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Apple Launches New Magical Trackpad, 12 Core Macs
theappwhisperer writes "The Magic Trackpad is basically a larger version of the MacBook Pro touchpad, with 80% more surface area for all your swiping and pinching. The entire surface acts as a button, so it's also a possible mouse replacement. And all of the expected gestures are here: two-finger scrolling, pinch to zoom, fingertip rotation, and three- and four-finger swipes. You can enable and disable gestures at your discretion from System Preferences." They also launched 12-core Mac Pros coming in August.
works out great for me, I get a new computer and get one of those damn kids out of my hair.
Any takers? SHould I put them on craigslist or ebay?
Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
Honestly, I find this "magic" marketing strategy to be a complete turnoff.
Palm trees and 8
What exactly is the benefit of this over a conventional mouse?
As others have noted here in the past, the number of processing cores do not a powerful computer make. A lot of the time with both laptops and PCs the cores are entirely unused. You could get a finely made quad-core which is standard fare nowadays, and have it work much faster than a six or dozen core system like these Mac pros.
Since processing is largely a duopoly of AMD and Intel, both have been guilty of marketing their hardware by highlighting the core numbers. Yet it's the architecture, pressure under strain, among other things that actually equate to performance.
And all of the expected gestures are here: two-finger scrolling, pinch to zoom, fingertip rotation, and three- and four-finger swipes.
Ah, nope. You missed one.
Put two in craigslist's personals and the rest on eBay. That ought to do it!
"If you see a man on a horse, he is likely an enemy. Kill the man and eat the horse."
Honestly, I find this "magic" marketing strategy to be a complete turnoff.
The fact that you're on Slashdot makes you Not The Target Market.
To most people, virtually any computer thingie is sufficiently advanced.
Sure, you have +50% cores (12 instead of 8). Now in terms of productivity, how much are you likely to gain? Not much, unless you run number crunching software that can scale to multiple cores. It's been several years since we've seen the introduction of multi-core machines. Yet I'm not sure software is being developed with that in mind. On the good side, putting SSDs in that machine will make the processor(s) less likely to wait for I/O on demanding tasks. The article fails to mention... is flash supported?
Does anyone else hate trackpads acting as buttons? I always end up selecting or launching all sorts of stuff I don't intend to when using laptops with that feature turned on.
"And Magic Trackpad sits at the same height and angle as the Apple Wireless Keyboard, so you can go from trackpad to keyboard in one seamless motion."
Thanks, but I think I'll stick with my clit^H^H^H^H trackpoint where I dont even have to move my hands when switching from keyboard to mouse and viceversa.
Also, why use a touchpad when you got a mouse? The magic mouse sure is very uncomfortable but regular mouses are much more pleasant to use than touchpads or trackpoints or whatever. And its not like they can't do gestures.
The TFA suggests that this trackpad would be good for editing images. Not having seen the device I can't say for sure, but isn't a finger a little too big and inaccurate to use as a precision targeting tool? If it wasn't then all the high end track pads currently used for editing would be using fingers rather than a stylus.
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
So .. since all their touch technology derives from FingerWorks [ http://fingerworks.com/ ]. They revived the iGesturePad from 1999 and added a raiser.
Question 1) Do we get to see any of the 60 or so gestures they used to use a decade ago that Apple declined to reuse?
Question 2) Is there a chance that it means the TouchStream LP is coming back in a form I could potentially get for my windows9x+/*nix9x computer again ... without having to pay several hundred on eBay + driver hunts... just several hundred to Apple?
-------------
My hope is that they are answered as followed:
1) Yes
2) Yes, more than a chance, and soon.
Code softly but carry a big magnet.
Hey, I'm a Apple Fanboy but this is just a screw job. No SATA III, No USB 3.0 ????
I need a good platform for my 3D work and was hoping that there might be something making the new MacPro's worth waiting for but not this.
Just priced a nice Win 7 system from Newegg and me thinks for work I'm switching back. This is just absurd.
"TV, a medium as it is neither rare nor well done." Ernie Kovacs
It's the Magic Trackpad, not the "Magical" Trackpad.
