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Apple's latest product is so “magical and revolutionary” that the Cupertino company named it Magic Trackpad. The company, understandably, has a soft spot for multi-touch navigation. Several months after it introduced the Magic Mouse, the company has launched yet another multi-touch pointing device. The Magic Trackpad is essentially a standalone version of the MacBook Pro trackpad. However, it is significantly larger and boasts 80% more real estate than the trackpad on Apple notebooks.
Powered by two AA batteries, the wireless trackpad connects to a Mac using Bluetooth. Mac owners will have to shell out $69 for the Magic trackpad. By the way, Apple has also decided to revolutionize the way AA batteries are charged with a $29 battery charger of its own.
Image Credit: Apple
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M1K3Z0R
July 28, 2010 at 11:46pm
So they charge about as much for a trackpad as they do for the keyboard? If apple were not so intent on making money, they could have just spared the extra batteries and other bluetooth radio and just combined the trackpad into the keyboard. Too bad IBM/Lenovo already did that long ago, and still continues to with the external Thinkpad/Thinkplus keyboards with both the ibm nipple (Trackpoint) and trackpad (Ultranav).
Now as much as I hate Apple in general, I do like their slim bluetooth keyboard quite a bit. Makes an excellent HTPC kbd and is small/light enough to throw anywhere to the side when not needed. I only wish they had a backlit version, but knowing apple that would most likely bloat the cost even more as they attempt to also make the apple logo on the underside light up *roll eyes*
jgrimoldy
July 28, 2010 at 3:53pm
Steve Jobs: Howz about a bundled standard mouse that has more than ONE FUCKING BUTTON! You can call it a Magical Multi-Touch Mouse or some other bullshit.
Havok
July 28, 2010 at 8:39am
Just for kicks: Wouldn't this actually be good for HTPCs if it'll work with normal PCs? I mean it's just Bluetooth... Also, maybe this device is for the 25 people out there with Mac-Minis, or whatever they're called. I'm skeptical this is gonna be "magical and revolutionary" (after all, its just a frakkin' big touchpad) but it is the only tablet-like input device that is wireless. If I can connect this to my HTPC and just chill out on my couch surfing through my library of movies and shows from 33 feet away like Apple claims, this may actually be the first Apple device I purchase.
dracx619
July 28, 2010 at 9:32am
thanks havok, you've actually come up with a good use for this doohickey. i was reading on engadget that apple released drivers for both osx(naturally) and windows so i guess it can work for us non osx people if we can find a practical ue for it
Havok
July 28, 2010 at 9:38am
I just found this on thinkgeek. It's a touchpad/wireless keyboard device. Sure the 'pad isn't as big as "80% larger than the average Macbook touchpad" but it does incorporate all of the inputs you may need. And it's the same price. Go figure, eh?
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/e0e7/?cpg=136HCS&image
dracx619
July 28, 2010 at 12:36pm
double score. ive only seen this coming out of asia or for like 150 bucks from here in th us. i would definitely go for this. thanks man!
Bender2000
July 28, 2010 at 5:52am
Why didn't Logitech or Microsoft have this first? I can see the advantage in some situations but I think its more a kludge for Apple because the all in one competition all have touchscreens. Kudos to Jobs and Co. for finally figuring out how to get rid of that one last button on the mouse.
Fecal Face
July 28, 2010 at 2:33am
Are you kidding me? Trackpads are a huge pain in the ass, I only use them when I have no mouse available. I don't think I know of anybody who prefers a trackpad over a mouse.
So why the hell would I want to buy a trackpad for my desktop, and on top of that, why the hell would I want to pay $69 for it!? Not to mention $29 to charge it, because apparently everything has to be wireless nowadays. What's wrong with a corded trackpad? Oh wait, Apple won't make as much money that way.
Let me get this straight - I'm paying $69 ($70), plus $29 ($30), a total of ~$100, so I can use something that is more inconvenient to use than the mouse I already own. Why would someone pay $100 for an annoyance?
roninnder
July 28, 2010 at 3:21am
You might want to consider not buying one if you find it less convenient. I personally don't understand why anyone chooses to use software or hardware that I don't prefer. On the other hand, I can't imagine how I would have established a preference for anything if I didn't have any options at all. I'm with you Fecal Face; Down with choice!
Also, last time I checked you can charge AA batteries (which it runs on) however you want.
dracx619
July 28, 2010 at 3:12am
seriously. and these apple nuts swear by its multi'trackness' of it all. i guess gesture based movements are all fine and dandy but 1) i hate, hate, hate apple trackpads. i find them very uncomfortable to use and having to use multiple fingers to achieve some sort of gesture hurts my hand after a while. 2) the reason theres a trackpad on a laptop is because of portbility right? its there because normally you have it on your LAP and dont use a mouse. 3) you use a mouse with a desktop computer because its on a nice open desk and the mouse gives you way more control. 4) trackpads are only great on desktops if its like a wacom tablet and you ahve a use for it in photoshop and illustrator type programs. 5) and i doubt jobs is going to want a pen to be used on its magical device cause "if you got to use a pen, you blew it"
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