Tips and Tricks for the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar

[otternonsense]

I agree, if I have the money I'd have totally gone for it. So many sliders in photography apps, and I can't count how many times I have to turn the volume slider at the top manually. Touch ID is a bonus.

Pro tip: use keyboard shortcuts for photography apps. Unless you really really need to look down on your keyboard all the time.

How is it more efficient turning the volume slider manually on the Touch Bar? What's more, it takes an additional tap to prompt the volume meter. Unless you have the classic key layout enabled. Oh, here's another bonus: the skip/back music buttons do not even show up on when waking the screen or on screensaver.

After spending some time with my 2015 MBP I didn't even notice TouchID wasn't there.

To each their own, sure, but to me the whole thing is total garbage.

 

[unsharptooth]

Pro tip: use keyboard shortcuts for photography apps. Unless you really really need to look down on your keyboard all the time.

How is it more efficient turning the volume slider manually on the Touch Bar? What's more, it takes an additional tap to prompt the volume meter. Unless you have the classic key layout enabled. Oh, here's another bonus: the skip/back music buttons do not even show up on when waking the screen or on screensaver.

After spending some time with my 2015 MBP I didn't even notice TouchID wasn't there.

To each their own, sure, but to me the whole thing is total garbage.

I doubt you've used these apps. You're dead wrong if there are keyboard shortcuts for all of these sliders:


Oh and I just checked, there really aren't shortcuts to go between them. Even better if I can slide up and down like on Photos for iOS to go through different sliders, that'd save me even more hassle.

And the volume thing is that the buttons aren't sensitive enough.

 

[otternonsense]

I doubt you've used these apps. You're dead wrong if there are keyboard shortcuts for all of these sliders:
View attachment 762635

Oh and I just checked, there really aren't shortcuts to go between them. Even better if I can slide up and down like on Photos for iOS to go through different sliders, that'd save me even more hassle.

And the volume thing is that the buttons aren't sensitive enough.

OK, keyboard shortcuts are not for everyone.

But I've used enough photography apps to know you can just adjust these sliders with your mouse, than one at a time on a wonky LED strip. How is the latter saving you hassle instead of creating it?

Also, I'd rather have slightly less sensitive buttons than a flat strip that reacts at the slightest brush of your finger (mostly resulting in errors than conscious commands).

 

[unsharptooth]

OK, keyboard shortcuts are not for everyone.

But I've used enough photography apps to know you can just adjust these sliders with your mouse, than one at a time on a wonky LED strip. How is the latter saving you hassle instead of creating it?

Also, I'd rather have slightly less sensitive buttons than a flat strip that reacts at the slightest brush of your finger (mostly resulting in errors than conscious commands).

Highly doubt your experience when you don't even know you don't have keyboard shortcuts for these to start with. Your statement "keyboard shortcuts are not for everyone" is plain wrong and you still insist on keyboard shortcuts.

Now go try editing on Photos for iOS. Go to the photo, click edit, then the dial next to "done". When you're already in a slider, just flick up and down to go to other sliders. That's the concept I was talking about.

Next one, imagine this: you want to turn down the volume - you use the physical buttons but they aren't sensitive enough so you end up going to the volume slider at the top again.

This one is the list of shortcuts for Lightroom, the most common raw converter. Nothing for highlight, shadow, midtone, black, white balance, etc. Same as the raw converter I use in the screenshot (DxO Optics Pro).

 

[otternonsense]

Highly doubt your experience when you don't even know you don't have keyboard shortcuts for these to start with. Your statement "keyboard shortcuts are not for everyone" is plain wrong and you still insist on keyboard shortcuts.

Now go try editing on Photos for iOS. Go to the photo, click edit, then the dial next to "done". When you're already in a slider, just flick up and down to go to other sliders. That's the concept I was talking about.

Next one, imagine this: you want to turn down the volume - you use the physical buttons but they aren't sensitive enough so you end up

Frankly I doubt your experience in general if you use Photos to edit your photos. Since you mentioned photography apps -e.g. Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity (RIP Aperture) - they all accommodate keyboard shortcuts, and to adjust each slider manually on the touchbar simply burns time

About the volume, it's not an argument to compare a malfunctioning button with a 2-step process on a hypersensitive LED strip.

 

[unsharptooth]

Frankly I doubt your experience in general if you use Photos to edit your photos. Since you mentioned photography apps -e.g. Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity (RIP Aperture) - they all accommodate keyboard shortcuts, and to adjust each slider manually on the touchbar simply burns time

About the volume, it's not an argument to compare a malfunctioning button with a 2-step process on a hypersensitive LED strip.

