Is Touch Bar that bad?

[Pakaku]

I don't like the Touchbar, but I will go as far as to say it is (probably) a very good compromise between a laptop and a tablet, since it's placed in the same vicinity as the keyboard you're typing on anyways. If they hadn't removed the function keys, and maybe just placed it above the function key row, then I think there wouldn't have been any problems.

 

[mouthster]

I'd rather have a touchscreen then a TouchBar.

 

[casperes1996]

I don't take a lot of screen prints on the mac, so I forget the shortcut commands. I use a PC at work, and it's the Print Screen Button or Ctrl + Shift+ P. I can take 20 screen prints a day at work.

I remember many years ago, I was so confused by the print screen key when I used Windows PCs. Because as far as I could see, nothing happened. It wasn't until much later I found out it silently dumps it in your clipboard. I thought that was unintuitive as there was no feedback.
But it also only allowed full screen prints, at least last I touched Windows. With Mac's cmd+shift+4 you can very easily define what you want in the screen grab. Cut out a piece of the screen with the mouse, or press the space bar first to grab a whole section, like menu bar, dock, a specific window. It's really quite nice .

Anyways that whole thing was a tangent from the main thread's topic

 

[turbineseaplane]

If they put the Escape key back, bump up the resolution of the TouchBar and add haptics to it..

I can "get along" with it..

It doesn't do much for me, but that would at least increase it's usefulness and desirability somewhat.
I'd still prefer it be optional on all configurations.

 

[casperes1996]

If they put the Escape key back, bump up the resolution of the TouchBar and add haptics to it..

I can "get along" with it..

It doesn't do much for me, but that would at least increase it's usefulness and desirability somewhat.
I'd still prefer it be optional on all configurations.

This would indeed fix most the issues. A physical escape, and haptics really would change the whole thing around. I'm not too bothered about the resolution, but I wouldn't say no to an increase, though not really important in my opinion. And someone mentioned three and four finger drags for quick access to brightness and audio controls through an app; Make that standard as well. Sounds a lot better than a two step process where you first have to tap to reveal the system tools and then slide the sliders.
Just afraid of what adding haptics might do to the already astronomical costs... (EU pricing anyway)

 

[theapplehead]

I assume Command-Option-Esc works just the same? That's the only thing I ever need to use the Escape key for that I can recall.

It does, yes

 

[AustinIllini]

It's not bad, it's just not super useful. It's fine and if you need the MBP performance, it's not a showstopper or anything like that.

 

[revmacian]

I have a great idea. You know, Apple could vastly improve the Touch Bar by making the function keys permanent and make them physical keys with key travel that matches the rest of the keyboard.. oh, wait..

 

[Ploki]

How so? They tried FireWire and dropped it. They tried 3D Touch and dropped it.

Firewire wasn't dropped.
It was widely adopted among video and audio gear, and high end hard drives.
It was directly superseded by Thunderbolt, and Apple still offers a TB2->Firewire adapter, because a lot of still perfectly functional high end gear comes with Firewire.

As far as touch-bar goes, i liked it, but i can't use it in a desktop environment because it never made it to external keyboards, so i steer away from using it. Just doesn't make sense to adjust to something that will get dropped and can't be used across apple's own range.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Firewire wasn't dropped.
It was widely adopted among video and audio gear, and high end hard drives.
It was directly superseded by Thunderbolt, and Apple still offers a TB2->Firewire adapter, because a lot of still perfectly functional high end gear comes with Firewire.

@Ploki

Thank you!
I was avoiding replying to that user who simply has his/her history wrong and it felt tedious to explain it to them.

Your reply is concise, complete and correct - thank you!

 

[MrMister111]

Just doesn't make sense to adjust to something that will get dropped and can't be used across apple's own range.

no one can know this though.

Apple may be fully behind it, all future laptops might have it. They may bring a keyboard out for iMac/desktops with it on, we don’t know. Then laptop and desktop users both have it and familiar.

 

[Ploki]

no one can l ow this though.

Apple may be fully behind it, al future laptops might have it. They may bring a keyboard out for iMac/desktops with it on, we don’t know. Then laptop and desktop users both have it and familiar.

Touch bar has been a thing since 2016, its gonna be 2020 (4 years).

Since then, they released an iMac Pro, new Mac Mini, couple of iMacs and demoed a new Mac Pro coming out soon, all without the TouchBar.
It hasn't been widely adopted by 3rd party developers, and even Apple isn't pushing it or making significant updates to it.
If they're fully behind it, they're hiding it well, a little too well.

The only way to gain access to Touchbar is using sidecar... Which is not really the point.

