I bought the trackpad for my 2010 Mac Mini, which I use mainly as a media center appliance, with XBMC.
In this context the trackpad adds a lot of usability for the following reasons:
* I don't need a surface for the mouse anymore. So it's basically like another remote, sitting beside me on the couch.
* I no longer require to use the keyboard, for basic operations. Thanks to the gestures, I can switch between running applications (e.g. from XBMC to Finder) without the need of the keyboard. In fact, since I bought the trackpad I hardly use the keyboard at all.
Cons (same context):
* If you're holding the trackpad with your hand or operating it on a soft surface (like the couch) you can't use the click option, since it requires the trackpad to be sitting on a hard surface, like a desk. So you have to live with tapping for clicking operations. Apple Magic Trackpad
I've been using this as my mousing input device on my work desktop Mac for a couple of weeks. I made a conscience effort to leave my comfort zone and move my regular mice away and rely solely on the Magic Trackpad. I did this because I was unconsciously reaching way over to grab the mouse whenever I needed something done and I wasn't giving the trackpad a fair shot. Anytime you switch away from something familiar there is going to be stress. My long term preference for a pointing device is a Logitech thumb wheel style trackball, but anytime a co-worker came to use my machine I'd have to break out a mouse as their displays of awkwardness defy description. These things take time.
So I gave it a shot. What do I think?
I think the Magic Trackpad has potential if you are the kind of person that can internalize the gestures Apple provides. The 3 and 4 finger swipes especially are useful and if I did them naturally and without much thought then the trackpad would have a significant advantage over other pointing devices as I could do common actions like task switching or browsing back more quickly. This would be a skill worth mastering. I am not a master after a couple weeks, and maybe I won't get there. After all, the Magic Mouse also accepts gestures and has the precision of a mouse. It's possible that people will find the trackpad is good for some activities, such as web browsing where swiping and scrolling dominate, while reserving the mouse for activities such as file management or photo editing where precision is paramount. Nobody said you had to choose only one. Except maybe your wallet.
The addition of iPad-like inertial scrolling is a big win for Mac trackpad users, whether via a built in Macbook trackpad or this Magic Trackpad, and we can expect more gestures to originate on the iDevices and make their way onto the desktop. If you love the browsing experience on an iPad, you are building up skills you can use with this trackpad.
It helps if you are a long time Mac laptop user. I'm so conditioned to using my thumb to click in the lower portion of the surface that I never even notice there is no actual button there. Just as in the unibody series of laptops, the whole surface is a button, which is easily pressed with my thumb after my index finger has guided the cursor. Users coming from a different hardware setup might try clicking with their forefingers and find it exhausting transmitting all that energy through a single extended digit.
The actual device is classic Apple, part work of art, part extremely minimalistic functionality. My one complaint with the hardware is that because clicking goes through the little rubber feet on the bottom front, I cannot click when the trackpad is off the desktop, such as on my lap when I'm reclining. I had to enable tap clicking in the control panel, which works well enough, but I miss the firm solidity of the click. I still prefer a thumbwheel for its unparalleled utility when my feet are on the desk and the device is in my lap or on my leg.
I ended up disabling all one finger gestures except for tap to click as they were driving me crazy with unwanted drags and contextual menus.
Who will like this device: iPad users, power-user MacBook owners, those with Mac Minis attached to a TV.
Who will hate this device: people who absolutely love the precision of a mouse.
Is it worth buying now? I would say probably not. This is a hint at a future where the interaction between human and computer is more gestural, subtle and sophisticated. I don't know if I'm ready for that future.
[Update: if you watched the "Back to The Mac Keynote" on October 20, 2010, you saw that OS X 10.7 will be make much more use of gestures for navigation and control, so come summer of 2011 things will start to get advanced.]
I received this trackpad as a gift and honestly, I wanted to sell it after the first day. It felt awkward and clumsy and I had some guilt over telling it's purchaser, "Yeah, it's great. Thanks so much for the gift..." (even though I was considering selling it on Craigslist the next day).
BUT, after a few days, I have really grown to love it.
That being said, here's what you can expect if you unshackle yourself from the comfort zone of mousedom:
Day One - You will hate this thing. It doesn't do what you want. The mouse is so much easier. Where's the receipt?
Day Two - Okay, staying away from the mouse...giving it a chance. Scrolling is easier and the damn scrollball never sticks and the bottom doesn't get gunked up like a mouse does.
Day Six - Three finger swipes for browsing the net? Loving it. Got more control now with some practice. Two finger tap right clicks. Four finger for Expose. Got it.
Day Seven - My hand knows what to do now. Everything is so smooth. I'm keeping this thing after all.
Moral to the story? Give it a chance. You just might love it. - Touchpad - Wireless - Trackpad - Mac'
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