Apple released the Magic Trackpad I was hoping for! Excellent!
Funny how they decided to "re-invent" the rechargeable battery business at the same time too with a Apple branded battery and charger-setup :). I feel like a sucker because I'm probably going to order it - I don't actually do rechargeable batteries yet (don't use much batteries to begin with). Need to research the alternatives a bit I guess.
Back way before Apple released the iPhone there was a small company called FingerWorks[1] that made a very cool multi-touch keyboard called the TouchStream (along with some other very cool multitouch interfaces). I remember this company because I was drooling over their products but couldn't really afford one. Back in early 2005 they were acquired by Apple and all products were discontinued.
Fans of FingerWorks-products hoped that Apple would make them more mainstream and affordable but nothing was seen or heard until the iPhone and iPod touch was released. Clearly a well-planned purchase by Apple considering the touch-sensitivity of their products is still unequaled by their competitors. The same technology was later incorporated into their laptops to create the best trackpads on any computer. Not very many MacBook-owners use external mouses because of them (except when at their workstation perhaps).
Now the rumors [2][3] are saying that Apple is releasing a "Magic Trackpad" which would enable desktop users to use a large trackpad instead of a mouse... Which makes me very hopeful! A large multitouch trackpad with gesture support etc would be an excellent addition to my iMac! Link [3] suggests that it could even be released very soon since FCC-approvals are usually very well timed by Apple.
Here's hoping...
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerWorks
[2] http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/apples-magic-trackpad-revealed/
[3] http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/apples-magic-trackpad-gets-fcc-approval/
Long time chemical engineering student back to get his degree. General IT specialist and people person.
