The previous gen had Touch Bar & fewer ports. Did I hear dongle lose lose.There's an easier solution, go with the previous gen and also save lots of bucks. Win-win...
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Can't Get Used to Your MacBook Pro's Notch? These Apps Will Hide It for You
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What I have learned is that people in general always want to find something to dislike.
Of course it's a compromise. And a feature. That's what product design and engineering are about - managing a disparate set of often conflicting product requirements and goals.
Everything in life is a compromise.
People need something to whine about something in order to have (what they believe is) a fulfilled life.
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Not that I am going to buy one, but i like this notch hiding… at least in the photo. feels like menu items are on the bezel, and we have the screen for the actual app.
"Prescient" refers to foresight. My statement refers to hindsight.
Ask notch what your MacBook can do for you, ask what you can do to your notch
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I thought "one simple compiler switch" would make all macOS apps native overnight... and that getting rid of the Intel chip premium would deliver "Macs that cost less, not more"... and deliver Mac upgrades more frequently than once a year due to Intel chip evolutionary laziness, etc.
Be careful what you believe. We will say anything to each other to spin whatever we want to spin. In only a few days, the rumor of a notch has gone from "they wouldn't dare on a Mac/there's no need on a Mac screen" to "I love it" (so everyone else should too)/iconic/genius/the only possible way/it's not a notch, it's extra bonus screen on each side, etc."
Some of us will say ANYTHING to rationalize a corporation's decisions. And when it comes to those particular decisions, ye shall NOT "think different." Instead whatever THAT corporation has chosen is always right for all consumers. Comply... resistance is futile.
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Ok, to everyone hating the notch, what would you prefer? You have these options, based on available technology:
- Have a small camera module and sensor, tucked in a slim bezel. The image quality would be bad. (Example: Dell XPS 2019+)
- Have a camera at the bottom of the screen. This would give you an unflattering angle. (Example: Dell XPS before 2019)
- Have a big bezel at the top. (Example: MBPs before 2021)
- Have a camera bump on the lid (Example: no one, thankfully)
- Have additional area left and right of the camera area (notch) for the menu bar, giving you more usable space in the regular work area (Example: MBP in 2021 and many PCs coming in the following years
Before you say "how can the squeeze it in phones" the answer is: width. You can have the camera sensor deeper in the phone, behind the screen and just leave an opening for the lens. On laptop lids, you have the options I wrote above. So, which one is it?
- Have a small camera module and sensor, tucked in a slim bezel. The image quality would be bad. (Example: Dell XPS 2019+)
- Have a camera at the bottom of the screen. This would give you an unflattering angle. (Example: Dell XPS before 2019)
- Have a big bezel at the top. (Example: MBPs before 2021)
- Have a camera bump on the lid (Example: no one, thankfully)
- Have additional area left and right of the camera area (notch) for the menu bar, giving you more usable space in the regular work area (Example: MBP in 2021 and many PCs coming in the following years
Before you say "how can the squeeze it in phones" the answer is: width. You can have the camera sensor deeper in the phone, behind the screen and just leave an opening for the lens. On laptop lids, you have the options I wrote above. So, which one is it?
I've been using my 16" Notch Book Pro for about 24 hours now. I was annoyed to see it when released and would still prefer it not be there, but the reality is that it just sits in the menu bar. It's really a non issue. The screen is amazing and I love the smaller bezels, so the notch gets me something I like and only impacts my menu bar...I'm ok with the trade. This is kind of overblown imo after using it for a day.
What we should really be bitching about is the thickness. This thing feels like a laptop from a decade ago. I love the machine and it stays very cool and I haven't heard a fan yet, but damn, she's portly.
What we should really be bitching about is the thickness. This thing feels like a laptop from a decade ago. I love the machine and it stays very cool and I haven't heard a fan yet, but damn, she's portly.
Some of us will say ANYTHING to rationalize a corporation's decisions. And when it comes to those particular decisions, ye shall NOT "think different." Instead whatever THAT corporation has chosen is always right for all consumers. Comply... resistance is futile.
While it's true that some support or criticize Apple's design without a rational argument, some do have a rational argument that get dismissed without a proper refutation.
As example, that the monitor area around the notch is actually "extra space" has a rational argument supporting it in the fact that said area extends beyond the standard 16:10.
