Apple Says Notch is a 'Smart Way' to Give Users More Space for Content on New MacBook Pros

[mikethemartian]

I wonder how hard it would be to instead of using a square image sensor, to use a thin rectangular image sensor where the thin dimension is along the vertical y direction. Have high resolution along that dimension and then use a specially shaped lens to take the image of the user and compress the optical image along the vertical y direction. Then DSP can be used to process the image and decompress it along the y axis to present on the screen.

 

[bobcomer]

Apple does have a good point here. Especially if it was designed by Jony Ive’s. The notch was able to introduce a bigger screen factor on an iPhone X too comparing with iPhone 8 Pro Max.

It only took Apple 4 years to admit a NOTCH is necessary for a bigger screen.

Years later same concept is being assigned to the MacBook Pro line up.

The fact Apple is so proud of the notch is just amazing! Impressed by the creativity at Apple.

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And it's enough screen space added for me not to want to buy an Apple laptop ever again. (well, until they get rid of the notch!)

 

[nitramluap]

It's lazy design, I think. The fact the menu bar is now oddly too tall shows that they're simply trying to post-rationalise this and we're all being gas-lit.

 

[Beau10]

The notch doesn't bother me but I rarely use a webcam. Count me in as another that would opt for a MacBook Pro without a webcam/notch if given a choice…even if it was the same price.

-kp

I use a webcam a half dozen times a day explicitly for business purposes. Remote team, we need it for meetings - rather common situation nowadays.

That said, I'd probably opt to use an external one if given the choice notch/no notch.

 

[TheGenerous]

Seeing iJustine in the article makes this legit.

 

[bobcomer]

Amazingly powerful machines in a transportable format, revolutionary in some ways, and mostly we are talking about "notch" and perceptions of thickness...Perhaps the notch and thickness issues will encourage some folks to cancel their orders so the rest of us can move up in the queue...

I don't have to cancel, I saw the notch in Apple's presentation and didn't order one to begin with.

 

[CWallace]

What happens in those apps with many menus - do they wrap or do they just mask it?

Well if you run the app in full screen mode, the app menu bar will drop below the notch.

I wonder how hard it would be to instead of using a square image sensor, to use a thin rectangular image sensor where the thin dimension is along the vertical y direction. Have high resolution along that dimension and then use a specially shaped lens to take the image of the user and compress the optical image along the vertical y direction. Then DSP can be used to process the image and decompress it along the y axis to present on the screen.

It could probably be done, but it would have been more expensive so that means a higher price and many are upset enough now at the $100 and $200 price increases for the 16"/14", respectively.

It's lazy design, I think. The fact the menu bar is now oddly too tall shows that they're simply trying to post-rationalise this and we're all being gas-lit.

It would be truly lazy design to have left the menu bar the same thickness and have the notch cover part of your application window.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

And it's enough screen space added for me not to want to buy an Apple laptop ever again. (well, until they get rid of the notch!)

Think we may have to wait another 5 years for that to happen. By that time CEO, Tim Apple won’t be around.

 

[jimbobb24]

The notch is big for no reasons.

I think they are victims of component shortage on faceID.

 

[klasma]

What happens in those apps with many menus - do they wrap or do they just mask it?

Maybe the menu bar just bends downward around the notch.

 

[boak]

Or even just have a popup webcam on the outside of the display that pulls up to reveal the webcam or slides down out of view. I really have no issue with the notch though.

Moving parts should be avoided because they are much more prone to failure. Just like why phones rarely have front cameras that pop up.

 

[Black Magic]

The notch is big for no reasons.

They will be adding FaceID soon. That is why they put the placeholder there now. My guess is they will free up components when they move to a new design for the iPhone in 2 years.

 

[MedRed]

And it's enough screen space added for me not to want to buy an Apple laptop ever again. (well, until they get rid of the notch!)

I just did that. I stayed on a 2015 until apple alleviated the dongle situation and killed the touchbar. We’ll trade places.

