Ask Engadget: Best wireless touchpad / trackpad?
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 5th 2009 10:07PM
posted Nov 5th 2009 10:07PM
Alright, so does such a thing really exist? Where can you procure one? Did Matt just give you the best DIY idea of all time?"I'm looking for a wireless trackpad to use with my older (2.5 or so years old) C2D MacBook that's perpetually docked to my home theater. Something sleek, thin, not too small, made of high quality materials. Ideally, it would natively support all of (Snow) Leopard's multitouch inputs, and even more ideally, it would have a charging dock / base. I'm not a fan of using a mouse on my sofa, and this would be just the thing I'm looking for. The only problem is that I'm not sure that such a thing even exists. Think you can throw me a bone?"
If there are no more comments in five minutes then this mythical device does not exist.
Or no one on engadget is feeling charitable tonight.
This sounds to me exactly like the GlideTV Navigator.
http://glidetv.com/navigator/
• Mac |Mac OS® X (10.4.11 or later) supported
Includes
• Charging station
• USB Wireless Receiver
Hope this helps.
Not exactly what you are after perhaps, but this could be a nice alternative:
http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=lenovo+thinkpad+ultranav+keyboard&cid=2871139607561179213&sa=image#p
I'm sure they did a wireless version as well but I couldn't easily find it.
One of the best laptop keyboards I have ever used is on my Thinkpad...
I'm not the reader who was asking about this. I was merely offsetting the soul-crushing realization that I am a monster by making a somewhat snarky comment.
Oh well.
If you have a touch iphone or ipod, $3.99 will buy you Snatch on the app store. You can use it is a wireless keyboard and trackpad. Works great!
If you have a touch iphone or ipod, $3.99 will buy you Snatch on the app store. You can use it is a wireless keyboard and trackpad. Works great!
Yeah, totally agree.
I think the Bamboo series from Wacom. Multi-touch with gestures, thin, USB. Like 70 bucks for just touch or 100 bucks for pen and finger touch inputs. Plus it looks awesome and is from a reputable company.
The person here is looking for WIRELESS, me too. Yet to find.
iPod touch would do it, you can get a refurb first gen for around $150 (although that's a lot to pay just for a wireless trackpad).
I really don't understand why Apple doesn't release a standalone glass touchpad like what's in their new Macbook Pros. I'm sure it's technologically feasible to make a thin rectangular prism with an extremely small bezel to house it too. Just make sure it's made of the trackpad material, NOT the Magic Mouse material. It's not frictionless enough against your fingers like the trackpad is.
actually, $150 is what a 2nd gen iPod touch referb runs at. I'd recall Apple having some 1st gen referbs in stock the other day for $130, but at that point you might as well get the 2nd gen. Not only would it be great for this situation, but run Jaadu VNC on it and it becomes a remote for all your macs/PCs and all their apps. I use Jaadu so much that it sits as one of my four "docked" apps on my iPod. Lets not also forget the DJ mode on the iTunes remote app!
Wacom does make a wireless pad, but it is for stylus use only.
I've been looking for one too and the only one I seen was made by Brando and it looks like a POS to me.
Seriously, I suggest the RemotePad App for the iPhone/iPod Touch...its free and it works great...not a good graphic tablet though...
And there's also RemoteDroid for Android.
you mean GMote?
@thomas
No, I mean RemoteDroid.
http://www.remotedroid.net/
GMote is a media remote.
Another vote for RemoteDroid
Good point!
tada!
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20090117/pocket-wireless-touchpad/
Probably not Mac compatible.
yes, judging from that screenshot alone, it's 100% not.
admittedly, the thing's hideous. but, there's no reason to assume it's not mac-compatible. darn thing's just fugly.
Unfortunately, if something is not specifically listed as Mac compatible, that's generally enough reason to assume it's not Mac compatible.
If you have an iPod touch or an iPhone, you can get any one of several wireless trackpad apps on the app store. Some even have multi-touch support.
Here's one that gives you both multi-touch and accelerometer control: http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=289616509&mt=8
There are a bunch of others, just search for "trackpad" in the App Store
Call me crazy but is there a wireless trackpad app that is windows compatible??
