on the phone. Freaks! Every sentence was on an extremely high level. Pure Experts. They showed me the deepest macOS and what they can do for you. LIVE! Wow! APPLE as we love APPLE! PERFECT! OUTSTANDING! A call to Apple Care, now? Sir, did you power on your device? YES! Are you sure? YES! Ok, is the device in front of you? YES! Are you sure? YES! After 15 minutes ... and what is your problem now? Ok, let me check this. Hmm ... I can't find anything about this I our database. Did you have the newest macOS? YES, YOU ASKED ME THAT THREE TIMES BEFORE! And you can hear them ... click, click, click ... come on Google ...

Apple Community? Apple members gave me the link to an Apple website calling "How to use a trackpad". Inside: You have to use the trackpad with a finger. WHAT? A finger? OMG ... so easy and I forgot that. Thanks Apple. Can you hear the real problem again?

 

[Pinkulinku]

I'll change now (in the next hours) from Monterey back to Big Sur. Same machine. Same place. Same stupid men in front of the iMac. I'll bring the iMac completely down. A SSD without any structure and files. Then Big Sur from a USB-Device.

I swear ... the problems are gone and a M1 iMac is working perfect (the pointer!). MONTEREY! Aaaaaaaah!

 

[HDFan]

it's NOT the trackpad. I bought a new one and this makes the same problems.

Which one did you buy?

I'm absolutely sure, that there aren't any experts anymore. Just actors with a script.

What do you think that the expert, the super duper advisor said to me? He isn't using an Apple Watch.

You can't expect that an Mercedes mechanic owns a Mercedes or that you have to be a personal user of a product to support it. There are almost 3 million people who work in support and I would suspect for those who support consumer merchandise that only a small percentage of them own that product.

Companies which provider superior support, such as Apple, spend miliions of dollars training their new representatives. If you encounter a new hire their expertise is going to be limited to what they have been trained to do, the tools they have (such as questions to ask). As they gain experience they expand what they can do and eventually move up the chain.

There certainly are companies that do just use scripts. Right now I have an Nvidia streaming service that gives me the error "stopped streaming as you are already streaming on Android TV". Well I have only one Nvidia and no other Android devices. The reply I got from support was "you need to turn off streaming on your other Android devices". They did not read my description where I said I only had one device, and just pasted the standard script answer. A 2nd harder question about volume normalization they just chose to ignore.

With a few exceptions - there are always bad apples in a large support organization - I have never had this problem with Apple and I have called their support hundreds of times.

 

[Pinkulinku]

duplicate post

 

[Pinkulinku]

Which one did you buy?

the newest trackpad from the Apple store directly

 

[Pinkulinku]

Which one did you buy?

I'm absolutely sure, that there aren't any experts anymore. Just actors with a script.

What do you think that the expert, the super duper advisor said to me? He isn't using an Apple Watch.

You can't expect that an Mercedes mechanic owns a Mercedes or that you have to be a personal user of a product to support it. There are almost 3 million people who work in support and I would suspect for those who support consumer merchandise that only a small percentage of them own that product.

Companies which provider superior support, such as Apple, spend miliions of dollars training their new representatives. If you encounter a new hire their expertise is going to be limited to what they have been trained to do, the tools they have (such as questions to ask). As they gain experience they expand what they can do and eventually move up the chain.

There certainly are companies that do just use scripts. Right now I have an Nvidia streaming service that gives me the error "stopped streaming as you are already streaming on Android TV". Well I have only one Nvidia and no other Android devices. The reply I got from support was "you need to turn off streaming on your other Android devices". They did not read my description where I said I only had one device, and just pasted the standard script answer. A 2nd harder question about volume normalization they just chose to ignore.

With a few exceptions - there are always bad apples in a large support organization - I have never had this problem with Apple and I have called their support hundreds of times.

You are comparing apples with oranges. A Mercedes likes to cost € 80.000 and an Apple Watch € 600. The question that arises is why would someone want to work at Apple who doesn't use Apple products? He/she is convinced of other manufacturers? Then he/she should work there and not claiming (as a Windows user) that this extremely bad trackpad behavior is NORMAL. He has no idea what he's talking about. It may be normal for Windows. Certainly not for Apple!

And you're forgetting one important thing (since you mentioned premium and money)...there are used Mercedes and used Apple products. Are you telling me that nobody can afford a used iPhone SE? A used MacBook? A used 2015 iMac for € 900 or less, when every Windows PC costs the same? Please stop comparing apples to oranges.

Anyone who can afford an Android watch can afford an Apple Watch. Anyone who can find a Windows PC will find a used Mac. IF HE OR SHE WANTS! FOR ME: "If you don't life Apple, then you have no business with Apple".

 

[Pinkulinku]

Back to the problem.

 

[Slartibart]

From top of my head, try:

Check wether "Shake mouse pointer to locate" under >System Preferences>Accessibility>Display>Cursor is enabled. Disable it.

Deselect >System Preferences>General>"Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices". Then restart.

Reset Bluetooth via the terminal using sudo pkill bluetoothd. Repair the Magic Trackpad.

If your Mac is connect to WLAN change to the 5Ghz band if possible (to "debug" any 2.4Ghz WiFi impact, try turning off WiFi).

 

[HDFan]

The question that arises is why would someone want to work at Apple who doesn't use Apple products?

I guess a Mercedes was a poor example. Sorry. Substitute some cheaper item of your choice.

Lots of good representatives that I talk with don't have Apple devices at home. They often have PCs. Many of them gained their computer expertise on PCs and that is why Apple hired them. As to why they don't have Apple devices there are lots of reasons:

1. They don't have the funds to buy them
2. They prefer using a PC for some reason

If they are properly trained by Apple it is irrelevant what they personally use at home.

 

[Pinkulinku]

From top of my head, try:

Check wether "Shake mouse pointer to locate" under >System Preferences>Accessibility>Display>Cursor is enabled. Disable it.

Deselect >System Preferences>General>"Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices". Then restart.

Reset Bluetooth via the terminal using sudo pkill bluetoothd. Repair the Magic Trackpad.

If your Mac is connect to WLAN change to the 5Ghz band if possible (to "debug" any 2.4Ghz WiFi impact, try turning off WiFi).

Thank's for your help. Nothing worked for me.

I had no time, so I'm changing from Monterey back to BigSur today. Full install. Brand-new BigSur. I absolutely sure, that the problem has a name: "universal control @ Monterey" and this is Apple's new baby. We can life with that or change hardware, going back to windows.

With linear mouse the problem is nearly gone, but this can't be true. They broke a perfect quality for playing with other devices? And customers with just one device have to live with this quality? Dreaming, right?

 

[Pinkulinku]

Working two days with Big Sur. NO PROBLEMS! The pointer works fine. Same hardware. Same place. Same everything. I've the same feeling like on Monterey with my Intel iMac 27 inch. So it looks like the problem is caused in the combination "M1 iMacs and Monterey AND universal control".

I'll try to work with Big Sur one week. Then, I'll go back to Monterey. I'm absolutely sure, that the problems are coming back within a few seconds after starting the brand-new Monterey installation. Thank for nothing Apple.

 

[Pinkulinku]

After two weeks working with Big Sur on the same machine ... NO PROBLEMS!

The problem ist called Monterey!