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Have you adapted to touchbar?

capelesshero

capelesshero

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 15, 2016
69
41
Chino Hills, CA
I've owned my TB MBP since Nov 2016. It was really hard at first to even remember I have a touch display above my keyboard. Since then, I actually look down and use predictive text, music control, emojis, and especially the tools in Microsoft Word. Its amazing! It's like learning how to fly your helicopter upside down; it takes time to get used to it.

How's everyone else doing?
 
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I'm getting used to it for a lot of things. Mainly emojis in texting, but also like the volume and brightness controls.

Use the predictive text occasionally, but type pretty fast in general. The screenshot tool and apps are useful as well, although not as fast as keyboard shortcuts.

Safari seems easier and faster to just use the tab bars on the display. The search button is a bit faster than moving the cursor though.

Haven't had a lot of reason to use the new Microsoft office shortcuts, but they look useful as well.
 
I use BetterTouch Tool to put all of my most used applications in the touchbar for easy launching. Use it all the time for that. I also use it for internet, zooming through photos, etc. I still need to get used to predictive text. I am typically not thinking about looking down when I am writing.
 
It's like day 3 for me today so I can't really say that I have adapted to it. I can say that I keep forgetting it's there, and then sometimes when I notice it I think, "Wow, that's cool!" The times that I have used it it has been quite useful. The media scrubber is certainly handy. The emoticons when I'm using iMessage is great, so are the formatting features whenever I am editing something. Even the options when I am in Finder are really handy.

Before I got this computer I really thought the touch bar was a gimmick. I still think it's sort of gimmicky, but that doesn't mean that it can't be useful. I just need to keep reminding myself that it's there.
 
I found myself getting used to some of the controls in FCPX and Photoshop. It's all things my brain struggles with because I've known shortcut commands for 17 years. I can see after a few more months I might rely on it a bit more. Most apps I forget it's even there.
 
I work off an external monitor and although open, I rarely have much on the MBP screen itself. So I don't ever look over there to see what's on the touchbar. However, I've added a button for locking the computer, so I use it ALL the time to lock and unlock (touch ID) my computer. I don't find the Office shortcuts on touchbar useful, but I have invested zero time in customizing for apps. So given my use, I'll probably never get used to it since I'm only using the MBP keyboard 5% of the time. Developers are smarter than me, so they might come out with a killer use for it that will make me use it regularly.

People say it's gimmicky, but unless you regularly use function keys, I don't see how a custom button here or there hurts anything. I think people are more pissed about believing that they paid an extra $300 for the touchbar. It's probably closer to $50-$100 since you get other things with the touchbar models than with non.
 
i don't really use it other then volume, next tract, display and expose or whatever its called now.
I don't use it FCPX as I know the keyboard shortcuts and i find it easier to use not looking at the keyboard. I must say though the screen on it is pretty good. I was on MR and noticed you can change the colors of the text and was amazed at the color rendering on it when you fine tune it. I wish on the normal view you can add more icons/buttons rather then the 4 or so...

touch ID though is amazing and love it, prefer then using my apple watch to unlock as I hate the notification i get on my watch.
 
Uofmtiger said:
I use BetterTouch Tool to put all of my most used applications in the touchbar for easy launching.
Click to expand...

That is how i use it also.. i havent yet found any other useful features other than thqt and controlling volume / screen brightness.
 
Do you guys feel that the touch bar is worth it? I'm looking at the base model 13inch with and without the touch bar. I'm more interested in the faster processor and faster RAM, but the touch bar just seems like something that'd just get in the way.
 
The main thing I use it for that I can't do otherwise is skip ads, not only on Youtube, but it works for some other sites too. But I haven't tried to make it useful for other things.
 
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PowerGala said:
Do you guys feel that the touch bar is worth it? I'm looking at the base model 13inch with and without the touch bar. I'm more interested in the faster processor and faster RAM, but the touch bar just seems like something that'd just get in the way.
Click to expand...
The touchbar MODEL is worth it. I wouldn't pay extra for the touchbar itself at this time, although I would for the touchID. Regardless, it has found it's way into my regular workflow for the volume and brightness controls and a custom lock button. I rarely use the rest of the functionality because I'm using an external monitor and keyboard.

But like I said, I think the model is a good value compared to the non-touch. Not saying it's "cheap", saying you get some good stuff in this model. As many have said, the 4 ports on 2 sides is the sleeper feature that you never knew you wanted. Plus bump in specs in the processors is nice.

People keep dumping on the touchbar itself. It's like the cool thing to do is use the cliche that it's a gimmick. It could end up that way, or it could end up being really useful. Unless you use function keys a lot, who cares. Why would anyone have a strong opinion against it unless they regularly use function/esc keys. People are misplacing their anger about pricing, ports, and anything new on the touchbar and immediately call it a gimmick. That's a little quick to jump to that conclusion. In the end, it's not a "negative". TouchID is really nice though.
 
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rawweb said:
I found myself getting used to some of the controls in FCPX and Photoshop. It's all things my brain struggles with because I've known shortcut commands for 17 years. I can see after a few more months I might rely on it a bit more. Most apps I forget it's even there.
Click to expand...
I recently bought FCPX, but I haven't even used it yet. I would bet that for new users, the touchbar shortcuts will become the normal way of interacting with the application.

