This is the new Apple Magic Trackpad. Its a game-changer.

PC users have been ogling at the multitouch capabilities of Macbook and Macbook Pros. The same capability, and maybe much more, will be available to iMac users. The trackbad is 80% bigger than on any Macbook pro. It supports pinch-to-zoom, two-finger scrolling, swipe windows etc. Keep it on the side of your wireless keyboard, and enjoy multitouch on your desktop. This basically makes your mouse redundant and useless, unless you are a designer or hardcore gamer. Priced at $69, expect the trackpad to soon become a default accessory with all iMacs. For the moment, Apple is still giving the Magic Mouse free with iMacs.

Apple has used its biggest strength – multi-touch to augment its desktop market-share. Right now, iMacs were the only Apple product that didn’t involve touch – The Magic Mouse doesn’t match touch on other devices. This may give desktops a re-birth. Right now, desktops are completely out of fashion. People buy laptops and never take it out of their homes. I believe the iMac and iPad combo will prove to be a better alternative to Macbook Pros.

Apple has now got a product in iMac which has no competition. Macbooks and MBPs have had the problem of not offering the same configuration as Windows based Dell and HP laptops. The lower configuration at the price-point turns off many people. But, the same doesn’t hold in desktops. Apple’s iMac offers a better configuration than Dell or HP desktops in the range of Rs. 70,000-80,000. Combine that with the fact that iMac is stunningly beautiful piece of hardware, and you have a winner.

I believe there must be an emergency meeting of Windows team after the magic Trackpad was announced. The trackpad is OS X only, and though there must be similar devices for Windows, unless Windows has in-built multi-touch support, it will lag behind.