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Single reason I don't want Touch Bar, despite its appeal

R

robertfrancis70

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 10, 2012
57
37
Am I alone or wrong in thinking along these lines...

I intend to buy the new 13" MBP, but don't think the TB version is for me.

It's not the cost. Here in Canada, it's roughly $450 more with tax, but then you also get a better processor, GPU, and more ports.

And I'm not a developer; but even if I were, the Touch Bar still keeps the escape key in roughly the same spot most of the time. (Or in every setting in every pic I've seen.)

The reason I don't want the Touch Bar is that I'm obsessive about screen brightness (mainly) and the brightness of the keyboard backlighting and volume. I'm *constantly* tweaking screen brightness -- at least every 10 ten minutes, no matter where I am, and often playing with the other two settings.

One of the things I like most about the Mac -- over a Surface Pro 4 I use some of the time at work -- is that I have direct access to brightness. The Touch Bar would take this away.

From what I can glean watching clips of the event online, it appears that most if not all the time, the Touch Bar will truncate the core function keys (volume and brightness) to two or three buttons to the left, so that any adjustments are at least two clicks away: first to bring up the control, then to adjust it. The fact that the Surface buries these controls (in the Control Panel) drives me crazy, and I suspect that it would do the same with the Touch Bar.

In short: the Touch Bar might offer new functionality, but it would do so at the cost of burying -- even if only one level deep -- the things I want constant access to: brightness and volume.

I know I'm OCD on this, but am I wrong? Missing something?
 
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same. i was thinking this exact same thing but for the playback controls which i use frequently. wonder if there's a way for them to have an os update to have permanently dockable function keys, but that'd mean developers would have to worry about a dynamically sized touchbar which could get complicated UX-wise
 
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robertfrancis70 said:
Am I alone or wrong in thinking along these lines...

I intend to buy the new 13" MBP, but don't think the TB version is for me.

It's not the cost. Here in Canada, it's roughly $450 more with tax, but then you also get a better processor, GPU, and more ports.

And I'm not a developer; but even if I were, the Touch Bar still keeps the escape key in roughly the same spot most of the time. (Or in every setting in every pic I've seen.)

The reason I don't want the Touch Bar is that I'm obsessive about screen brightness (mainly) and the brightness of the keyboard backlighting and volume. I'm *constantly* tweaking screen brightness -- at least every 10 ten minutes, no matter where I am, and often playing with the other two settings.

One of the things I like most about the Mac -- over a Surface Pro 4 I use some of the time at work -- is that I have direct access to brightness. The Touch Bar would take this away.

From what I can glean watching clips of the event online, it appears that most if not all the time, the Touch Bar will truncate the core function keys (volume and brightness) to two or three buttons to the left, so that any adjustments are at least two clicks away: first to bring up the control, then to adjust it. The fact that the Surface buries these controls (in the Control Panel) drives me crazy, and I suspect that it would do the same with the Touch Bar.

In short: the Touch Bar might offer new functionality, but it would do so at the cost of burying -- even if only one level deep -- the things I want constant access to: brightness and volume.

I know I'm OCD on this, but am I wrong? Missing something?
Click to expand...

You might want some medication... this doesn't sound healthy lol
 
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It would seem you have sound reasons for your concern; controls such as brightness may not always be readily available, as they are now.

As well, I'm rather fond of the Escape key. I'm wondering, but more waiting for the first reports of someone who needed it to get out of a program—as in example perhaps some game—then found the Escape key would not materialize. Perhaps not, and Apple has thought this all through sufficiently. Or not.
 
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If you have any controls you use frequently, you can show them permanently on the right side of the bar. If you don't like the changing buttons per app, you can just check an option to always show the core controls. In the end you can customize the bar a lot, way more customization than I am used to by apple.
 
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This may be a problem but we don't really know what the settings and tweaks of the touch bar are until we get our hands on it. I have much greater issues with the computer but if this is most important to you, then it is important to your purchase decision. But let's see what they come out with.

Also, what the hell is up with the emoji obsession? Does that really need to be in the keynote as a feature?
 
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I thought I saw the fancy adaptive functionality could be disabled and then it would essentially look just like it does today on physical ones (albeit soft keys instead of physical ones). Is that incorrect?
 