It'd set a better example if Taco would stop trolling every Apple article.
While other companies like Asus and Dell are offering customers weak underperforming netbooks and media centers, Apple knows what the averager person wants. Just like getting a Hemi in your new Dodge, this is going to be the killer laptop and desktop at a premium price. Sure, the few CEOs and executives out there are going to get even more expensive servers for their personal needs but the poor McDonalds employee is going to save up their money to get these kinds of machines. And when it comes to sales that spells volume for Apple and an equation for guaranteed success.
Dell and Asus are going down.
I won't be impressed until I can make a flaming pigeon come out of it.
$2500 for quad, 3GB ram and only 5770?
You can get quad cores for $800-$1500 with 4gb and 5830 or better.
at least the 5770 is much better then the past for base cards. But will apple make you pay for the 5870 $300 making it cost $150-$200 (5770 cost apple price likey higher) + $300
The Mac Pro is so nice buy the price is way to high the track pad is a nice touch.
http://www.thetechnologygeek.org
I didn't know Apple did Trade-ins for non Apple products.
It must be miserable life you live where some marketing guys in california that you've never met have so much power to make you angry. Or you're actually indifferent but have decided to complain because it's easy to do so and it makes you feel better about yourself.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
From the touchpad article, "I can’t wait to get hold of one", and later, "It’s made with smooth, wear-resistant glass that feels great to the touch."
and it ships in 24hours... so it's not like a real review should be very difficult!
Would be better of just to post the apple store page directly. Horrible.
It's brilliant, really. We're just complaining about "unified branding". People are forgetting that the prior marketing disaster was "My". My documents, Myspace, yecch.
"e" was taken and done to death. e-mail, e-zines, etc.
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
While the new "magical" trackpad gives you more space for gesturing, I do always wonder what gestures iPhone users will be giving Apple?
It must be a miserable life you live, devoid of the ability to recognize exaggeration with humorous intent. Or you actually just enjoy acting superior to others because it's easy to do and makes you feel better about yourself.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
So, when this site says that it "feels great to the touch" -- does that mean that they've actually tried one already? How else could they really know?
Anyone know when Steve Jobs will tell us how to hold it? I want to make sure I'm doing it right.
Humor from a Genetically Molested Mind
If I hear them describe their tech a magical one more time I'm gonna...
... roast their ass with a level 5 firebolt.
They're called "future cultists." It's the easiest way to generate more followers and customers get a great deal on new hardware.
sorry, but that original comment did not even begin to approach humorous. I trust you can see why I was confused.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
Its a system with dual six-core cpus. Its like saying a computer with two one-core cpus is a "dual core" system. It may be literally true but very misleading and not what a customer expects.
I'll be buying a 12 core Mac, because it will help me get my job done in a little less time, and will pay for itself in half a day's work tops. With 12 cores, it will be about a quarter of a day. Then I can spend the rest of the week doing whatever the fuck I want.
Including extended middle finger?
I am indifferent, but yea magical? um yea, la de shit apple welcome to a decade ago, its not magic its a already failed product your re branding (again)
strange, I don't really see *pple pursuing the Juggaloo demographic, what's up with that?
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
so he can do a unit test
perl -e "eval pack(q{H*},join q{},qw{70 72696e74207061636b28717b482a7d2c717b343 637323635363534323533343430617d293b})"
If they make a keyboard with this builtin (instead of the numeric keypad), I'm getting one.
My other account has a 3-digit UID.
Why do cheaper Imacs have more base ram? But only have ATI Radeon HD 5750 with 1GB in the $2000 system 27" screen and apple wants to push games on mac os x?
Let's not forget the eMac.... we've come full circle!
Except I think the 'e' in "eMac" stood for "education" rather than "electronic." It would be odd if Apple had sold the "internet" Mac for years before building an electronic Mac.
No mention of the new iMac? New 27" display? And the completely out of nowhere $29 battery charger?
