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“Continuity touch”. Could have been applied more widely but I guess Sidecar is easier to apply to multiple apps.
 
I still don’t understand why Apple is so afraid of touchscreens on Macs when they are so good with them on mobile devices. It’s so much easier just to sign on the screen. Goofy workarounds like this should be unnecessary for the prices Apple charges.

They do it just so mac rumors users will have something to complain about when they create new features like this. Using a touch screen is fine for mobile devises, doesn't really work so well on computers. Apple's on the right track here. Track Pad. get it :)
 
Wow, the Newton returns! Prepare for hilarity and such to ensue at any party.... Using my fingernail or a stencil on any credit-card reader's touchscreen usually results in half of my signature appearing. And sometimes only after repeated attempts. I've learned just to squiggle a scrawl and that's perfectly okay with the touchscreen. So much for security.
Not quite sure I understand your thinking here. you don't use your fingernail on an iPhone or iPad, so why would it be related to the Newton? Apple's software is much more advanced now (especially since they laid the groundwork with handoff), so I can imagine this feature will work pretty smoothly.

And what does this have to do with a lack of security??
 
I still don’t understand why Apple is so afraid of touchscreens on Macs when they are so good with them on mobile devices. It’s so much easier just to sign on the screen. Goofy workarounds like this should be unnecessary for the prices Apple charges.
I find it a bit weird to use. I have a low end Dell PC that happens to have a touch screen, and have created a few signatures using that. Pretty handy. But touching screen feels a bit stretched.
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The image of the iPhone has an interface that says: "sign your name using your finger or pencil."; is that a real screenshot? a doctored image? If it's a screenshot, is it a mistake in iOS 13 or a sign that pencil support for (maybe the next) iPhone is finally coming with iOS 13?
Likely a bug. iPhone pencil support will not cone any time soon.
[doublepost=1559867721][/doublepost]I am pretty sure this feature requires 2FA, Even though OP does not say it. Sad.

Recently I was exchanging my newly bought iPhone and iPad frequently to an extent that if I setup both devices as trusted, I would’ve locked myself out of my own account if not careful. Apple never let user unpair paired Apple Watch before erasing the device. I don’t think they will let people de-register trusted device before erasing.
As for the feature, I use it sometimes, on Adobe Acrobat DC. It is pretty handy when combined with digital signature. I can even use this touch-screen written signature to sign some government issued documents instead of printing, signing and scanning.
 
I would love a touch screen on my Macbook. It has become natural to touch the screen and interact with it regardless of picking up the arm. There are times working with other people and we are huddled around the screen and we all try to move something around and are like oops its a mac.
 
N/A on my Mac. No selection for creating a new signature: You have to use a trackpad or iSight camera.
 
This is never going to take off in professional cases. This is why we have DocuSign etc.
That is not what it is designed for or ever will be used for. It's intent is to be able to conveniently sign a document like a permission slip or invoice or application or anything that does not require identity verification. I use the existing built-in functionality to avoid the print->sign->scan cycle.

Obviously DocuSign has its place, but this is not being offered up a as competitor to it.
 
Try it.

Sit at your desk, start typing and then lift one arm and touch the screen, swipe etc as if it’s for real. Move your arm back to the keyboard for more typing etc.

Now report back what you think of a vertically aligned touchscreen surface two feet or so in front of you.

Who says it would have to be vertical? ;)
I usually keep my screen at about a 30-45 angle from the desk, sometimes less when I'm editing photos or using the pen. I realize that's not a comfortable viewing angle for everyone, but it works extremely well for me.

Using a touch screen is fine for mobile devises, doesn't really work so well on computers.

My experience was quite different. I bought my Surface for photo editing and drawing. I thought I'd never use the touchscreen as an actual touchscreen, and was surprised how often it was simply more useful/faster than using the mouse. And how often I'm trying to reach up to my work monitor or poking at the screen on my Mom's Mac expecting something to happen. So for me, it's much more than a gimmick, and for graphic arts work, the touchscreen is simply awesome.

Full disclosure, while I have lots of Apple products, I haven't been a Mac guy since pre-OS X. But I never thought I'd live in a world where Microsoft of all companies built a better computer than Apple, especially for graphic arts. But (and I know this is very much just an opinion and not right for everyone), I don't think it's even close. And I didn't even have to buy a separate $999 stand ;).

On the downside, Microsoft can't quite get their Pen to work as well as an Apple Pencil, wish I could have the best of both worlds there.
 
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That is not what it is designed for or ever will be used for. It's intent is to be able to conveniently sign a document like a permission slip or invoice or application or anything that does not require identity verification. I use the existing built-in functionality to avoid the print->sign->scan cycle.

Obviously DocuSign has its place, but this is not being offered up a as competitor to it.
Then for an example just create a stamp in Adobe if you do not want a digital verified signature
 
This is never going to take off in professional cases. This is why we have DocuSign etc.

In theory third party apps would be able to leverage this API as well, so the utility remains
[doublepost=1559874842][/doublepost]I’m
Who says it would have to be vertical? ;)
I usually keep my screen at about a 30-45 angle from the desk, sometimes less when I'm editing photos or using the pen. I realize that's not a comfortable viewing angle for everyone, but it works extremely well for me.



