Review: Logitech t650 Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad

The t650 is Logitech’s answer to Apple’s Magic Trackpad. It’s a 134mm square wireless touchpad, with rounded corners and edge-to-edge glass.

It works like a giant version of a regular laptop touchpad, and allows you to perform gestures to scroll, zoom, and show the charms bar or start menu in Windows 8. Altogether it supports 13 gestures, via Logitech’s downloadable software. Setup is easy, as Windows 8 will automatically download the software when the pad is connected.

As with Logitech’s other ‘t’ series touch peripherals, the t650 uses the Logitech Unifying receiver.  Charging the pad requires a second USB port for the cable, which can be left connected during use if you don’t need the pad to be wireless.

The t650’s ‘hard click’ mechanism is highly inventive. The two rubber feet at the bottom of the pad serve as the left- and right-click buttons, so pushing down anywhere on one side of the pad will yield the corresponding button-press. It requires a bit of pressure to activate, but does provide a nice tactile click for those who want it.

You can instead tap the pad lightly, if you prefer the laptop-style ‘soft click’.
Though it lacks the precision of a mouse, the t650 is actually fairly comfortable and intuitive. I wouldn’t use it personally, but if you prefer a touchpad to a mouse (perhaps for ergonomic reasons), it’s worth a try.