There are a few, but none with very good reviews. This seems to be the best one:
http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=290590017&mt=8
Yes NWIFSER...Jaadu VNC is a great app works on windows and mac
thanks david, thanks ossger!
If that's my only option, I'd rather just COMMAND+TAB over to Screen Sharing, as I have another MacBook that never leaves the couch. I think that a lot of the time, it'd be great to have a single, dedicated, lustworthy multitouchpad on my coffee table.
The DiNovo edge has always been quite tempting, but I don't believe you it supports Leopard's multitouch gestures, correct? I dont' want to be sacrificing any features, at that price.
I feel so cool, being featured on engadget :P
AirMouse for the iPhone/iPod touch works as a trackpad/keyboard for Mac and Windows.
Not exactly what you're looking for, but will do the trick.. It's what i use for my media pc.. The wireless receiver is also the charging base (via USB)
http://reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/mediapilot/4505-3134_7-31263679.html
Be warned. I have one of these and it died (would no longer communicate with the base station). Belkin doesn't make these any more and won't replace. Also, mouse navigation was never very good with their rubber button thingy.
2 things PLEX with a harmony remote for media (very customizable) and either an iPhone / iPod touch with a PLETHORA of VNC and wireless touchpad apps or another laptop to control it (which seems redundant, but I use one with my HTmini)
He can try the logitech dinovo edge or wireless media keyboard that have a trackpad built in.
I've owned a diNovo Edge for my Mac for a few years now. That trackpad is ridiculously small. I'd only recommend it if he needs a keyboard too. Otherwise, it's overkill.
I love my Edge connected to my Win Media Center. But, yeah, might be overkill if you don't use the PC for anything other than Media Center.
There is also a diNovo Mini which might fit the bill. It looks pretty cool:
http://reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/logitech-dinovo-mini-keyboard/4505-3134_7-32784878.html
i have the diNovo mini connected to a mac mini as my media pc - and it's a bit rough. it seems like it would work more intuitively with a pc (which was my original intent-that's a long story).
the trackpad is tiny, but bluetooth works flawlessly, and it's definitely instantly ready to use. i love the size. hopefully when i have time to sit and tinker with it, i'll find that there are settings to make it more mac friendly (and use all of those extra buttons) - but i haven't found them so far.
I have a lenovo usb keyboard with a trackpad built in. been pretty happy with it. use google to find if you're interested.
Apple magic mouse.
Wow! I didn't even consider that, but the Magic Mouse might be perfect for this, depending on its range. I think it costs around 70 dollars.
Oh yes! The iPhone! It has such a smaller monthly fee than all of my other input devices!
yes... especially when you ALREADY OWN ONE which I believe is the point...
+1 for DiNovo Edge (or DiNovo Edge Mini) Logiboard. You might also like a logiball mouse. It has the same benefit as the trackpad in the way that the entire device does not need to be moved around, with the added benefit of existing. Logitech has a few options and I love their peripherals more than anyone else's.
Or the iPod Touch....
The best way I can think of doing this is either by an iPhone or a Bamboo Touch. The good part about the Bamboo Touch as "Andrew" said is that it has almost all the multitouch gestures that your computer supports, the only problem is that you would have to connect it to your computer is a somewhat unconventional way by using a Wireless USB extender.
Touchpad in the App Store for ipod Touch or iPhone. Supports gestures like two finger scrolling. Pretty sweet for the couple dollars it cost!
The obvious choice would be the iPhone or iPod touch. I'm assuming that they make charging docks for them. Use the apple remote app and your set.
Android devices have the option of multiple different things. I use Gmote. It is compatible with Win/Mac/Linux. Acts as a trackpad and keyboard for your computer, plus it also plays audio from your computer on your device if you want. Definitely a worth while product. And it's free download from Android market.
Logitech also has many decent options including wireless keyboard/trackpad combos.
Hope this is some help.
why dont you use the new apple mighty mouse. its a touch sensitive and awesome thing to have
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