The Apple Magic Trackpad provides a flat, edge-to-edge glass surface that you can use as a stand-alone device. It includes all the standard gestures found on a MacBook, even when sitting on your desk. In addition, this model of the Magic Trackpad has an extra feature known as Force Touch, which lets it determine how much force you’re using through sensors located underneath the glass. Charging now occurs over USB-C, and Apple claims the battery should last about a month per charge.
Head over to Amazon to get the Apple Magic Trackpad for just $118, down from its usual price of $129. That’s an $11 discount and 9% off.
An easier alternative to a mouse for your Apple computer
A trackpad and a mouse perform the same function; they both help you move a pointer around on a display. However, the trackpad lets you use all the Multi-Touch gestures that macOS supports. Swiping with three fingers to switch between open desktops, shrinking an image by pinching it with two fingers, clearing everything off the screen by spreading four fingers apart, and rotating an image by turning it with two fingers are all actions that would need additional software to do with a mouse. After spending a considerable amount of time working on a MacBook and developing muscle memory for those gestures, switching to a desktop computer with a mouse can leave you feeling like you’ve lost some function.
Force Touch refers to the pressure-detecting component. Underneath the glass,, sensors monitor how much pressure you apply when you press down. This means the system recognizes a click and a harder press as two different inputs. For example, if you apply more pressure than usual to a word in a document, the system will provide you with the definition of that word. If you press harder than normal on a file in Finder, the system lets you view a preview of its contents.
Apple replaced the Lightning port used to charge the earlier model with a USB-C connector. This is an upgrade, since you can now charge this device with the same cable you use for your MacBook or iPhone. The box includes a woven USB-C cable; plug it into your Mac to pair the trackpad and start charging at the same time.
The battery lasts about a month between charges, so you’ll only plug it in a dozen or so times a year. The trackpad measures 6.3 inches wide and 4.52 inches deep and weighs about half a pound, so it takes up less desk space than a keyboard. The Apple Magic Trackpad is $118 right now instead of $129, and it comes in white or black.