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Logitech announces new Bluetooth keyboard, trackpad for Mac
Logitech's renewed interest in the Apple world continues with the announcement this morning of the new Easy-Switch Keyboard for Mac, iPad and iPhone (US$99.99) and Rechargeable Trackpad ($69.99). When I recently reviewed the Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810, I loved it -- with the exception of the fact that it was really targeted at users of Windows 8 and Windows RT. It had some amazing features that I liked -- Logitech's Easy-Switch Technology, which allows the device to be used with up to three different Bluetooth devices by simply pushing a button (see image below); illuminated keys that become dark when you don't use the keyboard for 15 seconds, but sense the approach of your fingers and turn on automatically again; and the ability to be recharged. Well, the new Logitech Easy-Switch Keyboard for Mac, iPad and iPhone does all that, and it's specific to Apple devices. It has an aluminum top to match Macs, and features all the special keys (Command, Dashboard, Mission Control and more) that you use on a Mac, and all-in-all it could be the perfect keyboard for a dedicated Apple fan. But what's a keyboard for a Mac without a pointing device? That's where the new Logitech Rechargeable Trackpad comes into play. It has a nice glass surface, features all of the multi-touch controls that you have come to know and love with Apple's Magic Trackpad, and it's rechargeable through a USB cable so you can use it even when the battery's being recharged. Sweet. We're hoping to get review equipment soon, so hopefully we'll shortly be able to tell you just how the Logitech Easy-Switch Keyboard and Rechargeable Trackpad work in real life. If the Illuminated Keyboard K810 is any indication of how these products should work, they're sure to be pretty impressive.
Logitech intros two Mac accessories: the Easy-Switch Keyboard and an external trackpad
After unveiling a handful of accessories designed for Windows 8, it's clear Logitech had some catching up to do on the Mac side. The company just announced two things, the Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard and the Rechargeable Trackpad for Mac, and they're both more or less Apple-friendly versions of items that were announced for Windows back in October. Starting with the keyboard, it's basically the same as the Illuminated Bluetooth K810 keyboard, in that you can pair it with up to three Bluetooth-enabled devices and switch from one to the other by pressing a button. As the name suggests, it's also backlit, with sensors that turn on the lights when your hands are hovering, and lower the brightness when backlighting isn't necessary. The truth is, the K810 does all of this too and can pair with devices running any OS; it just has Windows 8-specific hotkeys, which you wouldn't need if you were a Mac user. Moving on, the external touchpad is a Magic TrackPad competitor if ever we saw one, with support for all the multi-finger gestures you're used to making in OS X. Unlike the Magic Trackpad, though, it recharges over USB, whereas the Magic Trackpad runs on AAs. The keyboard and touchpad will be available in the US and Europe starting in January, with the keyboard priced at $100 and the trackpad retailing for $70, about the same price as the Magic Trackpad.
