Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I don't know about that. I spent 35+ years as a technical writer and editor, I've been touch typing for (hmmm...carry the three...) right on 50 years, and still generally glance down at the keyboard to use the function keys. The touchbar seems a lot more flexible to me than a fixed set of physical keys on the upper row of the keyboard.

But why look at the keyboard instead of looking at the screen.
Did god not give you periferal vision?

God didn't give anyone anything, but Apple just gave us a turkey for Christmas.
 
You're exactly right. In Apple's own spec for the Touch Bar, it says that developers can't put any special functionality on the Touch Bar that is not also accessible some other way so that Macs without Touch Bars still have full functionality. The Touch Bar is really nothing more than a "shortcut bar" that can change functionality based on what the user is currently doing.

You say that like it's a BadThing(tm). :)
 
Why not just let the iPad or iPhone sync with your mac and do this instead of another 200-300 dolla... oh. Right. This is Tim's Apple.

Imagine the shrieking of the darned if Apple "required you to buy an iPad or iPhone to use your Mac".

Seriously?
[doublepost=1477676382][/doublepost]
A touchscreen wouldn't be "particularly useful" or particularly profitable? I completely understand if having a touchscreen would undermine ipad sales, Apple is a smart company.

Fingerprints all over your desktop/laptop screen?

Let's not forget the fatigue/RSI issues inherent in continually reaching up and out to a desktop or laptop screen compared with manipulating keys/trackpad/touchbar with your hands in a relaxed position on the keyboard.
 
Like many, I'm rather disappointed/underwhelmed by this MacBook update. I'm sure the machines are nice and while the Touch Bar seems gimmicky to me, I'll reserve final judgement until I've actually used it. Still, for me, there's nothing particularly exciting about the new hardware. I hate to say it, but I've grown as bored with Apple today as I did after Jobs left in the 80s. At least back then I was able to follow him to NeXT and buy a NeXTstation. Today's Apple is stale. Nice, but stale. Pretty sad when Microsoft hardware is more exciting.
 
Who is that aimed at? :confused:

I can't see any mention of it before your post.

This guy below.

You can now feel colors??
[doublepost=1477670019][/doublepost]
You mean new features such as
  • No SD Card Slot
  • No USB-A ports
  • No MagSafe
  • Increased Price Points
  • EmojiBar
  • Anorexia Obsessed Jony Ive
I'd honestly like to hear what you think what are the new features that are worth talking about with this release.
[doublepost=1477679197][/doublepost]
Why not just let the iPad or iPhone sync with your mac and do this instead of another 200-300 dolla... oh. Right. This is Tim's Apple.
So you want people to buy an iDevice with every HappyMac Meal? :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Feenician
Is it just me, or is the Touch ID not a huge selling point on this new MBP? Other Macs get Apple Pay without this feature by using an iPhone, which most mac users will have - so what is the big deal here?

Other than user switching, I guess.
 
Unfortunately for us, trolls increase the activity on forums, and thus the advertising revenues.

When AppleInsider decided to get more strict and got rid of some notorious trolls (one or more of them ended up trolling here instead), the number of comments on articles decreased drastically.

Getting off topic but...
Appleinsider's comment section reduced drastically ever since their redesign. Full of ads, slower site, and consistent problems with their commenting system (at the time).
 
AI is certainly not what I'd like to see MR become. I personally enjoy being able to debate with people who don't necessarily agree with my views on things. I don't want to be in a community where Apple fans just pat each other on the backs each time they say something nice about Apple, and then hound out anyone who dares post anything mildly critical (as happens on AI as you kind of alluded too). I think it's a big reason why MR is such a massively bigger and better site.

The issue is not agreeing or disagreeing, it's the constant people go on and on about how they're going to buy Dell XPS or some other brand in every single thread about anything MR reports...I'm fine with the different point of views on the other hand :)
 
I watched the presentation yesterday on my 27" Mac and wondered if a Mac Keyboard could be made with the Touch Bar. I saw your article this AM, and it seem more likely he could be done since the Touch Bar has the T1 chip and communicates via USB. Maybe even one that could be used with current iMac's. Is there special hardware in the Mac or does it just interface thru the OS?
 
...
A lot of people seem to think that being hypercritical makes them appear smarter. It doesn't.

There is a difference between being disappointed that the platform we have invested tens/hundreds of thousands has stagnated, and being "hypercritical."

The touch bar is a nice touch. So is the Touch ID (finally on the (most expensive) Mac, even though every major laptop manufacturer has had even on mid-tier products for a while now).

But neither is a giant "leap," as it was presented.

If this is what a "leap" is for Apple, perhaps it's time for most of us to move on to platforms that are a bit more capable of leaping....
 
You don't have to close the MBP when you connect to an external monitor, you know. I almost never do, the laptop's screen is too useful just keeping palettes and the like away from the image on the external screen.

Yes, I know and you can't close it when it's just on battery power. Monitor won't show up , at least in my set up.

Putting the MBP to the side is not practical. I put mine closed under the monitor and I use an external keyboard and trackpad. Saves a lot of space.

Anyway , everybody has a different set up, but I think for a PRO machine that should have been considered.
 
Yes, I know and you can't close it when it's just on battery power. Monitor won't show up , at least in my set up.

Putting the MBP to the side is not practical. I put mine closed under the monitor and I use an external keyboard and trackpad. Saves a lot of space.

Anyway , everybody has a different set up, but I think for a PRO machine that should have been considered.
I'm fairly confident we're going to see a new Magic Keyboard with a touch bar in it when the new iMacs are released.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UnfetteredMind
I I guess I hadn't realized they had removed the function keys until I saw this picture. Seems kind of lame to me, why not include them and throw the bar on top? Looks like more than enough space for palm area + trackpad.
 
This is fascinating! What an exciting development, to embed iOS into a Mac in this way.

The complaints will die down once people start using these Touch Bar interfaces. It's an adjustment, but one that will bring opportunities that we haven't thought of yet.

Replacing the aging function keys was genius. The placement is good, not requiring a big travel of the eyes or fingers to use effectively.

The prices are surprising, but it seems that's a trend with all major vendors.
 
None of us have used Touch Bar, and at first I didn't think it'd be useful, but now that I've had a chance to digest it, I think it's an excellent idea with essentially no cons.

Basically, the Touch Bar is superior to a full touch screen because it allows for a contextual menu to show up depending on where your cursor is or what window / tab you're in. For example, I'm typing this message, and yes, if I had a touch screen, I could reach up, but with the Touch Bar, I could see a wider contextual menu that is much more accessible for my hands, which are already on the keyboard.

People are complaining that they'd need to look down at the Touch Bar, but over a short time, you'd get used to the Touch Bar options on your commonly used apps, and since the Touch Bar is color coordinated, you can easily tap it without looking.

I've been thinking this the whole time... Why are people complaining about having to look down at the Touch Bar instead of rejoicing that they don't have to reach their hands up to the screen to access touchscreen controls? Moving your eyes is a whole lot quicker, easier, and less clumsy than moving your hands. A view pane and separate control pane makes so much more sense for a laptop computer. I'm so glad Apple hasn't tried to merge tablets and laptops like everyone else (other than that keyboard case for the iPad Pro). Beef all you want about the pricing, RAM, and ports, like everyone always does, but this Touch Bar will add a lot of functionality and convenience for pretty much everyone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Casiotone
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.