Purported photos of Apple's multitouch 'Magic Trackpad' leaked - Page 3

Not at all. the Mac OS is already friendly to pad based input. Wacom makes a whole line up that is sold in the Apple stores.

And Jobs has already said that he has no desire to create a Mac OS app store and vet every possible app. And doesn't feel the need since the Mac computer hardware is hardier, faster etc. There's less crash risks, which is one of the main reasons why they vet for the iphone OS.

also someone on another board brought up an idea for while some folks might go for a pad instead of a mouse. Apparently writing in Kanji etc is harder with a mouse. It can be done rather well on an ipad with a finger or a stylus. So this would give that option to desktop users in a similar style

This is exactly the kind of device I think they will need to enable the use of the app store applications on the imac/mac pro lines. I imagine them finding a way to incorporate using a device like this as input for app store applications on the Mac lines. I would imagine this wouldn't be that difficult. They already simulate the gestures for mouse input in the SDK development environment. The gesture based movements required to interact with the app store applications could be executed using this device.

This device would be the perfect way to interact with a "iphone" os apple tv along with a bluetooth keyboard. Touch screen TV's are along way out and I don't think I'd want one (my kids put enough fingermarks on my TV as it is). Doing what I'm imagining using this device would open up all of the apple store applications to run on appletv, imacs and macbook pros. Modern macbooks already have a capable touchpad. Wouldn't it be amazing if they worked to replace dashboard widgets with applications from the app store. Maybe I'm 3 generations off, but you have to imagine they will want to start integrating all the applications at the app store into their non-mobile lineup.

I just can't see ever wanting to touch my imac screen for input. If you've ever tried to interact with productivity applications on a docked ipad you realize how impractical it is. You have to pick your hand up and reach over to touch the screen disrupting the whole work flow. I can't see them ever needing me to touch my imac screen if they can just incorporated input from a device like this.

I see it being more a way for App Store applications to replace dashboard widgets.

grader!

Oh, and really good you quoted the entire article, especially since you did not repsond to it at all.

The "RED" lettering you see is a Beijing email address.

Ever qq anyone?

I want this thing. I bet it makes me snappier.

691357319@qq.com

Give it a try!

I hope not. That would suck.

They need to clone the Wiimote and create a UI for it.

HippoRemote. I was actually waiting for an iPad version of HR, but this would obviate that.


It's not a "whole new breed of input devices." Nor is it less usable. It's a modernized version of the iGesture pad from earlier this decade, which was discontinued when Apple bought out Fingerworks for their Multitouch technology. Believe me, I used one for years. It was so much more functional than any mouse, trackball, trackpad that I've ever used. People were paying over $300 for used iGesture pads on eBay. I'm glad I sold mine last year when the price was still high. This device will probably destroy the market value of used iGesture tablets. Why buy a used one for several hundred dollars when you can get a new, similar device for $100 or less? The Wacom Bamboo Touch series is also similar. However, I suspect this will not be completely programmable the way the iGesture was, nor will it have the enormous selection of gestures and commands available on that device.

Apple is not moving away from input devices. As long as there are Macs, there will be a need for input devices.

That looks pretty cool. I'd still like one built into the top of the Mac Mini. One less thing to buy with that system.

I have been waiting for one of these FOREVER.
I almost bought a replacement trackpad to convert but it was cost prohibitive.

I think it was more attention grabbing for the screen name he's using. Hopefully the mods will just ban the account for impersonation (I don't think the real person would stoop to such a childish post).

As for the device, I was looking pretty hard at a Wacom bamboo - now I'm going to have to wait for this to come out to see if it offers anything significant

I dunno, ergonomically it's far easier to enter numbers via the numeric keypad. I use mine all the time, and miss it on my MacBook Pro constantly. So much so, that if I am doing something with lots of numbers I have a USB keypad (which thankfully has a "just long enough" cord with the USB ports only being on the left).

I'm holding onto my first generation bluetooth keyboard and praying it will last a long, long time.

I dunno, I think it's always more effective to announce something and then have it available for sale right then and there. I never did understand the whole "it's better to have something hyped but not available for sale" meme that seems to permeate the Internet. I'm sure Apple would far rather turn a want into a sale instead of latent desire, and I'm sure Nintendo was in the exact same boat as well with the Wii. If they had a way to crank out more Wii's I'm sure they would have.

You can't cash checks against desire. And desire is fleeting. Converting desire into cold, hard cash is always better.

I've never liked the mouse. I used a trackball for several years then switched to a USB trackpad. Having a large size multi-touch trackpad sounds pretty cool.

This. Exactly this. Only this.

Think this

This would be interesting if it were attached to a wireless keyboard, say on the right, where the numbers pad is on full-sized keyboards.

Why doesn't Apple make these fantastic multi-touch keyboards? I've had my Touchstream Stealth for almost 10 years now and would like another before this one dies!

Personally I hate this (and the standard laptop keyboards w/ trackpads). And I remember a few years ago when everyone else did too.

So it was a bunch of Magic Bullsh1t

Not necessarily. If you noticed, the Mac was completely absent from the keynote. Okay, he mentioned it once. The Mac Pro, Mini, Air, and some other products are overdue.

Have you seen the Microsoft Wireless Number Pad? It's actually really really nice.