iPodDailyNews - Where iPod news comes first

Jul 30, 10 - 02:06 pm Comment from: Gilby

I would use this in a presentation while standing being able to control my computer.

Jul 30, 10 - 02:08 pm Comment from: flappo

i bought one , why ? i dunno

but i wanted one

ok , i'm a fanboy , big dealio

I would buy one if I could also use it with theiPad like the wireless keyboard of my iMac

@Gilby
I use the iPhone for that, there is an app for that...
Logitech's "Mouse Touch" it's free and you also have a keyboard. Very recommended for presentations. It works via WiFi.

If I had a desktop Mac, I'd have to have one of these.

Jul 30, 10 - 02:16 pm Comment from: Jersey_Trader

If you are sitting across the room from your Mac mini HDTV, it is perfect! The problem is these writers do not understand Apple's product line and where Apple is going next!

Idiots, you need to think of these things as clues. HDTV output for the low cost Mac mini, a wireless track pad and keyboard, a new BILLION DOLLAR SERVER FARM, ... Even the dumbest in the group should be able to guess what is next. Hint: Remember the Home Media Hub?

Jul 30, 10 - 02:19 pm Comment from: tomL

Mine arrived yesterday, and I used it last night and this morning before driving to work.

It is 1000% better than all my previous mice (including magic and mighty), and I'd rather not do without it.

Jul 30, 10 - 02:21 pm Comment from: Jersey_Trader

PS: The idiots are the clueless writers. Not the posters. The posters don't get paid to sound like they know what they are talking about.

Been using it for the second day straight. Used it with QX and PS and the OS interface, of course. The most important aspect of it is that, just using fingers you're relieved of the repetitious movement of your whole arm, in the case of a mouse. And that's priceless to me. I think I'm ready to ditch the mouse.

lame review
i like having my $70 more
judgment on the item based on its $70 price tag is no review at all
lame

and BTW, the 2 finger scroll is not something new on MacBooks, its on my old white one too from 2007, that was in place way before the most recent glass trackpads, so there: lame review

Jul 30, 10 - 03:21 pm Comment from: ken1w

While I still prefer a simple mouse (two-buttons and a clickable scroll wheel), I tried the Magic Trackpad and it is pretty cool.

How it works (mechanically) is not fully understood by people who have not looked at it closely. Even people who own one (or have tried it) many not understand.

The "click" does not come from the surface area of the trackpad. When you turn it over, at the bottom left and right corners, there are two "feet." They look like typical rubber feet, but they are not. Those feet are what click when you press down on the surface of the trackpad. If you hold it in your hand and press the surface of the trackpad, there is no click. The feet are basically "buttons" that get depressed when you press down on the trackpad surface.

(Because those feet are at the near edge of the trackpad, you will notice that it is easiest to click at near edge of the trackpad, and it requires progressively more pressure as you move up the trackpad toward the far edge. The trackpad is acting like a "lever" when you click.)

Therefore, it would not be fully functional as a presentation tool or as an Mac mini HDTV remote control, unless you plan to use it on a flat surface (not held in your hand or on your lap). I think you could set it to recognize taps as clicks, but that's not functionally identical to clicking.

Here's one bit of attention-to-detail that is overlooked. A lot of potential owners would be accustomed to using trackpads that have a separate button along the bottom edge of the tracking surface. Typically, the thumb is used to click that button, while the index finger moves the cursor around. On a Magic Trackpad, you'd think you would need to adjust your habit, because there is no separate button to press with your thumb; you would need to click by pressing down on with the index finger. But in fact, you can click with your thumb toward the near edge, just as if there was a separate button there. Putting your thumb on the surface (for this purpose) does not become a second point of contact. Nicely done...

Ars Technica: Nice to have, but not necessary

Just who the Fsck annointed these self-important know-it-alls as the oracle and font of all knowledge? Their site is a massive circle jerk. I can't get past their self-important arrogant name.

It reminds me of the famous quote from the now-deflated Cmndr Taco from another self-important site, slashdot, when he first looked at the iPod (without having seen one, of course). I don't have the exact quote handy, but he basically dismissed it saying that a Creative player of the time was bigger and had more buttons and switches. He sniffed that the iPod would be a failure. Fast-forward to today. Slashdot is but a shell of its former self.

Be careful what you say, oh mighty pundits. It might come back to haunt you. And frankly, I hope it does.

Jul 30, 10 - 03:55 pm Comment from: Macdoc

More then necessary, to have Mac Book (Pro) capabilities on an Mac Mini, iMac or Mac Pro is Great, it 's one step above the Majic Mouse which I Love!!
Waiting for mine to be delivered today to use with my iMac i5 and Mac Mini....
THANK YOU APPLE...but could I have a wired version so I can use it at Work where wireless is not allowed?????

Jul 30, 10 - 03:56 pm Comment from: the other steve jobs

Kensington Turbo Mouse

End of discussion.

"...though it makes no sense as to why you would want to use it with a notebook."

Do Windows powered notebooks have the same multitouch trackpads as MacBook pros?

@Me

So, in other words, tech sites should not review tech products, because it makes them know it alls? And arstechnica is self-important and arrogant? By what standard? They would be better if they had a cutesy name?

