
Now that the Brydge C-Touch wireless trackpad is out of the picture, we thought it a good time to return to the Magic Trackpad 2 from Apple and give it a spin once again. We uncovered the addition of this accessory to Chrome OS a long time ago and in the time since, the Magic Trackpad has only become more adept at navigating Chrome OS. Actually, at this point, the entire experience is so good it almost feels like the thing was made for Chrome OS to begin with.
If you have a Magic Trackpad 2 or are planning on buying one, the setup is quite simple. Just turn the device on and it will automatically enter pairing mode if it isn’t currently connected to anything. It can be paired with multiple devices, but will only allow a single connection at a time.
Next, open up your Bluetooth settings on you Chromebook and wait a second or two. You’ll see ‘Apple Magic Trackpad 2′ show up in the available devices section. Click on it and pairing will happen in seconds. Once paired, the trackpad will handle every single gesture Chrome OS uses and the experience is literally perfect. I’ve been using it for the past couple days and can say that it works insanely well in spite of Chrome OS’ Bluetooth inconsistencies.
Another benefit is the ability to pair the trackpad to multiple devices. All you have to do is go through the pairing process above, turn off the trackpad, wait a second, turn it back on, and then go through the exact same process on another Chromebook. Once that is done, you can turn off the trackpad, wait a few seconds, turn it back on, and then simply hit ‘connect’ on the Chromebook you are ready to use the trackpad with. Simple!
While we’re sad to see the Brydge C-Touch get discontinued, the fact that we have the option of using a well-made, well-supported trackpad makes it all feel a lot less damaging. Additionally, Apple’s haptics in this trackpad are so insanely good, they make it feel like you are truly clicking on each press even though its not moving at all. There’s little to dislike here if we’re honest, so go snag an Apple Magic Trackpad if you’re in the market for a great desktop accessory.