Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Say that to my mom who's so used to iPad she keeps touching the MacBook Pro screen when dad shows her a picture and she tries to pinch to zoom and swipe to check more pictures.

Yes, but that's only because she's not used to using the MacBook. I think it's just a muscle memory thing. I had family who did the same thing to my MacBooks but that habit basically stopped after they got their own.
 
The only thing remotely useful that is usually done on a touchscreen laptop is scrolling and zooming. Maybe selecting an icon is a bit faster. That's about it. The trackpad can do all that without too much hand/wrist movement.
 
Yes, but that's only because she's not used to using the MacBook. I think it's just a muscle memory thing. I had family who did the same thing to my MacBooks but that habit basically stopped after they got their own.
They stopped, because they learned they can't use it..
I mean, if you cant use it, why keep trying :p
 
A touch screen on OSX in it's current form, meh.

Touch Bar, meh meh meh.

A fictional MBP with a detachable screen & pen support, a touch screen would be great.

Unfortunately, Apple is sticking to old paradigms until at least 2019.

That Schiller moment of "innovate my ass" is looking increasingly embarrassing now, doubly so given the state of the Mac Pro.

Sad times.

Well yes exactly, but they won't do that because they want to sell you a Mac and an iPad Pro with Pencil. Thats the real reason why they won't put touch on the Mac.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianvictor7
There is no way, zero, that a touch screen MacBook Pro is going to happen - at least not with the vertical screen being touch enabled. The keyboard is likely going to become a screen, where it can be used naturally and efficiently vs the vertical screen that is physically difficult and inefficient to use.
That is still a touch screen.
[doublepost=1477934246][/doublepost]
iPhone Plus?
iPhone SE?
iPad 3, Mac Mini, iPhone C

They wont forever be the most valuable company. Look at Radio Shack and Xerox, see what happened to them.
 
Apple isn't the most valuable company on the planet because it has a design team listening to trolls on internet forums. It just isn't.

Apple is not the most valuable company on the planet... Don't know where you got that from, Aramco is the most valuable company on the planet. Aramco's value has been estimated at anywhere between US$1.25 trillion and US$10 trillion. Apple barely makes it into in the top ten of revenue.
 
Can anyone who's read the article tell me if he explains why haptics weren't a good idea in the touch bar? The only obvious explanation for me is that they're holding it for next year's model.

Also, I think it's only a matter of time before they follow Microsoft's lead. Touch is a great way to interact with some programmes, while keybaord and trackpad is a great way to interact with others. Imagine if your iMac did what the new Surface thing does, except it'll actually be useful because it'll have access to thousands of iOS apps, optimized for the bigger screen and merging seamlessly with their cursor-driven counterparts. I can also very much see the potential of those laptops where the screen turns around to be iPady (but with the benefit of being tilted), but again with Apple's app ecosystem behind it.
 
My guess is apple isn't doing touchscreen because:
a) it'll increase the price of already expense products

b) getting their version of retina to work with touch might be a big problem and

c) it'll make the z-height on their notebooks bigger (you need a counterweight down by the touchpad so people don't knock the computer over when using the touch panel), and apple is already compressing these notebooks as far as (currently) humanly possible.

Also, given Apple's track record of innovating by removing features ppl actually use, if we did get touch panels they'd be in black and white or something.

That said, the magic finger bar is one those where you go "meh, sure, why not?" but I don't think it's revolutionizing computing. It's certainly no substitute for touch panels.
d) it's not practical and most people would never use it.

I know quite a few people with touch screen PCs and they don't even remember it can do it. They point at the screen to show me something and when it responds, they're like "what was that?"

I have an iPad for that. I never once thought to myself, "man I wish I could touch the screen on my computer". If I was a digital artist, perhaps I would find it useful.

What do you people with touch screen PCs find so useful? I'm honestly curious. I can't imagine it really being productive other than for perhaps artistic purposes. Even then, I just can't imagine taking my hands off of my keyboard and mouse and reaching my arms out to touch the screen. I actually just tried that move and it's really awkward and uncomfortable. I could maybe see it on one of those laptop/tablets, but on a desktop PC? I just don't see it.

With my setup, I have to reach out at arms length and lean forward to touch my screen. My shoulder would be aching after a couple of hours of that. :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianvictor7
To people who complain about fingerprints etc on a screen: even if MacBook gets a touch screen you are not forced to touch it, you know. Stick to trackpad and keyboard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianvictor7
There is no way, zero, that a touch screen MacBook Pro is going to happen - at least not with the vertical screen being touch enabled. The keyboard is likely going to become a screen, where it can be used naturally and efficiently vs the vertical screen that is physically difficult and inefficient to use.

That's why they make the screen fold down.
 
I know quite a few people with touch screen PCs and they don't even remember it can do it. They point at the screen to show me something and when it responds, they're like "what was that?"
How are these people in gainful employment?
 
Say that to my mom who's so used to iPad she keeps touching the MacBook Pro screen when dad shows her a picture and she tries to pinch to zoom and swipe to check more pictures.

