App Store graphic revives wild speculation about touchscreen Mac

Posted:
in General Discussion
Apple has downplayed rumors of a touchscreen Mac, but a new macOS Big Sur graphic on the App Store has revived rumors that such a device could be coming.

Credit: Apple
Credit: Apple


The App Store graphic, spotted by developer Louie Mantia, features a stylized human hand tapping on various widgets and user interface elements in macOS Big Sur.

why in the mac app store is there a human hand touching macos interface elements pic.twitter.com/51xyCDYCHB

-- Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia)


Apple has since removed the animation and the hand graphic and replaced it with a static image depicting the widgets feature in the new macOS update.

so... they removed the hand, and with it, the whole animation, it's just a static image now pic.twitter.com/zhDDUX9FZE

-- Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia)


However, as one would expect, Mantia's tweet picked up a bit of attention and reignited rumors and speculation that Apple is in the process of transitioning macOS to a touch-based user experience.

The macOS Big Sur update brings a complete visual overhaul to the Mac operating system that heavily borrows from iPadOS and iOS. That has led some people to believe that it's a first step toward merging macOS and iPadOS, or at least a step toward bring a touch-based UX to the Mac.

In an interview from earlier this week, Apple software chief Craig Federighi downplayed rumors that a touchscreen version of macOS was coming, and claimed that touch-based controls weren't in mind during the redesign.

On the other hand, Federighi didn't outright deny that a future version of macOS could incorporate touch support. And, in fact, Apple patented touch-based command systems for macOS earlier in 2020.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,020member
    lol Give it a rest! It won't happen, not under Apple's current leadership anyway. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 42
    Sometimes artists take liberties or even make mistakes. Hard to tell in this case what happened.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 42
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    Next iPad Pro will be a 24 inch giant and come with an optional stand ($499 RRP).
    edited November 2020 raybos.metcalfdysamoriarazorpitwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 42
    I suspect Macs will get touch screens at some point. When I read user forums discussing Mac vs. PC, the one thing PC users always bring up is "but my PC has a touch screen." Also, larger window title bars in Big Sur suggest it's happening. In government RFPs, if the spec calls for touchscreen laptops, Macs automatically lose the contract. I'm not saying I'd use it much, but since Apple already has the tech in iOS devices, why not? Besides, Apple could charge $100 more for the touch screen SKU and see how it goes.
    edited November 2020 Scot1razorpit
  • Reply 5 of 42
    I guess this rumor won’t die until Apple really made a touchscreen Mac.
    narwhalwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 42
    mknelsonmknelson Posts: 1,120member
    Based on all the fingerprints on the work computer screens here… Are you sure they aren't already secretly touch screens?  :D
    mac_dogAlex1Nurahararaybofastasleepmike1dysamoriarazorpitwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 42
    narwhal said:
    I suspect Macs will get touch screens at some point. When I read user forums discussing Mac vs. PC, the one thing PC users always bring up is "but my PC has a touch screen." Also, larger window title bars in Big Sur suggest it's happening. In government RFPs, if the spec calls for touchscreen laptops, Macs automatically lose the contract. I'm not saying I'd use it much, but since Apple already has the tech in iOS devices, why not? Besides, Apple could charge $100 more for the touch screen SKU and see how it goes.
    Only $100? That’s cute. 
    raybo[Deleted User]s.metcalfdysamoriarazorpit
  • Reply 8 of 42
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    I was hoping for a new Mac form factor with M1. Maybe with new form factors we can get touch screens? It just doesn't make sense to not have them yet support iOS/iPadOS Apps.
    muthuk_vanalingamnarwhaldysamoria
  • Reply 9 of 42
    Maybe other way round-iPad Pro running Big Sur 🙃
    rayboradarthekat
  • Reply 10 of 42
    narwhal said:
    I suspect Macs will get touch screens at some point. When I read user forums discussing Mac vs. PC, the one thing PC users always bring up is "but my PC has a touch screen." Also, larger window title bars in Big Sur suggest it's happening. In government RFPs, if the spec calls for touchscreen laptops, Macs automatically lose the contract. I'm not saying I'd use it much, but since Apple already has the tech in iOS devices, why not? Besides, Apple could charge $100 more for the touch screen SKU and see how it goes.
    Only $100? That’s cute. 
    The current gen iPad is approx. $300 with a 10.2 inch touch screen. Maybe $100 added per Mac is too low, but I have a feeling most Mac buyers would splurge on the touch screen for $100 additional. Maybe half as many would upgrade for $200 additional. More likely I think, Apple will introduce a touch screen education focused Mac laptop around $500 to compete with Chromebooks (60% education market share).
    raybo
  • Reply 11 of 42
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    I used to think that Apple would never bring touch screens to Mac. With the advent of Apple’s M1 and the ability to run iOS and iPadOS apps on M1 Macs I’m not so sure anymore. I’m also starting to think that there may be a few workflows that would actually work well on a touch screen Mac, like window docking (using a Magnet type of app), dispatching notifications, and accessing Control Center. We’ll see.
    gregoriusmdysamoria
  • Reply 12 of 42
    For ALL;

    I have a problem.  I'm a very much a traditionalist when it becomes to the Mac system.  I use the terminology by Apple for the macOS system.  Gawd, there are some crazy people think they can call some features of the macOS with terminology they desires.  They confuse me.  In one example, they love to call the macOS Desktop Pictures as 'wallpaper".  This doesn't make sense.  I know that nearly all of you are die-hard Mac fans, please help them to see the light.  To me, 'wallpaper' has no meaning.  Why call Desktop Pictures as 'wallpapers?"  Really doesn't make sense to me. Seems like the ones who stupidly call Desktop Picture as wallpapers are very dumb.

