Microsoft Previews Touch Bar Support For New MacBook Pros Running Office

[MacRumors]

During Apple's MacBook Pro keynote last October, Apple briefly mentioned that Microsoft was working on introducing support for the new Touch Bar across its suite of Office applications.

While Microsoft has yet to officially roll out the support, Office users can opt to test the new Touch Bar features by becoming an "Office Insider", which is basically a public beta program.

In Word, Touch Bar users will be able to activate the distraction-free Focus Mode to remove the Ribbon, and access text formatting and font style options.

In PowerPoint, the Touch Bar will show a graphical overview of all slides in a deck, and offer the ability to reorder slides. Excel is set to get the most useful Touch Bar features though, bringing recently used functions, color cells, and chart options to the MacBook's OLED strip.

Lastly, Outlook brings a today view to the Touch Bar, allowing users to see calendar appointments for the day, while recently used documents will display when composing emails, for quickly attaching files. Skype call functions are also set to be available from the Bar.

Office users interested in testing the Touch Bar functions in the beta program - along with any attendant bugs/issues - can sign up to become an "Office Insider" here.

(via The Verge.)

Article Link: Microsoft Previews Touch Bar Support For New MacBook Pros Running Office

 

[smacrumon]

Pretty strange how this Microsoft support wasn't available at launch time. I would have thought Apple was more organized with their large partners.

Honestly, I'm still not convinced about the touch bar. Still gimmick in my opinion. Seems an interface that is a not as intuitive compared to direct input through touch on screen.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

I'd rather wish they would support third party plugins. So much stuff you miss out on the mac office suite.

 

[1050792]

Microsoft - The company that gives more attention to the competitors OS than their own,

 

[coolbreeze]

Finally a use for it. Nice.
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Microsoft - The company that gives more attention to the competitors OS than their own,

Yeah we are all waiting on Surface touch bar support.

 

[Janichsan]

Would I be wrong if I'd guess that most (if not all) of these features will be exclusive to Office 365 subscribers (as many other features already implemented in Office 2016)?

 

[navaira]

The Focus Mode sounds like the first reason for me to want the Touch Bar. That would be awesome.

 

[nurban1992]

But, but... I thought the new MacBooks Pro with TouchBar weren't selling, and people were switching to Microsoft Surface en mass! Microsoft shouldn't need to add TouchBar support on their competitor's machine if it's failing and they're reeling in Apple customers...

I know, it's just a software update, but... I love seeing the irony of it.

 

[AMCTheaters]

OneNote?

 

[1050792]

But, but... I thought the new MacBooks Pro with TouchBar weren't selling, and people were switching to Microsoft Surface en mass! Microsoft shouldn't need to add TouchBar support on their competitor's machine if it's failing and they're reeling in Apple customers...

I know, it's just a software update, but... I love seeing the irony of it.

But it's true the surface outsold the new macbooks! After one week 95℅ of the surface units were returned.

 

[Carlanga]

While the idea seems great, it probably is meh in the end. Having to look down to find the stuff you want to select will take more than time than the hide feature.

 

[dreamlikestate]

I just wonder how many years will it take for Apple to acknowledge they failed and ditch that ugly touch bar for good.

 

[1050792]

While the idea seems great, it probably is meh in the end. Having to look down to find the stuff you want to select will take more than time than the hide feature.

I think in this case you are not thinking differently enough. Remember "Think different"

 

[Phil A.]

Honestly, I'm still not convinced about the touch bar. Still gimmick in my opinion. Seems an interface that is a not as intuitive compared to direct input through touch on screen.

I think I agree - I got a TB rMB yesterday and the touch bar is, so far, in the "looks cool" rather than the "must have" category.

I chose the TB over the non-TB because of the other advantages of that machine (faster processor, faster RAM, 2 extra ports) and TouchId is very convenient but I remain unconvinced by the touch bar itself

The Focus Mode sounds like the first reason for me to want the Touch Bar. That would be awesome.

You don't need the touch bar to start focus mode - you can activate it from the ribbon or by pressing alt+shift+cmd+F. Of course, the touch bar has the advantage that the formatting buttons are visible on it while in focus mode, but most of those (such as bold, underline, etc) can easily be activated with shortcut key presses

OneNote?

Nothing in OneNote yet

 

[RockstarSR]

I was using Touch Bar with MS Office from over a month..using BetterTouchTool.

 

[blackcrayon]

Pretty strange how this Microsoft support wasn't available at launch time. I would have thought Apple was more organized with their large partners.

Honestly, I'm still not convinced about the touch bar. Still gimmick in my opinion. Seems an interface that is a not as intuitive compared to direct input through touch on screen.

I disagree. Apple knows how direct screen touch works, obviously, but for a relatively large screen laptop when the screen is vertical? The TouchBar is much more useful for that IMO. A context sensitive "analog" control is also nice to have built-in (there have been external peripherals for this for a very long time). And the fact that the touch bar's controls can be used simultaneously with the trackpad can make for some "actions" that couldn't be done previously. I seriously doubt anyone would want to operate the trackpad with one hand while having their other hand raised operating something on a vertical screen. And then there's the fact (repeated a billion times) that OS X's targets are designed for a mouse pointer. Apple could redesign them for fingers, but then you get the Windows 10 compromise where a lot of screen elements are a serious waste of space if you're using the mouse.

 

[jft94]

In Word, Touch Bar users will be able to activate the distraction-free Focus Mode to remove the Ribbon, and access text formatting and font style options.

