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Apple Executives Address Lack of Face ID and Touchscreens on Macs
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can you use the Touch ID button on the built-in keyboard on clamshell mode?
no?
ok - next
Lol @ this: "Run that through the executive-to-English translator and it comes out pretty clear: We were wrong."
It's not about the width of the notch but the depth of the modules required for FaceID. The MacBook Pro's screen is a lot thinner than an iPhone or an iPad. There's just very little space to work with, hence why the camera on the MacBook Pro is 'only' 1080p (2 MP) whereas the front camera of the iPhone is 12 MP. There's just not enough room right now.
You should have used a comma after “Sorry” and a period after “meant”.
Another whinge which should be put in its place is touch screens...
For goodness sake - STOP.
Please... by all means.. if you WANT a touch screen on the Mac do me a favour.... Get your Mac and then raise your arm to touch the screen... keep doing it.. over and over... for hours using the machine...
Ache much? Know a good Chiropractor?
Its long since been shown that its not a comfortable or realistic thing to do for a desktop or laptop as they are currently designed.
That and the changes needed to MacOS to accommodate this will just create more whining about them merging MacOS with iPadOS.
Why do you think they ultimately included Keyboard and Mouse support for iPadOS.. and the keyboard dock - because long term use as a productivity machine is very uncomfortable constantly reaching up to touch the screen.
Macbooks and iMacs should never have touchscreens whilst they resemble their current form factors.
For goodness sake - STOP.
Please... by all means.. if you WANT a touch screen on the Mac do me a favour.... Get your Mac and then raise your arm to touch the screen... keep doing it.. over and over... for hours using the machine...
Ache much? Know a good Chiropractor?
Its long since been shown that its not a comfortable or realistic thing to do for a desktop or laptop as they are currently designed.
That and the changes needed to MacOS to accommodate this will just create more whining about them merging MacOS with iPadOS.
Why do you think they ultimately included Keyboard and Mouse support for iPadOS.. and the keyboard dock - because long term use as a productivity machine is very uncomfortable constantly reaching up to touch the screen.
Macbooks and iMacs should never have touchscreens whilst they resemble their current form factors.
I really do not understand peoples criticism over lack of FaceID. I can see why FaceID makes sense on an iPhone when you are trying to do an edge to edge display and under display finger print readers can have issues.
But on a laptop where I have keys and a trackpad and my fingers will inevitably be available for a finger print reader it makes perfect sense to use TouchID. Further if I'm using my laptop in clamshell mode hooked up to a monitor I can continue to use TouchID with a Magic Keyboard with TouchID. whilst FaceID becomes useless if I'm in clamshell mode and I highly doubt Apple is going to open up that side of things to IR webcams.
Maybe I'm strange but the notch looks like of cool to me, TouchID is great on Mac, and I think they made the right choice.
Here's another scenario where TouchID is a better option. Say I'm buying something and need to confirm it. On a laptop I double tap the lock button to enable the FaceID check. Whilst on my Mac I have to put my finger print on the TouchID sesnsor. If I have FaceID I would have to click something to then confirm I wanted to do a FaceID check. How is FaceID saving any time here, it essentially goes from a one step to a two step process.
But on a laptop where I have keys and a trackpad and my fingers will inevitably be available for a finger print reader it makes perfect sense to use TouchID. Further if I'm using my laptop in clamshell mode hooked up to a monitor I can continue to use TouchID with a Magic Keyboard with TouchID. whilst FaceID becomes useless if I'm in clamshell mode and I highly doubt Apple is going to open up that side of things to IR webcams.
Maybe I'm strange but the notch looks like of cool to me, TouchID is great on Mac, and I think they made the right choice.
Here's another scenario where TouchID is a better option. Say I'm buying something and need to confirm it. On a laptop I double tap the lock button to enable the FaceID check. Whilst on my Mac I have to put my finger print on the TouchID sesnsor. If I have FaceID I would have to click something to then confirm I wanted to do a FaceID check. How is FaceID saving any time here, it essentially goes from a one step to a two step process.
I still believe he is wrong in that statement then. Your thumb is much closer to the sensor when using a phone than your finger is when using a computer. As I said, I think the most likely place your (right) hand will be when you click on an element that prompts Face ID is the mouse or the trackpad.
Anyway, eventually they will put Face ID on macs - they are just buying time until then.
When you use a laptop in clamshell mode you have an external keyboard.
Can you buy an external keyboard with TouchID on it?
yes?
ok - next
Agreed, I prefer not having a touch sensitive display on a laptop. If you want that then go for an iPad. Like you say the UI is not setup for it and doing so would lead to a compromised design. I like macOS being tailored for laptops and desktops and iOS/iPadOS being tailored for touch. Look at all the weirdness it leads to with Windows.
Also constantly pushing the display back is going to wear out the hinge, it's just a bad idea all around and a bad case of a solution in search of a problem.
Maybe that's the point? And I'm not trying to defend it because I completely agree with you, but maybe it's like - we want you to make an active choice to authenticate? FaceID could lead to too many false positives?
So, aside from payment, since friedmud made a carve-out for that, it is now only for authentication, not authorization. You no longer are asked for authorization, the Mac just does things for you whether you wanted it to or not. End up on a site’s login page? You’re logged in whether you wanted to be or not. Open your laptop and then remember you need to step away for a moment? It’s already unlocked. There’s a bunch of other cases like this.
Authorization and authentication need to be separate things. With Touch ID, the authorization is that you reached over and put your finger on the Touch ID pad. Authentication is that your fingerprint matches. Arguing that Face ID on the Mac should work for authentication without any separate authorization step breaks that model.
That’s the real question. How thick are the Face ID components compared to to new camera? The iPad and phone are a lot thicker, but Face ID doesn’t fill the volume.
Actually, Apple's explanation makes some sense though they were incomplete. You can be using the MBP in clamshell mode with a Magic Keyboard which has the Touch ID sensor. FaceID wouldn't work in this situation.
At the end of the day, Touch ID requires an active response, and Face ID is passive.
My primary computer is an iPad Pro, usually on the magic keyboard. So often when I go to use it, I just tap a key or swipe up to start working.
On my iMac, I actively look for and rest my finger on the Touch ID sensor. I don't care what one says about your hands already being on the keyboard, Face ID would be a faster unlock. I'm sure it'll come to the Mac eventually, I think there's even rumours for it in a future iMac as well.
My primary computer is an iPad Pro, usually on the magic keyboard. So often when I go to use it, I just tap a key or swipe up to start working.
On my iMac, I actively look for and rest my finger on the Touch ID sensor. I don't care what one says about your hands already being on the keyboard, Face ID would be a faster unlock. I'm sure it'll come to the Mac eventually, I think there's even rumours for it in a future iMac as well.
I see what you mean, I just use my 11” IPP as a fantastic media consumption device. I rarely use it for anything creative apart from some dabbling in Procreate.
Productive work is performed on one of my two M1 Airs, I have one for work and one personal.
I do fully respect those who manage their workflow on an iPad though.
But with the M1 Macs we got the best from the iPad in a computer, namely the battery life and quiet but stellar performance. It’s a great time to be a consumer. Boy I don’t miss all the troubles back in the day. ?
There’s no reason a TouchID keyboard couldn’t work with a FaceID laptop in clamshell mode, though…
I love it. I wish that wasn't a thing. I just want to cry that I understand what this means. I wish execs could just tell the truth instead of half-lying all the time.
