Do you use the touchbar?

[DeepIn2U]

Do Macbook Pro users use the touch bar? Lots of people on this board are design pro's and I noticed that the Touch Bar previews each photo in the photos app. It also is handy working with video. Why Apple would remove it and not also have it as a option is beyond me. Including a SD card reader and HDMI port like my previous MacBook Pro was a good move, but in my opinion removing the touch bar was a mistake.

I agree, Apple not offering the Touchbar as an option and getting rid of it was a step backward.

Apple led the industry with LED keyboards and before that with optional functions on Function keys such as screen brightness, sound/volume, play/pause/FFWD/RWD etc that many users didn’t know what they were missing until they had it for a while.

The issue with its launch primarily was Craig showing off its use to use emoji! Freaking silly childish and downright stupid to do that when advertising a new feature on a Professional machine.

Apple should’ve shown the speed and rapid switch to alternative functions, how it works in XCode, Photoshop (was shown to some decent degree), and actual daily use. The major issue was Apple didn’t have a future vision for it to evolve.

 

[DeepIn2U]

No. Touch typist here... non-specific keys and controls are anathema... IMO, it's a waste of keyboard real estate.

I’m a life long touch typist since 1982 numerical keys for data entry helping my mom on weekends cross checking store receipts with ledger data.

Then moving to manual then electric typewriters in 85 since I used up my arts credit with music in Gr5-8 and not being good at visual arts. Then finally with computers every since.

Saying you’re a touch-typist doesn’t validate any use or dislike for a touchbar since the Function keys are not ever taught for touch typing because they’re too far up above Home row to be effective for touch typing (without looking at all).

By nature of the function keys being digital and ability to rapidly change that alone makes them MORE efficient use of space because one doesn’t have to remember what other functions each F key can do, visually you can see. I’ve already negated your F key touch typist claim by methodology and fact of training. For anyone. YOU may rely on F keys for touch but it’s not taught for touch typing.

That said:
Apple should’ve used haptic feedback to help evolve touchbar, as well as a small raised surface for each area where a specific Function key would’ve been.

Maybe we’ll see it return on the 2022 MBA or further in the future with a surface that can adapt for various tactile feel which would greatly benefit the visually impaired.

I’m curious how much more battery it would’ve used. Would’ve loved a desktop keyboard that had this.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I am with you. While not a touch typist, I never found the touch bar to be doing what i wanted it to be doing and I am also a long time user of UNIX systems and so I am hardwired for keyboard shortcuts and key combinations that look like Masonic handshakes. Hell, some days I can’t be bothered to reach for the mouse.

While I think others find it useful and that is cool, my use case doesn’t benefit from it so I shall not miss it.

First person who’s work actually translate in the need to use the function keys not what they prefer but NEED I’ve read ad the argument against the touchbar. Also confirms touch-typist are not by design trained to use the function keys.

 

[AZhappyjack]

I’m a life long touch typist since 1982 numerical keys for data entry helping my mom on weekends cross checking store receipts with ledger data.

Then moving to manual then electric typewriters in 85 since I used up my arts credit with music in Gr5-8 and not being good at visual arts. Then finally with computers every since.

Saying you’re a touch-typist doesn’t validate any use or dislike for a touchbar since the Function keys are not ever taught for touch typing because they’re too far up above Home row to be effective for touch typing (without looking at all).

By nature of the function keys being digital and ability to rapidly change that alone makes them MORE efficient use of space because one doesn’t have to remember what other functions each F key can do, visually you can see. I’ve already negated your F key touch typist claim by methodology and fact of training. For anyone. YOU may rely on F keys for touch but it’s not taught for touch typing.

That said:
Apple should’ve used haptic feedback to help evolve touchbar, as well as a small raised surface for each area where a specific Function key would’ve been.

Maybe we’ll see it return on the 2022 MBA or further in the future with a surface that can adapt for various tactile feel which would greatly benefit the visually impaired.

I’m curious how much more battery it would’ve used. Would’ve loved a desktop keyboard that had this.

