# Recommend a trackpad thingy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 16, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585 "2011-02-16T15:04:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585/1 "2011-02-16T15:04:39Z")

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I’ve decided I really like the pokeable, gesturable trackpad on my MacBook, so I want a similar (but bigger) device for my desktop machine, so I can be rid of mouses once and for all.

Who makes a good one?

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585/2 "2011-02-16T15:38:11Z")

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Apple makes one called the [Magic Trackpad](http://www.apple.com/magictrackpad/). Of course it’s only for Apple desktops, not Windows ones.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585/3 "2011-02-16T17:33:12Z")

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> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> Apple makes one called the [Magic Trackpad](http://www.apple.com/magictrackpad/). Of course it’s only for Apple desktops, not Windows ones.

Now that thing does look spiffy. My desktop is in fact a Mac Pro, although given that this is a Bluetooth device it should probably work on Windows as well.

That said, I should have mentioned an additional requirement: I hate wireless everything. So as nifty as that thing looks, I want something with a USB cable.

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**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585/4 "2011-02-16T21:40:53Z")

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Wacom makes one. I believe it’s called the Graphire Touch. There’s also a version that can do both finger touch and pressure-sensitive pen input.

Sorry for no link, but using my heavily-blocked work pc. Should be easy to Google. Pretty sure they’re wired, at least optionally.

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-trackpad-thingy/571585/5 "2011-02-17T23:21:19Z")

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I really like my Magic Trackpad. Since I got it, the Magic Mouse has just been sitting there watching us. So far, no wireless problems with either, or with the keyboard.