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From the Jony Ive School of User Experience...where functional doesn't matter, as long as it looks nice when not in use.
 
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This is one of the least "efficient" accessories I've ever seen, to paraphrase the article. Why wouldn't I simply place my trackpad next to the keyboard in order to use them together?
 
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To all the critics of this type of product, just know that if you don't find a use for something doesn't mean it is not useful for others. If I wanted to browse the web on my TV in my living room, I'd need a keyboard/trackpad combo. This would be the perfect product. Or let's say you have a job where you need a lot of desk space and flexibility. This would make your life easier as you would only have to worry about one object rather than 2.

To critics of the price and those calling out similar/comparable products, TwelveSouth is a premium Apple-oriented brand and I'd expect there products to be both more expensive and of higher quality than some Amazon equivalent. You're buying from an established and reputable brand.

I will say that I had the gen1 of this product. It was great in theory, however the design of the trackpad enclosure was poor and hindered the usability and feedback from the trackpad clicks. Eventually this bothered me to the point where I stopped using the enclosure altogether. However, I'd be willing to wager this is an issue rectified in this new product, and as such I think it'd be a great option if you find yourself in one of the use cases where this would be useful to you
 
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From the Jony Ive School of User Experience...where functional doesn't matter, as long as it looks nice when not in use.

Nailed it. This constricting set up makes no functional sense, especially on a roomy desktop surface ... but it sure does look pretty.
 
Stupidest thing I've ever seen.
+1.

Apparently they are for people who don't know any better and have never used them. These things don't move on the desk, and they sit nicely next to each other. Worthless product with no real purpose.

Like pretty much every thing else made by Twelve South.
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To all the critics of this type of product, just know that if you don't find a use for something doesn't mean it is not useful for others.
Oh yes it does. A useless product is a useless product. Just because you might reverse engineer some use case for it does mean it justifies the existence of the product.
 
"type and swipe more efficiently"?
What an overstatement for a piece of plastic!

$35
What an overcharge for a piece of plastic!

Yup, really annoys me when companies sell plastic at such a high price.
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This solves a problem for me, at a price point I can afford. I went ahead and ordered one. I have other Twelve South products, which are pretty good, and I support them as a company. Doing what they're doing takes intelligence, creativity, experience, and guts - I think they should be applauded for what they're doing, even if this isn't a product that you'd like to purchase. To the trash talkers, try inventing something, manufacturing it and bringing it to market before disparaging somebody else's efforts. Or as Steve Jobs said, "What have you done that's so great?"

$35 for a piece of plastic, made from a mold.

Yes, it took someone time to do drafting, creating test samples, etc. But once that is all done, this is easy cash for the company, and it hurts consumers. The easiest solution around that is to not buy it (vote with your wallet). If they sold it for a reasonable price from the start, say $19.95, then it would sell more and make money for the company. Everybody wins.
 
Anyone buying this definitely has too much money in their hands. What's next? An amazing dock that keeps your keyboard and mouse dock at a fixed distance to the monitor so you get optimal view and don't stress your eyes?

I mean, I'm still waiting from them for a Hi-Rise type of product that rotates so I can view my phone in landscape mode (because that's how movies/TV content shows) with an integrated watch stand that also uses the night mode function. And please make it simple to setup because the Hi-Rise products are darn way too complicated to build.
 
I hope some company can develop a numeric keypad to put alongside the keyboard. I miss it. Apple should have a full wireless keyboard.
 
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Oh yes it does. A useless product is a useless product. Just because you might reverse engineer some use case for it does mean it justifies the existence of the product.

So to clarify, if you, TurboPGT, decide that a product is not useful, that in turn means it's not useful for any others? Gotcha.

I also think it's very interesting that you believe using a keyboard/trackpad combo on my couch to control my computer (displayed on my TV) is 'reverse engineering'. Pretty straightforward use case. I guess it's difficult to understand for some people
 
This solves a problem for me, at a price point I can afford. I went ahead and ordered one. I have other Twelve South products, which are pretty good, and I support them as a company. Doing what they're doing takes intelligence, creativity, experience, and guts - I think they should be applauded for what they're doing, even if this isn't a product that you'd like to purchase. To the trash talkers, try inventing something, manufacturing it and bringing it to market before disparaging somebody else's efforts. Or as Steve Jobs said, "What have you done that's so great?"

Ah, the Rob Schneider defense.

Allow me to pull a page from Roger Ebert's book. I have done exactly that. I have a Tindie store full of things that I have designed, prototyped and manufacture myself.

And I will tell you that for what this thing is, it's overpriced by about a factor of two.

Note that I am not saying it is useless. I own a competitive product that I bought for less to do the same job (that one was overpriced too, but not to the extent this one is).
 
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Wow, it's polycarbonate, which according to the British Plastics Federation benefits from:

"Transparency, excellent toughness, thermal stability and a very good dimensional stability"

After all you wouldn't want he dimensions collapsing around you. Then you would need Dr Who to come and help.

But, seriously, it's hardly a new idea, these have been around for a long time with the version 1 keyboard / track pad.
 
So to clarify, if you, TurboPGT, decide that a product is not useful, that in turn means it's not useful for any others? Gotcha.

I also think it's very interesting that you believe using a keyboard/trackpad combo on my couch to control my computer (displayed on my TV) is 'reverse engineering'. Pretty straightforward use case. I guess it's difficult to understand for some people
Not even remotely close to straightforward use case. It is a niche of a niche of a niche. And this product would not exist simply to serve that niche.
 
This is one of the least "efficient" accessories I've ever seen, to paraphrase the article. Why wouldn't I simply place my trackpad next to the keyboard in order to use them together?

The biggest thing that we hear is that people want to use the two pieces together not on a desk. A lot of our customers use the original MagicWand, and now the MagicBridge, in their laps to control home theater setups. It's also great in the conference room for controlling a Keynote presentation.
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+1.

Apparently they are for people who don't know any better and have never used them. These things don't move on the desk, and they sit nicely next to each other. Worthless product with no real purpose.

Like pretty much every thing else made by Twelve South.
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Oh yes it does. A useless product is a useless product. Just because you might reverse engineer some use case for it does mean it justifies the existence of the product.

And yet we continue to sell lots of them so it seems our customers would disagree.
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Meh... Trackpad is on the wrong side.

The MagicBridge allows you place the trackpad on either side.
 
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To all the critics of this type of product, just know that if you don't find a use for something doesn't mean it is not useful for others.

Fair enough, but what about the part where it costs THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS? That just makes no sense.
 
Fair enough, but what about the part where it costs THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS? That just makes no sense.
Not arguing that :) You're definitely paying for the brand, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the quality of this product relative to similar competitor products. Which I have no idea where this product falls in those categories.
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Not even remotely close to straightforward use case. It is a niche of a niche of a niche. And this product would not exist simply to serve that niche.
I was gonna try to come back with something clever, but given that the brand themselves burned you while defending the exact use case I was calling out, I'll just leave this here
 
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