Just because "function keys are not ever taught for touch typing..." doesn't mean that one cannot apply the touch typing methods to the extra row of keys. I only look at the keyboard in very rare situations. The fact that dedicated function keys have a defined size, location and usage makes them more efficient and reliable (for me) that stopping my typing so I can look at the arbitrary placement of some pseudo button on a little strip of configurable space.

Your suggestion that Apple should have provided some haptic feedback and creating a small raised area for where each original function key would have been placed is ridiculous. How would that be any different from the standard row of function keys on the keyboard today? That would give us a configurable row of function keys - something we have today, as we can already redefine them via System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts and third party software.

And to your point about external/desktop keyboards with the Touch Bar, well, Apple never did that. Tells me all I want to know - that it was a half-baked solution looking for a problem.

 

[BaggieBoy]

Rarely use it but I hate the soft ESC key with a passion. The number of times I've been in the middle of entering some information and accidentally brushed the ESC...

 

[DeepIn2U]

Just because "function lets are not ever taught for touch typing..." doesn't mean that one cannot apply the touch typing methods to the extra row of keys. I only look at the keyboard in very rare situations. The fact that dedicated function keys have a defined size, location and usage makes them more efficient and reliable (for me) that stopping my typing so I can look at the arbitrary placement of some pseudo button on a little strip of configurable space.

Your suggestion that Apple should have provided some haptic feedback and creating a small raised area for where each original function key would have been placed is ridiculous. How would that be any different from the standard row of function keys on the keyboard today? That would give us a configurable row of function keys - something we have today, as we can already redefine them via System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts and third party software.

And to your point about external/desktop keyboards with the Touch Bar, well, Apple never did that. Tells me all I want to know - that it was a half-baked solution looking for a problem.

If you read my post properly about a desktop keyboard featuring the Touchbar you’d understand I wanted or hoped they did. I never said Apple actually built one as I damn well know they never did. Selective reading on your part there.

Regarding using haptic feedback and raised area to indicate, by touch where each key should be would a) allow you to touch type. B) would also allow more configurations for each key, which was what Touchbar intended yet didn’t fully deliver or vomit too. How would it be better than a dedicated key? The same reaso. We have an iPhone over a blackberry. Dedicated keys are only useful for thr purposes indicated by label on them. Of course anyone will after a short time know what their function will be but if you had a third or more function for specific purpose then you’re looking up a legend to memorize which is less efficient than a quick glance.

Since you have stated what you fully use the function keys for tells me all I need to know - narrow sighted for traditional sake and no room for growth.

 

[kenoh]

First person who’s work actually translate in the need to use the function keys not what they prefer but NEED I’ve read ad the argument against the touchbar. Also confirms touch-typist are not by design trained to use the function keys.

Here is one that might make you chuckle. Since this post was created I have been more aware of hand placement on my keyboard.

I noticed that rather than resting on the touch typist guide keys - F&J, I find my left hand tends to move to the edge of the keyboard on the left and my index finger rests on the ESC key - for escaping special characters in vi I reckon.

Bizarrely though, my right hand moves to the bottom right and fiddles with the right had alt/option key…. ANyone who remembers asynchronous systems and 3270 green screens will remember we used to submit a command and then tap the enter key at the bottom right to refresh and see if the command had come back. I haven’t used a green screen since at least 1998 so no idea why I sit and tap that key - mainly when Excel is chewing through data for me….

Suppose I am more a feeler than a see’er in that I like a physical switch or dial rather than a touchscreen - especially on cars. Drove a Taycan a while back and it was all touchscreens and so finding the buttons without taking my eyes off the road was near impossible. Windows in tablet mode bends my brain in half too having said that….

 

[Cape Dave]

The what?

 

[SeenJeen]

It's tolerable in macOS but it's really agitating in Windows. Alt+F4 now becomes fn+Alt *look down at touch bar to find it* +F4.

I'd turn on the F-keys option permanently but then I'd lose easy volume/brightness access.

It's a good thing Apple is dropping it.

 

[CrysisDeu]

People who like the touch bar just don't talk about it like those who hate it.
Meanwhile, Apple is starting to listen to its customers.
It's a good thing for many other brands, not for Apple.