Logitech Wireless Touchpad $20 @OD B&M, YMMV

Searched and didn't find this was posted. OD has Logitech Wireless Touchpad for $19.99, local store only. I am not sure if this is national wide offer or just in selected stores (CA at least). The touchpad works in Windows and doesn't come with Mac drivers. However, scroll (two fingers) and page back/forward (four fingers) work just fine with Mac OS X Lion.

Here is the Amazon link for your reference.
Item #178-339

Offers valid 6/03/12 through 6/23/12

Can this thing be used *in addition* to the mouse?

-Tri

this is a great price

SSi said:   Tri said:   Can this thing be used *in addition* to the mouse?

-Tri

Yes. Its the same thing as plugging in multiple mice into your computer, and they will all work. However, unlike Apple's touchpad, the touch area is not edge to edge.

Have this one, kind of like it. Coupe of minor issues.
1. no middle button, which is needed sometimes.
2. Buttons are located all the way to the sides, and sometimes button gets stuck by object on the desk - book, mouse,keyboard - really annoying sometimes.

Yuyak said:   Just picked it up at my local OD. Synced up with my existing unifying receiver and started working instantly. I like it, but wish the gestures were more customizable (I'd rather have 2-finger swipe be forward/back rather than 3-finger swipe).

It was weird. The cashier looked at it mumbled some stuff about whether it works with Mac or if it's just Windows, and then he tells me it's $120. I told him it should be $20 and that it was listed as $20 right on the shelf. He tells me that this a different model and that this one just came in this week. I said I'm not paying $120 and I was going to go check to see if there was some confusion about different models. As I walked away, he slid the one I was trying to buy under the counter.

Of course, Logitech only has one model for these. Fortunately, there were a couple more so I grab another one and ask a different employee (who looked like he might be the manager) to check the price for me, explaining the situation, and it scans at $20, no problem. As I walked out the store, I saw the 2nd employee go over and talk to the 1st guy, looking somewhat upset. I didn't stick around to see what happened, but I wonder if he was going to get in trouble.

shoulda had the lying employee fired

why let them lie to you?

salsdali said:   Yuyak said:   Just picked it up at my local OD. Synced up with my existing unifying receiver and started working instantly. I like it, but wish the gestures were more customizable (I'd rather have 2-finger swipe be forward/back rather than 3-finger swipe).

It was weird. The cashier looked at it mumbled some stuff about whether it works with Mac or if it's just Windows, and then he tells me it's $120. I told him it should be $20 and that it was listed as $20 right on the shelf. He tells me that this a different model and that this one just came in this week. I said I'm not paying $120 and I was going to go check to see if there was some confusion about different models. As I walked away, he slid the one I was trying to buy under the counter.

Of course, Logitech only has one model for these. Fortunately, there were a couple more so I grab another one and ask a different employee (who looked like he might be the manager) to check the price for me, explaining the situation, and it scans at $20, no problem. As I walked out the store, I saw the 2nd employee go over and talk to the 1st guy, looking somewhat upset. I didn't stick around to see what happened, but I wonder if he was going to get in trouble.

shoulda had the lying employee fired

why let them lie to you? Well, the reality is I don't know for sure he was lying to me. While it certainly seem that's what happened, it's not impossible that he simply made a mistake, saw his screen incorrectly, or for some reason it really did ring up at $120 on his system. Anyway, like I said, I told the other guy exactly what happened and I'll let them handle it however they want.

Also, this was the first time I stepped into an OD in a very very long time and it was kind of depressing. The store was deserted, some of the shelves were empty, the Circuit City that was next door went out of business a few years ago and the Best Buy that was also next door on the other side went out of business a month ago. I guess part of me couldn't help but feel bad for them.

Having it used it for a little while (at home on win7 and now at work on os x) I'm sad to say that this thing isn't nearly as good as the Apple magic trackpad. I think this is the first time I've ever had to say that there isn't an equivalent just-as-good non-Apple option

It's just not as sensitive or smooth and the software limitation (lack of customizability) is too debilitating. I've been a LONG time fan of Logitech products so I'm disappointed. Hopefully they come out with a software upgrade in the near future to make this a better product.

At $20, I'll probably keep and use it on a HTPC I'll build in the near-ish future... oh well.

EDIT: to elaborate a bit more - tracking is fine. tap/click/buttons are fine. My gripe is with the gestures. Scrolling isn't very smooth, I can't customize gestures (all I can do is activate/deactivate the few pre-set gestures), and it's missing some key gestures like pinch-to-zoom. Also, only about 80% of the whole surface is the trackpad. The boundaries of the tracking surface are drawn on there, but there's no tactile indications. This means that it's very easy to move off the actual tracking surface and onto the non-functional edges without realizing.