Culture is more than commerce
That's the great downfall of Apple desktops. They ship MacPro's (which are their big powerful towers) and iMac's (which are All-in-One Monitors built with laptop parts), without anything inbetween. Slotting a bigger graphics card into an iMac is just not possible, and yet there isn't a more affordable tower available than the Pro. If you are a serious gamer, then a Mac Pro ain't much different than a tricked-out Alienware/etc machine price-wise. But if you are a semi-serious gamer with a light wallet, Apple ain't your friend.
Judging from Apple's page, all the gestures are the same as the ones used by the current MacBook Pro trackpad. Apple didn't even bother to change the preferences panel (screenshot). Apple's claim to fame is keeping things simple as possible for consumers, and adding gestures that aren't supported by any other Apple device would tend to run against that.
Seeing as Apple has never bothered to provide official Windows driver support for their peripherals, I wouldn't hold my breath on that, either. Somebody will probably rip the appropriate bits out of Boot Camp if and when they update it to support the pad, however (this has been done before for other Apple devices).
NO MATE Display and room for 1 HDD with no E-sata NO slots NO USB 3.0 NO Firewire 1600,3200 as well.
also what if I have a display I want to reuse?
I hear Chatroulette is paying good money for minors who willing to help them clean their site up. The job requirements are that the kids are easily offended and willing to press charges.
Some thread hit on rendering use. However, there is also vast amounts of simulation use. For example, COMSOL Multiphysics (http://www.comsol.com/products/multiphysics/). Also, in the academic world is it easier to buy new computers on grants than upgrade old ones. The "old" computers typically get moved to computer controlled tools (when the tool computer dies).
fine want $1200-$1500 head less system not $2500 come on people do not like screen lock in. and want a little more room then 1 hdd and not slots even haveing 2 pci-e slots + video card will be ok.
I was totally dissapointed with my Mac, so much i had to return it after one week.
They sell it as an UNIX-like system... and that's a huge lie... First of all the file system is case-insensitive by default... you have to reformat your harddrive to enable the case-sensitive option, and then... most of the MacOS applications won't work, becuase they weren't written with case-sensitivity in mind.... So you can either have a case-insesitive system that will give out tons of problems with case-sensitive UNIX applications... or a case-sensitive system in which only the UNIX applications will work...
In my case, i bought a better specced (and poorer quality) PC for the same price and installed Arch on it... I just hope Apple wouldnt have lied in the UNIX-like thing and would save me a week of my time.
Of course they accept trade ins. Their products generally cost you an arm and a leg, or your first born child. This new 12 core mac will cost both.
Just a disclaimer to make sure yall don't think I'm heartless. I have 2 kids of my own I'd never trade in. It's just those damn boys across the street that drive me nuts!
Get off my grass!!
Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
iKid
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I always thought it stood for economy!
Adobe has assured its customers that Flash 10.1 will be able to "...make full use of the new machines. Flash will be able to utilize 100% of the 12 core hardware without fail. That's the reliability customers have come to expect from Adobe."
Boot Camp users running Windows will have to deal with "compatibility issues" that might limit utilization to a mere 15-25%
What if you already have a computer? Then it's a WHOLLY unjustified expense!
If you've just spent $6k on a new Mac Pro, and you *really* need USB-3, just spend another $40 and plug the card in. It's a Mac Pro. It has expansion ports. Use them and feel happy.
... and if you want e-sata, just buy an extender cable for the two extra on-board sata channels in the Mac Pro. That'll cost you the princely sum of $19.
Sure, you can argue it ought to have come with them (and I'd agree, for what it's worth) but the cost of implementing it yourself is hardly the end of the world.
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
...get one of those damn kids out of my hair. Any takers? SHould I put them on craigslist or ebay?
I don't think ebay allows that sort of thing -- so I guess craigslist.
I like track pads. There are new drivers out that provide multi-touch on most track pads for the PC. This Apple offering isn't that interesting, except for its' size. The device, as with most Apple mice and keyboards should work on PCs, albeit without the multi-touch. It's a bit pricey though.
The others have no interest to me. They are essentially the same products as the past but with a few more features. Certainly some are not worth the price. Crack open that display and you'll likely find a Samsung panel in it.
You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.