 

[nutjob]

"It was a smart way to keep our margins high and providing a mediocre solution that we can 'improve' with each new model to feed the upgrade pipeline."

 

[Deacon-Blues]

The notch is industrial strength stupid. I can't fu|_________|ing believe they would would put a physical obstacle in the middle of a laptop screen.

 

[DogHouseDub]

Nobody addressing that the camera is EXACTLY where your thumb goes to open the MBP? Mine always has a smudge on it - like a 1950's camera lens smeared with Vaseline.

 

[thehappycoder]

I've had a notch (as a webcam) on my external display for months, and I don't notice it at all when I use my Mac.

 

[LV426]

What’s with the “notebook” Newspeak? I‘d love to know how Apple training camps for communicators work. Do they have dry runs with electric shock treatment when they say the wrong thing?

 

[gkos]

Technically, the screen stole space from the bezel, not the other way around. I don't see any problem with that

 

[nutjob]

It would be truly lazy design to have left the menu bar the same thickness and have the notch cover part of your application window.

There's absolutely no reason to have such a massive notch other than keeping costs low and Apple's margins high. They could have built it with a notch that fit the menu bar (or even no notch), but that would have cost more.

The really insulting thing about this for the customer is that it's sold as a premium laptop.

 

[Morgenland]

No it’s in the giant forehead

Your sensors are in a 'giant forehead'?

 

[bobcomer]

Or even just have a popup webcam on the outside of the display that pulls up to reveal the webcam or slides down out of view.

That would actually be better for those that want their camera covered when not in use.

For me, I don't need the camera, therefore I don't want to see a notch!

 

[LV426]

Expecting new MacBook pro to have a smaller notch. Even more screen to see. Coming in, 2022.

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Just turn the Apple icon (top left) into a camera. That would also have the benefit of making you look like you’re talking to someone else off-camera. They do that all the time on cheap documentaries, and it stops being annoying eventuall.

 

[BrightDarkSky]

The notch on the newly redesigned MacBook Pro offers a "smart way" to give users more room for their content and allowed Apple to make the bezels thinner and provide more screen real-estate to customers, an Apple official has said during a recent media interview.

The inclusion of a notch on the entirely revamped MacBook Pros was a surprise and was one of the few last-minute rumors that surfaced ahead of Apple's "Unleashed" event last week. As expected, some social media users have criticized Apple's design choice for adding a notch to the display.

Addressing the company's decision, Shruti Haldea, a manager for the Mac Product Line and one of the presenters of last week's Apple event, said during an interview on the Same Brain podcast that the notch offers a "smart" solution to the Mac as it provides users more room for their content.

Compared to previous iterations of the MacBook Pro design, the new 14-inch and 16-inch models do feature significantly smaller bezels. Apple says the bezels are 24% thinner than the previous generation on the left and right sides of the display, measuring only 3.5mm. On the top, thanks to the notch, the bezel is 60% thinner, also measuring at 3.5mm.

While the notch is noticeable at first, Apple is betting on some macOS software features, including dark mode, to help minimize its influence on some users in day-to-day use. For example, when macOS apps are in full-screen mode, the system adds a black border to the top of the display, hiding the notch while not interfering in a user's content. Developers can choose to have their app's content shown on either side of the notch.

The notch is one aspect of a plethora of changes the new MacBook Pros include. The new laptops feature an entirely redesigned chassis, additional ports such as HDMI, an SD-card slot, MagSafe, a mini-LED display with ProMotion, and either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, the first Apple silicon chips designed for professional consumers.

Both 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models became available for pre-order last week and will start arriving at customers on Tuesday, October 26. Both sizes can be configured with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, giving users substantial performance gains compared to the M1 Apple silicon chip. Learn more about the new MacBook Pros using our detailed roundup.

Article Link: Apple Says Notch is a 'Smart Way' to Give Users More Space for Content on New MacBook Pros

Sure it is Apple..sure it is. Wink wink.


PS - no its not.

 

[synergize]

With all the computing power contained within the new MacBook Pros you think they could engineer a screen without a notch?