I'm happy with my first gen MacBook but i am waiting till 2018 to see what happens with the MBP as far as the E-Ink keyboards. That rumor seems to have traction considering how the touch bar works.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MacBook Pro Touch Bar's T1 Chip Runs 'Variant' of watchOS, Also Secures Touch ID and FaceTime Camera [Updated]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's out there. I guess emoji bar is the equivalent of calling it a gimmick. Of course people said Taptic Engine was a gimmick; now I see complaints that touch bar doesn't have haptic feedback.Ha. I'd searched for Emoji Bar, not EmojiBar.
Meh, I worry on fingerprints on my SP4 as much as I do having them on my iPhone 7+, but I totally understand the benefit of a touchscreen may not outweigh the negative of fingerprints, just a difference of use. As for the RSI issues I disagree, and I've detailed in other posts specifically why I disagree as an ergonomics expert. Some of it is situational though and depends on how you use the touchscreen, what position you are in, how close the device is to you, etc., so it's many factors. Certainly even if we disagree on the RSI issues for the touchscreen, there still remains many ergonomic issues with prolonged use of a trackpad as well.
How is it amazing, decent design but performance is weak.
This upgrade is the best you can get at this time with the Intel chips available.
The bar is contextual to what's on screen. That's the opposite of a gimmick, if anything its usefulness is understated
It's not a bad upgrade, it's just an unfortunate price hike. I'm not sure it will be worth it for the average consumer, and I'm sure most people will opt for the non-Touch Bar model. Which is a shame, because that model sucks ($1499 and only two ports??)
If the model without the Touch Bar was $1299, and the Touch Bar models started at $1499, that would be reasonable. Hopefully a price cut will come in March along with a Kaby Lake refresh. That has happened before (i.e. when the Retina was originally launched.)
If the model without the Touch Bar was $1299, and the Touch Bar models started at $1499, that would be reasonable. Hopefully a price cut will come in March along with a Kaby Lake refresh. That has happened before (i.e. when the Retina was originally launched.)
Wow. Use the mouse? Really? Great. All these years editing complex video projects and I could've used the mouse. Now I see the benefits of MR Forums! Ok then here's another take. Why bring out a 'feature' which seems to command a 25% price hike that will perform LESS efficiently than it's predecessor.
Using this analogy "if you don't like the new Apple Car hand-accelerator just use the foot accelerator". Eh? But I thought a price premium was justifiable when it was more functional than .... pass me that 2017 Surface catalogue again, Bill.
I like the bar (and the colours and the larger trackpad), but definitely am not ready to pay that kind of money anytime soon on a new laptop. 2013 MacBook Pro will keep doing its job for me. Also I use my MacBook stationary most of the time anyway, as impressive as the technology driving this is, it's overkill for me.
All the more we have to speak to and fight to take back these forums. Maybe I will lose in the end, but I sure as hell won't go down without a fight.
[doublepost=1477696618][/doublepost]
In a nutshell, not all features matter equally. Having more features isn't always a plus, especially when I am not getting more of what I want. Just as having fewer features isn't always a disadvantage, as I will go on to explain.
Look at the MBA when it first came out. Slow processor. No CD-Drive. Only 1 USB port. The MBA made a ton of sacrifices, all of which were considered essential components of a laptop, in the pursuit of thinness. As it turned out, most people could live without those features once thought to be indispensable. The sole selling point, it’s ultra-thin and light form factor, ended up being a key selling point that ultimately mattered more than all the other features it replaced.
And you know what? I love the concept behind the new MacBook Pro. Yes, it lacks magsafe. Yes, I will probably need an array of adaptors and dongles in the short run because none of my existing peripherals will likely work with it. It’s more inconvenient, it’s less accessible, and it’s a complete dream to use in the right setting.
I can use any port for any purpose I want. I can charge from the left or the right. I can hook it up to a USB-C monitor or use that 3-in-1 adaptor and drive everything using just one cable. The ports are reversible.
This is another classic example of Apple having the "courage" to say straight to my face, "this one feature is more important than this entire set of other features people usually consider must-haves." Consider me a sucker for controversial tradeoffs, and while most of you will say "This is madness!!!", I will say "Bring it on!!!"