Those who disagree with this argument are of course free to do so, but should not just dismiss it without a proper rational counter-argument.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Ok, to everyone hating the notch, what would you prefer? You have these options, based on available technology:
- Have a small camera module and sensor, tucked in a slim bezel. The image quality would be bad. (Example: Dell XPS 2019+)
- Have a camera at the bottom of the screen. This would give you an unflattering angle. (Example: Dell XPS before 2019)
- Have a big bezel at the top. (Example: MBPs before 2021)
- Have a camera bump on the lid (Example: no one, thankfully)
- Have additional area left and right of the camera area (notch) for the menu bar, giving you more usable space in the regular work area (Example: MBP in 2021 and many PCs coming in the following years
Before you say "how can the squeeze it in phones" the answer is: width. You can have the camera sensor deeper in the phone, behind the screen and just leave an opening for the lens. On laptop lids, you have the options I wrote above. So, which one is it?
You are not actually sharing all options.
If I could get this my way, I'd choose to utilize the very same iPad Mini 6/iPad Pro 1080p FaceTime camera in iPad Mini/Pro bezels. It appears that those bezels are only a little thicker than Apple's magical work with those iPads...
I disagree that the lid would have to get thicker, as Apple has clearly fit what will probably prove to be the very same 1080p FaceTime camera in this lid without the spot behind this camera needing to be iPad thick. So if they can fit it where they did, shift it upwards just a bit more- as they did in those iPads and it is closer to the top of the screen. It seems the cost here would be iPad thin bezels being only a few millimeters thicker than MBpro "as is."
Since I DO love the idea of "extra" screen, I'd shift the whole screen in these down the few millimeters necessary to fit the thin iPad bezels because it appears there is very-obviously room at the bottom of the screen for such a shift. Not only would that get me the full 16:10 screen plus the "extra" to the left & right of the notch... but also the extra "extra" obscured by the notch. So if "extra" is a primary argument, this would maximize "extra:" left, right AND center.
Net result:
- top bezel MUCH thinner than previous-gen MBpros but a few millimeters thicker than these MBpros (see picture to see how much more seems necessary- or just go to an Apple store and hold iPad bezels next to MBpro bezels).
- 1080p camera upgrade is delivered, just as they have for iPads from months ago
- lid is not thickened because they fit 1080p in this one and notch doesn't have anything to do with needed depth if we want to argue the camera module needs iPad depth to fit
- macOS menus that get into the notch zone would not be lost "behind" the notch. The full RE of the menu bar would still be available... as it has been for 35+ years.
- "the future" speculation of Face ID works with this too because it works with iPad Pro now... all fitting in a thin, notch-less bezel
- everything that the notch lovers-to-indifferent love/get in these new MBpros would still be there. The notch haters-to-disappointed would simply get what they want too.
Since setting the notch now to accommodate Face ID hardware doesn't seem to be it either, all I'm left with is speculation that either notch was NOT actually required here OR something else is in the product dev pipeline that will eventually need that extra bite of screen space... something beyond Face ID.
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iPads are a lot thicker than MBP's lid.
There is a lot of electronics in that camera that is spread out in the notch on the MBP and is behind the screen on iPads, so - no, they couldn't do what they did on the iPad on the MBP.
If you look at the iPad camera:
You can see a part of it in the bezel, but the rest is below the bezel and behind the LCD (this is possible because of iPad's thickness - but not doable on the thin MBP lid)
No great mystery - this space is used for the camera. That's it.
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Lots of folks who refuse to even try and use it are disagreeing with this. That's ok, your loss!
Apple didn’t “add” a notch. They removed the bezel on both sides of the notch and made it usable for the menu bar.
This is all about perspectives. Kind of like glass half full vs half empty.
This is all about perspectives. Kind of like glass half full vs half empty.
Shut us critics up with workarounds and fixes or noises will just keep going for longer.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Again I appreciate the standardized response. 1080p FaceTime is 1080p FaceTime. If there is one in these MBpros- and there is- and the lid does not get iPad thick, the module doesn't need iPad thick depth to accommodate 1080p FaceTime. Apple has succeeded in fitting 1080p into the thickness of the lid... not needing some kind of iPad deep nipple on the back of the lid because the camera module is just too thick.
