The End of the Mouse. The Beginning of Touch.
Here's Macworld's first look and review. Essentially, with the Magic Trackpad, you’ll be able to use all the same multi-touch gestures you’re used to on any Macbook, i.e. the two-finger scroll, swipe, rotate, etc.
My favorite tech blogger right now is MG Siegler of TechCrunch (mainly because of his clever and hilarious headlines). Yesterday MG wrote about the Magic Trackpad and caused quite a stir in the tech world by saying that it signals the end of the mouse era. Then due to controversy on this post, he followed up with further clarification on why he thinks mouse is dead.
Here are some of MG's main points:
"What I am saying is that the Magic Trackpad is the device that is signaling the end of the mouse era. It’s a harbinger, if you will.
I believe that we’re going to start seeing more devices like this (and obviously, not just from Apple) which focus on touch as a way of interacting with desktop machines. But even if we don’t, the desktop machines are slowly fading out as the primary computers in most peoples’ lives. Some people will think that’s absurd, but ask yourself if you already use your notebook or netbook more than your desktop? I know I do. It’s not even close.
That’s exactly what Apple spoke to today with the unveiling of this new peripheral. Most Mac users are now using trackpads as their main point of interaction with their machines. Going forward, this trend is going to continue.
And that’s not even including devices like the iPad and yes, the iPhone, which are also computers. Going forward, tablets and smartphones are also going to be the computing devices that people use much more than desktops.
The mouse is a desktop device. Sure, you can bring a portable one to hook up to your laptop on the go — but just look at young people, kids in college and high school. They don’t do that. The only reason some of us do that is because we’re accustomed to the mouse."
We always have to take what MG says about Apple products with a grain of salt because, well, he is an Apple fanboy after all. However, I agree with MG here that touch will be the main method of input in the future.
Again, back to my earlier post, KP's John Doerr may have said it best when he wrote the issue:
"We’re going from the Old World to a brave New World. From the Old World of the traditional, tired window interfaces… to the wonderful new world of TOUCH. From the Old World of Point and Click to the new SWOOSH of Fluidity."
I, personally, can't wait. Bring on the Minority Report-style computers please.
