this touch bar seems like a step backwards in usability. missing so many ports. overall disappointed that we waited 4 yrs for this upgrade. where's the significantly better battery life? the oled screen? and it has a processor that will be last gen in a couple months. and they want $1800 starting!!!
How about wait for some reviews before pissing all over it?
Could not resist. 15" model arriving on 11/22. Will finally replace my still gorgeous 2012 Retina. The combination of Touch Bar, huge Trackpad and non-wobbly keys is irresistible. Most expensive Apple-year in a long time... Only minor downside is the absence of a nice external display for now. These LG things might be alright (I don't know), they sure look tacky.
Having worked around the man, he would have. He would have paired down that strip to basic system functions and quick glimpse actions and extended the other functioning touch capabilities into the keyboard.
Isn't the first part of your suggestion basically what they did? As for the second, it doesn't sound like such a good idea to me, but you might be envisioning something very different than what I have in mind.
Having worked around the man, he would have. He would have paired down that strip to basic system functions and quick glimpse actions and extended the other functioning touch capabilities into the keyboard.
Three years from now, Apple will do just that.
Really? Jobs helped usher in lots of 'control strips' over the years. Since a physical keyboard for typing is perhaps the most important distinction between a laptop and an iPad, I'm pretty sure you're wrong about replacing a laptop's keyboard with a touch screen. "Where's my 'S' key? Oh now it's a smiley face or a paintbrush or the color red..." Not going to happen.
So instead of being able to touch type and keep looking at the screen or looking at the screen and touching what I want, I now have to keep looking down at the thin touch strip on the keyboard to work? That seems very inefficient
Would it not be better to try the feature out in a store and comment, rather than just assume that it will be bad? Why does everyone have a negative bias to things they have not used, nor put much thought into?
I had a good laugh at all of the people to immediately panned the AirPods as being no good as they would not stay in their ears...although not a single soul had ever touched the product (since it wasn't available).
Just like the negative comments about the Surface Studio yesterday?
With that being said, I got serious sticker shock at the 13-inch MBP with Touch Bar. I was with them until I saw $1799.
Don't look at the upgrade price to add the 2 TB SSD option to the 15"... $1200!
We knew Touch Bar was coming, but it's still cool to see.
This is Apples answer to those who think the actual screen should be a touchscreen (stupid idea, IMO - who wants to reach up to touch your screen and who wants fingerprints).
Now you have a smaller touchscreen in an area that's easy to access and fingerprints won't matter. Yet you still get all the contextual buttons/controls.
The Surface Studio is so much more exciting then this thinner Mac book.
boring. stale. Tim Cook.
Bullshit. You got leaks from the news for this laptop. That's why. If this laptop is not an innovation, I don't know what is.
I find it amusing that Apple constantly gets knocked in the tech press for products being too expensive. Then Microsoft announces Surface Studio - starting at $3,000 and some models are well over $4,000 - and it's crickets.
So instead of being able to touch type and keep looking at the screen or looking at the screen and touching what I want, I now have to keep looking down at the thin touch strip on the keyboard to work? That seems very inefficient
Pretty sure the screen and the top of the keyboard area on a laptop are well within the field of vision for everyone who doesn't have eyes on the sides of their head. You'll even be fine with those 5" thick bifocals.
Maybe, but without any tactile feedback or set positioning of the icons I can see this being difficult to work with. I use a work laptop every day and you still have look down at the top of the keyboard to s that area. Have to wait and see.
I'm pretty sure exactly 3 people in the world can use their function keys without looking. I'm going to make a huge bet that you currently have to bird dog that F6 too.
Having customizable area for shortcuts and other secondary function keys saves precious screen real estate, more space for content. Huge for pro apps.
Bummed there wasn't an external keyboard to go along with it, but suspect that will come as more apps get hip to the touchbar.
I see Touch ID being the biggest reason for this update. Eventually it will replace username and password on the web which will be an end game move on the competition. Remembering usernames and passwords on websites, resetting them, having accounts compromised by software capturing key strokes or fishing scams are BY FAR the largest complaint/problem/annoyance the average computer user has. Solve this pain point few people would even look at another platform.
It looks like Apple are keeping around an older and cheaper 13" and an older 15", according to the comparison page on apple.com. Not really sure who's going to buy those.
A "pro" device that's clearly not for pros. USB is still everywhere, from memory sticks that people hand me, to external drives I get media on, to peripheral IO hardware. So what do I do with this, use a bunch of stupid adapters? And the SD card slot I use constantly, gone too. Add another adapter to my iBag.
This is just an overgrown email appliance with more colorful lights.
Comments
As for the second, it doesn't sound like such a good idea to me, but you might be envisioning something very different than what I have in mind.
Really? Jobs helped usher in lots of 'control strips' over the years. Since a physical keyboard for typing is perhaps the most important distinction between a laptop and an iPad, I'm pretty sure you're wrong about replacing a laptop's keyboard with a touch screen. "Where's my 'S' key? Oh now it's a smiley face or a paintbrush or the color red..." Not going to happen.
Not to worry.
Your favorite Microsoft apps will take full advantage of Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro.
Zero need for Surface.
>:x
Surface Studio = Big-Ass Table mini
Wacom should sue Microsoft.
I'm pretty sure exactly 3 people in the world can use their function keys without looking.
I'm going to make a huge bet that you currently have to bird dog that F6 too.
Having customizable area for shortcuts and other secondary function keys saves precious screen real estate, more space for content. Huge for pro apps.
Bummed there wasn't an external keyboard to go along with it, but suspect that will come as more apps get hip to the touchbar.
Mmm...
I'm not a laptop user anymore (I have a 17" AluBook, circa 2003).
The Touch Bar is interesting -- but others will decide if it goes far enough.
It's a start, but it doesn't link like it will do much for the for the Pros using FCP/Logic or developers using Xcode/Swift.
But, I think I now know what I want:
That would bring all the advantages of Touch UI to the iMmac without any of the disadvantages, and allow the iPad Pro, standalone, to do pro apps.
...Best of both worlds?
Personally, I find haptics crucial for proper UX with touch screens.
This is just an overgrown email appliance with more colorful lights.