The Magic Trackpad Finally Debuts

[Paul Daniel Ash]

The long-rumored Magic Trackpad peripheral - essentially a MacBook Pro trackpad without the MacBook - has finally been released by Apple, a week after the FCC approved it, almost five months after trademarking the name and nearly a year after the device was first hinted at by Gruber. For all of Apple's renowned secrecy, they sure telegraphed this one.

The Magic Trackpad is a smooth-surfaced standalone trackpad, designed with the same brushed aluminum finish as the Apple Wireless Keyboard. It kicks back at the same angle as the keyboard, too: pretty much begging you to get one as an option with your new iMac or Mac Pro. (Hey, it's only another 70 bucks and you're already paying a couple grand; go for it, big spender!) The same multitouch gestures and taps that work on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air glass trackpads work on this device: two fingers to secondary-click, scroll, rotate, or pinch-to-zoom, three fingers to page through documents, and so forth.

Significantly, though, Apple says the Magic Trackpad is 80% larger than the Mac Book Pro trackpad, though they don't give actual dimension. If you look at a Wireless Keyboard it will give you some sense of scale. This thing is really as much a small tablet as it is a big trackpad, with interesting implications for Apple's continuing march from the mouse pointer interface to a multitouch model, building on its successes with the iPad and iPhone. Expect more products from Apple that leverage multitouch, including - maybe very soon - iBooks for the desktop.

People who have Apple wireless peripherals know what battery hogs they are, and the complaints were apparently not wasted on Apple, because along with the Magic Trackpad today, they announced the Apple (Magic?) Battery Charger with six batteries, apparently, so you can have two in your keyboard, two in your Magic Whatever, and two charging.

The Magic Trackpad costs a magical $69 US, and ships within 24 hours, as of right now. That may change, so if you want one, you should probably order it quickly.

[jamriman]

Or perhaps just buy the air mouse app for the iPad. Not sure about pinching though.

[beninspain]

Want one. Ordering now

[Eagleye]

Think I might get one of these for my iMac just to try it out. Looks fun!? Kinda weird tho... its like Apple knows people aren't quite ready for full touch-screen OSX so they put this out to sort of help people learn so that way in the future they can release a full touch OSX and be like, "Look! You already know how to use this! Its so EASY!"

[manickbarry]

I like it

[z3r01]

Getting one tomorrow

[Broomhead]

I love it

[Cowboy]

Nice ordering one asap

[whereswaldo]

What's with the batteries sitting there in the picture?

[skblut]

I just ordered one of these looks pretty cool to me.They are selling some kind of rechargeable battery thing thats why you see that.

[cypherpunk]

Why the hell does this use AA batteries, rechargeable or not? We're not in the 1990s anymore.

Incidentally, isn't there already an iPhone/pad app that does all this for free?

[santacruzlocal]

What's with the batteries sitting there in the picture?

Did you read the ENTIRE article?

[tudtran]

For some reason, I like the magic mouse better. But the apple battery recharger is a very idea. $29 is a little bit high. May look for one on ebay or something.

[willryan42]

I don't understand the hype about this thing (besides that it's a new product from Apple so naturally everyone wants it). It's just a giant trackpad, isn't it? I'm using a macbook pro, and I'd use a wireless mouse over my trackpad anyday, so why buy this thing?

Using trackpads is typically a lot slower and less efficient than using a mouse....

[skolpo]

I don't understand the hype about this thing (besides that it's a new product from Apple so naturally everyone wants it). It's just a giant trackpad, isn't it? I'm using a macbook pro, and I'd use a wireless mouse over my trackpad anyday, so why buy this thing?

Using trackpads is typically a lot slower and less efficient than using a mouse....

Seriously, what's with the hype? This is just free money for Apple.

[Chase817]

Gonna pass on this one :/

[jbreak23]

I'll just stick with my Magic Mouse. I might get the battery charger though tired of my batteries going dead.

[rhekt]

Looks useful enough

[feidhlim1986]

Apple: "Hey we actually made way too many trackpads for our MacBooks! Ah lets stick a battery on them and sell them to customers who already have mice and multi-touch mice and make another small fortune on the sheep."

[Xtremeiphone]

doesn't seem to be a "got to have" apple product. Just my opinion