For those of you which have any of the above devices, which do you prefer? I was looking into all the options and was wondering whether to get one of Apples mice for an iMac or another brand. I think there's another one too that's older , and looks more like a traditional mouse with a scroll wheel etc but I can't remember the name.
Magic Mouse vs Magic Trackpad (Apple)
- Thread starter Cierra
- Start date
The Magic Trackpad gets my vote for the gestures alone. Be it the iMac or MacBook, no one can get me to use the Magic Mouse because it's so uncomfortable in my hand. I only use it if I have to — that being said, it's gathering dust on my desk. The mouse is too flat for me and even worse the sharp edges pour additional salt, but thankfully it seems like the new Magic Mouse 2 is just around the corner; here's hoping they've done something about the ergonomics of it. I'm a software engineer and my preference goes to the trackpad. For graphic design, sure my preference goes to the mouse.
Apple, without a doubt, has the best trackpad for any laptop and you can bring that experience to your desktop by getting the Magic Trackpad. To be fair, the trackpad seems like the way OS X was meant to be used. From an ergonomic standpoint, it's incredible — your wrist rests flat on the desk; no arm motion necessary at all. Gestures gets a lot done that most of the time it's more productive than using any mouse.
It's exciting just thinking about the upcoming Magic Trackpad 2. Honestly, I'm more excited for it than the Magic Mouse 2 simply for the reason that the current trackpad — in spite of not having seen an update for half a decade now — is already great; plenty of real estate with a smooth surface that's an utter joy to lay your finger on. What kind of work have they poured into it for the past five years?
Even so, if you have the wherewithal and the desk space, you can always go for both. I have a Magic Mouse despite it's shortcomings; it has an excellent build and works great, but the ergonomics is the only downside to this jewel that makes it difficult to use for many. It's bearable for what little I use it for (heck, I'm starting to transition to the trackpad for graphic design so there's that). I say give it a shot and see if it strains your hand at all.
If you're leaning more towards getting a mouse assuming that's what you're used to, it's best to try one out to see if you find it comfortable, or just wait for the Magic Mouse 2. Otherwise, if you need a mouse/trackpad now and it turns out the current Magic Mouse strains your hand I'd highly suggest another mouse (or alternatively, just get the trackpad if you end up liking it) if you see yourself relying heavily on it. No matter how great the Magic Mouse is in terms of gestures and overall compatibility with the Mac, it's not worth the hand cramps.
Apple, without a doubt, has the best trackpad for any laptop and you can bring that experience to your desktop by getting the Magic Trackpad. To be fair, the trackpad seems like the way OS X was meant to be used. From an ergonomic standpoint, it's incredible — your wrist rests flat on the desk; no arm motion necessary at all. Gestures gets a lot done that most of the time it's more productive than using any mouse.
It's exciting just thinking about the upcoming Magic Trackpad 2. Honestly, I'm more excited for it than the Magic Mouse 2 simply for the reason that the current trackpad — in spite of not having seen an update for half a decade now — is already great; plenty of real estate with a smooth surface that's an utter joy to lay your finger on. What kind of work have they poured into it for the past five years?
Even so, if you have the wherewithal and the desk space, you can always go for both. I have a Magic Mouse despite it's shortcomings; it has an excellent build and works great, but the ergonomics is the only downside to this jewel that makes it difficult to use for many. It's bearable for what little I use it for (heck, I'm starting to transition to the trackpad for graphic design so there's that). I say give it a shot and see if it strains your hand at all.
If you're leaning more towards getting a mouse assuming that's what you're used to, it's best to try one out to see if you find it comfortable, or just wait for the Magic Mouse 2. Otherwise, if you need a mouse/trackpad now and it turns out the current Magic Mouse strains your hand I'd highly suggest another mouse (or alternatively, just get the trackpad if you end up liking it) if you see yourself relying heavily on it. No matter how great the Magic Mouse is in terms of gestures and overall compatibility with the Mac, it's not worth the hand cramps.
Well, yep... they're out. The new Magic Trackpad 2 features Force Touch and a larger edge-to-edge glass design with 29% more surface area. The new Magic Mouse 2, while keeping the same form-factor also has a built-in rechargeable* lithium-ion battery and redesigned internal structure that includes fewer moving parts.
The changes to the new keyboard and mouse are, to me, crap. The trackpad is the only worthy upgrade due to force touch, but for some reason they found it necessary to increase the SRP of all accessories. That being said, even the new keyboard is better than the new mouse and that's saying a lot considering the it's still lackluster despite the touted improvements.
With the Magic Mouse 2 released; definitely get some other mouse if you can't see yourself using a trackpad 100% of the time and also if you see yourself needing a mouse for all those times when precision is required. And the new accessories are even more expensive; the changes can barely justify the price hike. The trackpad is worth it, but again, it's pointless if you're solely betting on the chances of you getting used to using only that.
*You can't use the mouse when it's charging by design. But it shouldn't be a problem since Apple promised that two minutes of charging a dead mouse will provide enough power for about nine hours of use. A two hour charge will give you 30-days use of the mouse.
The changes to the new keyboard and mouse are, to me, crap. The trackpad is the only worthy upgrade due to force touch, but for some reason they found it necessary to increase the SRP of all accessories. That being said, even the new keyboard is better than the new mouse and that's saying a lot considering the it's still lackluster despite the touted improvements.
With the Magic Mouse 2 released; definitely get some other mouse if you can't see yourself using a trackpad 100% of the time and also if you see yourself needing a mouse for all those times when precision is required. And the new accessories are even more expensive; the changes can barely justify the price hike. The trackpad is worth it, but again, it's pointless if you're solely betting on the chances of you getting used to using only that.
*You can't use the mouse when it's charging by design. But it shouldn't be a problem since Apple promised that two minutes of charging a dead mouse will provide enough power for about nine hours of use. A two hour charge will give you 30-days use of the mouse.
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