Just saw this new product on the Apple website, along with a 12 core Mac Pro. Presenting the Magic Trackpad.

 

 

From the Apple website;

"Why should notebooks have all the fun?

 

Desktop users, your time has come. The new Magic Trackpad is the first Multi-Touch trackpad designed to work with your Mac desktop computer. It uses the same Multi-Touch technology you love on the MacBook Pro. And it supports a full set of gestures, giving you a whole new way to control and interact with whats on your screen. Swiping through pages online feels just like flipping through pages in a book or magazine. And inertial scrolling makes moving up and down a page more natural than ever. Magic Trackpad connects to your Mac via Bluetooth wireless technology. Use it in place of a mouse or in conjunction with one on any Mac computer even a notebook."

 

What does T&C think of this product?

Would never buy it. I'm not going to exchange my mouse for some trackpad, touchscreen or whatever.

I hate those pads on laptops, whenever i use a laptop i always hook up a mouse.

Trackpads are considered a disadvantage to mobile computers. Many people pack a small wireless mouse in for that reason. It's simply easier to navigate the screen with a mouse.

The idea is that you can use multitouch. I've got my Bamboo fun, so no need for this even if I had a Mac.

I don't have a mac but having a trackpad makes everything harder. I understand why people would want it for gestures but that does that make up for how bad a trackpad is compared to mouse. All it takes is for you to put a bit too much pressure on it and you click and when you want it to click by hitting the track pad it doesnt do anything.

It's another Apple product where people (including myself) will think it wont take off, yet because it's Apple it will :P I don't see a use for it, but my dad has gone and ordered one so we'll see I guess :mellow:

The trackpads on their notebooks are simply amazing; I could never switch back to a Windows laptop just for that reason. However, trackpads are intrinsically limited in functionality, especially when it comes to games. I would never buy a trackpad for a desktop, certainly not a $70 one.

In my honest opinion I'd buy this alongside a Magic Mouse. I'm getting a Wacom Intuos4 so it'd be interesting to see what it would be like.

Apple trackpads are simply amazing and blow any other trackpad out of the water but I don't know if I'd enjoy using a trackpad on a desktop. I'm curious to see people's reactions once it's released. Isn't the recently new mighty mouse a cross between a trackpad and a computer mouse?

Maybe if you were sitting on the couch watching a movie, one of these would be amazing. :P

I would never buy a trackpad for a desktop, certainly not a $70 one.

 

It's $70? I'd buy one of those ergonomic mice for that kind of money. It's slightly sickening what kind of prices Apple can get away with.

I would never buy a trackpad for a desktop, certainly not a $70 one.

 

It's $70? I'd buy one of those ergonomic mice for that kind of money. It's slightly sickening what kind of prices Apple can get away with.

 

They can charge that much because they are the best you can get in this market. When you are the market leader, you can do whatever the hell you want.

Laura and Stevepole's response sums up my thoughts ;)

My brother has a magic mouse, and I honestly don't like it. My MacBook doesn't have one of the new multitouch pads, so I can't say too much, but I think I'll stick with a mouse, especially for photoshop work and whatnot.

I was under the impression that most people were in favour of mice. Trackpads are good if you're lying down on the sofa or something, like Laura said, but I'd choose a mouse over a trackpad any day.

I would never buy a trackpad for a desktop, certainly not a $70 one.

 

It's $70? I'd buy one of those ergonomic mice for that kind of money. It's slightly sickening what kind of prices Apple can get away with.

 

They can charge that much because they are the best you can get in this market. When you are the market leader, you can do whatever the hell you want.

 

Then after a month or so someone's going to sell the same thing for half the price. Apple is just overpriced most of the time.

I would never buy a trackpad for a desktop, certainly not a $70 one.

 

It's $70? I'd buy one of those ergonomic mice for that kind of money. It's slightly sickening what kind of prices Apple can get away with.

 

They can charge that much because they are the best you can get in this market. When you are the market leader, you can do whatever the hell you want.

 

Then after a month or so someone's going to sell the same thing for half the price. Apple is just overpriced most of the time.

But will it work as good? I know I haven't ever used a touch screen phone that has a screen that comes close to how well the iPhone/iPod touch screens work. And will the new track pads from other companies have the same multi touch capabilities?

That being said I wouldn't want to use one of these other than for five minutes to see how it works. I just don't like track pads at all. My mom says she wants one though, to the person who said their dad wants one, does he also like trackball mice?