Hmm it does not show online at all - guess will have to go to the store

triamarker said:   Yuyak said:   Having it used it for a little while (at home on win7 and now at work on os x) I'm sad to say that this thing isn't nearly as good as the Apple magic trackpad. I think this is the first time I've ever had to say that there isn't an equivalent just-as-good non-Apple option

It's just not as sensitive or smooth and the software limitation (lack of customizability) is too debilitating. I've been a LONG time fan of Logitech products so I'm disappointed. Hopefully they come out with a software upgrade in the near future to make this a better product.

At $20, I'll probably keep and use it on a HTPC I'll build in the near-ish future... oh well.


EDIT: to elaborate a bit more - tracking is fine. tap/click/buttons are fine. My gripe is with the gestures. Scrolling isn't very smooth, I can't customize gestures (all I can do is activate/deactivate the few pre-set gestures), and it's missing some key gestures like pinch-to-zoom. Also, only about 80% of the whole surface is the trackpad. The boundaries of the tracking surface are drawn on there, but there's no tactile indications. This means that it's very easy to move off the actual tracking surface and onto the non-functional edges without realizing.Many of the Amazon reviews echo your sentiments and has kept me from buying. One person's workaround for the boundary issue was to use tape (I'm assuming invisible scotch or black electrical tape) to mark the boundaries, but it's kind of sad that you would need to do that and it probably doesn't look very good. I don't really need this either, but thought would be handy to have. So Yuyak, given what you know now...would you have still bought it for $20? Probably not. I bought it because the reviews I read made it sound as if this was comparable to the Apple magic touchpad. My current mouse at work doesn't have a very good scroll wheel so I thought I could use this pretty much just for scrolling (and some gestures) to be used by my left hand.

Unless you really want a touchpad on a windows machine I'd skip it. I'm debating whether it's worth the drive + 15% restocking fee to return this one.

Well, I just bought two of them. There's one more on the shelf. I may just go back and get it. I've been using this one now for an hour. I am pleased with it. My thoughts on the boundary issue. If you flex your wrist far, you'll run off the side. If you make sure you don't flex your wrist a lot, you don't. It fits my hand perfect. The scrolling is adjustable and works as smoothly as my MS Mouse does. You can flick and it will keep scrolling. When I move my finger slowly, the control on the pointer is even better than with with my MS Wireless mouse. The best part, I NEVER have to pick up the mouse and move it again. In addition, I will no longer have to worry about wearing out the finish on my desk because I always use the mouse with no pad. I have found no pad worked as good as my desktop.

Thanks OP !

Glad you're liking it. Despite the problems I mentioned earlier, it's still not a bad device overall. It's just not what I hoped for and it's not as good as the alternative (although much cheaper).

I decided to keep mine after all, not for it's initially intended purpose, but for a future HTPC I'll be building. It just seemed like too much of a hassle to go and return it.

I was really hoping to pick one up today, but my store and the local stores in the IE, southern California are all out. I had the sales guy check right in front of me.

Been considering one for my home theater setup. Went to three stores before I found one. Nice price. Thanks OP!

Yuyak said:   Having it used it for a little while (at home on win7 and now at work on os x) I'm sad to say that this thing isn't nearly as good as the Apple magic trackpad. I think this is the first time I've ever had to say that there isn't an equivalent just-as-good non-Apple option

It's just not as sensitive or smooth and the software limitation (lack of customizability) is too debilitating. I've been a LONG time fan of Logitech products so I'm disappointed. Hopefully they come out with a software upgrade in the near future to make this a better product.

At $20, I'll probably keep and use it on a HTPC I'll build in the near-ish future... oh well.


EDIT: to elaborate a bit more - tracking is fine. tap/click/buttons are fine. My gripe is with the gestures. Scrolling isn't very smooth, I can't customize gestures (all I can do is activate/deactivate the few pre-set gestures), and it's missing some key gestures like pinch-to-zoom. Also, only about 80% of the whole surface is the trackpad. The boundaries of the tracking surface are drawn on there, but there's no tactile indications. This means that it's very easy to move off the actual tracking surface and onto the non-functional edges without realizing.If you don't mind messing with it, you can easily add boundaries. Get some clear nail polish (or any color, if you so like) and outline the active touchpad area.

Toddler said:   What somebody (in Redmond) really needs to do is port the Magic Trackpad to Windows 8.

I'm sure somebody (in Cupertino) would love drafting the ensuing patent infringement lawsuits.

Seriously though, Apple has a driver for Magic Trackpad. Microsoft won't let trackpads simulate multitouch because they want to force OEMs to add touchscreens to all their devices, fearing Metro will flop otherwise.

asuka said:   Finally got mine set up, love it. It's no Magic Trackpad, but for the same price I can have a trackpad for my HDTV, my living room HDTV, and my office/den.

Have to update my original review. Unfortunately this device (at least on Mac) enumerates as a mouse. That means you cannot do any OS-level multi-touch gestures. The trackpad recreates those gestures using scroll wheel mouse calls.

It's still a great deal, and I'm actually going to buy a second one, for each HDTV/HTPC that I use. But it is not a replacement for the Magic Trackpad, or any professional use.