Logitech Trackpad For Mac
Ever since last December’s Snapdragon Tech Summit — an event focused on breakthrough mobile chipsets — I’ve been thinking about how critical “old” input peripherals remain in modern devices. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragons are powerful enough to let tiny smartphones play Xbox One-class games or enable tablets to run Windows PC apps, but without traditional controllers such as gamepads, mice, or trackpads, convincing people to fully replace their consoles or laptops with mobile devices is an uphill battle.
Consider Apple’s iPads, which spent the last decade as midway points between phones and laptops, seemingly because Apple didn’t want to kill either of its cash cows. Everyone agrees that iPads redefined tablets, but they haven’t supplanted business computers. I’d argue that input peripherals were the key bottleneck: Apple has continually evolved iPad devices and pushed hard to position them as post-PC computers, but millions of business users weren’t ready to make the switch without traditional laptop input devices. By contrast, Microsoft had no legacy laptop business to worry about and was glad to win “convertible tablet” customers, using Surface trackpad-keyboard accessories to bridge the laptop gap.
Today, iPad users are finally entering the trackpad-keyboard era with the release of the first Apple-backed products to include both traditional input devices within the same form factor. As Apple’s own Magic Keyboards for iPad Pro prepare to ship to the earliest adopters, Logitech is shipping a much less expensive alternative called the Combo Touch. At $150, it’s half the price of Apple’s Magic Keyboard — but only designed for iPad models Apple isn’t yet addressing with its own accessories.
Logitech’s Combo Touch for iPad combines a precision trackpad with a full-size backlit keyboard. Navigate your iPad with familiar gestures or quickly and easily position a cursor to edit spreadsheets, documents, and presentations. Your device isn't recognized by your Mac. Follow these steps if your mouse, keyboard, or trackpad. Downloads - Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad T650. Other Product Specific Phone Numbers. LOGITECH SUPPORT.
- Apple's virtual 'Hi, Speed' event kicked off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with Apple expected to debut four new models as part of its iPhone 12 lineup, as well as a new HomePod mini.
- Q: Is Touchpad the same as Trackpad? A: Yeah, pretty much. You’ll find that the touchpad and trackpad will sometimes be used interchangeably in this instance and it will often depend on what the brand has chosen to call it. For example, Dell and Logitech use touch pad, whereas Apple (in classic Apple fashion) refer to them as trackpads.
That’s good news for budget-conscious iPad users, and a solid preview of what’s coming soon to Apple’s Pro tablets. Logitech revealed Combo Touch in sync with Apple’s Magic Keyboard announcement, which is to say that it had some early access to Apple’s plans, unlike Brydge, maker of a more expensive iPad Pro-only alternative that hasn’t yet shipped but is already being pilloried for poor trackpad performance.
One version of Combo Touch has a case built to fit the seventh-generation (10.2-inch) iPad, while the other fits the iPad Air 3 and discontinued 10.5-inch iPad Pro. In other words, there’s now a way to get a baby Apple laptop experience for under $500: $329 for the iPad, $150 for the trackpad-keyboard. Best of all, the trackpad-keyboard portion detaches magnetically from the rest of the case when you don’t want to carry around the extra bulk.
If you’re familiar with Microsoft’s Surface trackpad-keyboard accessories, you’ll instantly understand the Combo Touch design. Like Microsoft, Logitech has embraced the use of fabric across the keyboard’s edges and palmrests, extending the soft, graphite-colored material to the back of the iPad case. Almost everything else is made from matching gray plastic, including the chiclet-style keys, which are backlit with five levels of lighting that can be controlled through a Logitech app. The keyboard also includes a full row of iPadOS shortcut keys — Apple doesn’t even include those on its own iPad Pro Magic Keyboards.
The real star of the show here is a trackpad, which feels like it’s made of glass and has an older Apple-style springboard design for physical button presses. There’s enough space for four adult fingers to rest across the surface comfortably from their tips to their middles, and the glass feels cool to the touch. It’s also pretty responsive, though I’ll want more time to play with it using specific iPad work apps, as well as even more customization within future versions of iPadOS.
