Logitech T651 Rechargeable Trackpad for Mac Review

Logitech Gets Touchy

Logitech has had their hand in the Human Interface Device (HID) market for quite some time and offer one of the widest arrays of devices of any manufacturer. Most of these are aimed at PC users but as the Mac user base grows, so does the market for non-Apple accessories. It’s a tough marketspace to be in due to Apple’s customer loyalty and their penchant for coming up with solid designs. Nevertheless, Logitech has seen fit to offer a trackpad specifically designed to work on Macs, specifically those running OS X 10.6.8 or later, which competes directly with Apple’s own Magic Trackpad. OS X has supported gestures for a while and leveraging them can really enhance the user experience. How well Logitech’s offering performs and well as how it compares to Apple’s is something we’ll try to bear out in our review.

Officially designated with model number T651, it has a Windows compatible counterpart carrying part number T650. Each have a glass surface with identical dimensions and overall design save for the T650 having a dark gray color and the Mac oriented T651 sporting an aluminum silver color to match most Apple products. Curiously, the T650 carries a higher MSRP that’s $10 higher than the $69.99 listed for the T651. This may be due to the inclusion of the unifying dongle required for use on Windows. On the web, we’ve been able to find the T651 online for $47.69 shipped and the T650 for $54.81 shipped.

Logitech T651 Trackpad for Mac Highlights

• Bluetooth Wireless
• Up to 30′ Range
• Multi-touch Gestures
• Integrated Mechanical Click
• Ergonomic Tilt Angle
• Recharges via USB
• Power Management

Unlike the T650, the T651 relies on Bluetooth technology to make the connection. Something we’ve found troublesome on Windows which is probably one of the reasons why Logitech decided to use the unifying dongle receiver instead which also has the benefit of making it easier to use multiple Logitech devices together.

In the box, other than the obligatory user manual and warranty information, is the USB to micro-USB cable that’s used to charge the trackpad as needed which tends to be anywhere from a week to a month depending on usage. It comes complete with retention clips to allow for easy wrapping when not in use that really works great. More companies should do this!