To me, the removal of all legacy ports is a positive feature, one which allows for the inclusion of the more modern and versatile USB-C port.
[doublepost=1477696761][/doublepost]
That's like saying the retina display and trackpad of a laptop is useless if the laptop is closed when hooked up to a monitor.
You chose to use it that way, so why are you complaining?
[doublepost=1477696994][/doublepost]
I am all for constructive debate.
And the deluge of people who rush to flood any new discussion with posts like "So where's the new MacBook?" sure as heck isn't that. These people aren't worth engaging in a productive discussion, and they add virtually nothing of value to the discussion, beyond me having to waste time to scroll past them and get to the 2nd or 3rd page before the real discussion begins.
Just use the right tool for the job. With all the crossover between applications and operating systems the lines between Windows, Linux, and Mac are starting to blur.
[doublepost=1477698829][/doublepost]
Agreed but there will probably be no more Cinema Displays.
Last edited:
This so much. As the article said, the Touch Bar basically runs WatchOS. This is the future of Apple Convergence, and something others have speculated on this forum multiple times: ARM basically being a coprocessor to Intel.
I'm not excited for this MacBook Pro. I'm excited for what they come out with in another year or two. They're for sure going to integrate haptic feedback into the Touch Bar. But I think the next big step is making the trackpad OLED.
I think THAT'S what the next big thing from Apple is going to be. It's basically going to be a second screen, and makes a ton of sense. Your fingers are already on the touch pad, you already interact with it. Why wouldn't you put a touch screen there? Especially if it's basically running WatchOS. You basically have a giant Apple Watch on your MacBook.
...and a 28" 4500x3000 screen that is also a high resolution digitizer with a pressure sensitive pen and touch support. Yea great comparison to a MacBook.
[doublepost=1477712673][/doublepost]
So you are just going to ignore the fact and one of the few things they demonstrated was IT BEING USED AS AN EMOJI BAR!??
[doublepost=1477713334][/doublepost]
If you bother to look a little to left at the "member since date", you will find that I am a newbie compared to some of these people you are calling trolls just because they disagree with you. Many of them have been members for 10 years or more.
Why don't you share your opinion about the new tech and quick attacking other commenters for disagreeing with you?
I dunno man. I can't think of almost anything I'd rather do on a little OLED touch bar that couldn't be done using a pointer controlled by a mouse on the screen or using fingers on a touch pad. It just seems really gimmicky and janky to me without a tangible benefit.
I think it takes a lot of courage for Apple to move us into the future. /s
I don't think a lot of people necessarily care about loosing the function keys themselves. They are pretty useless to most people. Just like the number pad. How many people are able to use a number pad without looking (I'd venture to say very few). The issue is what to replace the function keys with. I think this is a good idea. I mean, is it gimmicky, sure. But, it's not like the function keys themselves were useful to many people. Might as well remove it and put something that could potentially be more useful.
Like I said before though, this is more about the future of the Mac. Is this revolutionary? Absolutely not, but it shows the idea of where Apple is heading.
it doesn't contradict it at all. A touch screen on a laptop vs a touchscreen device is different.
I run my retina at 1920*1200 all the time to gain screen real-estate. You can't use any applications with a fat finger, not to mention screen attached at angle is fatiguing for the hand.
Surface does it right, by having a flippable design. Then the screen actually rests on a desk. But until software catches up... it's pointless.
Right now, touch and keyboard+mouse are two inputs that require a different approach and different UI for interaction. Flipping the screen does nothing until you have GUI for the applications ready for that.
But no, Apple is not going to do that. That is Microsoft's thing. They give you the two-for-one experience.
Steve Jobs thought touchscreens on computers were dumb. That's how the iPad became a thing. This is one place where Apple has remained true to Jobs' vision on design and functionality.
I can see how the TouchPad, and it and the security aspect being powered by ARM processors, can become functional things. Schiller's argument there does make sense: rather than map commands to a bunch of function keys, why not have contextual tasks? Beautiful OLED interface, works well in MacOS...it can become a thing, a good thing.
Apple is going to design its own GPU in the future, I'm pretty confident about that.