See my edit, link for keyboard shortcut included. The Photos for iOS is just an example to show flicking between different sliders. Be careful when assuming stuff - I use DxO Optics Pro, Affinity Photo, DxO Perspective, Hugin. Apple Photos is solely to display stuff, quicker to display stuff - no edit is on Apple Photos. You're really nitpicking stuff to get your point, buddy. Oh btw, see the +5 sliders? Good luck dragging such minute amount perfectly all the time, unless you use really slow mouse sensitivity which I can't because I use display scaling. I just type them straight in without mouse, but then I have to wait to see the change, obviously not exactly right on every time so always back and forth.

 

[Tha_Real_Tim_Cook]

Love my touch bar rMBP. All the haters here can *suck* it.

But do you use the touchbar? I love my MBP 2016 as well but hardly use the touchbar. I think it’s a gimmick

 

[otternonsense]

See my edit, link for keyboard shortcut included. The Photos for iOS is just an example to show flicking between different sliders. Be careful when assuming stuff - I use DxO Optics Pro, Affinity Photo, DxO Perspective, Hugin. Apple Photos is solely to display stuff, quicker to display stuff - no edit is on Apple Photos. You're really nitpicking stuff to get your point, buddy. Oh btw, see the +5 sliders? Good luck dragging such minute amount perfectly all the time, unless you use really slow mouse sensitivity which I can't because I use display scaling. I just type them straight in without mouse, but then I have to wait to see the change, obviously not exactly right on every time so always back and forth.

I don't seem to be the one who's nitpicking here. Anyway, let's not make it personal.

The point is, after 1.5 year using the TB MBP, it has not added ANY utility to my workflow. On the contrary, it's the source of various errors, annoyances or simple lack of functionality.

Best of luck selecting and adjusting each one of those +5 sliders with the TB. Try filming yourself while on the act too, so we can all witness just how easier it is (not).

We'd all be better off if MacBooks had touchscreens, alas I doubt Apple will ever cave with regard to that.

 

[poorcody]

I love my touchbar. Out of the box, I agree, it is of limited use, but when you start creating macros with BetterTouchTool, it is incredibly useful. I have custom actions in most of my apps, and having visual "buttons" for them makes them easy to remember and use. I actually wish they made an external keyboard with it.

 

[BoulderAdonis]

But do you use the touchbar? I love my MBP 2016 as well but hardly use the touchbar. I think it’s a gimmick

Honestly - I use it more and find it more useful than the old physical keys that were there.
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The touchbar is a giant waste of money. I never use it, and I get mad when I want to use the ***** esc key and it’s literally not there

If the esc key isn’t there - another context sensitive button *is* that does the same thing.

 

[Moakesy]

Love my Touch Bar too....use it for...

- Volume control...used many times a day (don't know what this two step process is all about, just not true). Hit the volume button and just slide to adjust.
- YouTube video scrubbing
- Safari shortcuts
- Safari tab switching
- Calculator App functions (so divide / multiply etc)
- Answer iPhone calls via my laptop without taking my phone out my pocket

Use Better Touch Tool and can do more...
- Sonos mute / play
- Lightroom photo import (one TB key press replaces multiple steps)
- Other multi-step processes

So whilst I can see whilst it's not for everyone, it's certainly not pointless and I'd always want it in future machines.

 

[BoulderAdonis]

Do tell us how you use it, what apps do you use that utilize the touchbar.

Almost *every* “app” I use utilizes the touch bar. Now whether *I* choose to use the context sensitive keys, or other keyboard shortcuts just depends on whether or not I’ve already learned the keyboard shortcuts.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

No "how to" video can make the TB usable. The ironic thing is that Apple says it's against touch screen laptops because it claims people don't want to touch their screen like it was a tablet. OK, reasonable thinking. But, if true then it goes double for keyboards. Computer keyboards which descend from typewriter keyboards and derived from keyboard instruments, were designed to be touched not looked at.

Power users and professionals don't peck at their keyboard -- piano, typewriter, computer. They look forward at their sheet music or screen and touch the keys from memorization. Having to look down at a keyboard to select an emoticon or even a faux F key is an obnoxious distraction and time waster. I have a TB MBP only because the 15" isn't available w/o. But it's easily the most garbage gimmick ever designed into Apple hardware.

It's the beginnings of the tabletization of the laptop (different than a convertible laptop). Or in simpler terms then beginning of the end for the Mac laptop. Apple is already planning to make iOS apps compatible on MacOS. The dumbing down will not stop there. Next will be A series chips for MBs.

 

[Gudd]

I love my touchbar. Out of the box, I agree, it is of limited use, but when you start creating macros with BetterTouchTool, it is incredibly useful. I have custom actions in most of my apps, and having visual "buttons" for them makes them easy to remember and use. I actually wish they made an external keyboard with it.