My experience was quite different. I bought my Surface for photo editing and drawing. I thought I'd never use the touchscreen as an actual touchscreen, and was surprised how often it was simply more useful/faster than using the mouse. And how often I'm trying to reach up to my work monitor or poking at the screen on my Mom's Mac expecting something to happen. So for me, it's much more than a gimmick, and for graphic arts work, the touchscreen is simply awesome.

Full disclosure, while I have lots of Apple products, I haven't been a Mac guy since pre-OS X. But I never thought I'd live in a world where Microsoft of all companies built a better computer than Apple, especially for graphic arts. But (and I know this is very much just an opinion and not right for everyone), I don't think it's even close. And I didn't even have to buy a separate $999 stand ;).

On the downside, Microsoft can't quite get their Pen to work as well as an Apple Pencil, wish I could have the best of both worlds there.

You need an ipad
 
I still don’t understand why Apple is so afraid of touchscreens on Macs when they are so good with them on mobile devices. It’s so much easier just to sign on the screen. Goofy workarounds like this should be unnecessary for the prices Apple charges.

Because touching the screen sucks. Why?

1) You smudge the screen. If you are a perfectionist (which is what Apple is all about) and love their products, a smudged screen is a no no. It is one of the big reasons I would buy a macbook pro any day over a surface.

2) It's puts your hand in an unnatural position. It's unergonomic period.

Try this out for an experiment. Stick your hand up straight in front, hold it up in that one position for 5 minutes. What do you feel? Fatigue! Now one can argue that it is ridiculous to hold your hand up for 5 minutes, but my point is proven, it is an unergonomic way to use a device. A touch bar for example is more natural because you put your finger down, which is in line with gravity and you can do that for hours on end without getting tired. This is good design.

3) The trackpad is already good enough.

Apple's trackpad is second to none even as the competition have been aggressively implementing similar features. It has the best feel and the smoothest scrolling experience just like the iPhone. So tell me, what are you missing from not being able to touch the damn screen?

The answer is nothing! In fact, most of the multi-touch gestures you can do on the iPhone can be done on that trackpad. Furthermore, the new Macbook and Macbook Pros have the enlarged trackpad giving you even more space to work with.

4) If you want a touch screen, Apple has got you covered too!

Yes! It's called an iPad Pro. And it works very much like the laptop now given the performance boost in both hardware and software and the features that will be available in iPad OS in September.

So what is up with all the complain about not having a touch screen? I've had my macbook pro since 2017 (I got the late 2016 version) and I've never had a moment where I wish I had a touch screen. It's a gimmick folks!
 
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I guess there some people who do not know that similar functionality is built into Preview already. You can go to the Tools->Annotate->Manage Signatures to create a signature. Once you have one saved you can insert it into a document. You can use the camera or trackpad to create one.

It is obviously not as good as this new functionality, but it is easy to use and works well for now. It saved a lot of time by removing ending the Print -> Sign -> Scan -> Merge back into PDF cycle.

It works ok, I seem to have a hard time doing a proper signature on the trackpad. This would make life much easier. The more good features the merrier.
 
4) If you want a touch screen, Apple has got you covered too!

Yes! It's called an iPad Pro.

You need an ipad

Don't get me wrong, iPads are great. I've got an iPad Pro and have used an iPad since the day the first gen came out. They just don't work for serious photo editing. Wish they did, Apple Pencil is great. Hopefully Photoshop CC for iPad and iPadOS work well. But still a tiny screen for editing.
Try a Surface Studio sometime, if you can get past the fact that it's a Windows machine, it's an incredible experience.
 
Wow, the Newton returns! Prepare for hilarity and such to ensue at any party.... Using my fingernail or a stencil on any credit-card reader's touchscreen usually results in half of my signature appearing. And sometimes only after repeated attempts. I've learned just to squiggle a scrawl and that's perfectly okay with the touchscreen. So much for security.

I usually draw a smiley face or skull and crossbones.
 
If my £2500 iMac screen ends up looking like my iPhone screen (fingerprints and all) I’m not sure I’d be loving my purchase very long.

Just avoiding that outcome is reason enough not to so touchscreen Macs.
Things are moving rapidly that way. The purpose of iPadOS is to allow iPads to move out of the shadow of iPhones and closer to the world of macOS. At the same time the software infrastructure is being put in place in macOS, and Apple is pushing hard, to make it easier for developers to make their iPad apps run on Macs.
 
What is the difference between signing on Mac trackpad and signing on iPhone?

I guess it would be useful for iPad/Pencil combo, but those users would surely open the doc on the iPad anyway (because what's a computer)?

This is fluff.
 
I still don’t understand why Apple is so afraid of touchscreens on Macs when they are so good with them on mobile devices.
I think your question answers itself. Macs are desktop class devices with desktop user interfaces that don’t particularly shine with touch controls. Apple mobile devices have touch user interfaces that don’t particularly shine with cursor controls.
 
I realize that's not a comfortable viewing angle for everyone,

There you go.

And the colour on your screen at that angle will be quite off unless you are semi-stand, so why should Apple build something just for your very personal and very strange use case?
 
I just realise there is another way to do it:
Write down signature, save it as a picture. Bam, a reusable signature. No need for this feature to be released.
 
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