Apple Readying External Trackpad for Desktops?

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With WWDC going on this week, all eyes were on the iPhone 4, Safari 5 and iOS. However, there's a little something else that's garnering headlines around the blogosphere and so far, it hasn't appeared at WWDC.

Back in February, Apple filed for a trademark on the name 'Magic Trackpad' suggested the company's Magic Mouse wasn't the only 'magical' input device at Cupertino. Yesterday Engadget suggested that this Magic Trackpad might have been part of the lineup in Steve Jobs' keynote speech, but that never happened. The site did post some pictures along with the report and later added a few more images from a source who claimed to be testing the device.

This source said the Magic Trackpad supports handwriting recogition, all the functions of the Magic Mouse and possible some features of a MacBook trackpad. The multitouch Bluetooth device is aid to be aimed at desktop Macs. One Engadget reader threw together the following cardboard mock-up based on the leaked images.

It's still not clear what exactly this is; we could be looking at a simple trackpad for a desktop concept or it could be a miniature Wacom-style tablet.

More pictures here.

Jane McEntegart
Jane McEntegart
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.