I think that new Mac users or people just starting to use programs that have it implemented will get more use out of it and it will feel more normal to them, like shortcuts are to current users. I think it is important to not only serve the people already on the platform, but to make the thing even easier to use for the people that are just trying out MacOS. The bar accomplishes that purposes, even if people that are set in their ways aren't interested.

thesaint024 said:
People keep dumping on the touchbar itself. It's like the cool thing to do is use the cliche that it's a gimmick. It could end up that way, or it could end up being really useful. Unless you use function keys a lot, who cares. Why would anyone have a strong opinion against it unless they regularly use function/esc keys. People are misplacing their anger about pricing, ports, and anything new on the touchbar and immediately call it a gimmick. That's a little quick to jump to that conclusion. In the end, it's not a "negative". TouchID is really nice though.
Click to expand...
TouchID is probably the most expensive part of the implementation since it adds a new level of security to the Mac.

As far as it being a gimmick, I don't believe that it is. Most people use it for one thing or another and that gives it a benefit over the F keys for most of us. I don't think it is a game changer for most of us, but it isn't useless either.
 
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Uofmtiger said:
I recently bought FCPX, but I haven't even used it yet. I would bet that for new users, the touchbar shortcuts will become the normal way of interacting with the application.

I think that new Mac users or people just starting to use programs that have it implemented will get more use out of it and it will feel more normal to them, like shortcuts are to current users. I think it is important to not only serve the people already on the platform, but to make the thing even easier to use for the people that are just trying out MacOS. The bar accomplishes that purposes, even if people that are set in their ways aren't interested.
Click to expand...

Good point. It suits the way things are usually done now better, for those who are already more used to touching and swiping.
 
thesaint024 said:
The touchbar MODEL is worth it. I wouldn't pay extra for the touchbar itself at this time, although I would for the touchID. Regardless, it has found it's way into my regular workflow for the volume and brightness controls and a custom lock button. I rarely use the rest of the functionality because I'm using an external monitor and keyboard.

But like I said, I think the model is a good value compared to the non-touch. Not saying it's "cheap", saying you get some good stuff in this model. As many have said, the 4 ports on 2 sides is the sleeper feature that you never knew you wanted. Plus bump in specs in the processors is nice.

People keep dumping on the touchbar itself. It's like the cool thing to do is use the cliche that it's a gimmick. It could end up that way, or it could end up being really useful. Unless you use function keys a lot, who cares. Why would anyone have a strong opinion against it unless they regularly use function/esc keys. People are misplacing their anger about pricing, ports, and anything new on the touchbar and immediately call it a gimmick. That's a little quick to jump to that conclusion. In the end, it's not a "negative". TouchID is really nice though.
Click to expand...

My intent wasn't to bash the touch bar or to call it a gimmick. It's just not something I have a use for and I worry about it causing problems since it's a weird proprietary part that I can't fix. I get why some users would like it, but I've always preferred physical buttons over virtual.

I keep going back on forth on the two laptops, but I do want that faster i5 and faster RAM.
 
PowerGala said:
My intent wasn't to bash the touch bar or to call it a gimmick. It's just not something I have a use for and I worry about it causing problems since it's a weird proprietary part that I can't fix. I get why some users would like it, but I've always preferred physical buttons over virtual.

I keep going back on forth on the two laptops, but I do want that faster i5 and faster RAM.
Click to expand...
I need to communicate better apparently. I feel I am often clarifying my posts. I didn't mean that last bit about you. Just some people in general make certain comments that I am speaking to. Sorry for the miscommunication. I agree with you. Physical buttons definitely have their place. If I was one who used function keys as much as some say they do, the TB wouldn't be an option for me. But back to your point, the TB model has some nice pluses that the nonTB does not. But I'm sure I'd be satisfied either way. The nonTB's consistent battery life being it's one big plus. Not that the TB's is bad, it's just more variable depending on usage. These are the only differentiators since neither of us use the function keys that regularly. TB is worth the extra money for my uses.
 
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Sanpete said:
The main thing I use it for that I can't do otherwise is skip ads, not only on Youtube, but it works for some other sites too. But I haven't tried to make it useful for other things.
Click to expand...

Do you know offhand if they make Magic Actions for YT for Safari? If I ever met the developer, I'd ask them to marry me (provided the developer is a chick - if the developer is a dude, a high-five would suffice.) (The Chrome version + uBlock prevents virtually any ads from getting through, but I'd like to play more with Safari.)
 
ZapNZs said:
Do you know offhand if they make Magic Actions for YT for Safari? If I ever met the developer, I'd ask them to marry me (provided the developer is a chick - if the developer is a dude, a high-five would suffice.) (The Chrome version + uBlock prevents virtually any ads from getting through, but I'd like to play more with Safari.)
Click to expand...

Ha, no version for Safari. it appears. So the Chrome version prevents the ads from playing before videos? That's a very handy feature.
 
Sanpete said:
Ha, no version for Safari. it appears. So the Chrome version prevents the ads from playing before videos? That's a very handy feature.
Click to expand...

Yeah - those two things and you are good to go. I haven't seen a YT ad in several years on my desktops. The uBlock Origin + uBlock Origin Websocket are the lightest and most effective ad blockers I've ever used, and get around 90% of the adblock blockers.

Has Chrome been integrated to the TB yet on a detailed level? Those three extensions work so well that I'm not sure I could adapt to Safari without them...
 
I find it very useful for annotating PDFs in preview. It makes it really easy to switch between the different tools, highlighting, text, and drawing. In FCPX I find it h=is helpful for scrubbing in the timeline especially in fullscreen mode. Other than that I haven't used it much but can see using to for more things like Word formatting ext
 
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