Just weeks after the launch of the iPhone 4 which caused quite a stir, Apple has launched yet another of its new products yesterday. The eminent Mac trackpad is no longer restricted to laptops anymore; iMac users can now equally enjoy the scrolling and swiping – controls a conventional mouse, or even their very own Magic Mouse, could never achieve.
Apple's Magic Trackpad: A Good Replacement for the Mouse?
The most prominent aspect of the new trackpad is that it is an exact replica of the trackpad found on a Macintosh notebook. It is a Multi-Touch technology which supports a full set of gestures, including scrolling, flipping, sweeping and clicking, providing the user with a brand new way of interacting with the screen's content. It can be used as a replacement of the mouse or even in conjunction with it.
Magic Trackpad Makes Presentations Easy
What's more appealing is that the Magic Trackpad is wireless, and connects to the Mac desktop via Bluetooth (two AA batteries are required). This makes the job of public speakers a breeze: presenters will not be forced to stand behind the laptop or podium anymore. Even with the laptop hooked onto the projector, the speaker can move freely among the audience, making the talk much more interactive and engaging, all the while having full control of what is appearing on screen. It maintains a secure connection up to 33 feet away from the Mac.
There is no need for a mouse pad or to ensure adequate moving space that a normal mouse requires to function properly, leaving a cable-free and uncluttered workspace. The Magic Trackpad remains stationary and all cursor movements are controlled on the smooth, wear resistant glass surface with a simple swipe of a finger. It is nearly 80% larger than the built-in trackpad on a MacBook Pro, giving the user more than enough space to control the cursor. Additionally, its entire surface is a clickable button, which makes it just like a traditional mouse.
It Fits Right Beside the Mac Keyboard
The Magic Trackpad is built as the same height and angle as the Apple Wireless Keyboard, so both peripherals sit pretty compatibly side by side. This also makes the frequent transition from keyboard to trackpad quick and seamless. Multitasking is easy and especially useful for those using an editing software with all the expected gestures provided – pinch to zoom, fingertip rotation, two-finger scrolling, three or four-finger swipes, and all these can be enabled or disabled simply. The dimensions of usable area of the trackpad is an estimated up/down: 4.5 inches, and across: 5.25 inches.
Sources:
Apple.com, *"Magic Trackpad - Apple Store (U.S.)" (accessed July 28, 2010)
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