The long rumored Apple Magic Trackpad finally came to market along with some other updates to the iMac and the Mac Pro line of computers. But, this announcement is more significant than updates to processing power or monitor sizes. Personally, I believe with the introduction of the Magic Trackpad, this could be opening up some doors for some exciting things maybe from Apple as well as third parties. Will get to this more later. For now, here is the lowdown on Apple’s Magic Trackpad.
The trackpad is made out of the same metal material that is used on the current Macbook Pro Line and the iMacs. The trackpad is about 80% bigger than the normal trackpad found on a Macbook. Check out the difference here. So think of it this way, when I saw it, it is a little bigger than about two iPhones put together. It is the same angle and height of an Apple Keyboard. The trackpad also takes 2 AA batteries and works over bluetooth.
As far as the functionality of the trackpad it is very similar to the track pad on a Macbook or Macbook Pro. You can press and tap just about anywhere on the pad. You can designate the right side of the pad to work as a right click as well. You can also choose to use finger taps instead of pressing on the trackpad, just like you would on a normal trackpad. You will also be able to use finger gestures, such as swipe, rotate, pinch and zoom and scroll. Again, as with the Macbook trackpads, you will be able to customize your trackpad with how you want it to work.
Apple is touting this as a trackpad for the iMac line, which makes sense as the Macbook line already has a trackpad. But, you will still be able to use this with any Mac that you have. Apple has the Magic Trackpad on sale now for $69. So the question now becomes, do you get this over the Magic Mouse?
Well, it kind of depends on what kind of Mac that you have. If you have an iMac or a Mac Mini, I would definitely say go for it. But if you have a Macbook or a Macbook Pro, you already have a trackpad so I don’t see a need for it, unless you just want something bigger. What would be interesting to see is which device is better for your wrist, the Magic Trackpad or the Magic Mouse. For me, that would help me make a better decision as well.
There are a couple of reasons why I think this could be big for Apple fans. The first being that this trackpad design could hopefully open doors for photographers and designers. Although Wacom has done a good job of coming out with their tablets, I think Apple will could possibly do as good if not better. This is a starting point and it would be interesting to see if Apple will try to compete with Wacom for this market.
My other thought here on why this could be big is that I can definitely see how this trackpad may some day be integrated into Apple TV. A new Apple TV has been rumored for a little while now and there could be some significant upgrades to it in the near future and beyond. If Apple is serious about competing in the TV market with the likes of Google, they are going to need to be integrated more into the tv itself, meaning that at some point don’t be surprised to see Apple collaborating with TV makers on some kind of Apple TV. But with that you need a remote as well. Well, this trackpad could very well be a great touch remote for that new Apple TV. Again, this is all speculation, and but the cool thing is that Apple has at least launched this product so that now these rumors can at least possibly become reality.
So what do you think? Do you think you will buy something like this? If you have bought one, what are your first impressions? Do you like it? Why or why not? Feel free to hit us up in the comments with your thoughts.