 

[KPOM]

Firewire wasn't dropped.
It was widely adopted among video and audio gear, and high end hard drives.
It was directly superseded by Thunderbolt, and Apple still offers a TB2->Firewire adapter, because a lot of still perfectly functional high end gear comes with Firewire.

As far as touch-bar goes, i liked it, but i can't use it in a desktop environment because it never made it to external keyboards, so i steer away from using it. Just doesn't make sense to adjust to something that will get dropped and can't be used across apple's own range.

It was "dropped" in that it's been years since you could connect a FireWire device directly to a Mac without an adapter. If we look at all the complaints about how the entire MacBook line lacks USB-A/mDP/Ethernet ports apparently people find that significant.

 

[ISKOTB]

I like it little better since I been using BTT https://folivora.ai

 

[Ploki]

It was "dropped" in that it's been years since you could connect a FireWire device directly to a Mac without an adapter. If we look at all the complaints about how the entire MacBook line lacks USB-A/mDP/Ethernet ports apparently people find that significant.

Yeah I get that, but in doesn't work in the same line of thinking as 3D touch, with no real alternative or successor, because it wasn't picked up. They tried 3D touch. (unfortunately for me, because I liked it, it failed)

They "tried" Firewire and it worked, and "upgraded" it with Thunderbolt 1, 2 and now 3, but it still works and is actively supported, both by Apple branded hardware and software. So it's not really dropped. Just not in plain sight.

It makes no sense anyway, because to make a one-size-fits all MacBook according to MacRumors, they'd have to include: Ethernet, Firewire, USB-A, USB-C, VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort (fullsized), MiniDisplayPort, SD Card reader.

All of which are inferior to Thunderbolt3 ports they include now, all of which get updated with years, and all of which a single Thunderbolt3 port can replace - and even support newer versions of them. They actually pulled the one-size-fits-all off with these ports if you ask me.

 

[casperes1996]

It makes no sense anyway, because to make a one-size-fits all MacBook according to MacRumors, they'd have to include: Ethernet, Firewire, USB-A, USB-C, VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort (fullsized), MiniDisplayPort, SD Card reader.

Not to forget Express Card, ADC, MagSafe coming back, Thunderbolt2 alongside Thunderbolt3 so legacy devices don't need dongles, separate line-in and line-out ports again, and now that we're at it, a quarter-inch audio jack for connecting your electric guitar directly to GarageBand, an espresso machine and a kitchen sink

 

[turbineseaplane]

Lol. Makes me think of this...

 

[jerryk]

Not to forget Express Card, ADC, MagSafe coming back, Thunderbolt2 alongside Thunderbolt3 so legacy devices don't need dongles, separate line-in and line-out ports again, and now that we're at it, a quarter-inch audio jack for connecting your electric guitar directly to GarageBand, an espresso machine and a kitchen sink

You forgot the VGA port, Centronics printer port, and SCSI interface!

 

[Ploki]

You forgot the VGA port, Centronics printer port, and SCSI interface!

i already mentioned the VGA.

unless you mean two VGA ports, because some pro somewhere might need two?

 

[casperes1996]

i already mentioned the VGA.

unless you mean two VGA ports, because some pro somewhere might need two?

Or 3 just to be on the safe side. Better add an extra DVI and DisplayPort too so displays that combine bandwidth from multiple ports work

 

[cyb3rdud3]

I like the touchPad would use it a lot more if it was on external keyboards as well. But when I'm on the move and don't have my screen, keyboard etc attached I use the touchPad all the time. I love how it is adaptable to the context of what I'm doing.

 

[tarsins]

It's useful, particularly for word suggestions. It's not essential but I'd miss it.

 

[Costino1]

I honestly bought it because it intrigued me and just looked "awesome." The technology is basically an Apple Watch 0 crammed into a laptop. That mesmerized me at day 1. However, now the ONLY thing I use it for is adjusting volume or scrolling thru a video on YouTube.

The Siri button is nice....and the TouchID is used CONSTANTLY though.

 

[pshufd]

I honestly bought it because it intrigued me and just looked "awesome." The technology is basically an Apple Watch 0 crammed into a laptop. That mesmerized me at day 1. However, now the ONLY thing I use it for is adjusting volume or scrolling thru a video on YouTube.

The Siri button is nice....and the TouchID is used CONSTANTLY though.

I have a Garmin Fenix 5+ Watch (much more health and fitness functionality than the Apple Watch) and it doesn't have a touch screen. Just five buttons. It's a lot more like the old function keys and less like the Touch Bar. The buttons are a lot more useful if you working out in cold weather or swimming or otherwise dripping with sweat.

 

[KPOM]

The Touch Bar is nice to have but not a necessity. I don’t think Apple will get rid of it, though. If they were, they likely wouldn’t have added it to the base 13” Pro.