Some of us use mice and vertical touch screens all day and the change when using my MacBook was always nice. Now I have it for my MacPro.
Bravo Apple, some of us really do not want repetitive motion injuries and this is a great help.
FYI- unlike what someone posted yesterday, you can still use your Magic Mouse. You WILL have to reset your Mouse prefs as installing the pad update reset the MM settings to default.

I knew it was great after using it for a few minutes. The mouse now feels clumsy and limited.

@Nkoulian

You move your entire arm when you use a mouse? You're doing it wrong. Try increasing the tracking speed. Very little movement is required.

I'm sure the Magic Trackpad is great, but let's not start bashing mice with false information just because Apple has come up with an alternative.

Bongo who the he'll died and made you god of how people use devices.

Your personal feeling have no play on how others use a device.

Your the one going on about assumptions, don't assume everyone uses a device the same as you and save the asumption that someone was bashining your mouse theroy.

When you assume, remember you just made a ass out of yourself and not me.

Jul 30, 10 - 05:32 pm Comment from: Ray

This time I agree with ARS. This mac-cessory is going the way of the isight sooner than later.

just my $0.02

@ Bongo:

I suffer from shoulder/arm pain from manipulating mice everyday for long years. Oh and BTW, my tracking's always on max! I find a rested arm with just fingers moving a relief...

@the other steve jobs Don't forget to also state how the floppy will never die as long as there are Kensington external drives

@Nkoulian and no mouse bashing

Perhaps I am assuming but nobody I know has to move their entire arm to operate a mouse. Anyone else with me here?!

I'm not promoting mice or bashing the Magic Trackpad (I love my MBP trackpad). I was just expressing my surprise.

Who else needs to move their entire arm to operate a mouse?

@ Bongo:

Not nice Bongo. Nobody dances with their mice with arms flailing...The slight movements of the arm over years does the job.

Jul 30, 10 - 07:58 pm Comment from: Big Als MBP

"The Magic Trackpad can be set up for use on Mac OS X (10.6.4 or later) on either a portable or desktop machine, though it makes no sense as to why you would want to use it with a notebook,"

Here is the scenario Jacqui. You work at a desk but you do a hell of a lot more than push paper. You do dirty things with hand tools, power tools, messy samples, microscopes, liquid chemicals, lunch, beverages and other assorted crap.

Your laptop is away from all the chaos, on an elevated shelf, at the back of the desk, with the top of the screen at eye level. Your wireless keyboard and trackpad are close to your hands amongst all the clutter but easily moved to safety when the messy samples and the power tools come out.

That's how it makes sense Jacqui.

I agree with the review. I want one, but I won't pay $70 plus tax for it. I'll use a discount and pay closer to $60, or wait for the refurbs. It is nice but not necessary - just like most things. There's nothing wrong with that.

Even as a Mac user of many years, I see what we have here are the usual MacDailyNews fanboys who are the worst kind, because you'll even jump on the journalists who write the best and most thorough OS X reviews on the planet. Heck, they're so Mac-friendly that Apple haters regularly accuse them of a serious pro-Apple bias. Fanboys, to jump on your own allies is not a good move.

Jul 31, 10 - 06:45 am Comment from: Dave H

It's great when you're using it for work, but not so good for games which are still very much based on the mouse. Hopefully it won't take too long before the developers start to build the multi-touch into their interfaces. At which point Trackpads will become the thing to have.

Tha MacBook Pro is more then just portable laptop. It's a great desktop computer with a 24" cinema screen. The new track pad stays on my desk next to the key board. A Mac Book Pro is two computers for the price of one.

"Who else needs to move their entire arm to operate a mouse?"

Actually, according to ergonomics research you are much less likely to injure your wrist with RSI/carpal tunnel if you shift your whole arm around to move the mouse, instead of concentrating all mouse movement through your wrist.

If you keep your arm stationary and constantly torque your wrist to move your mouse, in fact...you are doing it wrong.

Aug 02, 10 - 12:25 pm Comment from: elarue

Personally, I don't see the added value in the trackpad over the Magic Mouse. Can't I do everything the trackpad does on the Magic Mouse anyway?

Not necessary?
Well, I don't think that anything I have is really necessary. My computer, my iPod, my phone, my car etc... That's just a stupid headline. They can say that about anything.

There's a growing chasm between people who JUST DON'T GET IT with Apple innovations and those who TOTALLY GET IT AND EMBRACE IT and are way more productive and happier

I am of the latter group.

I have been using my Magic Trackpad with my MacBook Pro for about 2 hours now and I love it.

All my wired/wireless mice and trackballs (including Kensington Expert Mouse and Turbo Mouse) are going into a storage box at the end of today. The Expert Mouse used to be my device of choice.

(I wish they didn't make Windows drivers for it though.)

Regarding the comment about games, I am going to try playing StarCraft 2 with the Magic Trackpad tonight and that will be the acid test.

Probably will take a few days of getting used to (basically, two-finger tapping to issue a move command) but I think it will work well to replace the mouse. I had tried it with the MacBook Pro Trackpad before but the positioning was awkward. Now it should work well right next to the keyboard.

(Speaking of which, it is highly notable that SC2 was released with both a Mac and a Windows version; used to be we'd have to wait a year for a port; the writing is on the wall for PC games!).