Logitech also includes a fold-out rear iPad stand that adjusts from 20- to 60-degree reclines. Apart from the fabric finish, it feels substantially similar to the integrated stands on Surface tablets, which have forever been missing from iPads, precluding them from standing up on their own. Because Logitech’s using that stand instead of an iPad/keyboard hinge — the Magic Keyboard’s appears to be very elaborate — the case occupies a fair bit of space on a tabletop. Also TBD: whether I’ll want to use it in my lap.
Beyond ergonomic issues, I used the words “baby Apple laptop” largely because Apple hasn’t fully unleashed the iPad’s potential as a transformable tablet-slash-laptop. iPadOS 13.4 unexpectedly added system-wide trackpad and mouse support to all tablets capable of running the software update, a step that was more than trivial to the company. Rather than just adding an arrow-shaped cursor that passively floats over everything, Apple uses a circular cursor that transforms into highlight blobs as it passes over certain UI elements — a visual hint that even deeper trackpad integration will arrive in iOS 14 later this year.
Even at this early stage, it’s clear that adding a trackpad to the iPad will change how the device is used. Attach the accessory magnetically, and all of a sudden, a $329 tablet looks and works like a laptop. With no real work needed to make the new input accessory come to life, I was able to get up and typing on a high-quality keyboard akin to a more expensive machine, with the cursor appearing as necessary for input as I navigated around the screen. That gigantic area normally occupied by an iPad virtual keyboard was gone, turned back into useful screen real estate, and I didn’t have to “gorilla arm” my way across the desk to access apps.
And this isn’t even the Pro-level experience; it’s going to be interesting to see how much better Apple’s own Magic Keyboard will be at twice the price. The Combo Touch feels right-priced at $150, while the current iPad Pro Slim Folio Pro shown above sells for $120 (11-inch) or $130 (12.9-inch) minus the trackpad. Notably, the Slim Folio Pro’s keyboard is Bluetooth-based, adding an additional pairing step that’s not necessary with Combo Touch’s iPad Smart Connector-based interface.
What’s missing now is the laptop-class software — at least, most of it. Apple has updated its own Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps to support the new trackpads, but other companies are at varying stages of the process. I’m planning to do some more testing of Combo Touch and other iPad keyboard-trackpad options in the near future and will have some more thoughts on what the experience is like from accessory to accessory. At this point, I’m very optimistic about the iPad hardware and accessory parts of the equation and keeping my fingers crossed that iPadOS and its apps will hold up their end of the bargain.
It’s all keyboards and trackpads all the time these days, but if you don’t have one of the fancy new iPad Pro models released since 2018, such as that earlier 10.5-inch iPad Pro, then Apple’s fancy new Magic Keyboard is simply a non-starter for you. Fortunately, there is still an option that integrates a keyboard case with a multitouch-capable trackpad, and it even mostly works: the Logitech Combo Touch.
The biggest argument in favor of the Combo Touch is that it was developed in concert with Apple. That means that, unlike other third-party keyboards with trackpads, there’s a reasonable expectation that the pointer support will work pretty well—and it does! Logitech also has a history of making solid keyboards, and the Combo Touch delivers on that as well.
Where it’s less good is when you want to do other stuff with it.
(Before we proceed, I’ll add one big caveat to my assessment: I’ve only tested the Combo Touch in and around my house, because where else can I go right now? It may be a more attractive option for those traveling or even going to the local coffee shop to get some work done, but for obvious reasons, I can only speculate on those uses at present.)
It all hinges on this
The biggest difference between the Combo Touch and the Magic Keyboard is the lack of the latter’s carefully engineered hinges. Instead, you get a keyboard cover that magnets onto the edge of the iPad, and while it might feel nice and light on its own, that feeling quickly evaporates when you snap the iPad into the back cover, for which it seems as though Logitech turned to the Panasonic Toughbook for inspiration.
