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Phil Schiller Says Apple Tested and Rejected Touch Screen Macs, Finding It 'Absurd' on a Desktop

I don't even want a Mac with a touchscreen. I want a Mac that actually has Pro hardware in it like a GPU for image processing, machine learning, 3D modeling and rendering at the high quality resolutions the machine offers.

WE DON'T NEED TOUCHSCREEN. We just need the $3500 computer to be a Modern computer.
 
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Of course its absolutely absurd in its current form factor. That's why you use all that beautiful design engineering talent you have, and create a new form factor that's touch friendly. The Surface Studio is a clear example of this..I love my macs and OSX, but deep down I wished Apple beat the surface studio to the punch with that form fact that's absolutely touch screen friendly.
 
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It really seems like Timmy and Phil are halting Apple's dynamic innovative persona it had when Jobs was at the fore.Hate to say it but Microsoft is now the new Apple
 
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Sounds like Apple studied the idea of touch screen, tested it and rejected it. Was it the right business decision? I think so but others can disagree. As usual, the market will decide if this was the correct decision and the verdict will be be displayed as sales or lack of sales. The same holds true with USB C.
 
Mr Retina said:
Of course its absolutely absurd in its current form factor. That's why you use all that beautiful design engineering talent you have, and create a new form factor that's touch friendly. The Surface Studio is a clear example of this..I love my macs and OSX, but deep down I wished Apple beat the surface studio to the punch with that form fact that's absolutely touch screen friendly.
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Apple would walk all over MS if they created a Surface competitor, but they don't want anything to dip into their iPad sales. It's pride that's stunting their creativity.
 
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StayPuft said:
The problem is that another company has done it successfully and productively. You apparently don't understand the debate. It's Phil's moronic comments that are being discussed.



Pretty much.
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Nope, wrong again. The problem is cost-benefit. The amount of resources you'd have to put into a touchscreen laptop for just one or two edge cases is not smart nor is it innovative. One of the things design researchers try to determine is if a certain design decision's benefits exceeds the amount of effort put into it. This is where Apple is right. The problem with the competition is that for them it is fake value proposition designed to sell, not to actually solve a design problem.
 
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H2SO4 said:
It has uses. If you can think of an easier way to pinch to zoom or rotate, I’m all ears. When Phil Shill eventually tells us that touchscreen Macs are revolutionary we’ll believe it though.
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Sure, pinch to zoom and rotate on the trackpad. It's a natural part of my daily input. And no smudge marks or fingerprints on my screen. I can guarantee that Apple isn't going to do touch screen laptops / desktops. They'll create a screen that is the keyboard / trackpad / drawing screen, reconfigurable, so that you can make it work for whatever application you're using - much like their new Touch Bar, just blown out to the whole keyboard / trackpad. It will be far more intuitive, whether for a desktop or laptop, than the touchscreen concept.
 
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satchmo said:
Yup. But they've had their head in the sand without thinking differently. Sounds like they've only considered the iMac in its current form factor.
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One could argue that Apple currently has their head in the sand. I was never a fan of MS, but with their latest hardware, it seems like they are becoming more of a company I could get behind.

Too bad their HW can't run Mac OS.
 
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MacRumors said:



Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, recently continued the company's stance against turning its desktop and laptop devices into touch screen-enabled computers, which some customers believe could be advantageous additions to the macOS platform. With the new addition of the "Touch Bar" on the MacBook Pro line, seen by some as a potential step towards a full-on Mac touch screen, many Apple executives have come out saying this isn't the case.

Speaking with Backchannel, Schiller has now stated that a multi-touch display on a MacBook "wouldn't be enough," because it would begin a divide between MacBook and iMac. But, if the company implemented the same touch screen on a desktop it would "become absurd," due to the iMac's main source of user interaction -- the keyboard and mouse or trackpad -- residing too far away from where users would raise their hand to interact with the screen. Ultimately, Schiller said this line of thought is "lowest common denominator thinking."

phil-schiller.jpg
All the same, Schiller confirmed that Apple has tried out touch screens on a Mac in its labs over the last few years and the company "absolutely come away with the belief that it isn't the right thing to do," he said. "Our instincts were correct." When asked whether the Touch Bar was the beginning of a larger influence by iOS on the macOS platform, Schiller said this was not the case.
In regards to the MacBook Pro's switch to Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, and the subsequent frustration by some users who fear needing to purchase and keep track of many dongles, Schiller said that "we're absolutely more sure than ever that we've done the right thing," because of the standard that USB-C is set to become. For context regarding the amount of cables available, MacRumors recently collected some USB-C adapters and dongles available from Apple and third-party accessory makers into a roundup.