    If the uninformed others like to use the word "wallpapers", they need to be ignored or tell them to use the correct terminology.  I've notice this a lot in other forums.

    Pleas help me.  Thank you.

    (Moderators, if I'm in the wrong forum, pease tell me what forum is the best.)
    s.metcalfwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 42
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    I think there will be a touch screen MacBook, but Apple is going to replace the keyboard with the touchscreen. 
    9secondkox2watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 42
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Sometimes artists take liberties or even make mistakes. Hard to tell in this case what happened.

    My guess is that he was trying to convey how user interface ideas were being brought over from iOS. 

    Now that I've been using Big Sur for a day, the expanded space in the title bars does make me wonder if they're making it more finger-friendly. If they are then those buttons are still way too small.

    Actually, is that space really bigger, or does it just look bigger because there are no defining lines between the tabs and the title bar?
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 42
    macseeker said:
    For ALL;

    I have a problem.  I'm a very much a traditionalist when it becomes to the Mac system.  I use the terminology by Apple for the macOS system.  Gawd, there are some crazy people think they can call some features of the macOS with terminology they desires.  They confuse me.  In one example, they love to call the macOS Desktop Pictures as 'wallpaper".  This doesn't make sense.  I know that nearly all of you are die-hard Mac fans, please help them to see the light.  To me, 'wallpaper' has no meaning.  Why call Desktop Pictures as 'wallpapers?"  Really doesn't make sense to me. Seems like the ones who stupidly call Desktop Picture as wallpapers are very dumb.

    If the uninformed others like to use the word "wallpapers", they need to be ignored or tell them to use the correct terminology.  I've notice this a lot in other forums.

    Pleas help me.  Thank you.

    (Moderators, if I'm in the wrong forum, pease tell me what forum is the best.)
    Perhaps this is also why so many of us are so loyal to the OS, as for such a long time Apple was by far the one company that prioritised users and experience at all. The Mac UIX pioneered so many of today's ubiquitous user interface elements that it is hard to find aspects that didnt first appear on the Macintosh, but still there are many. In the early days we could customize our desktop but it quickly turned impractical to go beyond simple patterns in a way that didnt tire more than it would help. Then Microsoft came up with a feature themselves that took this almost to where we are now, customizing desktops with full images called Wallpapers.

    For a very long time though having a Mac was like living on another planet (with all its ups and downs), especially if you were a kid and wanted to play games, or if you simply believed color was useful on a screen. Regardless of whether this was fair or not given the Macintosh's extraordinary experience to the day, the proportion of Mac users was nearly irrelevant market-wise in regards to the Windows ecosystem - another word that expanded like "wallpaper" to encompass a whole new dimension. If you wanted to find nice images online to use as your desktop picture, your chances of finding what you were looking for depended on using the Windows term. Still to the day that is the case if you happen to like using other people's beautiful images and creations. Maybe it is because Windows pioneered the term, but probably it was because we end up using the terms the majority uses. The glorious Selfie could be an example of such, as likely in most if not all languages had a specific term for this for centuries, but it would sound very funny to call these 'self-portraits' now. Probably ultimately it is all about being understood first and foremost, so whatever waists less time and energy works? :) cheers
  • Reply 16 of 42
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    JinTech said:
    lol Give it a rest! It won't happen, not under Apple's current leadership anyway. 
    I agree. Apple will never do it...
    until they do. :)
    GeorgeBMac[Deleted User]gregoriusms.metcalfmuthuk_vanalingam9secondkox2mike1dysamoria
  • Reply 17 of 42
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    My grandson had been using his MacBook to do computer related stuff for school and would switch to his iPad when it required a stylus for handwriting (such as graphing or solving math equations).   It worked because the asigments were always separate:  use the MacBook for one assignment and the iPad for others.

    But, increasingly after the school handed out (junky) 2 in 1 computers the assignments have been mixed:   Graphing and writing are mixed together.

    So, I am buying him a keyboard/case so he can use his iPad for those mixed assignments but still use it as a tablet when needed.

    But, I am thinking that the writing is on the wall for laptops: 
    If Apple insists on keeping screens as output only they will be pushing Mac customers to either iPads or to 2 in 1 Windows devices.
    ...  Steve knew that functionality drove things -- not ideology.

    And, with Macs switching to iOS compatibility there is no reason to restrict its screen to output only.   That's increasingly looking to be either cheap or silly.
    raybodewmedysamoria
  • Reply 18 of 42
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Rayz2016 said:
    I think there will be a touch screen MacBook, but Apple is going to replace the keyboard with the touchscreen. 

    That would insure the demise of the MacBook.
    s.metcalf
  • Reply 19 of 42
    Even if they were working on a touch screen Mac, given how secretive Apple is around product development, do you really think that the person who does the graphics for the app store is aware of unannounced products ?
    raybogregoriusmdysamoria
  • Reply 20 of 42
    I actually thought about this possibility when I saw that WiFi had been switched to a toggle in Big Sur. 
    s.metcalf
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