Hi, I read that some people don't like it. Why? I found it cute and it is as functional as traditional function keys.
[automerge]1582988844[/automerge]
[automerge]1582988844[/automerge]
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.
Do you like the Touch Bar?
- Thread starter hajime
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I like it a little more now that I've started using BTT with GoldenChaos.
Apple's default is pretty bad though. None of the programs I use on a regular basis except Safari do anything interesting with it so most of the time it's mostly blank and worse function keys, I also found it way to easy to trigger Siri when trying to delete something. With the way Apple set it up it really doesn't add much. I've also had a few occasions where it refused to wake up from sleep until I restarted. It's pretty annoying to lose 1/6th of your keyboard for no reason.
For people who made a lot of use of Esc and the function keys I can really get hating it. The touch bar would have been a lot better if Apple made it a row above the function keys instead of the function keys and put a bit more effort into doing interesting UI things. There's very little incentive for app developers to add a lot touch bar unique features when most models don't and can't even have one.
Apple's default is pretty bad though. None of the programs I use on a regular basis except Safari do anything interesting with it so most of the time it's mostly blank and worse function keys, I also found it way to easy to trigger Siri when trying to delete something. With the way Apple set it up it really doesn't add much. I've also had a few occasions where it refused to wake up from sleep until I restarted. It's pretty annoying to lose 1/6th of your keyboard for no reason.
For people who made a lot of use of Esc and the function keys I can really get hating it. The touch bar would have been a lot better if Apple made it a row above the function keys instead of the function keys and put a bit more effort into doing interesting UI things. There's very little incentive for app developers to add a lot touch bar unique features when most models don't and can't even have one.
Once I realized how much I can use it with iMovie and Garageband (along with their respective big brothers) and what it actually offered while still allowing me to use the conventional choices I started to use it a lot.
There is a learning curve attached as my eyes weren't used to paying attention to that area of keyboard and if you don't look you miss the shortcuts.
I have nothing bad at all to say about it and also have no issue with simple hitting the "fn" key to bring up keys it replaced.
We get the best of both worlds easy enough.
YMMV
There is a learning curve attached as my eyes weren't used to paying attention to that area of keyboard and if you don't look you miss the shortcuts.
I have nothing bad at all to say about it and also have no issue with simple hitting the "fn" key to bring up keys it replaced.
We get the best of both worlds easy enough.
YMMV
Should also include the price we all have to pay for it. I recall that it wa estimated to add $200 - $300 dollars to the price. (Happy to be corrected if this figure is wrong).
If it didn’t affect the price then I’m indifferent, but I wouldn’t pay $20 for it let alone $200...
If it didn’t affect the price then I’m indifferent, but I wouldn’t pay $20 for it let alone $200...
it doesn't really serve a purpose for me. It looks neat, but a touchbar plus physical keys that were there previously would have been much better for me.
I could change volume, change brightness, backlighting, etc much quicker and easier previously.
I do like the touchid button a lot, wishing this would be added to their desktop keyboards.
I could change volume, change brightness, backlighting, etc much quicker and easier previously.
I do like the touchid button a lot, wishing this would be added to their desktop keyboards.
I kinda feel like we've done this subject to death over the last four years. The most disappointing thing is that Apple haven't done more with it, especially as they've clearly decided its here to stay.
As has been said, BetterTouch with Goldenchaos makes it much more useful for me. Despite hating the predictive text and smiley thing while typing, I use that function a lot more now - possibly because its become so ingrained while using an iPad.
So yeah its ok, I certainly don't hate it and I do really like it for the sliders which I think work well.
As has been said, BetterTouch with Goldenchaos makes it much more useful for me. Despite hating the predictive text and smiley thing while typing, I use that function a lot more now - possibly because its become so ingrained while using an iPad.
So yeah its ok, I certainly don't hate it and I do really like it for the sliders which I think work well.
I would rather it display notifications instead of on the screen (perhaps an option for either/or), and more useful things. As an F-Key substitute, it's useless because you have to look at it in order to use it.
No matter what, I feel like Apple needs to "do something" with it... because it has quickly turne into the next "Dashboard" feature—showing potential, but completely ignored.
No matter what, I feel like Apple needs to "do something" with it... because it has quickly turne into the next "Dashboard" feature—showing potential, but completely ignored.
It’s whatever. I hated it at first but now I guess that they brought back the escape key on 16” I think it’s fine. I did like having dedicated keys for keyboard and screen brightness. But this works.
I still never use it really though except to change volume and brightness. I think it’s funny that they haven’t put one on the iMac / Mac Pro magic keyboard if it’s so great. Still kinda gimmicky.
I still never use it really though except to change volume and brightness. I think it’s funny that they haven’t put one on the iMac / Mac Pro magic keyboard if it’s so great. Still kinda gimmicky.
nope, I hated it when I had a mac, the lack of actual function keys was a major factor in my distaste. I've said this many times, TB is a solution in search of a problem. They took away keys that were useful for many of us and replaced it with something less useful
This topic has been beaten to death in duplicate threads going back years.
Nonetheless, I will say after using it daily for years now, I really find it much more useful than function keys. It opened up the world of macros to me, which has increased my productivity. There are only so many "hidden" functions I could memorize per app, whereas with the "visual keys" I can always find what I want to do quickly. I think they should actually increase its size to open up more possibilities.
Agree with others that say you will find it most useful with the BTT app. Makes all the difference.
Nonetheless, I will say after using it daily for years now, I really find it much more useful than function keys. It opened up the world of macros to me, which has increased my productivity. There are only so many "hidden" functions I could memorize per app, whereas with the "visual keys" I can always find what I want to do quickly. I think they should actually increase its size to open up more possibilities.
Agree with others that say you will find it most useful with the BTT app. Makes all the difference.
Even Pock makes the TB more useful. I spend a fair amount of time with remote desktops into a Windows server. With the pandemic at least part of that time is from home where I'm not using an external monitor and keyboard so the remote desktop is full screen. Having the dock in the touchbar is very useful since the real dock isn’t visible without bouncing the mouse pointer into the bottom of the screen. At work I can double tap the CTRL key to bring regular TB functionality back when I’m in Teams or or other apps I’ve opened on the laptop's screen, since the laptop is a little further back and I notice what’s displayed in the TB more.
I find that I don't use it much. The one annoying thing was the Siri icon which I had to remove from the touchbar, and it was not easy, telling me to drag it but that did not work but just randomly dragging it removed it.
