Review: Apple Magic Trackpad

I've been testing Apple's Magic Trackpad since shortly after its late July debut, and I love it. Or should I say: love them.

For the last two decades, I've been making my living as a writer. As consequence I've started to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing CTS, let me break down how it feels: Imagine electrically charged barb wire coiled in your wrist, then ripped out through your fingertips. This can make typing a challenge.

Certain things help. Mostly this entails finding ways to reduce the amount of stress placed on my hands. When the multitouch Magic Trackpad emerged earlier this year, I thought using the 5.17-inch-by-5.12-inch device in conjunction with a Magic Mouse might help reduce pain in my hands. But then I thought: Why stop at one? Why not score two of these babies (one for each of my paws) and see if I could double the relief?

So, $140 lighter after purchasing a pair of Trackpads, I easily synced them via Bluetooth to my 27-inch iMac running Snow Leopard (you'll need OS 10.6.4 or above). Then I set about surfing the internet and working my job as a staff writer for Wired's Threat Level blog, all the while two-fisting these machined-aluminum bad boys.

I noticed a difference almost immediately. For starters, the size of the Magic Trackpad does not require crimping a hand on a mouse. Another plus, having a trackpad aligned with each shoulder, at least in my testing, helped me sit up straighter.

But there were some immediate drawbacks. Having two Magic Trackpads, a mouse and keyboard all synced via Bluetooth sometimes made for some instability, with the cursor jumping around and getting lost without performing any functions. (This happened even when I was not making visits to the Wired newsroom's Beer Robot, so the erratic pointer wasn't just a side effect of my beverage consumption.) It seemed that I was giving my Mac a few more input devices than OS X's designers expected.

Using two Trackpads also takes some getting used to. At first, learning to send cursor-moving, cerebral signals to two hands instead of one was a little taxing. When my brain felt a little overwhelmed, I would revert back to using a Magic Mouse.

But after a few weeks of using dual Trackpads, I began to notice some alleviating of pain and stiffness.

Using either hand, I can move the cursor easily with any one finger to where I want it. Tracking speeds can be adjusted to fine-tune the Trackpad's sensitivity. In my tests, I also had a 21-inch screen connected to the iMac, meaning I had some serious real estate to cover, which was simple with either hand. However, in this setup it was easy to lose track of the cursor, which is frustrating.

The Magic Trackpad is also one giant clickable button. Just like the laptop version, it performs a host of functions using swiping methods and various numbers of fingers.

That equals a workout for your fingers and wrists, which at times can be both mentally and physically taxing. But that often beats pawing at a mouse, whether it's a two-bit USB-cord model with a track wheel or a mighty, cordless Magic Mouse. Again, if you work in front of a computer all day, anything to alleviate carpal tunnel is worth the price.

The Magic Trackpad — powered by two AA batteries — is easily customizable. It can support either right- or left-handed clicking. Two fingers swiping up and down scrolls the page. The old four-finger swipe brings up a menu of all your running applications and allows easy switching among them.

If doubling up isn't your flavor or beyond your price range, it's perfectly acceptable to simply single-fist it. Use a mouse and Magic Trackpad, and interchange them with your hands throughout your computer session.

For me, though, it's worth the cash. Call it nirvana. Call it overkill or call it a menage a trois – these trackpads, coupled with a mouse, definitely liven up the computing experience. After using this setup for the last four months, my pain has subsided and I can concentrate on writing, not on the pain in my hands and wrists. I'll raise a glass or two to that.

WIRED Helps alleviate carpal tunnel pain. Saying you're "two-fisting" at 9:30 in the morning never gets old.

TIRED Cursor sometimes gets lost. Occasional instability. Price of admission is high.