*Cues Camera in recording mode*
My Mini-DVI to VGA cable is quite magical.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
I hate the stupid magic-mice, well maybe its me that's stupid, I could never figure it out. I use one of those super trackballs but it's on it's last legs. I ordered the new track pad from Apple with the stupid name. I mean I like auto-magic as much as the next tech-junkie but I know its just computer stuff.
6.8SPC TR of 550, l xwind at 6, drift rt at 26" drops 77". AT has 503 ft-lbs at 1403 fps. FT 0.86
I think i do see the reason - excess ego.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
I have a Macbook where the button is integrated in the trackpad. The pad is hinged at the top, which means that the force required to click increases as you get higher up on the trackpad. I've found the force becomes high enough to be uncomfortable, or at least noticeable.
I found this annoying enough that I've ended up using two hands: left index finger for moving around, and the right index finger rests on the bottom of the trackpad for clicking.
That's not ideal either: occasionally, a click (while the left index finger remains on the trackpad) gets interpreted as an option-click, which means two more clicks to remove the option menu and get the effect I wanted.
In the end, I much prefer having two buttons physically separate from the trackpad.
I've been waiting for them to release the Magic Trackpad - it's about damn time! Order placed. If you've used a recent Apple MacBook trackpad, you know why this is a great product. Or at least it should be. I hope it proves to be everything I expect.
--- What?
where is the $1000-$1500 mini tower the imac is to limited and comes with screen that you may not need or want (lack of screen choice is bad) and locking screen size to cpu power is bad as well.
The video card in the imac are a little week for the screen size but ok for non gaming but the screen is not for photo shop work. But let us have 2 HDD's or add E-sata or usb 3.0 / firewire 1600 / 3200.
Well on the Apple website it says the base price of the 12-core machine will start at $4999. Super decked out and your looking at $20,000 to $25,000 for the damn computer. And it would probably only cost you about $5000 to $7000 to build it using your own parts.
Just FYI, Windows 7 has full multi-touch support. (Doesn't guarantee your applications will use it sensibly, but it's there.)
Comment of the year
Apple has NEVER cared about games. This is according to Valve... Apple always talks the talk but never follows through to make gaming on Macs important.
Of course, what they're not telling you is that they obtained 80% more surface area by reshaping the surface.
There's a HUGE difference between a surface with a linear cross section like this...
________________
vs. the same linear width with this cross section... /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
My office has been taken over by iPod people.
This is the nicest pointing device I've seen so far for an HTPC.
Mice suck when you don't have a desk. Wireless HTPC keyboards typically have joypad-button pointers (awful) or tiny trackpads stuck on the sides, so you have to hold the whole keyboard to use them.
Having a really big, freestanding trackpad with back-forward gestures would make it a lot more fun to sit on a couch and use the "PC" part of an HTPC.
Because Apple expects that most of their customers are going to buy the base RAM, throw it away, and pour in third-party RAM.
The problem with a trackpad is that you cannot rest your hands anywhere on it, which is not a good thing. Has anyone had any bad experiences with trackpads with respect to repetitive strain ailments? I have been using the Kensington Expert Mouse for the past 15 years and as "heavy" mouse user, I have never had a problem with my wrists or elbows (ie - carpal tunnel syndrome). I cannot imagine ever switching.
At least they didn't call it,
iMagic.
Yet.
It is prophesied! Or prophesized! Or prophephizizzle! Or whatever that word is!
Someday I'll link back to this post and say we warned you all!!!!
TFA links to two blogs posts. There is nothing on Apple's site.
Does nobody read past the headlines?
They are bad apples, so it is more of a recall.
Sure they do. They take the kids and send them off to China to work in Foxconn factories.
Great. Now, can they enable the same features on the magic mouse without needing a third party driver? (Magicprefs). The magic mouse can register as much as 12 points if my memory serves me right, but they only natively enable 2-3 finger scrolling and swipes, not pinching and the other cool stuff. no, instead they just link to the third party app.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/magicprefs.html
I've got better things to do tonight than die.
Faster renders with techniques not practical on any other machine.
