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A Look Inside Apple's Magic Trackpad
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I totally agree. It's getting old.
To my knowledge, this is only the second product released with the Magic naming scheme. And the last one was just 9 months ago. Whether you like it or not, I don't see how you can argue it's 'getting old'.
It's really just one of those things that you will eventually get used to and wonder why you used to think it sound weird. Just like iPod and iPad (not to mention Magic Markers).
Pinch to zoom and inertia scrolling for the iMac!!!
Those that don't understand it...probably haven't used it. Having purchased a MacBook Pro last month for my wife - I didn't understand the point of the track pad and at first simply used it as a traditional track pad with the pad being the button. It wasn't until this week with the release of the magic track pad that I investigated the swipe gestures and activated the features on her MBP. We are now going to get it on our 27" iMac i7 next week. Being able to use the equivalent of flick scrolling on your desk top, pinch to zoom and swipe functions is incredible. I am done using the mouse. This is one of those features that makes me understand why so many people become lifelong Apple fans. Pure genious!!!
Those that don't understand it...probably haven't used it. Having purchased a MacBook Pro last month for my wife - I didn't understand the point of the track pad and at first simply used it as a traditional track pad with the pad being the button. It wasn't until this week with the release of the magic track pad that I investigated the swipe gestures and activated the features on her MBP. We are now going to get it on our 27" iMac i7 next week. Being able to use the equivalent of flick scrolling on your desk top, pinch to zoom and swipe functions is incredible. I am done using the mouse. This is one of those features that makes me understand why so many people become lifelong Apple fans. Pure genious!!!
I don't think so yet. The GUIs still have a long way to go before pointers etc. can be declared completely obsolete. In two years time we'll see where this is taking us, but there's a long way to go yet. Think of this as the OSX 10.0 phase, getting something out there to see how developers react, so that the whole thing can be changed and refined.
But Doug approves it (from the great beyond....now that's magic!)
Funny, but correct me if I am wrong, but Doug Henning always seemed avoid the word "Magic" like the plague - it always seemed to be "illooooooosion."
EDIT: OK, that was just a childhood memory that stuck. He didn't avoid the word "magic," but the way he said "illusion" just stuck
I found it old/annoying/dead-to-me when I first saw it describe the iPad. Once is all it took. I like these products, but "magic" as either the name or the focus of an entire marketing strategy is ****.
Actually I love the look of this little thing.. I use a Wacom Intuos for art and a 7 button Logitech mouse for precise things and general computer use.. I can imagine using one of these to the left (i'm right handed) of my intuos as a very rapid way of easily navigating/zooming the working window/s. I think my toddler would probably learn to use this thing quicker than a mouse too given that she (at two) is very proficient with the iphone... Mice, though accurate (and in my opinion still best for many things!) are pretty unnatural feeling at first.
Funny, but correct me if I am wrong, but Doug Henning always seemed avoid the word "Magic" like the plague - it always seemed to be "illooooooosion."
EDIT: OK, that was just a childhood memory that stuck. He didn't avoid the word "magic," but the way he said "illusion" just stuck
Had to think back and you might be right. Maybe Gob was a better pick for "magic"
This product is approved by The Alliance of Magicians
The solution is - don't rest your hand on the trackpad. It's bad ergonomics to do either that or rest your hand on a mouse. Give your carpal tunnel a break, ok?
lawl XD
Thanks for that, seriously. I was noticing a very conspicuous lack of venom in this thread.
This Magic Trackpad and Apple releasing a AA battery pack and charger
What a weird Tuesday. It had a "lets get every pet project out so they won't notice we are 99% focussed on iOS" kind of feel.
I have no idea how successful either of these items will eventually be. I'd rather use a mouse and I already have a battery charger. I'll try to keep an open mind though.
What a weird Tuesday. It had a "lets get every pet project out so they won't notice we are 99% focussed on iOS" kind of feel.
I have no idea how successful either of these items will eventually be. I'd rather use a mouse and I already have a battery charger. I'll try to keep an open mind though.
I still don't understand why it's needed. It's just an oversized MacBook trackpad for desktops.
...and c'mon, the monicker "Magic" for their touch peripherals is lame...
I don't understand why people who don't see how a tool will help them, feel the need to announce to the rest of the world that the tool doesn't suit them, probably won't suit anybody else, and either explicitly or implicitly state that anybody who does find the tool interesting or useful is a fool.
And yes, I know that it's a free country (more or less, but that's for the PRSI, eh?).... but just because people can contribute chaff and dross doesn't mean it makes for an interesting conversation....
sweet
I can see this being useful for 2 reasons, neither of which has anything to do with a desktop. First, I do not have cable so I hook my macbook to my tv and watch things like espn3 and hulu. This will be far superior to trying to use my mouse on the couch. Second, this will give me functionality on my macbook that the built in trackpad lacks (two finger scrolling no longer seems cutting edge).
Boom. 2 reasons to buy even if you don't use it for your desktop.
I can see this being useful for 2 reasons, neither of which has anything to do with a desktop. First, I do not have cable so I hook my macbook to my tv and watch things like espn3 and hulu. This will be far superior to trying to use my mouse on the couch. Second, this will give me functionality on my macbook that the built in trackpad lacks (two finger scrolling no longer seems cutting edge).
Boom. 2 reasons to buy even if you don't use it for your desktop.
I think this forum is becoming a very interest place to study human behavior. Why some people feel the urge to complain about EVERYTHING apple do, is just beyond my comprehension ...
