He really does seem like the last surviving remnant of the Jobs era. He should be the CEO. Tim has no clue. I doubt he knows anything else besides increasing profits. Which is what he's supposed to do, as CEO. But he doesn't have any vision.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Craig Federighi Says Touch Bar on New MacBook Pro Has 'So Much Potential' For Developers
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
He really does seem like the last surviving remnant of the Jobs era. He should be the CEO. Tim has no clue. I doubt he knows anything else besides increasing profits. Which is what he's supposed to do, as CEO. But he doesn't have any vision.
The new offerings are not bad, just a bit expensive. Would have liked to see the base model start are $1299 and maybe the touch bar model at $1499 or $1599.
Base model at $1299 with 256GB and 8GB would have been nice.
Base model at $1299 with 256GB and 8GB would have been nice.
profit...yeah....2 products to milk of...but, people always assume that Apple's Executives are the MasterGods and what they said in the past will be available in the future, forever....we know it's not the case (there are plenty examples in Apple's history - failed products, screen sizes, even the post PC-era - not happening but the opposite etc) ....they expect reaction from their products from the marketplace...if people want the new "features", they will go along and buy them...the more you want to push to the customers your ideas that don't fit naturally, the natural instinct of the customers will reject them......when the iPad type of device will diminish as importance (see sales decline continuously) we may see, what I previously said, a combo device iOS and macOS, independent to each other but with possibility of working together at some levels....we take off iPhone from this equation because we need its size in a pocket...but the iPhone will greatly benefit in future connections with the MacBook and iMac because of the direction of the development between the macOS and iOS on the same machine: MacBook
Last edited:
After my first initial response (yea 12 hrs) of mixed thoughts I realize that the Touch bar isn't bad, but the MBP was the wrong device to launch with. Touch bar should've launched with the iMac, on a new Magic Keyboard, with Butterfly Mechanisms, in space gray aluminum, and black keys. I don't know about power consumption, but it would've had much more impact and a better reception. There are certain expectations with the "Pro" line, and Apple didn't fulfill those with this presentation.
Touch bar seems more of a novelty, and much more suited for casual users. This would go perfect with the rMB or iMac. Those features shown were very akin to iOS. I don't need word suggestions, and emojis on my keyboard. I don't need shortcuts for Photoshop, when I've configured my keyboard hotkeys to do exactly what I want.
The touch bar is just an add-on update to show that they've been working on something new, and MBP was one of the products that needed an update. I agree that the function keys have become useless for most users, but having a 1hr presentation on it, with the Macbook Pro seems a bit much. Once the iMac launches with the Touch Bar, it will make a lot more sense. The proximity of the Touch Bar to the screen on the MPB makes you want to scream, just put it on the screen! That wouldn't happen on a wireless keyboard.
Touch bar seems more of a novelty, and much more suited for casual users. This would go perfect with the rMB or iMac. Those features shown were very akin to iOS. I don't need word suggestions, and emojis on my keyboard. I don't need shortcuts for Photoshop, when I've configured my keyboard hotkeys to do exactly what I want.
The touch bar is just an add-on update to show that they've been working on something new, and MBP was one of the products that needed an update. I agree that the function keys have become useless for most users, but having a 1hr presentation on it, with the Macbook Pro seems a bit much. Once the iMac launches with the Touch Bar, it will make a lot more sense. The proximity of the Touch Bar to the screen on the MPB makes you want to scream, just put it on the screen! That wouldn't happen on a wireless keyboard.
I strongly disagree that this is a gimmick. Context-aware controls are huge productivity boosters and this seems like a cool implementation. That said, I think we reasonably could have expected Apple to add something like this without changing the price points at all from the previous generation products.
Check out thread below. From 2008 when unibody Macs were announced. Lots of complaints, including about pricing.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-announces-new-aluminum-macbooks.580479/
People call anything new a gimmick until they try it. It's just a fear of new things, and of course to score internet points because everyone knows it's cool to hate things on the internet.
