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With the 2016 MacBook Pro models, Apple introduced the Touch Bar, a small multi-touch display available above the keyboard. The Touch Bar replaced the function row of keys and added dynamic buttons that changed for each app, but it was a polarizing feature that many Mac users disliked.


Apple started phasing out the Touch Bar with the launch of the 2021 MacBook Pro models, and the last Mac with a Touch Bar was discontinued in 2023. If you're one of the MacBook Pro users who misses the Touch Bar, you'll want to take a look at the Flexbar, which is designed to be a Touch Bar replacement.

The Flexbar is a standalone touch-based hardware device that attaches to a Mac, iPad, iPhone, or PC over USB-C. It has a customizable, adaptive interface that's modeled after the Touch Bar, and in terms of functionality, it's similar to multi-button PC and Mac add-ons like the Stream Deck.

flexbar.jpg

Flexbar features a 10-inch 2K OLED display and it comes equipped with preloaded shortcut combinations and controls tailored for popular apps. It supports third-party APIs and can allegedly offer "advanced, native-like controls" for YouTube, Microsoft apps, Adobe apps, AutoCAD, and more. Flexbar's creators say that a plugin system and marketplace are in development and slated to launch in the second quarter of 2025.

Like the Touch Bar, the Flexbar is designed to automatically switch controls based on your current task window, but users can create their preferred layouts using a "Workspace" recording function. While the Touch Bar was limited to more basic controls, the Flexbar supports multi-step macros and sequences for repetitive tasks.

The Flexbar is a Kickstarter project from a Hong Kong-based company called ENIAC, so first and foremost, MacRumors readers should know that ENIAC has not previously created a hardware product. Taking hardware from prototyping to mass production is a difficult task that can lead to delays and even insurmountable issues, plus there are also software integration requirements, so we recommend waiting until the product launches to make a purchase.

It is $120 to back the Flexbar now (shipping not included), and the product has been funded. The Kickstarter page lists an estimated delivery date of February 2025.

Article Link: Miss the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar? Check Out the Flexbar
 
The Touchbar had really good software support for years, despite the fact that nobody cared or wanted it. If you were one of the 5 people that actually liked it, you were well taken care of by almost every application.

Where is the software support going to come from for the Flexbar? Who is going to integrate their UIs with it? Is it backward compatible with the macOS Touchbar APIs? Even if it is, implementations of those will start to fade away soon, as will the APIs themselves.
 
sounds/looks interesting - and THANK YOU for this:
so first and foremost, MacRumors readers should know that ENIAC has not previously created a hardware product. Taking hardware from prototyping to mass production is a difficult task that can lead to delays and even insurmountable issues, plus there are also software integration requirements, so we recommend waiting until the product launches to make a purchase.
 
"The Touch Bar replaced the function row of keys and added dynamic buttons that changed for each app, but it was a polarizing feature that many Mac users disliked."
We've now brought it back but in a less convenient form factor. This will surely do well because, reasons..
 
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Been there done that. lol

Oh, but maybe this time around it won't be a miserable fail? As in: "Let's make something that failed miserably. Already tried by millions over many years, and failed." A sound business plan.

Now I'm not a betting person really, but.....
 
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I really like the touchbar, I would like it better as an addition to the function keys rather than a replacement.

This is in addition to the function keys, has haptics, supports multiple OS’s, etc. and looks potentially to be pretty great.

The few major downsides I can see for adoption though are:

1) it’s not built-in physically, and would be less useful for laptops.

2) Software support - the original touchbar was built into the operating system so everything used it even if developers didn’t do anything extra to use it optimally. But Developers were kind of incentivized to use it by the fact that it was something that everyone could use. I’m concerned this may not receive the same love from software makers because they will (rightfully) view it as a niche market to target.

3) By the nature of the product adapting to the programs you are using, that tells me it is monitoring our activity and needs additional software (and drivers) to function. That both is not a seamless experience for the end user, and leaves concerns about (data) privacy.
 