Ultimately, Schiller said that the "fundamental difference" between the MacBook Pro's naysayers and fans is divided between those who have not yet interacted with the laptop, and those who have. Thankfully, many more will be able to get a chance to use the MacBook Pro and Touch Bar as the first round of shipments have begun arriving to pre-order customers today.

Article Link: Phil Schiller Says Apple Tested and Rejected Touch Screen Macs, Finding It 'Absurd' on a Desktop
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And in other news this idiot company who utterly fails at marketing and sales tactics and talks sells...

http://www.apple.com/uk/smart-keyboard/

Some of these Apple execs really should just shut up and save embarrassing themselves and the company.
 
pier said:
Can you imagine a 27-inch iMac where you have to reach over the air to try to touch and do things? That becomes absurd.

Which is why you just need to move the screen so that it is more accessible like Microsoft did.
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Not to mention, touch interface is simply an added option. It isn't replacing traditional input methods.
 
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thealkimist said:
Nope, wrong again. The problem is cost-benefit. The amount of resources you'd have to put into a touchscreen laptop for just one or two edge cases is not smart nor is it innovative. One of the things design researchers try to determine is if a certain design decision's benefits exceeds the amount of effort put into it. This is where Apple is right. The problem with the competition is that for them it is fake value proposition designed to sell, not to actually solve a design problem.
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Dude, do you realize how expensive the MacBook Pros are? Don't bring price into the conversation when it comes to Mac laptops. As it stands right now, you can spend nearly 5k after tax on the highest end MBP configuration. Don't bring price into this, lol.


thealkimist said:
Yup. People won't admit it, but Apple is being consistent with Steve's original conclusion as well.
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Even Steve Jobs has gone against things he said he'd never do. He's not alive anymore. People need to get over that.
 
Merlyn3D said:
Exactly. I played with this at the microsoft store. It seems like Microsoft did an excellent job with it, and the dial is just icing on the cake.
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You're kidding, right?

What is so wonderful about a UI device that OBSCURES the screen while it is being used?!?

The TouchBar allows Full-Screen mode to ACTUALLY BE USEFUL, by leaving the CONTENT and the CONTROLS be on separate "displays" WITHOUT REQUIRING A SECOND MONITOR!

And without the Gorilla Arm.
 
Mac Fly (film) said:
You mean they one that starts at $3,000, was introduced by an oily car salesman who looked to be from the show Jersey Shore, the machine you've reviewed and tested extensively and is for a niche user base? The iMac starts at 1/3 its cost btw.
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3000/3=1000. The cheapest one with a graphics card is 1800, and its a crappy AMD one.
 
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StayPuft said:
Dude, do you realize how expensive the MacBook Pros are? Don't bring price into the conversation when it comes to Mac laptops. As it stands right now, you can spend nearly 5k after tax on the highest end MBP configuration. Don't bring price into this, lol.



Even Steve Jobs has gone against things he said he'd never do. He's not alive anymore. People need to get over that.
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And you're completely ignorant of how complex the design of a product is. And you're also forgetting this article; https://www.macrumors.com/2016/10/20/ibm-macs-less-expensive-than-pcs/
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StayPuft said:
Dude, do you realize how expensive the MacBook Pros are? Don't bring price into the conversation when it comes to Mac laptops. As it stands right now, you can spend nearly 5k after tax on the highest end MBP configuration. Don't bring price into this, lol.



Even Steve Jobs has gone against things he said he'd never do. He's not alive anymore. People need to get over that.
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In addition, when I mentioned cost-benefit, I'm not just talking about money.
 
Elijen said:
Still instead of moving a finger by 1cm you need to move the whole hand by 50cm and put greasy mark on your display. WTF is the point???
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The point is that for some applications stylus or touch based input is better than using a mouse/trackpad.

See illustrators, 3d modellers, texture artists, etc. Wacom created a whole industry segment out of this which is what the Surface Studio is aiming at.

In Apple's logic, if you want that functionality you need to spend an extra $1-2k on a Wacom Cintiq. Microsoft created a computer just for this. Both are valid approaches IMO, but since either the Mac Mini or Mac Pro are seriously outdated buying an iMac and a Cintiq doesn't make sense for a pro.
 
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StayPuft said:
Even Steve Jobs has gone against things he said he'd never do. He's not alive anymore. People need to get over that.
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Give us an example of what you're talking about.
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StayPuft said:
Saying I'm ignorant doesn't make me ignorant. I'm well aware the cost of R&D ... and Apple being the most valuable company on earth, I think they can handle it. Microsoft has managed to do it just fine. Don't make excuses for Apple, please.
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I've given you real explanations. Do you have an actual rebuttal?
 
Thanks for letting us know what's absurd Mr. Schiller, otherwise we wouldn't have noticed.
 
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