Apple's Magic Trackpad gets the iFixit teardown treatment, nothing terribly magical found
Well, we knew it wouldn't take very long, and it didn't: iFixit's gotten its hands on Apple's Magic Trackpad and ripped it to shreds. This is one operation they're not shy about calling delicate, folks -- this thing is seriously thin and its components packed in quite lovingly. So what's going on in there? Well, besides the magical dust, they found a Broadcom BCM2042 chip, which is the same one the Magic Mouse uses for Bluetooth connectivity, and a Broadcom BCM5974 touchscreen controller chip, which also powers the iPhone and iPod touch. There is plenty to be seen in the photos at the source, and there's one more below.
























Let's hope it will blend at least.
@barac Oh you better believe it'll blend.
@barac
I knew here will will start 1. blending it. 2. Asking for a bumper. 3. Trying to hold it right.
I am tired. :(
@Khris
Yet it cost $70 USD and will cost $85 CAD and $90+ elsewhere in the world.
This thing could have easily been $50 or $60. Blow me Apple
@Plazmic Flame
Oh yeah? You must have a lot of inside info, such as R&D costs, manufacturing costs, raw materials costs, shipping costs, retail and corporate overhead, profit margin, and more. I would appreciate if you could share those figures with us so we can all see how you arrived at the precise figure of "$50 - $60".
@Plazmic Flame "Blow me Apple"
There's an app for that!
@DTJ
He's criticizing the apple tax, not the R&D costs, manufacturing costs, raw materials costs, shipping costs and retail & corporate overhead. If they overcharge for most of their computers by around $500, you can bet there is going to be some unnecessary pricing in a lot of their peripherals.
@Khris
Of course there is no magic found, you can't SEE pixi dust!
@Radiophobic
Yeah, I'm sick and tired of that Apple tax... just like the Porsche tax, the Ferrari tax, and the Lambo tax.
@barac
I honestly can't get worked up over this. Because at the end of the day, it's really just a wireless trackpad.
@Khris
As they found out with the iPad, there is one additional question:
- Will it fit in a blender?
@DTJ
Er, I think the profit margin IS what he's complaining about. It's $10 of tech before fanboy tax is added.
@DTJ If you gonna go the car route you'd be better of with comparing apple as a Lincoln with Dell being a Ford then comparing it to some super high end exotic car. They both have the same stuff on the inside powering them but with one having a somewhat better looking interior and exterior.
@DTJ Why are you so worried about the so called "Apple Tax" thing, Nobody Is forcing anyone to buy an Apple product.
@HKCally
I love how haters like to throw basic aspects of economics and markets out the window whenever the company in question is the one they hate. Every company — EVRY FUCKING LAST COMPANY ON THE EARTH — calculates just how much people are willing to spend before the price begins to exceed the value that said product has for each individual. If Apple charges $60 for the Magic Trackpad, it's because they know they'll be able to make more at that price by selling higher quantities than if they sold at at $80-90 at fewer quantities, or that they would be able to maximize profits at $60 versus a higher quantity at a lower price. This all goes back to the value that people place on Apple's products. I know haters like to generalize just what that value is (brand identity, looking "cool", feeling elite, whatever --- as though Apple-haters aren't prone to those exact same things...) Because I absolutely love the trackpad on my Macbook, this is very compelling to me and holds a lot of value such that I'd be willing to pay up to $80 for it, but definitely no more than that.
@Radiophobic Well it's $70 in Canada, so he's already failed there.
@barac
I thought went Apple releases a trackpad peripheral it would have a screen .. maybe they are waiting for color e-paper or e-ink.
@Theguywiththehair
the magic is probably steve jobs farting on all the apple products
@oupoliscigrad Please don't use logic. The anti-apple flameboys won't get it. They understand things like, "Apple is ghey." and thats about it. The relationship to pricing, manufacturing costs, and supply in order to achieve maximum profit is a language they lost long ago.
But I must be stupid because amoung other things, I like Dell, Sony, HP Envys, building my own shit, and yes Apple too.
Attention Flameboys: They all have a brand tax. Some are higher than others. Get over it.
@Plazmic Flame
Its only $69CDN
@DTJ Seems to me everyone that comments here, or at least most, also Giz, seems to be poor if they think this is a lot of money. I here so much about $45 is too much money. I think anything short of free for this entitled generation is too much money.
@Plazmic Flame Oh I'm sorry. Could you make a Mac? No? Don't complain. If it's to much. Don't buy it. Simple. Don't bitch about it and expect people to care
@oupoliscigrad what you buy is up to you,the fact is much of apples line is hype,please remember in years gone by that power pc processor that apple fan boys went googa over,they used to say we have the better processors,but what do they use now,they refuse to use flash,even for a short time till the transition to something better happens,and how about blue ray,please you cannot see how you have been hyped,but don't feel bad most people even myself will justify their affinity for something as true logical unadulterated thinking......and the evry is spelled this way" every" your spelling is shit....enjoy your magical world for you truly are in one....
@oupoliscigrad
No f...ing s.it Sherlock. Point is that Apple have worked out that their zombie fanboy legion will pay a bigger markup than anybody who would bother to stop and THINK about their purchase. You're welcome to pay more for less. That's your god given right.
Gotta love Broadcom!
What did they expect pixie dust and rainbows?
@SHFT If Steve Jobs is to be believed, then yes.
@SHFT
No, unicorn blood.
@SHFT
DOUBLE RAINBOW!
@Alex R WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!
* sniffs up another line *
@Engadget "nothing terribly magical found"
You can't see magic, duh. You have to believe that it's there, just like you have to believe Apple products are faultless and reasonable value for money.
Apple is part of the Disney corporation now with Jobs on the board - that's where the supplies come from. Just like with Disney, when you peel away the invisible magic, you see there's not really a whole lot going on.
@Alex R lol williamrayjohnson i loved that episode. "what does this mean". hahahaha
New religion Apple (say-academics)
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/28/new-religion-apple-
say-academics/
@sliderem
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/28/new-religion-apple-say-academics/
@sliderem
Faux news spouts mindless drivel once again.
@sliderem who believes anything from FOX??
@sliderem More like a cult.
@MrKnowItAll
Its actually "academics" who are saying, so it is surely true.
TBH, I did not click on the link so my views on it are based purely on preconceptions and stereotype. I think that's ok in this case.
Well that ruins the magic...
@sircastor True, many forget magic is all about illusions.
According to Wikipedia...
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people, in this case the fanboys.
Where the hell is the "NSFW" tag for this gadget pron?
Well DUH! Of course they want you to think there are just regular components inside. The magic is invisible. I can see it with my special magical viewing iGlasses.
If only gesture support was as tightly integrated with Windows as it is on OS X. I'd totally use one of these on my work computer then.
And don't go suggesting one of those Wacom multi-touch tablets. Tried it. It sucked.
@Leindurstit Windows does not deserve these kind of devices. Please stick with your USB ports.
@assb10yr
Of course Windows doesn't deserve this kind of pretentious tat. Windows has been a good boy. (well, since he turned 7).
hmmmmm.....
I was expecting beans.
@savagemike I was expecting mini oompa loompa steve jobs,,, a bunch of them :-)
Actually the collective noun for Steve Jobs is a turtleneck. So it would be a turtleneck of Steve Jobses (Jobsi?).
@d0mth0ma5
Terminology win.
Silly Engadget, only kids can see the magic in the Magic Mouse!