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New MacBook Pro Reviews Mixed as Touch Bar Called Everything From 'Useful' to 'Gimmick'
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That's a really good point I hadn't even considered.
I know. Maybe it's because I'm a millennial, but I just find it rather odd we're using fax machines.
Agreed that laptops are mature. That's why we don't necessarily expect revolutionary changes. But evolutionary changes ARE expected... and in fact required. That means better / faster / stronger / able to leap tall buildings in a single bound type changes. In real terms that means changes such as:
- faster processors / more cores
- faster graphics / more cores
- faster memory / more memory
- faster storage / more storage
- faster communications across all types
- better screen / more pixels / higher resolution
- bigger battery / better battery life
35W TDP over Nvidia power guzzling 80+W 1060, AMD can support external 5K display while Nvidia can't, 10 bit color on AMD while Nvidia can't, better OpenCL support on AMD and Apple isn't going to put some gamer cards into a super thin laptop. AMD is in fact the most superior choice in this form factor.
So true, sad that pro doesn't know this,only gamers around here
Adding a touch bar, rather than making the whole screen touch sensitive, is not necessarily a bad idea.
But removing the function keys - which have useful system functions for most people, and are really essential for some, like developers - is an absolutely TERRIBLE idea.
It has, at a stroke, made the MacBook Pro less useful for anyone that is visually impaired.
If you are going to introduce the touch bar, then it should have been placed above or below the screen, where you are already looking for visual information. At worst, it could have been placed above the standard function row of the keyboard.
But to remove the function row. No. Just no.
But removing the function keys - which have useful system functions for most people, and are really essential for some, like developers - is an absolutely TERRIBLE idea.
It has, at a stroke, made the MacBook Pro less useful for anyone that is visually impaired.
If you are going to introduce the touch bar, then it should have been placed above or below the screen, where you are already looking for visual information. At worst, it could have been placed above the standard function row of the keyboard.
But to remove the function row. No. Just no.
Personally I don't any reason to buy a new MacBook Pro. As long that there is no external keyboard doing the same as the Touch Bar. I take my macbook 15" daily with me. At the office I use an external keyboard, a second and third screen, once at home I use the laptop again connected to another screen with an external keyboard. It's only in the train or when I am working abroad that I use my laptop keyboard. Secondly non of the hardware improvements have convinced me to change my full option 
mid2012 macbook pro. Doing so I will wait until a better hardware is available.
mid2012 macbook pro. Doing so I will wait until a better hardware is available.Completely agree I purchased a bunch of touchscreen PCs and Laptops for use in a environment using software that seemed ideal for a touch screen. After a bit of novelty value nobody used the touchscreen, it just didn't work if you needed a keyboard as well. No positioning of the touchscreen and keyboard worked comfortably.
At least round here we have to do Display Screen Equipment assessments to ensure that workstations are compliant with a whole bunch of guidelines to not cause a manner of health problems. I can't see how a large touch screen would be compliant for regular use.
It's good to see real reviews (pros and cons) coming out. Still, these are people with early access. I'd like to see reviews by people with shipped units + time to really see if it's useful. That and I want to try them myself in the store. I want to see if that keyboard is tolerable or not, I want to see if the display is as good as they say, I want to see if the extra price is worth it for me. I don't losing ports and magsafe but I can endure it if the value proposition is there. I'm just not sold.
Still, it's nice to see a reviewer say if you have a 2013 MBP you're probably not too interested in upgrading as performance isn't that different.
Still, it's nice to see a reviewer say if you have a 2013 MBP you're probably not too interested in upgrading as performance isn't that different.
If "little used" is an indication of where to put a touch bar:
Next up: Touch bar extended to Caps Lock!
Then the right command and option key.
Then the tilde key
Then the letter j
I think this guy Cunningham nails it. It remains to be seen if Touch Bar takes off, but adoption will only happen if people are able to afford it. Get it into the hands of the people.
The main problem at this point isn't that the Touch Bar is a bad idea, but that these laptops cost a whole bunch of money. Great, premium PC laptops are available for half this price, even if Apple still maintains an edge when it comes to graphics and SSD speeds. It really feels like the Touch Bar needs to be included in the $1,499 model, and that versions of the new designs without Touch Bars should be the entry level systems—right now, Apple's entry-level Mac laptops were all released in mid 2015, and that's only going to get more embarrassing as time moves on.
The main problem at this point isn't that the Touch Bar is a bad idea, but that these laptops cost a whole bunch of money. Great, premium PC laptops are available for half this price, even if Apple still maintains an edge when it comes to graphics and SSD speeds. It really feels like the Touch Bar needs to be included in the $1,499 model, and that versions of the new designs without Touch Bars should be the entry level systems—right now, Apple's entry-level Mac laptops were all released in mid 2015, and that's only going to get more embarrassing as time moves on.
I use the function keys literally every ~10 minutes on average. I have them mapped to windows within screen and couldn't live without them. I understand they are still there in Terminal but the turning off after 85 seconds would drive me crazy.
I think the new MacBooks are cool and the bar looks great but when I upgrade ill probably not get the touch-bar version.
Well this is pretty awful. So much for being able to quickly pause music when someone comes to my desk! I was also hoping for apps that could continuously update information at a glance in this area. To replace buttons with something that you have to wake up each time you want to use it is pretty bad. I thought a big benefit of an OLED display was lower battery usage? I understand dimming, but turning it off completely after only 85 seconds with no setting? Inexcusable. Hopefully someone hacks a way around this.
You can access things like brightness and volume with only 1 tap and slide (to increase decrease)
no digging required.
how you feel about the ports and the bar notwithstanding, the most disappointing aspect from these reviews seems to be battery life. They cut out large portions of capacity and now the dang thing can't even top 7 hours in most use cases. That's just an unacceptable regression done in the name of vanity.
How long until the first app is made that only runs ads on the touchbar? Or the first malware that doesn't do anything malicious on disk but puts ads or bad links on the touchbar?
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Currently it's about the only thing that meets the current (in US) legal standard for an e-signature for anything legal or health related. Once the laws change to allow other forms of e-signature you'll find faxing to rapidly disappear. You'd be surprised by the millions of daily faxes required by hospitals/physicians/insurance/government/legal entities.
Hey, it's okay. There IS a touch bar option on the 15", so you can go ahead and get it.
I like that idea (but not specifically the letter j).If "little used" is an indication of where to put a touch bar:
Next up: Touch bar extended to Caps Lock!
Then the right command and option key.
Then the tilde key
Then the letter j
With haptic feedback, the entire keyboard could be a touch-screen. It could adjust for any international layout, or a number pad, or a color picker, depending on the context. There doesn't need to be any distinction between the keyboard and the touchpad.
You're right. Apple needs to add support for input devices for iPad and they've already taken some steps with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
PCs/ Macs are in decline and despite MS's best efforts, you're not seeing users and developers flocking to PCs.
If people are questioning whether Apple has lost its focus, these developments should tell them that they're still laser focused on the future as they have been for most of their existence.
I liken this to the Apple II to Mac transition. A bit painful for some, but inevitable nonetheless.