I just think there's nothing particularly "magical" about the trackpad. It's nice and complements the wireless keyboard, but come on. Some of us are sick to death of the hyperbole machine.
What's next - Magic Macs?
Looking ahead a few generations...
Nope, nothing's wrong with the Magic Mouse. But I think Apple is once again migrating its user base (and eventually the entire industry) toward a longer-term goal. My silly wild-ass guess is that the next version of the Magic Trackpad and all laptop trackpads will use an AMOLED touch screen. It could show a virtual numeric keypad, or other control setup, instead of just being a blank trackpad.
Why would Apple do that? To first test user reaction, then prepare us all for yet another evolution beyond that, to a full virtual keyboard. No more physical keys, just a large AMOLED with virtual keys displayed, that could instantly switch between keyboard and trackpad depending on what the user's fingertips are doing. There would no longer be any need to move your hand between keyboard and pointing device. That small motion is a barrier between the user and the computer, and Apple is all about removing those barriers now.
So, aside from making it slightly more convenient, why would Apple want to get rid of a separate pointing device? Because iOS devices don't have a pointing device at all. The iOS GUI doesn't have a cursor, so you never need to use a pointing device other than your own fingers. I think Apple will be gradually moving us all to some kind of Mac OS interface that has many iOS features. Maybe in the Mac OS XI timeframe.
Making small steps ever year is the only way Apple can get there without jarring its users too much. On the other hand, I think the best way to make the next-gen Mac Book Air really thin is to use a touchscreen instead of a physical keyboard. So Apple could just drop the bomb on us when the next MBA is released. Lots of people wouldn't like a pure virtual keyboard on a MacBook, but the MBA isn't for everyone anyway. It's a higher-cost, "executive laptop" niche product, so it has to be on the cutting edge. (My extremely wild prediction is that it could be as thin as an iPhone 4: less than 10mm if Apple can get someone to build a super-thin SSD...)
And one more little thing: AMOLED, when made with very high pixel density, is relatively expensive now, and yields are very low. But if it is used only to display keyboard-sized keys and letters, the resolution wouldn't need to be very high, which could keep costs down. And it would streamline manufacturing because there would just be one keyboard SKU instead of multiple international keyboards with different keycaps and/or key layouts. The international keyboards could be instantly configured in System Preferences > Keyboard.
OK, that was waaay too long. Sorry. (TL/DR).
Nope, nothing's wrong with the Magic Mouse. But I think Apple is once again migrating its user base (and eventually the entire industry) toward a longer-term goal. My silly wild-ass guess is that the next version of the Magic Trackpad and all laptop trackpads will use an AMOLED touch screen. It could show a virtual numeric keypad, or other control setup, instead of just being a blank trackpad.
Why would Apple do that? To first test user reaction, then prepare us all for yet another evolution beyond that, to a full virtual keyboard. No more physical keys, just a large AMOLED with virtual keys displayed, that could instantly switch between keyboard and trackpad depending on what the user's fingertips are doing. There would no longer be any need to move your hand between keyboard and pointing device. That small motion is a barrier between the user and the computer, and Apple is all about removing those barriers now.
So, aside from making it slightly more convenient, why would Apple want to get rid of a separate pointing device? Because iOS devices don't have a pointing device at all. The iOS GUI doesn't have a cursor, so you never need to use a pointing device other than your own fingers. I think Apple will be gradually moving us all to some kind of Mac OS interface that has many iOS features. Maybe in the Mac OS XI timeframe.
Making small steps ever year is the only way Apple can get there without jarring its users too much. On the other hand, I think the best way to make the next-gen Mac Book Air really thin is to use a touchscreen instead of a physical keyboard. So Apple could just drop the bomb on us when the next MBA is released. Lots of people wouldn't like a pure virtual keyboard on a MacBook, but the MBA isn't for everyone anyway. It's a higher-cost, "executive laptop" niche product, so it has to be on the cutting edge. (My extremely wild prediction is that it could be as thin as an iPhone 4: less than 10mm if Apple can get someone to build a super-thin SSD...)
And one more little thing: AMOLED, when made with very high pixel density, is relatively expensive now, and yields are very low. But if it is used only to display keyboard-sized keys and letters, the resolution wouldn't need to be very high, which could keep costs down. And it would streamline manufacturing because there would just be one keyboard SKU instead of multiple international keyboards with different keycaps and/or key layouts. The international keyboards could be instantly configured in System Preferences > Keyboard.
OK, that was waaay too long. Sorry. (TL/DR).
The problem with a AMOLED keyboard is I can't imagine your nerves in the fingers would like too much of it. There's a reason keyboards have "give", glass doesn't. Ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics. Now if Apple is planning on introducing a full holographic keyboard, then you're talkin'.
The problem with a AMOLED keyboard is I can't imagine your nerves in the fingers would like too much of it. There's a reason keyboards have "give", glass doesn't. Ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics. Now if Apple is planning on introducing a full holographic keyboard, then you're talkin'.
A while back Apple released a patent for a touch screen in which the screen would physical change depending on the input method. For example, if using a qwerty the display would raise slightly to produce tactile feedback. How this would be accomplished on a glass front LED LCD is beyond me, yet it does make for an interesting concept.
All this talk of "magic" and technology reminded me of Arthur C. Clarke's "Three Laws":
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
This MADtv parody when the iPhone first came out was funny:
Http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=xgZKjJt-TkU
"The iPhone is witchcraft!" LOL