Apple Files Trademark Application for 'Magic Trackpad'

[MacRumors]

Patently Apple reports that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) today published a trademark application filed earlier this week by Apple covering the term "Magic Trackpad". The application requests registration in International Class 009 under a number of categories relating to computer hardware and software, as well as several types of peripheral devices.

International Class 009: Computers; computer software; computer operating system software; computer utility software; computer hardware; computer peripherals; scanners; touchscreens; keyboards; computer mice; trackballs; trackpads; touchpads; light pens; joysticks; game controllers; graphics tablets; digitizers; cables and connectors; flash memory drives; USB drives; solid state storage devices; barcode readers.

It is not entirely clear what technology the trademark is meant to apply to and whether it would be some aspect of existing trackpads using in Apple's notebook computers or if it would be some other device offering trackpad functionality.

There has been speculation about some sort of multi-touch "trackpad gadget" since John Gruber mentioned such a possibility ahead of an October product launch from Apple that saw the introduction of every one of his claimed products except the trackpad gadget. The speculation was further fed several months later with the revelation that Apple had filed for a trademark on the term "Magic Slate".

At the time, Apple had yet to introduce its much-rumored tablet device, and so speculation was consequently centered around that release. But with Apple filing this new trademark application a month after the tablet device was introduced as the iPad, it appears that Apple may yet have something more up its sleeve.

Article Link: Apple Files Trademark Application for 'Magic Trackpad'

 

[Grimace]

Too much magic apple...the names sound hokey.

 

[elhungarian]

haha more magic

http://www.pcworld.com/article/190134/apple_ipad_will_beat_netbooks_with_magic.html

 

[Baklava]

MagicMouse & MagicTrackpad... nice pair. But Mighty would be better.

 

[lord patton]

I've said it before, someday the trackpad will be a fully functional multitouch display, like an iPhone screen embedded in your MBP.

I could see it powered by a separate ARM processor and able to run "widgets" or 3rd party programs/extensions based on the iPhone OS.

I was surprised that Apple didn't make more of the iPad's potential use as a hardware input device, such as faders and transport control for use with Logic. I imagine the video buffs out there could come up with something similar for video editing suites.

Now imagine that functionality embedded in your laptop. Not for everyone, but definitely something that a closed system like Apple software/hardware—combined with a powerful SDK—could offer that no one else could match.

 

[shadowbird423]

I see a introdution with the new MBPs (if they ever come out )...

 

[rumplestiltskin]

Just let me buy an external (USB or Bluetooth) trackpad that's exactly like the one in my MBP. I'd connect it to my iMac and be one happy camper.

 

[zeemeerman2]

I see a introdution with the new MBPs (if they ever come out )...

No no... It 'd be too quick. First the MBPs, after that - say 9 months to one year - the Magic Trackpad. The patent is just only filed. Not more...


Off-topic: Can anyone tell me the difference between a trackpad and a touchpad?

 

[GorillaPaws]

Oh dear god, please be an external USB multitouch trackpad alternative to the mouse that uses the same standard multi-touch gestures as the laptop. Apple could call it the "feces trackpad," style it brown, and overcharge by a wide margin and I would STILL buy one in a heartbeat if it did everything the multi-touch trackpads for the laptops do.

The key for me is standardization of gestures across all Apple platforms. I don't want to learn different gestures for different devices (and especially different sets of rules for 2 different devices who both run OSX). You shouldn't have to "think" about which gesture to use, it should just happen naturally (like right-clicking does).

 

[HiVolt]

Too much magic apple...the names sound hokey.

Indeed, these names sound silly. We're not 8 year olds.

 

[q dude]

This would be awesome. I would love a trackpad device to connect to my iMac.

 

[xraydoc]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.0.1; en-us; Droid Build/ESD56) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17)

Apple seems big on "magic" lately. MagicMouse, iPad's magical experience... and now this?

Not a big fan of the "magic."

 

[BillyBobBongo]

Not a big fan of the "magic."

It's all just 'smoke and mirrors' to get us to buy more stuff!

 

[talkingfuture]

It could well be a trackpad for desktops. I use a Wacom Bamboo pen and touch like this and it works very well.

 

[Vulpinemac]

When 'Mighty Mouse' is copyrighted and you're trying to make a memorable 'MM' name that includes Mouse as one of the words, you're quite limited in choices. On extension, once you create an 'MM' trademark you can hang on to, then that 'M' label has to be used on related devices, no?

