This will go the same way as that overpriced web cam Apple made years back. Doomed to fail.
Not only was the iSight the lowest price firewire 400 web cam with the highest resolution in the market place it was truly stunning and had incredible build quality. I still. Have mine.
Apple could only just keep up with demand, and in the end the device was built into the laptop and imac ranges.
You obviously never owned one and could probably do with a history lesson.
International pricing is a little excessive. Might pick one up from the US later this year.
I don't understand why anyone would go to the US to buy Apple products, when you can go to Hong Kong and get products at virtually the same price, no sales taxes or GST, no export tariffs, and iPhones are 100% carrier unlocked and unsubsidized. Not to mention the currently unbelievably excessive cost of airfare to the US. I still think HK is the best place in the world to buy Apple gear once it's released here.
I played with one today - a co-worker bought one, and I got a new Macbook Pro yesterday for work, so I set it up and gave it a whizz. It's pretty neat all in all, and I can see it replacing a mouse with a little practice.
Certainly essential for small desks, and for those with wireless keyboards (for the matching design).
Clicking at the top of the device felt a little weird, because the buttons are on the bottom, underneath.
Should have come with the new Apple batteries, not Energizers!
Worth noting that whilst it's not pressure sensitive, it is very likely that the Sketch stylus and the Droplet app will work for it. Not a Wacom, but at least a way to sort out a basic stylus method.
The Pogo Sketch iPad stylus works with the trackpad on my i7 MBP, so it should work with this contraption.
I'm still a Wacom fan. The pressure sensitive stylus is too valuable to give up. I've got the Wacom Bamboo Craft that has multi-touch and stylus input. I use finger input mainly for scrolling. The stylus is faster and more accurate.
I'll reserve judgement on this thing until i get a chance to try it out.
You may be able to draw the numbers and add, subtract, multiply and divide symbols, like a Palm Pilot.
I'd love to be able to use Palm's Graffiti with my trackpad or even iPad and iPod touch. Some of the gestures (not all) could be extremely quick and useful.
This will go the same way as that overpriced web cam Apple made years back. Doomed to fail.
I bought one and it still is a fantastic product. Of course, now that iSights are built into every Mac laptop and external display, there's not much need for one. Although, connecting mine to a long FireWire cable can be fun. I'd love to see Apple bring it back with higher resolution.
I prefer the name "MacPad", I think the whole magic thing is just a little too trite. Having said that, I see we seem to have got over the peurile "pad" comments that the iPad garnered. Hooray for that.
I don't understand why anyone would go to the US to buy Apple products, when you can go to Hong Kong and get products at virtually the same price, no sales taxes or GST, no export tariffs, and iPhones are 100% carrier unlocked and unsubsidized. Not to mention the currently unbelievably excessive cost of airfare to the US. I still think HK is the best place in the world to buy Apple gear once it's released here.
Perhaps it's more to do with the fact that more people visit the US and have the opportunity to do a little dollar-discounting that they do for Hong Kong. I doubt very much that many people actually make the trip *just to buy cheap shit*, and merely use the opportunity whilst there on other business.
The Pogo Sketch iPad stylus works with the trackpad on my i7 MBP, so it should work with this contraption.
I'm still a Wacom fan. The pressure sensitive stylus is too valuable to give up. I've got the Wacom Bamboo Craft that has multi-touch and stylus input. I use finger input mainly for scrolling. The stylus is faster and more accurate.
I'll reserve judgement on this thing until i get a chance to try it out.
Having never used anything like this, I'm not sure about how it all works, but sure it would be possible for Wacom or someone to produce a wireless stylus that has the pressure sensitivity gubbins built into it's nib/tip/whatever, and with clever software use the tracking voa the surface as per normal, whilst allowing for further input (pressure/angle etc) to be transmitted by the stylus and used as relevant for the app at hand?
OK, I know they would rather sell the whole kit and such, but still...this is surely only a technical hurdle to overcome, it can't be impossible? Same goes for the iPad come to think of it. You could have a bluetooth enabled wireless input stylus that the app would need to understand in software, but could then extend the input capabilities of just the normal touchscreen for those art apps that require it.
Well I love my wireless Mighty Mouse. I haven't even upgraded to the Magic Mouse yet, because I love the Mighty so much with its multi-directional trackball and pinch buttons on the side.
Still I can't imagine the Magic Trackpad being usable when laying out and designing products, or for that matter editing photos. To me it'd be much harder and more difficult to perform those tasks.
Well I love my wireless Mighty Mouse. I haven't even upgraded to the Magic Mouse yet, because I love the Mighty so much with its multi-directional trackball and pinch buttons on the side..
I liked my Mighty Mouse also but the roller ball kept gumming up so I was getting frustrated with it. When the Magic Mouse came out I was skeptical, but I got one and now would never consider going back.
Isn't it great that we get to decide for ourselves which we prefer?
You're missing the point. He didn't see why it was necessary to list that as a potential CON. It was, 'cause more people think they are. Mice are certainly more productive, for me. And I've heard others say similar.
I love them. My white Macbook was the best keyboard I ever owned. Unfortunately my 13" MBP is a little less sensitive, and I very frequently find myself missing the letters "a" and "s" when typing. I'm thinking of having this serviced, actually.
If you have had an opportunity to try the 'Magic' Trackpad, does it have a right-click (menu) function. I didn't see that in the trackpad hype.
Yes it has a left-click and "right-click" (hardware) you can also configure "right-click" using two fingers, The click can be physical or you can tap to click. All of this is on the product pages on the apple web site.
Comments
This will go the same way as that overpriced web cam Apple made years back. Doomed to fail.