The extended capabilities available to the early adopter gives them a jump on their competition
The screen itself is worth about $1k alone. Dell has been selling the exact same panel in a standalone display for $1050 for some time now. Also, you ask why. It's simple: Because people will buy it. In any case, this was a much bigger bump for the lower end iMacs. The 4670 on the low end may not be much, but it's a big step up from the damned 9400M they were using. Integrated graphics on a 1080p screen? The 5670 in the midrange is also a decent step up from the 4670. The 5750 is only going to be a tad faster than the 4850 they were using. The i3/i5 in the low-midrange systems will be a NICE improvement over the Core 2 Duos they were using, no doubt about that. An interesting thing to note is that Apple is using a 2.8ghz i5 quad. Did they special order that from Intel or something?
It's basically a bamboo tablet, except a bamboo tablet also works as a graphics tablet.
There is nothing innovative about this, and claiming it is "The largest Multi-Touch trackpad ever" is just false.
They announced a 27" Cinema display, bumped the iMacs, and appear to have given NVIDIA the boot.
The previous Mac laptops had a separate button at the bottom of the trackpad. This is why the new ones' buttonless design is like you point out: it works with the same muscular habits as the older ones. I was used to the old one, then when I got a newer model I adjusted very quickly (after I made the same assumption you did, though).
I call it affordance fail, though: nothing about the design of the new pad makes it perceptible that the bottom edge is the clickable part.
Are you adequate?
Touch products are great for RSI. That is why Fingerworks trackpads and keyboards were so popular with people who were having wrist problems.
They discard 5-finger inputs so you can relax--I mean completely relax--your hand directly on the touchpad when you are not moving the mouse...even between movements. It is a very more natural relaxed position--all fingers curled naturally downward...just like resting your hand on a table.
Movements on a touchpad take no force since you are only moving your fingers. Even light mice require more effort (tension) in your fingers to pinch and move. "Clicks" take only the most subtle of finger movements. Drags take no tension to hold down the button, since "drag" is a persistent state you invoke with a discrete gesture.
There are also fewer reasons to move the mouse, since so much can be done with gestures. I'll have to see how many the "Magic Trackpad" support, but with my Fingerworks pad on my PC, I can open and close windows, open and close documents, print, find, drag, scroll, switch windows, etc via gestures.
I was having a lot of problems with my right wrist, which is bad since I like to kayak for fun. After doing some research online I figured I would give a Fingerworks trackpad a try, and it has been a huge improvement for me. The above descriptions are my own thoughts about why it has been such a big help.
I'm excited for the Magic Trackpad (despite its stupid name) because my Fingerworks pad cost $250 used on eBay, and it's hooked up to my PC. I was looking for one for my Mac, and $69 sounds a lot better.
Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
I switched mine to tap-to-click mode, in part because I was annoyed at the differing click pressures (as you note) and in part because the click is so loud. (and I am sometimes using my laptop next my sleeping wife)
It took a little getting used to, but I find that it works very well. I never could stand tap to click on my PC laptops, but I like it a lot on my MacBook Pro. I ended up getting a used Fingerworks trackpad for my PC, and now I'll probably pick up a "Magic" trackpad for my iMac at work. So I'm fully sold on tap to click. :-)
Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
will it run Crysis?
Left the summary laughing (thinking it was a play on Jobs' "magical" comment), went to RTFA. OMG they're really calling the product "Magic?"
Seriously, this is taking the Arthur C. Clarke quote a bit too far. Are we now saying that any sufficiently devolved consumer can't distinguish technology from magic?
What the hell? Are they releasing a "Sorcerer's Apprentice" edition?
I know plenty of Apple customers. Most have a firm grip on reality. This just seems mad. I hope it's a "code name."
--
Toro
if not for the screen and lack of better Ext-ports / room for more then 1 HDD then the Imac will work good for Photoshop.
ECC is over kill and the lack of PRO video cards just does not fit.
Try a $800-$1000 system for photo shop that is just as good as $2500 mac pro.
These look finely edited to me.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Yes would love a 4-8 core super mini with a gpu slot.
Enjoy a real gpu with all the cores needed, max ram.