The reality of it is none of these people commenting on here have even tried using it yet, and when they eventually do I bet most will of them will love it.
Way more people used to use plastic keyboards on smartphones before the virtual keyboard was introduced..... guess what happened next?
Touch screen its-self was a gimmick at best, at one time. Now it is indispensable for some. I prefer to NOT touch my primary display. So I'm lucky that Apple shares the same philosophy. A basic tablet works better for me as an input device for photo editing, etc. There are a lot of apps that could benefit from some touch input, but don't need a full tablet.
It is a compromise for fast touch typists who have their function keys assigned to rapid repetitive tasks, and benefit from mechanical key feedback. Though I imagined that touch display above my current keyboard. I noticed the virtual keys are perfectly aligned between the number keys, and less reach compared to a typical full size PC keyboard. I will reserve judgment until I have personal experience. But I think it might be OK for touch type on the Fn keys by indexing on the seam between the number keys.
4k resolution on a 15 inch screen, on the other hand, could definitely be a marketing gimmick for those that can't see past spec sheet numbers. Just like consumer cameras were driven by mega pixel marketing over image quality for decades. Pixel count is only one factor of display quality. Re-read the significant upgrades to screen quality over the already excellent current display. Note these will drive 2 x 5K external displays natively, where pixel count carries more weight. I plan to go see it in person before I declare the screen is good or bad.
There are those wishing for a Xeon 6 core, 128 GB, 10 terra flop GPU, class trans-portable workstation from Apple. This is not that machine.
to be fair, the specs, ports, battery might suck
but design-wise it's still by far the best
nothing comes close to the wow-factor... and a lot of people are after this, and yes, including pros !
those speakers look loud as hell on paper, a nice feature
but design-wise it's still by far the best
nothing comes close to the wow-factor... and a lot of people are after this, and yes, including pros !
those speakers look loud as hell on paper, a nice feature
Very cool, but I wonder how much it will actually be leveraged since desktop users don't have that functionality ... and many people on a desktop computer will never resort to using a tethered keyboard.
Paradoxically, when a CEO tries only to maximize profits the result is usually decreased long term profits. Cook's customer abuse may shore up profits short term but after a while customers will look elsewhere.
I feel bad for Federighi he is the last one of the good old "let's innovate" no matter the cost of the Jobs era. Yes, the touchbar does have potential but it will depend on how many developers are jumping on board (not just the big dogs). It's nice that you can arrange it however you want but it's still not a physical press and most people aren't looking a t their keyboard while typing, so the usefulness is already limited.
But that's not even the biggest problem the biggest problem is, they've gimped the standard MBP 13 inch version. WTF would have been the problem with keeping it more oldschool, keep the old ports add the 2 tunderbolt ports, keep the design language and just improve the damn specs...I would have paid 1.700 bucks for that. And sorry a machine which costs 2.000 bucks + should have a 4k display in 2016.
And yes I agree Federighi should have been the CEO, he knows his stuff and gets to the point. Schiller is too emotional bombastic (a bit like Ballmer)and Cook is more interested in "green" slides and getting his political believes outthere instead of innovating and pushing technology. In terms of strategy Cook reminds me of Ballmer. Ballmer tried to rip off the customers and push stuff they didn't want/need (Windows 8), he laughed about IoS and Android while not knowing that 2 upcoming giants were basically creating a whole new ecosystem.
But that's not even the biggest problem the biggest problem is, they've gimped the standard MBP 13 inch version. WTF would have been the problem with keeping it more oldschool, keep the old ports add the 2 tunderbolt ports, keep the design language and just improve the damn specs...I would have paid 1.700 bucks for that. And sorry a machine which costs 2.000 bucks + should have a 4k display in 2016.
