MG Siegler caused a firestorm yesterday when he wrote that the Magic Trackpad signals the end of the mouse:

Apple would only say that “we want to offer our users the choice.” They note that plenty of people at Apple have been using the Magic Trackpad alongside the Magic Mouse. “Some operations are better for a mouse, some for a trackpad,” is what I was told.

That said, Apple did acknowledge that some users will likely ditch the mouse in favor of this new device. And while Apple is keeping the Magic Mouse as the standard item bundled with the desktop computers, there is an option to get the Magic Trackpad as well with each new computer purchase (for the cost of the device, naturally).

I know that personally, this Magic Trackpad is going to replace my mouse.

The future is touch, and the desktop’s days are numbered:

I believe that we’re going to start seeing more devices like this (and obviously, not just from Apple) which focus on touch as a way of interacting with desktop machines. But even if we don’t, the desktop machines are slowly fading out as the primary computers in most peoples’ lives. Some people will think that’s absurd, but ask yourself if you already use your notebook or netbook more than your desktop? I know I do. It’s not even close. That’s exactly what Apple spoke to today with the unveiling of this new peripheral. Most Mac users are now using trackpads as their main point of interaction with their machines. Going forward, this trend is going to continue.

Robert X. Cringely put an interesting column up recently about the death of the desktop and the prescient Apple move to become a “mobile devices” company. (Remember, they dropped “computer” from the company name in January 2007.) And Michael Hirschorn is predicting the end of the browser and death of the web in the July/August Atlantic.

What did we think, the web would be it?

The Magic Trackpad comes in both OS X and Windows flavors. Just $69. MacWorld’s review. Endgagets’ coverage. The NYTimes Gadgetwise Blog.

Apple also refreshed its iMac lineup. GigaOm’s buying guide summarizes. And don’t overlook the elegant Apple battery charger. It performs ten times better than the industry average, a 30 milliwatt “vampire draw,” the lowest on the market. A bargain at $29 with 6 rechargeable AA NiMH batteries.