Unfortunately, that back cover is a necessary part of the equation, since it also features the kickstand that props up the iPad. I know, I know: everybody hates kickstands. There is some advantage to it here, as it really does provide a wide variation of angles at which to prop your iPad. But it comes with at least two major downsides.
First, the wider an angle you use, the more space the whole thing takes up on your desk. Once of the things I love about the Smart Keyboard cover for this iPad is that it’s so compact; even when in keyboard mode, it easily fits on the corner of my desk in a small spot next to my iMac’s Magic Trackpad. The Combo Touch, on the other hand, required me to shift a bunch of stuff around on the desk in order to provide enough space for comfortable typing, and even then it was a less than ideal setup.
The kickstand is also not ideal for use on the lap. It is doable, but in my experience, it’s awkward, and the angle seems to exert some pressure on the keyboard cover, which causes it to potentially lose contact with the iPad’s Smart Connector; every once in a while, it seemed to suddenly stop working for a split second, then come back a moment later.1 Even the Smart Keyboard cover is a better lap-typing solution, in my opinion.
Key features
The keyboard portion of the Combo Touch is perhaps the best part, once I got an annoying bug squashed. It turns out that either something in Logitech’s firmware or in iOS does not correctly detect the hardware keyboard layout, so I initially found that some keys wouldn’t work, but only in certain states. For example, I could type a “7” but Shift-7 would not type an “&”—I’d get absolutely nothing. The inverse was true for the apostrophe key, where I could not type that punctuation mark, but using it with Shift would correctly generate a quotation mark. Once I manually set Settings > General > Keyboard > Hardware Keyboard to U.S. English, the problems vanished.
The keys themselves feel good, if it a bit plasticky. Their response and travel are both excellent, though the key caps are a bit smaller than a standard keyboard, especially on the modifier keys. That said, as someone accustomed to the Smart Keyboard cover, I had no trouble writing an entire column on the Combo Touch—or indeed, this very review.
Logitech has included one thing Apple’s Magic Keyboard lacks, and that’s a row of half-height function keys. As on a Mac, these let you adjust everything from display brightness to volume to the backlighting on the keyboard itself (take that, Magic Keyboard!). It also provides buttons for Home, locking the display, spotlight, hiding or displaying the onscreen keyboard, and rewind, fast forward, and play/pause. These are welcome additions that make it easy to access these features without having to resort to the touchscreen or trackpad.
If there’s one addition I’d like to see on this and other iPad keyboards, it’s the return of something deeply ingrained into my muscle memory: the Function key. On Mac keyboards, it’s in the bottom left corner of the keyboard, and not only allows you to access secondary functions of those F-keys, but also other useful features. For example, holding Function and using the up- and down-arrow keys allows you to page up and page down; I haven’t discovered any other keyboard shortcuts for that, though command-up-arrow and command-down-arrow do, as they long have on the Mac, double for Home and End.
One other shortcoming of the Combo Touch, not shared by the Magic Keyboard, is the lack of an inverted-T layout for the arrow keys. Apple has only recently returned to this vastly superior layout, and Logitech is still using the half height up- and down-arrow keys flanked by full height left- and right-arrow keys. Boo.
Tracking signal acquired
I know what you’re here for, and it’s trackpad judgment. So believe me when I tell you that the Combo Touch’s trackpad is…fine? Like the Magic Keyboard, it’s smaller than the truly expansive surfaces you get on Apple’s current laptop line, but as someone who’s still using an 11-inch MacBook Air, the smaller size didn’t bother me too much.
The Combo Touch’s trackpad supports all your standard multitouch gestures, including two-finger scrolling and swiping, three-finger swiping between apps or going to the home screen, and pinch-to-zoom. Many of iPadOS’s gestures felt perfectly natural, while others, like bringing up the Slide Over window or Dock, will definitely take some time to learn—but that’s more on me than on the Combo Touch’s performance.