They have plenty of cash, they could easily buy AMD if they really wanted their knowledge on the GPU side (and they'd have plenty of people able to design a CPU as well) but I'm not sure, maybe they could buy imagination technology or just partner with them or AMD.
The following new features are worth talking about:
- 40Gbps i/o
- Improved display
- Larger trackpad
- 3GBps SSD
- Being able to set my favorite excel shortcuts to the touch bar
- Easily use dual 4k displays
- Lighter weight
It is funny why people really hate the new Macbook Pro, possibly because most of us already waited for years and Apple just release seems-not-useful emoji bar and significantly increase the price?
The way I see it, the new screen much better screen, slimmer and smaller profile, and USB-C worth the price hike for the entry level new Macbook Pro. No one force you to buy MacBook with the touch bar. I believe most people don't find any advantages of the touch bar at all, like me (more like gimmicky), therefor, Apple provide us with entry level MacBook Pro.
I personally will not buy it, since I cannot spend so much money now, and my current MacBook just works fine. The price is still unbelievable, but I personally think it is still worth it if you can afford it.
I think Touch Bar is quite innovative in its own way, but not many people will find any usage of it, and most of it probably will just think it is just plain disadvantages. I am quite satisfied of every other aspect of the new Macbook Pro, just not the price.
Drastic changes is required to move to the future, such as removing many different standardized port in the new Macbook, and most people don't like changes. In few years, I believe USB-C will start to become mainstream. However, for us to see that, someone must start the changes, and something like that usually done by Apple in the recent years.
Community still need to spread and express their dissatisfaction broader though, because it is the way Apple know they overpriced their laptop. If all people just accept it like me, Apple will just think it is fine.
The way I see it, the new screen much better screen, slimmer and smaller profile, and USB-C worth the price hike for the entry level new Macbook Pro. No one force you to buy MacBook with the touch bar. I believe most people don't find any advantages of the touch bar at all, like me (more like gimmicky), therefor, Apple provide us with entry level MacBook Pro.
I personally will not buy it, since I cannot spend so much money now, and my current MacBook just works fine. The price is still unbelievable, but I personally think it is still worth it if you can afford it.
I think Touch Bar is quite innovative in its own way, but not many people will find any usage of it, and most of it probably will just think it is just plain disadvantages. I am quite satisfied of every other aspect of the new Macbook Pro, just not the price.
Drastic changes is required to move to the future, such as removing many different standardized port in the new Macbook, and most people don't like changes. In few years, I believe USB-C will start to become mainstream. However, for us to see that, someone must start the changes, and something like that usually done by Apple in the recent years.
Community still need to spread and express their dissatisfaction broader though, because it is the way Apple know they overpriced their laptop. If all people just accept it like me, Apple will just think it is fine.
Last edited:
Touch bar is mostly useless unless it can also be offered in an external keyboard
90% of the time I'm in clamshell
The laptop is a portable computer, but who uses it on their lap on a regular basis?
90% of the time I'm in clamshell
The laptop is a portable computer, but who uses it on their lap on a regular basis?
This. I think the reason it seems so gimmicky right now is that there's not clear utility for it. I want a desktop replacement, that I can bring to and from work. I guess Apple's solution is the 13" without Touch Bar, but when if I want a 15" since I don't have a monitor at home?
Ideally, I'd like a MacMini with an iPad Pro. Ugh... But that's probably never gonna happen. Although, maybe when they update the iMac. But then, you'd think Touch Bar must be integrated on iMac. So, is it going to be a new stand alone keyboard? But, that's gonna be one freakin' expensive keyboard....
Edit: I just realized they're selling the old 15" MBP along with the new ones. It would be nice if they sold an updated 15" like the 13". I'm not sure it's worth the $400 they're asking me....
Last edited:
Except when I hook up a display and close the shell, I have a monitor to see what I am doing.
If Apple wants to push that "touch bar" experience, they will have to integrate it into a keyboard.
That WILL happen with the next iMac or all other arguments for this input method made are invalid.
PS: Just read a few posts of others who use their MBPs in clamshell mode with a monitor.
Not so uncommon, so we want a mobile computer and if they want us to warm up to touch bar they have to enable everybody to use it, regardless of what type of computer we have.