Taking a page from Apple, which last year released the Magic Trackpad, Logitech today announced its own version of the mouse companion (or replacement) designed to add multi-touch capabilities to Windows 7-based PCs. Dubbed Wireless Touchpad, the device offers 5 inches of real estate and supports up to four-finger gestures and swipes.

The Logitech Wireless Touchpad takes advantage of Windows 7's gesture-based controls and multi-touch so you can use two fingers to page scroll, three fingers for photo browsing, and four fingers for application switching. These uses will only expand in the future with Windows 8 expected to embrace touch in a big way and as more developers bake in native support for the functionality in their apps.

There are also left and right mouse clicks below the touchpad area, or you can simply press down on the surface of the touchpad to actuate a click instead.

Like other Logitech peripherals, the Wireless Touchpad connects to your computer using the same Unifying USB receiver that lets you use a single plug for up to five compatible devices. The company says its touchpad is good for up to four months of battery life and will launch priced at $50 later this month.