Whatever "lot of electronics" to spread out apparently spreads out just fine behind the notchless-bezel of smaller-screened iPad Pro with 1080p FaceTime camera AND Face ID. For now, this is only 1080p FaceTime and Apple has already succeeded in fitting it in this lid.
I can't see how we can so passionately argue that Apple could NOT here when they succeeded in doing it there. Apple CAN do it because they did do it... months ago.
That picture is the BEST argument in support of iPad depth. Since I'm not a hardware engineer, I can't completely refute it. However, it seems the parts that hang down could be spread out left & right instead. iPads happen to have the free space "depth" to use. If they didn't, I bet Apple would engineer the part to simply be wider than it is tall there. In the much larger width behind an iPad-type bezel in these MBpros, there would seemingly be plenty of room for a wider variation of that same part. As someone who believes Apple is incredible at what they do, I certainly believe they could do it... if they had wanted it here.
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It's a perception problem. Apple didn't really "add" a notch. The notch was a result of "moving the menu bar into the space required for the front camera." Humans are used to seeing clean rectangular end points/crops to our image areas (photos, TV's computer displays). Apparently Apple made a decision years ago that it's better to be able to say they "made the bezels thinner" or "increased image area" rather than maintain the sacred rectangle. Functionally, moving the menu bar into this area doesn't help anything. The road to thinner bezels is silly.
You could also use this free open source menu bar colour changer:
github.com
EDIT: Seems I was late to the party and this has already been mentioned.
GitHub - igorkulman/ChangeMenuBarColor: Simple utility to change macOS Big Sur and Monterey menu bar color by appending a solid color or gradient rectangle to a wallpaper image
Simple utility to change macOS Big Sur and Monterey menu bar color by appending a solid color or gradient rectangle to a wallpaper image - igorkulman/ChangeMenuBarColor
github.com
I’d take no webcam at all for max screen real estate (and/or option 1). The number of times I’ve used my webcam is minimal and I could happily live with no webcam, as every time I’ve used it I could just have one clipped on the top of my external monitor. So if it was 480p even I really wouldn’t give a toss as it would only be for true "emergencies". I couldn’t WhatsApp via my MacBook and had to use my iPhone one of those rare times I wanted to anyway!Ok, to everyone hating the notch, what would you prefer? You have these options, based on available technology:
- Have a small camera module and sensor, tucked in a slim bezel. The image quality would be bad. (Example: Dell XPS 2019+)
- Have a camera at the bottom of the screen. This would give you an unflattering angle. (Example: Dell XPS before 2019)
- Have a big bezel at the top. (Example: MBPs before 2021)
- Have a camera bump on the lid (Example: no one, thankfully)
- Have additional area left and right of the camera area (notch) for the menu bar, giving you more usable space in the regular work area (Example: MBP in 2021 and many PCs coming in the following years
Before you say "how can the squeeze it in phones" the answer is: width. You can have the camera sensor deeper in the phone, behind the screen and just leave an opening for the lens. On laptop lids, you have the options I wrote above. So, which one is it?
But i’m answering my *personal* opinion on which of them I’d take, but I’m not complaining as I know other people do want a webcam, so sod it, do a notch as it’s the best compromise between giving me the max screen real estate I want and making webcam lovers happy. So notch is best compromise to make the most people happy. For me I wouldn’t impose my view of why isn’t their phone good enough when on the go and why isn’t a higher quality larger external one clipped on their monitor isn’t ok for their normal place of work if they regularly have to video call.
I have some sense of empathy for the fact everyone doesn’t want the same as me, so I oddly won’t get all annoyed when Apple’s current laptop isn’t an *exact* match of what I’d choose if it were up to me. If I did, I’d spend my whole life angry about nothing. I’ve ordered one. It’s gonna be a joy to use over my old one regardless. If it wasn’t I’d have bought something else or not upgraded. (And yeah, i have put off upgrading for a good few years, and sure I did check out a whole load of Windows laptops over the last month or so when I knew this was coming, to make sure I’m not being a mug and am definitely choosing the best tool for the job)
I am a bit peeved they didn’t put FaceID in it though since then I would actually use it on a daily, not just monthly basis.