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Phil Schiller Says Apple Tested and Rejected Touch Screen Macs, Finding It 'Absurd' on a Desktop
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Depends on the use case. Personally, I wouldn't want to touch the screen normally as an input. However, if you are working with someone else, it is more convenient to point/touch the spot you want to go rather than point and wait for the person to move the mouse over. Same goes with a MacBook.
And is useful only to those that Draw/Paint etc. Your average consumer is not willing to pay even more for a Mac that does something they dont care for. Other than for note taking or drawing, it is almost useless and Windows is not even close to being optimized for Touch despite all the efforts.
That's not true at all. Reviews from people have used it are out, and they range between "Useful" and "Useless", with many people saying it's now more difficult to do basic tasks like changing the volume.
Really? You'd rather drag files into the trash with your finger on the display? You'd rather tap to delete emails, and touch icons on the dock to multitask?
I have a MacBook without a touch screen, and my wife touches the screen all the time until she realises it's not an iPad... The last thing I want is for her to smudge up my screen, but there's nothing I can do :-(
Why would someone need to come up with this argument? It can simply be about choice. The inclusion of touch, be it a complete screen or a simple touch bar, doesn't make it a mandatory input option. There are tons of touchscreen laptops available today. Those who own them aren't required to use touch. Conversely, the touch fans aren't required to use keyboard and mouse input. It's not a question of one being better than the other.
Schiller's reasoning is myopic and shortsighted. I think he purposely crafted his half assed examples to bolster his narrative. The MS Studio shows one way it can be done on a desktop. Admittedly, if Apple went in that direction they would have to make the iMac actually thin, you know, instead of thin edged.
A touchscreen or convertible touchscreen laptop would eat into the already faltering sales of iPads. I completely understand why they aren't going down that road. I wouldn't either.
Has Phil lost his mind? has he not heard of Wacom?
The Surface Studio has me very interested. I went into the Microsoft store asking to test it out yesterday. Sadly they didn't have one in yet
What's funny it was next door to the apple store, and i had no interest in going in.
The Surface Studio has me very interested. I went into the Microsoft store asking to test it out yesterday. Sadly they didn't have one in yet
What's funny it was next door to the apple store, and i had no interest in going in.
Phil needs to stop neglecting a huge market segment and make the MBA/MBP more in tune with the Surface. A lot of people would buy one because let's face it.... Microsoft's Surfaces are popular devices.
When Apple introduced the first iMac, lots of people complained because it had USB and all the old ports were gone. But the iMac turned out to be a great success anyway. Somehow I fail to see how suddenly USB-C is going to be any different.
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."
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
Schiller's position only continues to confirm Apple's slowing in innovation that has made them the iconic tech company to now what seems to be just another lack luster tech company. Apple use to be the game changing leader with the iphone changing the way we see and interacts with phones, as well as the way we interact with the ipad. But now Microsoft has come along and ate their lunch by refining how to interact with PCs. And now with a new administration that may not be as friendly to tech companies that manufactures their products oversea (see Apple's one week stock chart), it is really incimbaent for Apple to get back to doing something more gaming that a scroll bar.
"Absurd" is the key term. Who said multi-touch on the desktop or notebook is required for all user input? The interaction with any device should allow for the user to interact in whatever is the most natural and effective practical method at any given time, organic response, and, hence multi-touch on an a desktop or notebook is appropriate. Thinking each input tool "must" have the ability to perform all user interface capabilities, is, perhaps, absurd. The reality is this is all about requiring as many devices as possible for each user regardless of how much hardware overlap exists. Apple is scared to death of product line obsolescence. Profit is this goal in the absurd. Regardless of how hard Apple avoids multi-touch in desktops, notebooks, and maintaining a vast hardware product line. The day is coming when the user desire and need for One device to rule them all will arrive. Exciting new inventions on the horizon will make science fiction, science fact.
Do you have editors at all? It's "number" of cables, not "amount" of cables. If you can count it, it's "number": "Number of people"... "amount of sand". This is basic grammar.
This 1000x. if they made a surfacebook clone it would be an instant buy for me.
u guys know what? MS studio doesnt work for me regardless of the glowing 'reviews' by many of you.
i wait for the day when MBPs have two screens, one acting as display and another acting like an ipad but with haptic feedback for typing or drawing etc.
i wait for the day when MBPs have two screens, one acting as display and another acting like an ipad but with haptic feedback for typing or drawing etc.
Translation: "Why would people find the need to own a laptop and an iPad if we combine them into one device?"
My point is that Phil is telling part of the market that something they want is absurd.
Touch screen...Absurd... but a touch bar.. fantastic and revolutionary.
Oh, please....
Oh, please....
While I agree with the premise, even Apple changed their "no stylus" stance from Saint Steve Himself.
Having a touch screen divergence is the same as the touchpad/mouse divergence, and I don't see why there is a problem.
Maybe some of the special needs people will appreciate this as well.
The problem with the argument that Phil presents is the "zero sum" straw man type. It presumes that because they have something, they must get rid of something else, or that users are forced into using that for using the computer. Nothing could be further from the truth. Personally, I found the iPad too cumbersome without a keyboard, as extended typing on a glass screen hurt my fingers. Keyboard? No problem. Just because you (Apple) can't see a reason for a macOS Touchscreen doesn't mean I (the other 7.3999 Billion) can't.
Remove the barriers.
Having a touch screen divergence is the same as the touchpad/mouse divergence, and I don't see why there is a problem.
Maybe some of the special needs people will appreciate this as well.
The problem with the argument that Phil presents is the "zero sum" straw man type. It presumes that because they have something, they must get rid of something else, or that users are forced into using that for using the computer. Nothing could be further from the truth. Personally, I found the iPad too cumbersome without a keyboard, as extended typing on a glass screen hurt my fingers. Keyboard? No problem. Just because you (Apple) can't see a reason for a macOS Touchscreen doesn't mean I (the other 7.3999 Billion) can't.
Remove the barriers.
I really really don't understand how some of you think macOS would be good with a touch screen. The buttons and menu options are designed for a mouse. Our fat fingers would do terrible with the window buttons for example.
Microsoft realizes this too and then windows 8 was made. That just turned out so well, didn't it?
Microsoft realizes this too and then windows 8 was made. That just turned out so well, didn't it?
Apple like Phil and jony are absurd. If people could use studio effectively then why couldn't iMac/Mac Pro and mini users with displays do the same? Phil...you shouldn't tell people what customers can or can't get. You are at people's mercy. Just beg.