Say that to my dad who asks where the keyboard and trackpad are when he looks at my iPad. ;)

But seriously, Apple is NOT going to make a touch screen Mac just because your Mom can't figure out how to use a keyboard and multi-touch trackpad (or now a Touch Bar).
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianvictor7
How are these people in gainful employment?
These are home users I'm talking about. I know plenty of business users who if I gave them a touchscreen PC, would never use it and forget it even does it. We bought a couple of touch screen HP PCs for our church and the other day I was pointing to the screen to point out something to somebody and launched an app and said "oops, I forgot this was touchscreen".
 
Last edited:
In my non scientific research I see people mainly exclamating the touch pad is an extra input device. "It's so much easier to scroll with your thumb on the screen, or so much easier dragging a file on screen. Or navigating pages or the OS."

But doesn't it occur to anyone doing these kind of actions just plain old suck with a windows trackpad? Of course I would also drag a file with my finger if I can avoid using those trackpads. This doesn't mean touch screen laptops are better, it means people find the path of least resistance. There would be no benefit of adding touch to macbooks because they already have a good input device. I can find zero meaningful usage for using a touch screen on a macbook.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianvictor7
But doesn't it occur to anyone doing these kind of actions just plain old suck with a windows trackpad? Of course I would also drag a file with my finger if I can avoid using those trackpads.

Yeah, yeah.. BS.
 
So.. Let me get this straight. Adding touch to a laptop is a no..
Adding laptop functionality to a touch device is a Yes?

You have identified the somewhat schizophrenic design choice Apple has made. It does have logic to it though. The additional keyboard (and if they chose, mouse/trackpad) for the iPad are accessories.

I honestly don't know what battery life would be lost with adding a multitouch screen to a laptop. Probably not a lot. Ultimately, Apple thinks it knows what is best for its Mac user experience and/or doesn't wish to compromise that vision. It would cost money to add and support touch on a Mac. Apple doesn't want to pay to make the handful of people who demand it happy.
 
Last edited:
I'd like to see these prototypes.

The touch bar seems like it's a bit of a gimmick. I can't see it increasing workflows.
I think that greatly depends on what you use your mac for. For instance, it's not going to be particularly useful if you're scrolling through facebook or macrumors 95% of the time, but I can tell you that for music producers, video editors, designers, and photographers (just to name a few) the multitouch tools that could be added to a touch bar would greatly improve our workflow.

Just one example is volume automation in a DAW like Pro Tools. Usually, you'd need to buy external hardware or tediously draw in your automation with a pen tool using your mouse or trackpad. With a touchbar, you could simply hit record movements and set your automation as the song plays.

This is just one example and I could name a thousand for each program I use on a daily basis. I'm actually really excited for touch bar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mactendo
In my non scientific research I see people mainly exclamating the touch pad is an extra input device. "It's so much easier to scroll with your thumb on the screen, or so much easier dragging a file on screen. Or navigating pages or the OS."

But doesn't it occur to anyone doing these kind of actions just plain old suck with a windows trackpad? Of course I would also drag a file with my finger if I can avoid using those trackpads.
This is correct if using cheap laptops. There are many windows laptops that have caught up to Apple. The trackpad is not an issue anymore.
And yes, it is convenient to be able to scroll using multi touch, even on a Mac.
I used to believe that Apple was right, but the only reason they say that is because they want people to go out and buy multiple devices. This is how Apple makes its money.

Microsoft had very bad implementations of touch UIs on Windows PCs. Windows 10 is much better and it shows that multi-touch is meaningful on a PC.
Apple should also find ways to bring touch screen based Macs on the market.
 
This is correct if using cheap laptops. There are many windows laptops that have caught up to Apple. The trackpad is not an issue anymore.
And yes, it is convenient to be able to scroll using multi touch, even on a Mac.
I used to believe that Apple was right, but the only reason they say that is because they want people to go out and buy multiple devices. This is how Apple makes its money.

Microsoft had very bad implementations of touch UIs on Windows PCs. Windows 10 is much better and it shows that multi-touch is meaningful on a PC.
Apple should also find ways to bring touch screen based Macs on the market.

Well I used to believe microsoft was right and apple was wrong, until I bought a surface pro 4. One of the best windows trackpads, or so it was claimed, but I found it nerve wrecking to use, so I mainly used touch. But then I found out windows 10 was not nearly ready for touch. Such a cumber to use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brianvictor7
Yes, but that's only because she's not used to using the MacBook. I think it's just a muscle memory thing. I had family who did the same thing to my MacBooks but that habit basically stopped after they got their own.

My kid uses an iPad. Touching the screen is first nature for him. And text input is pressing the mic and talking.
 
Well I used to believe microsoft was right and apple was wrong, until I bought a surface pro 4. One of the best windows trackpads, or so it was claimed, but I found it nerve wrecking to use, so I mainly used touch. But then I found out windows 10 was not nearly ready for touch. Such a cumber to use.
Pretty sure that claim was on the surface book.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.