Not only was the iSight the lowest price firewire 400 web cam with the highest resolution in the market place it was truly stunning and had incredible build quality. I still. Have mine.
Apple could only just keep up with demand, and in the end the device was built into the laptop and imac ranges.
You obviously never owned one and could probably do with a history lesson.
International pricing is a little excessive. Might pick one up from the US later this year.
I don't understand why anyone would go to the US to buy Apple products, when you can go to Hong Kong and get products at virtually the same price, no sales taxes or GST, no export tariffs, and iPhones are 100% carrier unlocked and unsubsidized. Not to mention the currently unbelievably excessive cost of airfare to the US. I still think HK is the best place in the world to buy Apple gear once it's released here.
Two problems with the device.
1). As manufactured, it didn't meet forthcoming RoHS compliance standards (which restricts Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr, PBB, PBDB)
2). The magnets in the display mount for the camera are strong enough to completely hoop a laptop hard drive. Yup, I found out the hard way.
Doc, I think he was talking about the little gray trackball on top.
The technical term is "Scroll Nipple".
Certainly essential for small desks, and for those with wireless keyboards (for the matching design).
Clicking at the top of the device felt a little weird, because the buttons are on the bottom, underneath.
Should have come with the new Apple batteries, not Energizers!
Not sure if that was meant to be funny, but it was.
BTW, did the MightyMouse ever ship with a roller-ball? I don't think I've ever seen one with anything but LED tracking.
He meant the micro-trackball on the top.
It's otherwise known as the trackpea, or as my girlfriend calls it, the trackclit. (honest)
Worth noting that whilst it's not pressure sensitive, it is very likely that the Sketch stylus and the Droplet app will work for it. Not a Wacom, but at least a way to sort out a basic stylus method.
The Pogo Sketch iPad stylus works with the trackpad on my i7 MBP, so it should work with this contraption.
I'm still a Wacom fan. The pressure sensitive stylus is too valuable to give up. I've got the Wacom Bamboo Craft that has multi-touch and stylus input. I use finger input mainly for scrolling. The stylus is faster and more accurate.
I'll reserve judgement on this thing until i get a chance to try it out.
You may be able to draw the numbers and add, subtract, multiply and divide symbols, like a Palm Pilot.
I'd love to be able to use Palm's Graffiti with my trackpad or even iPad and iPod touch. Some of the gestures (not all) could be extremely quick and useful.
This will go the same way as that overpriced web cam Apple made years back. Doomed to fail.
I bought one and it still is a fantastic product. Of course, now that iSights are built into every Mac laptop and external display, there's not much need for one. Although, connecting mine to a long FireWire cable can be fun. I'd love to see Apple bring it back with higher resolution.
I don't understand why anyone would go to the US to buy Apple products, when you can go to Hong Kong and get products at virtually the same price, no sales taxes or GST, no export tariffs, and iPhones are 100% carrier unlocked and unsubsidized. Not to mention the currently unbelievably excessive cost of airfare to the US. I still think HK is the best place in the world to buy Apple gear once it's released here.
Perhaps it's more to do with the fact that more people visit the US and have the opportunity to do a little dollar-discounting that they do for Hong Kong. I doubt very much that many people actually make the trip *just to buy cheap shit*, and merely use the opportunity whilst there on other business.
As for airfair costs, where are you flying from?
The Pogo Sketch iPad stylus works with the trackpad on my i7 MBP, so it should work with this contraption.
I'm still a Wacom fan. The pressure sensitive stylus is too valuable to give up. I've got the Wacom Bamboo Craft that has multi-touch and stylus input. I use finger input mainly for scrolling. The stylus is faster and more accurate.
I'll reserve judgement on this thing until i get a chance to try it out.
Having never used anything like this, I'm not sure about how it all works, but sure it would be possible for Wacom or someone to produce a wireless stylus that has the pressure sensitivity gubbins built into it's nib/tip/whatever, and with clever software use the tracking voa the surface as per normal, whilst allowing for further input (pressure/angle etc) to be transmitted by the stylus and used as relevant for the app at hand?
OK, I know they would rather sell the whole kit and such, but still...this is surely only a technical hurdle to overcome, it can't be impossible? Same goes for the iPad come to think of it. You could have a bluetooth enabled wireless input stylus that the app would need to understand in software, but could then extend the input capabilities of just the normal touchscreen for those art apps that require it.
If you have had an opportunity to try the 'Magic' Trackpad, does it have a right-click (menu) function. I didn't see that in the trackpad hype.
2 finger tap probably, like on the normal trackpads.
Still I can't imagine the Magic Trackpad being usable when laying out and designing products, or for that matter editing photos. To me it'd be much harder and more difficult to perform those tasks.
Well I love my wireless Mighty Mouse. I haven't even upgraded to the Magic Mouse yet, because I love the Mighty so much with its multi-directional trackball and pinch buttons on the side..
I liked my Mighty Mouse also but the roller ball kept gumming up so I was getting frustrated with it. When the Magic Mouse came out I was skeptical, but I got one and now would never consider going back.
Isn't it great that we get to decide for ourselves which we prefer?
You're missing the point. He didn't see why it was necessary to list that as a potential CON. It was, 'cause more people think they are. Mice are certainly more productive, for me. And I've heard others say similar.
If you have had an opportunity to try the 'Magic' Trackpad, does it have a right-click (menu) function. I didn't see that in the trackpad hype.
Yes it has a left-click and "right-click" (hardware) you can also configure "right-click" using two fingers, The click can be physical or you can tap to click. All of this is on the product pages on the apple web site.