We have to get a mac pro or nothing.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
For many workloads like VMHosting and rendering the AMD server 12-core chips do make great sense - especially if you're doing the free software too. These days the type of workload that requires both a lot of processing power and doesn't thread well is pretty rare. Except in the context of this discussion. Apple doesn't use AMD chips yet.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
I didn't know Apple did Trade-ins for non Apple products.
Oh ya , how else do u explain the inexplicable health recovery of steve
they have resorted to sacrifices
damn everyone knows kids r great for that
post smited by Jobshovah himself!
I don't understand the decision not to, at the very least, release a model with the keyboard & trackpad combined. In what situation will it be more practical to have them separate? For people with four arms, perhaps? Drummers with complete limb coordination independence?
There is the rationale that keyboard and trackpad can fail independently but I don't think that justifies the inconvenience of their separation in a wireless, mobile product.
Should we consider a modular design for cars? Hey, let's separate the steering wheel from the pedals and strap the customer into both halves to keep them together!
Why would you buy a $2,000 workstation to play games?
I've never had problems playing most games on $50-$75 video cards anyway. You just want a large, loud and underutilized penis occupying your PCIe slot so you can brag to your friends. For folks like you which are kinda like those tard kids that throw a fart cannon on a Honda and call it a racecar, I recommend sticking to cheap ass off the shelf PC gear and buying a $350 video card.
The money in that machine isn't in the video card, it's everything else some piss-ant gamer like yourself will never take advantage of. There's a lot of us with real work to do for which this machine would be a godsend worth every penny.
Because some tard kid who runs a pirated copy of Photoshop once in a while and plays games can't see the value, it doesn't mean it won't sell to a vast niche (people with jobs who require lots of computing power). This is a computer, not an entertainment device.
That's as bad as the morons that claim OSX has no value over Windows. Anyone that says that usually uses computers for menial tasks like Word Processing and watching Youtube and no concept of what goes on under the hood.
Besides, macs have PCIe slots too.....
The Wikipedia claims the 'e' was indeed for education.
Perhaps you're thinking of the Macintosh LC ("psst, 'low cost', but don't tell anyone"), which was the first modular Mac?
"Good news, everyone!"
Besides, macs have PCIe slots too.....
Sorry, at least MAC PROS do. I miss the flexible and reasonably expandable macs. That's why my primary desktop mac is a hackintosh, so I can add things like cheap M-Audio multichannel audio cards and such where going firewire would be prohibitively expensive (and not any better) on my budget and cause me to have to repurchase a lot of perfectly good working gear. I carry around a base-model 09 Macbook these days too though. I don't think their hardware is crap or even majorly overpriced cept the Macbook pros and a couple imacs, they just don't make a machine for me anymore on the desktop. Mac Pros are overkill for most of what I do and iMacs lack the expandability and durability I need. I actually miss the low-end and midrange G4 towers.
I really don't need even four cores, but I'd sure love to have the option to move lots of data much faster. I can't remember the last time I waited more than a second or two for something to process (ok, I guess converting RAW to jpg would go faster) but it seems several times a week I'm moving mass quantities of data - photos, movies, backup images - and waiting for 30-60 or more minutes for USB or FW800, and lusting after BANDWIDTH. I was hoping Apple would cook in some rockin' fast bit shuffling, rather than spending $3000 on a machine, then more to band-aid on a faster interface card.
I'd be all over a 'mini Pro' - let me keep my monitor between upgrades, and add a card or two to customize it to what I need, and update with the times without a forklift.
They are bad apples, so it is more of a recall.
Nonetheless, for the neighbors, they are the apples of their i.
HI Really nice and funny thought... cheap hotels-Find cheap hotel and hotel deals . Book hotels online and save big on cheap hotel in the US and worldwide destinations Kind regards Johan
Once agin Apple maks a design icon! Dan
Apple said 'Mac® Pro line with up to 12 processing cores and up to 50 percent greater performance than the previous generation'. It's amazing. It should be super fast for designers and video editors. And my mouse will give place to Magic Trackpad. **** iPod Transfer software for Mac http://www.ipodmactransfer.com/