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I don't adjust my screen brightness with that kind of frequency but yes, I thought the same thing. Right now I hit the ESC key, screen brightness, and volume controls many times a day and find them via tactile feedback. A touch screen means you have to look down to find them.
 
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Thanks everyone, very helpful responses -- perhaps I overstate: maybe not every 10 minutes, but very frequently...

Certainly still OCD...!
 
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I think perhaps you should wait until people have them and can report about how the touchbar really works. Then at least you will know you made the right choice, to go touchbar or no touchbar. Plus if you wait you can go to the store to play with it and see for yourself.

The smartalec in me ...it may just be one more thing you adjust frequently throughout the day...
 
I tend to agree with OP. I think the normal function buttons (volume, brightness) are more useful than trying to get other functions into a thin touchscreen.

I didn't see them showcase anything that I'd find useful at all, and that should be where the strongest ideas are. In particular, I don't foresee having to DJ using that strip as the main controls. ;)
 
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I believe if you press and hold the brightness button that's always there on the right, you just slide left or right to change as it becomes a slider. Pretty sure I tried this already on the touch bar simulator in Xcode. You have even finer control using the touch bar since it's a slider and not just finite changes from button presses.
 
Thanks justywusty, but to be clear, it's still a two-step process:

1. touch and hold-down brightness button, slight delay until slider appears, and

2. move slider.

Several times a day... is this better than hitting just one button?
 
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robertfrancis70 said:
Thanks justywusty, but to be clear, it's still a two-step process:

1. touch and hold-down brightness button, slight delay until slider appears, and

2. move slider.

Several times a day... is this better than hitting just one button?
Click to expand...
You don't need to touch and wait. You can just slide the button and it will just work.
 
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robertfrancis70 said:
Am I alone or wrong in thinking along these lines...

I intend to buy the new 13" MBP, but don't think the TB version is for me.

It's not the cost. Here in Canada, it's roughly $450 more with tax, but then you also get a better processor, GPU, and more ports.

And I'm not a developer; but even if I were, the Touch Bar still keeps the escape key in roughly the same spot most of the time. (Or in every setting in every pic I've seen.)

The reason I don't want the Touch Bar is that I'm obsessive about screen brightness (mainly) and the brightness of the keyboard backlighting and volume. I'm *constantly* tweaking screen brightness -- at least every 10 ten minutes, no matter where I am, and often playing with the other two settings.

One of the things I like most about the Mac -- over a Surface Pro 4 I use some of the time at work -- is that I have direct access to brightness. The Touch Bar would take this away.

From what I can glean watching clips of the event online, it appears that most if not all the time, the Touch Bar will truncate the core function keys (volume and brightness) to two or three buttons to the left, so that any adjustments are at least two clicks away: first to bring up the control, then to adjust it. The fact that the Surface buries these controls (in the Control Panel) drives me crazy, and I suspect that it would do the same with the Touch Bar.

In short: the Touch Bar might offer new functionality, but it would do so at the cost of burying -- even if only one level deep -- the things I want constant access to: brightness and volume.

I know I'm OCD on this, but am I wrong? Missing something?
Click to expand...
That settles it. Don't buy it then.
 
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Hyloba said:
If you have any controls you use frequently, you can show them permanently on the right side of the bar. If you don't like the changing buttons per app, you can just check an option to always show the core controls. In the end you can customize the bar a lot, way more customization than I am used to by apple.
Click to expand...

this
 
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FWIW there is a keyboard shortcut to adjust the brightness on the SP4. FN-Backspace/Fn-Delete.
 
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Do not buy the touch bar :(

Then again, it may offer new possibilities for you.

You maybe be able to adjust brightness in many more ways. You could adjust from the left, from the right. You could adjust with both hands!

The possibilities are endless! Lucky
 
Last edited:
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I'm with you OP, but TouchBar seems to be customisable. You may be getting a regular F1...F12 button emulation option.
 
maratus said:
I'm with you OP, but TouchBar seems to be customisable. You may be getting a regular F1...F12 button emulation option.
Click to expand...

Of course this has to be an option, standard mode. This is a certainty. If not now, soon afterward.
 
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