Touchpads are not 1 to 1 though, like wacom tablets or touch screens, you still have to "move" the mouse, you can't just touch where you want it to go.

OK, so I'm totally ignorant of workings of trackpad (or its potential to work in ways additional to its current use), but might it not be possible for Apple to add the capability (via software) to enable tapping on left/right edge of track pad to have trigger events that are triggered by touch to left/right side of an iPhone/iPad screen?

I have actually searched for alernatve divers for my touchpad (on a pc) to do this, with no luck. I am sure it's possible though, the only limiting factrs would be the accuracy of the touchpad, and users unfamiliar with the new mode.