MacBook Pro Touch Bar's T1 Chip Runs 'Variant' of watchOS, Also Secures Touch ID and FaceTime Camera [Updated]

[Abazigal]

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.

I am not sure if a keyboard version is feasible, given the cost of the touch bar and the Bluetooth latency. That could also explain why the iMac was delayed. Perhaps Apple needed more time to work out a functional version of the keyboard to bundle with the iMac.

 

[AFDoc]

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.

No cons? How about the crazy price?

 

[Feenician]

emoji bar

You do yourself and any thinking person a disservice with this nonsense meme. It's a universal replacement for they keys that went before it, a user customizable bar for any shortcuts and, as in the demo, an application programmer customizable interface for things that were not acheivable, or easily acheivable, without removing your hands from the keyboard and either using mouse/trackpad.

I see some compromises in it (having to glance at it to see what function it's currently serving) and I most definitely am not "all in" or "all out" or anything in between until I've tried it but "emoji bar"? Take it back to 4chan, 9gag or reddit or something.

 

[BeefCake 15]

I look forward to the future when the whole keyboard has the same functionality, the layout changes with the language you choose etc.

 

[Casiotone]

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 was talking about real trolls, not people that simply disagree with me and/or post negative stuff about Apple.

And by the way I didn't name anyone in particular, I just said "some notorious trolls", which implied a small number.

You are the one that decided that my comment was targeted toward "people disagreeing with me" and then used this to attack me.

 

[anentropic]

I am not sure if a keyboard version is feasible, given the cost of the touch bar and the Bluetooth latency. That could also explain why the iMac was delayed. Perhaps Apple needed more time to work out a functional version of the keyboard to bundle with the iMac.

Yes, likely the T1 processor would need to be in the keyboard (and personally I'd much prefer if it wasn't bluetooth and pointlessly wireless, thus needing batteries etc)

To me it's a symptom they have lost sight of how users actually use their products

IMHO pros use it as desktop replacement, and casual users probably wish it ran games decently

From my own experience I would guess that it's a minority of pro users who ever need to do real work on battery power with no external screen etc

 

[saxofunk]

I hope that the MBP turns into something like this. A large touch display in place of the track-pad that included force touch, haptics, and a 'retina' resolution would be most welcome in this space. This would be excellent for contextual menus and touch control of sliders, switches, and other controls for pro apps. Apple already has patents for this type of layout, and even for physical overlay devices (like the MS Surface Studio's knob) to control specific features. I'm fine with leaving the touch bar at the top to accommodate the touch ID and dynamic typing and functions options. A physical keyboard is still a must until a touch keyboard with better haptics can be produced. Proximity sensors at the top of the touch pad would help prevent accidental input while typing.

The mockup is my own paltry Photoshop efforts, but I think it gets the point across.

 

[Michael Goff]

I am not sure if a keyboard version is feasible, given the cost of the touch bar and the Bluetooth latency. That could also explain why the iMac was delayed. Perhaps Apple needed more time to work out a functional version of the keyboard to bundle with the iMac.

Yeah, Apple products have had a problem with BT for a long time. But let's not completely blame the standard for this. Apple can't even make a phone that doesn't drop BT from when the phone is in my pocket and the headphones on my head. Same headphones and the Lumina works perfectly.

Apple doesn't get BT.