You don't need the Touch Bar to activate this. Focus Mode became available in one of the Word betas a little while before the Touch Bar features became available.
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I was using Touch Bar with MS Office from over a month..using BetterTouchTool.

You want a cookie?

 

[MacFan23]

I just wonder how many years will it take for Apple to acknowledge they failed and ditch that ugly touch bar for good.

I didn't realise people felt this way about the touch bar. I see that it's not a reason to upgrade to the new mac, but if it's there surely it's an upgrade on barely used function keys. Then again, people were clamouring for Apple to put the SuperDrive back in.

 

[plexdk]

I didn't realise people felt this way about the touch bar. I see that it's not a reason to upgrade to the new mac, but if it's there surely it's an upgrade on barely used function keys. Then again, people were clamouring for Apple to put the SuperDrive back in.

Hehe, doesn't matter if apple finds a cure to cancer, they will still be hated here..

I'm personally looking forward to see how logic will work with the touch bar, when my new mbp arrives.

 

[x0vash0x]

But it's true the surface outsold the new macbooks! After one week 95℅ of the surface units were returned.

I am always tempted to get a Surface Book, but then I realize I HATE using windows. It's little things that add up, such as switch to Chinese input but the input still being English, despite the taskbar clearly saying Chinese input is selected. Also, the great feature where I put the computer to sleep, and then when I wake it, it says that I have no audio output devices available. Although, I do love the advertisements Microsoft throws at me with Edge (/sarcasam).

There's nothing glaringly terrible with Windows 10, but it's a lot of small annoyances. Sometimes, I convinence myself that all I need to do is buy a high-end PC, and then the issues wouldn't happen. Then I think 'Do I really want to spend thousands of dollars on a theory that spending thousands of dollars will fix my issues? Or, should I just buy a Mac, which I use as well, which has literally never had any of the same problems'

I didn't realise people felt this way about the touch bar. I see that it's not a reason to upgrade to the new mac, but if it's there surely it's an upgrade on barely used function keys. Then again, people were clamouring for Apple to put the SuperDrive back in.

I have two big issues with the TouchBar. First, it doesn't have any kind of feedback. I have to look at it to know where my fingers are going to press. That means, I have to take my eyes off the screen to look at another screen to make sure I'm doing my work. It interrupts my workflow. If there was some kind of more 'natural' way to touch access the keys, it would be great. Two, my fingers are short and it's often a stretch for me to reach the keys.

 

[Phil A.]

I didn't realise people felt this way about the touch bar. I see that it's not a reason to upgrade to the new mac, but if it's there surely it's an upgrade on barely used function keys. Then again, people were clamouring for Apple to put the SuperDrive back in.

That's how I see it - it's not a compelling reason to upgrade (yet), but it's definitely an improvement over the function keys that used to be there

Some of the functions it provides are pretty cool (such as instant access to your website favourites on the favourites bar) and precise control over brightness and volume and some of the functions are pretty pointless (such as the back button on Safari - it's easier to swipe with the trackpad)

Overall I don't really care about it one way or the other: It wouldn't bother me if it wasn't there but as it is, I'll make use of it.

Of course, in time that opinion may change to finding it more or less useful: it really depends what app developers do with it

 

[MacFan23]

I am always tempted to get a Surface Book, but then I realize I HATE using windows. It's little things that add up, such as switch to Chinese input but the input still being English, despite the taskbar clearly saying Chinese input is selected. Also, the great feature where I put the computer to sleep, and then when I wake it, it says that I have no audio output devices available. Although, I do love the advertisements Microsoft throws at me with Edge (/sarcasam).

There's nothing glaringly terrible with Windows 10, but it's a lot of small annoyances. Sometimes, I convinence myself that all I need to do is buy a high-end PC, and then the issues wouldn't happen. Then I think 'Do I really want to spend thousands of dollars on a theory that spending thousands of dollars will fix my issues? Or, should I just buy a Mac, which I use as well, which has literally never had any of the same problems'



I have two big issues with the TouchBar. First, it doesn't have any kind of feedback. I have to look at it to know where my fingers are going to press. That means, I have to take my eyes off the screen to look at another screen to make sure I'm doing my work. It interrupts my workflow. If there was some kind of more 'natural' way to touch access the keys, it would be great. Two, my fingers are short and it's often a stretch for me to reach the keys.

Surely you have the latter problem regardless of the touch bar?

How many of us actually know the positions of the function keys from touch? Genuine question, is it a common thing?

Anecdotally, from my personal experience, I only ever use the volume controls and F1/F2 with alt to bring up my display preferences, and I look every time.

I do agree that it'd be great to have haptic feedback though, Touch Bar 2?

 

[itguy06]

Honestly, I'm still not convinced about the touch bar. Still gimmick in my opinion. Seems an interface that is a not as intuitive compared to direct input through touch on screen.

^^ This. I picked up a Windows 2-in-1 and full touch screen with pen is much better than the touch bar. Win 10, while not OS X is actually decent.

Apple has the pieces with the Apple Pencil - they just have to get it to work with a MacBook.

 

[Keane16]

Looking forward to trying this. With Pixelmator, Xcode and now MS Office covered my 3 main workhorses on the Mac support it. Plretty pleased.

The TouchBar has been like 3D Touch for me. The more I use use it the handier it gets.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

I can't see Microsoft putting too much effort into this. Why would they when 95% of their Office customers can't use these features?