Apple Magic Trackpad Review

• Tweet
• Pin It

The growing popularity of laptops has almost made people forget how to handle the conventional mouse. The modern-age trackpad is the flavor of the day and people feel more at home while using a trackpad.

To resolve this issue, Apple has introduced the Magic Trackpad that will make the desktop PC work in the fashion of a laptop (in terms of input device). The Magic Trackpad can be called the brother of Magic Mouse in terms of price tag ($69). Design aesthetics and 4-finger multi-touch gesture.

Apple Magic Trackpad Design

Apple Magic Trackpad is more like an aluminum slab with a slope and glass surface. Measuring around 1x5x5 inches, the Magic Trackpad offers more tracking surface (nearly 80% more) than the Macbook and Macbook Pros trackpad. Owing to the sloping design, the Magic Trackpad gives comfort to your palm which is otherwise absent in conventional mice. Magic Trackpad is white plastic at the bottom with rest pegs.

These rest pegs work in the fashion of feet that would prevent the trackpad from sliding around. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. The rest pegs are in point of fact mouse buttons. This realization would come to you when you press the trackpad surface with a little more pressure that reverts back with a ‘click’ sound. The Macbook trackpads work in similar manner.

Ease of Use

Much like in the Macbook and Macbook Pros, the Magic Trackpad offers 4 multi-touch points that work simultaneously. When you use a single finger, the basic functions of click and drag are performed. With two fingers, you can scroll, pinch-to-zoom, right click and rotate.

Also Read

2011 Apple Mac Mini Review
Apple iPad 2 First Look Review – Video
Apple’s iPad 2 Boasts USB FaceTime Retina Display
New Apple iPhone 

With three fingers, you have even more options to swipe in forward and backward positions. This is helpful for programs such as iPhoto, the integrated image viewer, Safari, etc.  With four fingers, you can swipe in left to right direction and vice versa to reveal app switcher. Swiping four fingers in upward direction would reveal the desktop and the downward direction swipe would activate Exposé for quick navigation.

The steep learning curve could be annoying for first-time users but with more and more us multi-touch gestures will be impressively easy. With Mac OS x 10.6 version, the Magic Trackpad (under the control panel) guides you on all the available gesture modes and how they work. Magic Trackpad can be connected to any Mac Pro or iMac via Bluetooth. The Magic Trackpad is powered by 2 AA batteries. For power users, Apple has released additional Battery Charger with 6 NimH AA batteries at just $29.

Apple Magic Trackpad Software

The automatic software update in Mac OS X will relieve you from installing driver’s software from a CD. Boot Camp will enable the Magic Trackpad behave in a manner similar to the Magic Mouse. Just ensure that you have updated Boot Camp driver on the support website of Apple. The Magic Trackpad is not compatible with the iPad and the iPhone till now.

Final Words

Considering the same price tag, the Magic Trackpad works better than the Magic Mouse. The Magic Trackpad offers a larger multi-touch surface and is comfortable on the palm. So, if you are a devout Mac user and are comfortable with trackpad than the mouse, just rush to an Apple store and get yours at just $69.

Related Posts

• 

  HTC Jetstream vs Apple iPad 2
  HTC Jetstream vs Apple iPad 2
• 

  Apple Mac Book Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Review
  Apple Mac Book Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Review
• 

  Slim and Elegant Apple Magic Mouse Review
  Slim and Elegant Apple Magic Mouse Review
• 

  Apple Wireless Keyboard Review
  Apple Wireless Keyboard Review