Touch Bar Fans: Get the 13-Inch M2 MacBook Pro for $250 Off Before It's Gone

[ocnitsa]

People used these laptops from 2016 to 2023 mostly without complaint. If it’s one thing the touch bar MacBooks reminded is how rarely used function keys really are. The implementation was not the best, since the physical escape key turned to be an often used key by developers. But they fixed it on subsequent revs. I use my model without issue. No problem adjusting volume, brightness or using the occasional emoji. It’s just hypocritical most users are having issues with it now.

I hear the same rhetoric about Intel Macs. Most talk is how lousy Intel Macs were, yet, everyone happily used one for 15 years before the switch to Apple Silicon. It’s not until Skylake there was truly an issue.

Who knows, 15 years from now Apple might even end up switching back to Intel if they make a breakthrough.

Agreed. I generally get a laptop through work and then use it hooked up to a monitor with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse most of the time...I have the mobility when I need it and a nice workstation when I don't. Most of the time I forget the touchbar is even there, since I'm using a full sized keyboard. I don't think it's horrible...however, I reckon it did add more to the price tag, as the hardware was likely more expensive than a few keys....so there is that aspect.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Why did they limit the weirdest Mac feature to the weirdest Macs? I’ve always been curious about it but it’s never been available on a computer I’d consider buying. If it was available separately with an external keyboard I may have even bought one.

But every computer that had it had a butterfly keyboard, and is an Intel Mac, or is this one and only now discontinued weird laptop. Why?

 

[norbinhouston]

So the new iMac's senseless thinness was Ive's doing as well. That explains it,

 

[jecowa]

It will continue to be useful for emoji input and precise brightness/volume adjustment.

Like most of what people say the like the Touch Bar for, precision brightness and volume adjustment can also be done with shortcut keys. Hold down the Option and Shift keys while adjusting the volume or brightness if you need to adjust it in smaller increments.

Emoji entry is probably the best use-case for it, though.

I was never a fan of the Touch Bar Macs, but now that they're gone, I kind of wish I had one just for the novelty. It's a poor buy, though, compared to the new cheaper and faster 14-inch M3 MacBook Pros. (Edit: Oh, they made the new 14-inch MacBook Pro cheaper by giving it the non-Pro M3 chip. The 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro is at the same old 1999$.)