I couldn't agree more. I love it. I used Better Touch Tool to add a bunch of key shortcuts for Jetbrains CLion. Having context relevant keys is just awesome. I only have two regrets. The first is that I am forced to use Linux in a VM on a Surface for work and it doesn't have a touch bar. The second is that most of the time my MBP is closed and I'm using an external keyboard so I can't get to the Touch Bar.

Like you, I seriously wish they would quit stalling and come out with a Magic Keyboard With TouchBar. The only problem is, it would be so expensive I wouldn't want to buy it, AND, it wouldn't work with Windows. (Seriously Apple, after all this time why do I still have to resort to hacking Bootcamp to use my Apple Keyboards on my Surface!! - just release a Windows driver and a Macintosh UK Layout for Windows).

 

[nvmls]

Speak for yourself troll, I love it and use it every day, from Coda to Safari, from preview to Deus Ex Mankind Divided for special ability

Impressive analytical "reasoning", I'm sure your dev colleagues appreciate your touch bar fingering while developing in Coda, you must be looking like Elon Musk at work with 2 "screens".

See my edit, link for keyboard shortcut included. The Photos for iOS is just an example to show flicking between different sliders. Be careful when assuming stuff - I use DxO Optics Pro, Affinity Photo, DxO Perspective, Hugin. Apple Photos is solely to display stuff, quicker to display stuff - no edit is on Apple Photos. You're really nitpicking stuff to get your point, buddy. Oh btw, see the +5 sliders? Good luck dragging such minute amount perfectly all the time, unless you use really slow mouse sensitivity which I can't because I use display scaling. I just type them straight in without mouse, but then I have to wait to see the change, obviously not exactly right on every time so always back and forth.

The fact you have to look at another "screen" for slider manipulation is hilarious, but sounds like you are living it so props!

 

[lec0rsaire]

You haven’t lived until you’ve played Touch Bar Pong! https://github.com/ferdinandl007/TouchBarPong
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I couldn't agree more. I love it. I used Better Touch Tool to add a bunch of key shortcuts for Jetbrains CLion. Having context relevant keys is just awesome. I only have two regrets. The first is that I am forced to use Linux in a VM on a Surface for work and it doesn't have a touch bar. The second is that most of the time my MBP is closed and I'm using an external keyboard so I can't get to the Touch Bar.

Like you, I seriously wish they would quit stalling and come out with a Magic Keyboard With TouchBar. The only problem is, it would be so expensive I wouldn't want to buy it, AND, it wouldn't work with Windows. (Seriously Apple, after all this time why do I still have to resort to hacking Bootcamp to use my Apple Keyboards on my Surface!! - just release a Windows driver and a Macintosh UK Layout for Windows).

The keyboard would cost $300 easily right now. If the logic board doesn’t have a T1/T2 chip, Touch ID cannot function.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Ive never used thw touchbar but it seems like itd be useful in final cut

 

[flottenheimer]

I never use my touch bar except for when I have to. Say, to turn up the volume.
Every time I interact with it, I find it slow and fiddly - I much prefer the old, physical buttons. Unfortunately, I couldn't order a 15" MacBook Pro without it.
Touch ID is nice though. But just nice - not essential in any way.

 

[nahkampfwombi]

I doubt you've used these apps. You're dead wrong if there are keyboard shortcuts for all of these sliders:
View attachment 762635

Oh and I just checked, there really aren't shortcuts to go between them. Even better if I can slide up and down like on Photos for iOS to go through different sliders, that'd save me even more hassle.

And the volume thing is that the buttons aren't sensitive enough.

Problems would be easy fixable with a touch-screen
Guess Apple is hearing this request .... not.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

TailsToo said: ↑
If only you could use it to mimic the keys that will inevitably be broken on your [2016 model] lousy keyboard .



This makes no sense.

Actually, it does because they tweaked the keyboard in the 2017 model. What you, and this story, are complaining about is the 2016 MBP that first introduced Gen 1 of the butterfly key mechanism.
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I never use my touch bar except for when I have to. Say, to turn up the volume.
Every time I interact with it, I find it slow and fiddly - I much prefer the old, physical buttons. Unfortunately, I couldn't order a 15" MacBook Pro without it.
Touch ID is nice though. But just nice - not essential in any way.

Is your volume key not on the main bar default? Mine was. If you touch, hold, then slide the volume (up/down) it’s pretty fast and fluid. You can do it all without even lifting your finger.

 

[kemo]

TouchID feature is good, but that's about it. Touch Bar should be an optional feature for such a pricy machine, I would gladly pay the same price or rather pay less for the same hardware configuration without it.It's not something I like to use, but I'm slowly getting used to it.

I would rather see magnet cord back, because usb-c thing to me looks like a step back to be honest.