And yes I agree Federighi should have been the CEO, he knows his stuff and gets to the point. Schiller is too emotional bombastic (a bit like Ballmer)and Cook is more interested in "green" slides and getting his political believes outthere instead of innovating and pushing technology. In terms of strategy Cook reminds me of Ballmer. Ballmer tried to rip off the customers and push stuff they didn't want/need (Windows 8), he laughed about IoS and Android while not knowing that 2 upcoming giants were basically creating a whole new ecosystem.
This is where I'm at. Love the feature, but I don't get the lineup or the mixed signals on the headphone jack. At the very least, this means they now need a Lightning-to-headphone adapter that goes the other way, since those buying Lightning headphones for their phones will be unable to plug those into their new Macs.
I program for business software, not apps, but I would think developers would design their apps to take advantage of many different types of input to drive their core functionality. They'd want desktop apps to be similar to ios/android apps, and to be able to leverage any type of new input - the Pencil, the touch bar, the microsoft dial, the Wacoms of the world, and other things we can't even think of yet.
At least that's what I would do if I was designing for that type of environment.
At least that's what I would do if I was designing for that type of environment.
True, good find. But the complaining is much less than this time around.
There were many negative and many positive voices in the thread you posted. Now it's only negative (95%).
I haven't tried it myself and although it looks nice, I think its an ergonomic disaster. You go from the trackpad (blindly) to the touch bar (you have to look), use it... look at the screen if it's okay and over and over again... Can't believe Apple comes up with such an ergonomic disaster like this. They really don't get it and are out of ideas. Did this really took 4 years to develop.
It might be. But maybe not. I'm going to see it in person before passing judgment. I imagined that touch display above my current keyboard. I noticed the virtual keys are perfectly aligned between the number keys, and less reach. I think it might be OK for touch type on the Fn keys by indexing on the seam between the number keys. Maybe still a compromise for fast touch typists using there Fn keys for highly repetitive tasks, where your body knows if the keystroke was a success before the signal reaches your brain.
Last edited:
How much potential is this going to have for developers when macs overall represent a 5% market share and touch bar is only in a couple of models of MBP? Desktop macs are out, MBAs and rMBs are out, and even entry level MBPs are out. How much are effort devs going to put into hardware that almost nobody has as a fraction of the overall market for the software?
Add to that, even the in keynote it looked painful and awkward to use. That poor DJ...I bet every DJ with a surface pro with a whole touch screen was laughing through the segment. Every demo person looked painfully hunched over their computer focusing intently on that horribly awkward interface.
Add to that, even the in keynote it looked painful and awkward to use. That poor DJ...I bet every DJ with a surface pro with a whole touch screen was laughing through the segment. Every demo person looked painfully hunched over their computer focusing intently on that horribly awkward interface.
I don't like the direction the company is headed always talking about diversity, being green or other PC while the product lineup is getting older and older.
The base model has a lower class CPU than the 2015 base model did for $1299. Even at $1299, the new one would be a ripoff by comparison. And $300-500 more for the touch strip is just a bad joke.
There's definitely some of that going on here. I almost didn't spring for the iPhone 7 because of all the bashers, but I finally did and truly love the device. Apple certainly isn't perfect these days, but they still do plenty of good work.
You could make an argument that the Apple Ecosystem is slightly askew:
1 - If the Touch Bar is fantastic - oh you have an iMac - too bad, you have to wait.
2 - If the MBP is lighter and thinner and a beautiful piece of alyouminium just think how great it will look when connected to the thick , kliudgy, non-alyouminium plastic slab LG monitor.
Feel free to add more examples. (I have been in the apple camp since 2007.)
1 - If the Touch Bar is fantastic - oh you have an iMac - too bad, you have to wait.
2 - If the MBP is lighter and thinner and a beautiful piece of alyouminium just think how great it will look when connected to the thick , kliudgy, non-alyouminium plastic slab LG monitor.
Feel free to add more examples. (I have been in the apple camp since 2007.)