Apple desktops have touchpads now too. The new Magic Trackpad gives Mac Pro and iMac owners multitouch powers, gestures and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Magic Trackpad is basically a larger version of the MacBook Pro touchpad, with 80 per cent more surface area for all your swiping and pinching. The entire surface acts as a button, so it’s also a possible mouse replacement. And all of the expected gestures are here: two-finger scrolling, pinch to zoom, fingertip rotation and three-finger and four-finger swipes. You can enable and disable gestures at your discretion from System Preferences:
The Magic Trackpad also has the same design and angles as Apple’s wireless keyboard, so putting the two side by side allow for pretty seamless switching back and forth. Or if you’re the long-distance type, the Bluetooth functionality allows you to operate the it from up to 10m away.
Like a few other Apple peripherals, the Magic Trackpad is battery powered — presumably a USB cord would get in the way of aesthetics. To that end, Apple’s also outed their first battery charger, which comes with six AA batteries and boasts the lowest vampire draw of any “similar charger” out there. The batteries they ship with are designed to last for hundreds of charges, which should save you a few trips to the junk drawer.
Apple’s trackpad intentions been a bit mystery since that patent surfaced back in February, but after it cleared the FCC this month it was only a matter of time. It’s available now and will set you back $69. [Apple]
Sam
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 8:08 AMOne thing I love about my MacBook Pro is the touchpad. Great to see this on the desktop (multiple finger gestures are brilliant). I can’t see it replacing the mouse for a lot of people, but to supplement it.
Dhani
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 11:04 AMShould’ve been like this.
http://twitpic.com/29abi5
Pinball
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:41 PMI tend to agree. What I would like to see is the wireless keyboard and magic trackpad intergrated as one, rather than a touch screen keyboard.
An intergrated keyboard and trackpad would awesome for mac mini’s hooked up to TVs.
boc
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 2:21 PMOther than possibly pinching to zoom in/out how is this useful for someone using a mouse?
In my opinion a mouse would be superior in all circumstances.
ybabe
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 9:27 PMThe trackpad replaces the mouse, it does everything a mouse can do, it’s just as easy to use, and it’s more ergonomic. I would say the trackpad surpasses the mouse in every way. But that’s just my opinion, of course :)
Gorhob Perkins
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 5:43 PMWhy would you make something like this battery powered, that’s just silly.
brian
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:37 PMThat’s simple.
If it comes to a fight between aesthetics and function, the former always wins at apple.
This philospohy has been pretty apparent in the last few months.
Daniel
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 5:15 PMBecause the functionality has somehow been inhibited by the use of batteries….right?
Greg
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 2:44 PMJust like wireless keyboards and mice never gained any acceptance!