Apple's "Magic Trackpad"



As you may (or may not) have heard, Apple recently release another Mac accessory: the "Magic Trackpad" (Seriously, I really hope they grow out of this whole "Magic" motif...I think we, as a society, have come to the moment in history where things with blinky lights are no longer considered to be "magical"). Anyway, what Apple has done here is take the laptop trackpad from their MacBook computers, enlarged it, and made accessible to all their computers. Obviously, this is not a product for those of you who truly hate trackpads or can't stand using anything besides a mouse. The design fits in well with their current philosophy of grey metal minimalism. Its shape is a perfect match to their line of keyboards (either wired or bluetooth), and the color matches their computers as well. The trackpad connects via bluetooth, so there are no wires to add to the tangle surrounding most computers.

The trackpad is comparable to Wacom's "Bamboo" line of touch-based interface products. The immediate plus, for those interested in minimalism, is the fact that all actions just require a touch, and if you do need to feel a "click," then there is also the fact that the trackpad allows for a single push button as well (the entire pad functions as a button). Bamboo, on the other hand, is more functional, given its wider array of buttons, and the fact that you can take advantage of its pen interface. In short, I guess Wacom's tablet would be more appealing to those planning on dealing with design and photo work, while Apple's product is more for casual users.

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