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Tray to hold Apple Wireless Keyboard + Magic Trackpad?

I've had a Magic Connector for a few months now (the magnetic version), and wanted to give my thoughts on it. I liked it a lot at first, but the magnets never felt as secure as I wanted. The keyboard and trackpad would wiggle around a little bit while in use or when moving the whole setup around, and just didn't feel as secure as I would have liked. One of the magnets actually came unglued a little while back, and some of the other magnets are no longer very securely attached. I could just reattach the magnet(s), but in addition to the aforementioned issues, I've come to realize that having the trackpad on the right side of the keyboard is not ideal for me. It's much more comfortable having the trackpad below the keyboard, the way a Macbook is laid out. So I'll be using just the keyboard and trackpad for the time being, without a Magic Connector or anything else. Sadly, the BulletTrain Express seems to still be the best option out there, but it's not quite ideal for me, which makes it's very high cost even harder to swallow. Hopefully a better alternative will come out before too long.

That being said, If you don't mind having the trackpad to the right/left of the keyboard, I still think the Magic Connector is a really nice option, but I'd recommend the velcro version, which I assume will be much more secure and stable than the magnetic one.
 
Magic Connector signal interference

gwsat said:
I have been having trouble with my wireless keyboard loosing Bluetooth connectivity with my Mac Mini, however.
Click to expand...

This is the same problem I had with the Magic Connector. Like I had said much earlier in this thread, I was using it from 5 feet away to a Mac Mini. I had to return it. I wonder if the couple of others posting positively about Magic Connector are keeping it on a desk close to the computer?

I'm now debating between a cheap Magic Wand and a more expensive aTrackt Go! so I can use the physical buttons.

You know Apple is going to eventually fix this for us HTPC users, if they follow up Steve's interest in perfecting the marriage of computing and TV.
 
SWHighlander said:
This is the same problem I had with the Magic Connector. Like I had said much earlier in this thread, I was using it from 5 feet away to a Mac Mini. I had to return it. I wonder if the couple of others posting positively about Magic Connector are keeping it on a desk close to the computer?

I'm now debating between a cheap Magic Wand and a more expensive aTrackt Go! so I can use the physical buttons.

You know Apple is going to eventually fix this for us HTPC users, if they follow up Steve's interest in perfecting the marriage of computing and TV.
Click to expand...
I should have reported the aftermath of my connectivity problems with my Magic Connector. Magic Connector's customer support person recommended that I put fresh batteries in my keyboard. I did that and also moved my Mac Mini HTPC to a higher shelf on my component storage system. Although the Mac Mini and Magic Keyboard are about 9 feet apart, I have had no further Bluetooth connectivity problems except when the batteries get low. I have now been using my Magic Connector for 5 months and have been very satisfied with its operation.
 
UK Availability

Anyone bought the bluefin or magic connector in the UK?

can anyone comment on the bluefin? ... there does not appear to be much info around about apart from their website

cooa99
 
cooa99 said:
Anyone bought the bluefin or magic connector in the UK?

can anyone comment on the bluefin? ... there does not appear to be much info around about apart from their website

cooa99
Click to expand...

I got the Bluefin about 5 weeks ago (I'm in the US). It's a bit pricey, but the keyboard and trackpad fit like a glove. It does make the entire set up a little heavy, heavier than say Apple's extended wired keyboard.

It is quite nice and looks very Apple-esque. It's really expensive for a piece of plastic, but it looks great. I'm not sure it's worth the $40.

Look at these flickr photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjcravey/

I contacted the photographer asking about the bluefin and this was his response:

I really like it. Before I bought the Bluefin I looked at the Magic Wand from Twelve South and the Magic Connector. This was the only device I found that would join my Magic Trackpad and Apple Keyboard together without the need to glue anything to the devices and while maintaining all of their original functionality.

I have a Mac Mini hooked to my Television that I use as a HTPC, so I need to be able to use the keyboard and trackpad in my lap. With the Magic Wand I wouldn't be able to use the press to click function of the Trackpad. With the Magic Connector I'd have to glue magnets or attach velcro to my devices. With the Bluefin all I had to do was snap the keyboard and trackpad in to the Bluefin, and they're fairly easy to remove if you ever need to remove them.