The tracking speed is adjustable in Settings, and lets you choose whether or not to activate a tap-to-click feature. Unlike current Macs, the Combo Touch’s trackpad is a real physical button, and requires you to click on the bottom portion, rather than anywhere. Despite that, it has a nice satisfying click, requiring enough pressure that you won’t activate it by accident, while also never being unsure of whether or not you just clicked on something.
The case against
As I said up top, if there’s a frustration for the Combo Touch, it’s the enormous, heavy nature of the beast. While the keyboard is easily detachable, allowing you to just use the iPad within the back case, part of me wonders why you’d want to lug around such a heavy monstrosity.
The case itself weighs 610 grams (1.3lbs), and with my 10.5-inch iPad Pro inside, rings in at a not-so-svelte 1.14 kg, or 2.52lbs. That’s slightly heavier than my 11-inch MacBook Air, which weighs 1.08 kg, or 2.38lbs, but lighter than the 1.29 kg/2.8lbs. of the current 13-inch MacBook Air.
However, the advantage of an iPad with a keyboard is you can just pull it off the keyboard and use it as a nice lightweight tablet, right? Well, on the Magic Keyboard you can, but on the Combo Touch, you get to take that back case with you, unless you want to spend the time popping the iPad out again (not particularly difficult, but annoying to do every time you want to ditch the keyboard). Without the keyboard cover, the iPad and case combo weigh in at 829 g or 1.83lbs. Lighter, certainly, but not light—still heavier than either of the current iPad Pro models.
The case provides the usual features: access to all of the iPad’s ports, cutouts for speakers, mics, and cameras, and rubber covers for the Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons. I found those last kind of difficult to use, since the bumpers around the edges of the case are so thick that it’s hard to tell if you’re pressing the buttons or not, but at least in keyboard mode, you can easily use the function keys for most of the same features.
The kickstand, as mentioned, provides a variety of viewing angles and pivots smoothly, though I wonder how long its fold/hinge will last. One nicety: a loop attached to the “top” edge of the case allows you to easily store your Apple Pencil when not in use. (You cannot fold the keyboard cover around to the back; it’ll just end up popping off.)
But I’m not particularly a fan of using the case without the keyboard—the cutout that accommodates the keyboard feels awkward when you’re holding the iPad in portrait mode, especially when combined with the slipperiness of the textured plastic case. (It resembles fabric, but I’m not sure that it actually is.) I also find the pressed-and-sealed edges of the keyboard portion a little bit on the sharp side, and the textured material felt like it could become irritating to your palms if you were typing for long stretches of time.
Overall
Do I love the Combo Touch? No, not really. But, let’s face it: if you’re considering one, it’s because you have an iPad model that doesn’t support the Magic Keyboard. Right now, at least, the Combo Touch is the only game in town.
If you really want a portable keyboard/trackpad combination, the Combo Touch is fine. The keyboard and trackpad portions are pretty good, all things considered. Personally, I found myself missing my light, foldable Smart Keyboard cover, and even the siren song of the trackpad was not enough to lure me away for most usage.
The Combo Touch comes in two models, one that supports the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the third-generation iPad Air, and another for the seventh-generation iPad. Both cost $150, which is, at least, substantially cheaper than the Magic Keyboard—and definitely cheaper than replacing your current iPad with a new iPad Pro and the Magic Keyboard. So if you’re looking to put off a big purchase for a little while longer, but still want the experience of a trackpad and keyboard on your iPad, the Combo Touch is in the sweet spot—just remember that you get what you pay for.
Logitech Mouse For Mac
- I have noticed this even when typing on a flat surface, but it definitely seemed to happen less frequently in that situation. It’s also possible the Smart Connector contacts need to be cleaned. ↩
Logitech Rechargeable Trackpad For Mac
[Dan Moren is the official Dan of Six Colors. You can find him on Twitter at @dmoren or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, The Aleph Extraction, is out now and available in fine book stores everywhere, so be sure to pick up a copy.]
Logitech Software For Mac
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