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This isn't anything new. There are lot's of these types of touch strips, and pads. Most of them are buttons, and not so flashy, but they cost accordingly.

There even may be very similar ones to this. If you can think of it, it's on Amazon. Not sure what they want for this, but it shouldn't be more than $100 US. Then again they might be hoping for an Apple tax.

They also have touch monitors in unusual, small shapes and sizes. This looks a little cramped. If you're going make it a separate device, maybe making it a little larger?

Also, the person who posted about closing the screen on it is right. You absolutely should not position this in a laptop like that. So its use would be on a desktop or alongside a laptop, which has nothing to do with the Apple Touchbar. If you're using it in a desktop setup, a larger device like a Looperdeck might be better, and more ergonomic.
 
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If Apple’s market research determined that a Touch Bar was not valuable, why would ENIAC choose to create its own version without any notable enhancements? 🤷‍♂️
Some people liked the touchbar, seems most did not, however, let’s just say Apple sold 10M of those MBPs and just 1% found them useful - that would make it a 100k units opportunity, initially priced at $120 which will jump up after release… that’s a $12M opportunity - why not?
 
MacRumors readers should know that ENIAC has not previously created a hardware product. Taking hardware from prototyping to mass production is a difficult task that can lead to delays and even insurmountable issues, plus there are also software integration requirements, so we recommend waiting until the product launches to make a purchase.

Yes! For example...
;-)


TRIGGER WARNING: the following links may induce remorse, regret, or anger.


(months pass)

(even more months pass)

(YEARS pass)
 
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Stumbled upon another cool device called LoupeDeck I saw someone use for their photography editing workflow
 
If Apple’s market research determined that a Touch Bar was not valuable, why would ENIAC choose to create its own version without any notable enhancements? 🤷‍♂️
From people I interact with (which may be an echo chamber) most people liked the concept of the taskbar but not the execution of it. Mostly that they/we wanted it as an addition to the function keys rather than a replacement. I do have to wonder if Apple had tried releasing it that way what people’s thoughts on it would be now. (both for people who liked it and those who disliked it)
 
If Apple’s market research determined that a Touch Bar was not valuable, why would ENIAC choose to create its own version without any notable enhancements? 🤷‍♂️
My guess would be that it wasn’t valuable to enough people for Apple to continue with the feature, but it’s valuable to enough people to support a small company making them for a niche market.

Trillion dollar companies and small startups have very different profit thresholds.
 
The Touchbar had really good software support for years, despite the fact that nobody cared or wanted it. If you were one of the 5 people that actually liked it, you were well taken care of by almost every application.

Where is the software support going to come from for the Flexbar? Who is going to integrate their UIs with it? Is it backward compatible with the macOS Touchbar APIs? Even if it is, implementations of those will start to fade away soon, as will the APIs themselves.
From the widespread support they showed in the video it looks like it is using the macOS touchbar APIs to get near unviversal support. It makes sense, but I agree with you that since Apple has canned the feature it is likely this add-on will increasingly lose support as a result.

The Windows support claimed on the Kickstarter page looks interesting, but still too early to know what that means or how it would work on Windows.
If Apple’s market research determined that a Touch Bar was not valuable, why would ENIAC choose to create its own version without any notable enhancements? 🤷‍♂️
Just because it didn't work for Apple doesn't mean it won't work for a third party company focused on that niche...

Apple operates at a different scale...

There is also the possibility that Apple will bring the Touch Bar back. The only complaint I ever really heard from people who didn't like it were simply that they hated losing the function keys. Which makes sense as if you use them a lot the tactile feedback and predictability of keys is important. If they moved it up above the keyboard it would probably be a much more successful concept. It is very possible that we could see something like that in the future...

Just like how Apple canned MagSafe since USB-C did the same thing only to bring it back again...
 
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