For $40 I'd say it's definitely worth it. It appears to be made of high quality material and works great. I was a little skeptical at first giving them my credit card information because I had never heard of the company and I couldn't find any other reviews, so I called them up and left a message and they called me back the next day. I placed my order and got an email that it had shipped with a tracking number just a couple days later, and then just a day or so after that the item arrived. The experience was fine all around, so I'd highly recommend them.

Let me know if you have any other questions.​

I hope this helps.
 
dqpassat said:
I got the Bluefin about 5 weeks ago (I'm in the US). It's a bit pricey, but the keyboard and trackpad fit like a glove. It does make the entire set up a little heavy, heavier than say Apple's extended wired keyboard.

It is quite nice and looks very Apple-esque. It's really expensive for a piece of plastic, but it looks great. I'm not sure it's worth the $40.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much, it does look good and definately would prefer it to magicWand.

How is keyboard & trackpad attached to the Bluefin ? sticky pad ?

A shame that i would end up paying a fortune in postage to UK :(
 
Have just received an e-mail from Meshwe saying European distributor for Bluefin will be in place at end of January.
 
I am going to try the Bluefin

Right now it is only $35 on the site and I like the idea of not attaching anything to my devices. I will post when it arrives with how I like it.
 

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No Problems

With the Hedge dock I have no issue even in the corners. That was something that I didn't like about the Bluefin. I hesitated to get it because I had already put out money for the Bluefin but $25 was not much to spend. I ordered it on a Wednesday and had it Monday so not a bad turn around time. Hope this helps.
 
I recently bought a Henge Dock Clique tray...I originally thought about getting the Meshwe Bluefin, but I liked the Clique more as you are still able to access the power switches on both keyboard and trackpad.

The only issue I have with the Clique is I find that the lower left and right hand corners of the trackpad aren't as responsive as they normally would be. It might just be the way I put the trackpad into the Clique, but from my limited use of it, it's a tiny bit annoying but something that I would get used to after using it for a while.

Sorry for the poor pictures...when I get home, I'll take some more close up pics
 

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@Hemel,

I have exactly the same problem with my trackpad and the Clique. Sometimes it happens that I can not click in the right and left corners.
 
Hemel said:
The only issue I have with the Clique is I find that the lower left and right hand corners of the trackpad aren't as responsive as they normally would be.
Click to expand...

Make sure the keyboard is really seated well in its tray. There was a jiggle sound as I typed which I thought was due to the inherent wobbly nature of the tray. Nope -- I had to push down quite hard until I heard a click - both lower right and left sides. After I did this, not only did the keyboard feel much better, with no wobble, but the trackpad clicking worked much better - no problems.
 
Just ordered the Clique from Hengedocks. You can't beat the price, only $25+$6 shipping, and it looks like it has a nice solid base. Thanks for the recommendation guys! I'll let you know how I like it once it arrives.
 
Coca0 said:
@Hemel,

I have exactly the same problem with my trackpad and the Clique. Sometimes it happens that I can not click in the right and left corners.
Click to expand...

As boraxatude mentioned, I did take out the trackpad and reinstalled it and now it seems to work just fine. Although the resistance it gives isn't as much as if it wasn't installed in the Clique.

Overall, I'm really happy with the purchase. I really like being able to hold everything in one hand!
 
I think I will try the henge dock clique. its cheap enough. i like to click though so im worried about that
 
bluefin or the henge dock seem the most stable as they offer support for the entire trackpad and keyboard.

however some of my favorite are the simple pieces of wood custom made to fit the keyboard, and trackpad and the one with magnets for the remote (my favorite, simple).

I personally use my trackpad less and like it to be left of my keyboard. My magic mouse keeps me happy and I can use the trackpad for portability with two finger click if needed.

I was thinking something more along the lines of a bamboo finish. or maybe even a custom aluminum dock so the keyboard and trackpad can be on either side with some support for wrists and palms. I will make it a project when I make it home in 2 months. Hopefully people will still be following this post ;)
 
probably OT but.... is there anything like this that'll let me use keyboard/magic mouse? The only gestures I think I need are the 360 scroll so mouse would be better than trackpad I think
 
Still Love It

I have no regrets. I changed batteries and it was super easy. The Keyboard and mouse come out easy with a bit of pressure but are held strong enough that you can turn the thing over and they will not even move. I like it enough that I purchased one as a gift for my brother and another for a young lady that my daughter is friends with at her dance school. Both orders went smooth and both people are very happy with the item.
 
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