This device looks to be in direct competition with the Wacom touchpad tablet, but I'm guessing that Apple intends it to be more tightly integrated into the OS functions than as 'just' a trackpad. I wonder how well it will work with gaming?

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Looks like it might just be trademarking a name for the new MBPs' trackpad.

 

[GoodWrites]

Magic Pad offers lacking iPad functionality???

When I saw the iPad presentation, I was a bit surprised that it did not offer a way to interact with our Macintosh computers. I have a friend who sits his laptop next to his monitors of his Mac Pro and "tosses" stuff between them to include open Safari windows. I forget what the application is that allows him to do that.

I thought that the iPad would offer similar functionality and a way to use it, somewhat, as an input device for a regular Mac computer. It did not.

Maybe this patent is a step in that direction with a separate device that will, in the future, allow for even greater seamless operation between various devices.

 

[HLdan]

Indeed, these names sound silly. We're not 8 year olds.

Many people here are close to that age or certainly act it.

 

[parafish13]

At first, I thought these Magic names were cheezy,

then I remembered Clarke's famous quote that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

and now I think it's cool and fun and a nice little tribute to the sci-fi hero.

 

[mcrain]

When I saw the iPad presentation, I was a bit surprised that it did not offer a way to interact with our Macintosh computers. I have a friend who sits his laptop next to his monitors of his Mac Pro and "tosses" stuff between them to include open Safari windows. I forget what the application is that allows him to do that.

I thought that the iPad would offer similar functionality and a way to use it, somewhat, as an input device for a regular Mac computer. It did not.

Maybe this patent is a step in that direction with a separate device that will, in the future, allow for even greater seamless operation between various devices.

My thought when I read this was that the iPad would connect to the mac or powerbook either by cord, wifi, or bluetooth and act like a multi-touch trackpad. Personally, I think it would be amazing to have the screen or portion of the screen mirrored onto the iPad's screen so that you were in effect manipulating the screen, not just a blank pad.

 

[zombitronic]

International Class 009: Computers; computer software; computer operating system software; computer utility software; computer hardware; computer peripherals; scanners; touchscreens; keyboards; computer mice; trackballs; trackpads; touchpads; light pens; joysticks; game controllers; graphics tablets; digitizers; cables and connectors; flash memory drives; USB drives; solid state storage devices; barcode readers.

Based on these categories, it just sounds like they're describing an iPhone/iPod touch/iPad. So what if the "Magic Trackpad" is an iPhone OS app, possibly for "tethering" your iPhone OS device to your computer to use as a trackpad?

 

[Glideslope]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.0.1; en-us; Droid Build/ESD56) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17)

Apple seems big on "magic" lately. MagicMouse, iPad's magical experience... and now this?

Not a big fan of the "magic."

No, I'd say SJ taking Apple closer to his position on Disney's Board. There is going to be some type of colaberation between Disney and Apple. IMO, iPad based, named "Magical" something. Targeted at young children/parents.

Get them on the Apple express early. Followed by stops at the iMac, iPod, iPhone, Mac Book stations.

 

[convergent]

Oh dear god, please be an external USB multitouch trackpad alternative to the mouse that uses the same standard multi-touch gestures as the laptop. Apple could call it the "feces trackpad," style it brown, and overcharge by a wide margin and I would STILL buy one in a heartbeat if it did everything the multi-touch trackpads for the laptops do.

The key for me is standardization of gestures across all Apple platforms. I don't want to learn different gestures for different devices (and especially different sets of rules for 2 different devices who both run OSX). You shouldn't have to "think" about which gesture to use, it should just happen naturally (like right-clicking does).

+1 Couldn't have said it better! I tried the Wacom version of a touchpad and it stinks... Wacom is great for using the pen, but no where close to a MBP touchpad... Apple, let us have one PLEASE.

 

[doctoree]

Too much magic apple...the names sound hokey.

Normally it may be hokey but once its truely magicall its a good name. Apple please give us essentially large, external mltitouch trackpads. with a lot of space for really cool, natural, powerful multitouch gestures. Kill the Mouse!

 

[MandolinPlayer]

If this gives the same abilities as the trackpad on my macbook, I will be the first to toss the Glidepoint I've been using on the thing in clamshell mode and line up to get a new Magic Trackpad. I still haven't quite figured out why it's so difficult to take the trackpad out of the macbook, put it in an external enclosure, stick a USB cable on it and make it available for iMac and macbook users who use external keyboard/mice...