If you read back, my complaint is not about the function keys, its about using the touchbar for hours at a time, like how the "HELLO AGAIN" event showcased these new enhanced features for Logic and Final cut.
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HONEST Question, NOT TROLLING about touch bar
- Thread starter Aluminum213
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It's not a revolutionary thing - it's a better use for a row of function keys that are already doubled up in what they're designed to do. The touch bar for me has been:
An easier way to do equations - multiply, divide, etc keys that don't really exist are right there on the bar.
I also have Do Not Disturb right on the system buttons side, so instead of having to swipe right to open notification center, move the mouse over, "push" the scroll down to reveal the DND switch and then click it, I just slap the moon button that's always on the keyboard now and boom, I'm in Do Not Disturb mode.
In text fields like this MacRumors one, the formatting bar is now right where my fingers are while typing. Bold, Italics, Underline, Colors, it's a million times easier than having to stop, find the tool I want with the mouse, enable it, continue typing, disable it, and then continue. Sure, there are some keyboard commands for things like bold and italics, but when it's now essentially a key it's faster to have multiple methods of achieving it - and there are no keyboard commands AFAIK for immediate selection of colors as quickly as I was able to do above.
Touch ID is amazing - it works to give admin permission to an app, lock/unlock system preferences panes, etc. Also a time saver.
FCPX's timeline-at-a-glance view is also pretty great on the touch bar. It's a fast way to understand what your timeline looks like from beginning to end as you work on specific portions of it, and lets you navigate it fast, simultaneously with your "keyboard" hand while your trackpad hand doesn't let up and is still navigating.
It's little benefits here and there that make the Touch Bar great. I'm sure it'll be expanded further beyond this, too.
An easier way to do equations - multiply, divide, etc keys that don't really exist are right there on the bar.
I also have Do Not Disturb right on the system buttons side, so instead of having to swipe right to open notification center, move the mouse over, "push" the scroll down to reveal the DND switch and then click it, I just slap the moon button that's always on the keyboard now and boom, I'm in Do Not Disturb mode.
In text fields like this MacRumors one, the formatting bar is now right where my fingers are while typing. Bold, Italics, Underline, Colors, it's a million times easier than having to stop, find the tool I want with the mouse, enable it, continue typing, disable it, and then continue. Sure, there are some keyboard commands for things like bold and italics, but when it's now essentially a key it's faster to have multiple methods of achieving it - and there are no keyboard commands AFAIK for immediate selection of colors as quickly as I was able to do above.
Touch ID is amazing - it works to give admin permission to an app, lock/unlock system preferences panes, etc. Also a time saver.
FCPX's timeline-at-a-glance view is also pretty great on the touch bar. It's a fast way to understand what your timeline looks like from beginning to end as you work on specific portions of it, and lets you navigate it fast, simultaneously with your "keyboard" hand while your trackpad hand doesn't let up and is still navigating.
It's little benefits here and there that make the Touch Bar great. I'm sure it'll be expanded further beyond this, too.
Right, but I still don't see the comfort change. At least personally! I slide my hands up maybe one inch and can use the Touch Bar at the same angle as if I was typing so my wrist feels no change at all--aka zero discomfort. Perhaps others feel the need to raise their whole hand or arm at which point yeah I guess I could see how it may cause discomfort. I've edited in Final Cut a couple times so far and never felt that suddenly my hands/wrist/arm started to hurt from using the Touch Bar.
You don't HAVE to use the tb that way. If you find it too awkward, do your editing as you normally would. But you could and the option is there. This is a matter of having an option vs. not. I always prefer options. Especially since we don't yet know other ways this can help our workflows. No reason to hate on an addition if there is no workflow cost. Of course there are other costs, ie more battery for tb model and plain money costs but that's why there's a ntb choice.
I work in film and tv, and I was once a professional editor. Now I do other film and tv things.. But when I used to cut tv spots and commercials I would edit for 12 to 14 hour days when SH%T got crazy. Trust me about the awkwardness of using the touchbar for real jobs. It can't replace any functions already inside the program. If I where to use it on real jobs, it would be a physical and visual nightmare. Hunching over looking at a little strip after 10 hours of editing.. trust me, its not making workflows any better. The touchbar would become your undoing.
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I agree. Im not saying Apple Can't have these things on their computers. I just think Apple has enjoyed smelling their farts too much of late. They are trying to convince all the old crusty Pro's out there, LIKE MYSELF, what is revolutionary. Im just calling them out on it. I just didn't want to deal with it personally. If Apple had a non-touch 15" I would have gone with it... even with my hatred of the GPU. The touchbar just seemed so outta place on a PRO machine.
I mean hey, if it doesn't work for you it doesn't work! I'm enjoying it for editing short films and music videos. Can't say I'm editing for 12-14 hours a day but once I start to cut my next short film I'll probably be using it for 8 hours a day and I really don't think I'll mind it. It's not like I'm keeping my hands up there anyway, I'll only use it for some simple tool help.
Haha, it goes to sleep while watching playback of edits... haha. I'm glad you are enjoying your touchbar even if you are overstating its capabilities.
Might wanna calm down there and fully read previous posts before you interject. I stated the adjustments weren't faster, period. I didn't say anything about it being "too long for me", "troublesome", or that it "takes away functionality".
"Taping 8 times to changes the volume or brightness", in case you have forgotten you could just hold down the old volume and backlight keys. It was "essentially one motion instead of a bunch of button presses".
Point taken. Just saying to you and everyone else who calls this a "gimmick" or non-pro as you described it, just give it a fair chance. I probably won't rip on it in a few months if there is no progress since I am fine with it as is, but you'll have much more of an argument when devs had a chance and can't figure out anything else useful for it.
I still don't see the point of 3d touch??? The *ONLY* thing I can think of using it for is dictionary searches, but I haven't ever needed to use it for that either.
And then touchbar comes out...
My opinion: The lack of usefulness of 3d touch does not really help the case for the touchbar.
Force click is nice for the trackpad, and for the home button on the iPhone.
honestly, the escape key on the touchbar has really ruined it for me. i use escape a LOT and really it sometimes takes two taps to register. They have enough space to make the escape key an actual key, i wonder why they didn't. It's not like the functionality ever changes, it's either escape, or x out, which is also escape.
It makes me wonder if anybody at apple even tried this thing out.
It makes me wonder if anybody at apple even tried this thing out.
To be pessimistic, which has been easier to do with Apple lately, I would say at Apple, POST JOBBS, the mystique of INNOVATION has to be a little more forced. Steve had a double threat of actually using and liking an innovation, so when he was asked by the reluctant public about a feature he knew exactly what to say.. Most of the time he loved the feature, he knew about it, and he could talk about it. OR he made sure professionals used and loved the product.. Right now Apple has to force INNOVATION more to keep this mystique without Jobbs to back it up. They just have the Faces at Apple, Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and Craig Federighi telling everyone how amazing their products are, and everyone below them has to agree. I am not sure if this feature would have been released under Jobs, because even towards the end of his life I was scratching my head at the stuff he did, but I would have definitely trusted Apples universe more.. This last Apple update and the death of the MacPro Towers have made me scratch my head harder than ever.. Way worse than any of the crazy stuff Jobs did.. I don't trust Tim Cooks vision, he's an accountant not a visionary leader.
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