Here's my problem with it, after using my first TB Mac, an M1, for a little over a month:
1. At first, I was frequently unintentionally brushing it and doing unintended things. This has gotten better, but it still happens. One of the best things I did was figuring out how to customize it, removing the Siri button completely(which I don't use on Macs-it's a great tool on my phone but I don't want to talk to my computer) and having the mute button fall in that spot.
2. Along those same lines, if my fingers land on a physical key that they're not supposed to, I can TELL and just landing on a key doesn't mean I'm going to press it. On the touch bar, if I end up there, whatever I touch is going to happen
3. Further to that, stuff on the TB moves around enough enough in context, which is theoretically a great benefit, but means that I've basically developed no muscle memory for what's where(plus no tactile clues about location).
4. Building on that, it's rare that i look at the keyboard when I'm using it. That was something hammered into me when I was taught typing in elementary school, but it's really most efficient if you actually are able to touch type. Using the touchbar runs counter to that-it requires me to take my eyes off the screen and look at the keyboard(see the above about muscle memory, no physical cues, etc).
Basically, on the whole in day to use I find it runs counter to how I use my computer and makes me less efficient. There are SOME handy tools-i.e. I toggle on DND periodically throughout the day and have that button there. Still, though, other things take more time than they do with physical function keys. If I want to change the volume, I have to hit the volume button then adjust the slider. If I want to change the screen brightness, I have to expand the TB and then hit the screen brightness keys-in other words it makes things that I do semi-frequently more work.
Some of Apple's stuff to me is gimmicky-i.e. if I'm scrolling through photos in Photos, it's interesting to see the tiny little thumbnail on the TB, but practically they are so small as to be useless and the arrow keys are a lot more efficient for me. Adobe has never bothered to have Lightroom do something similar, but i wouldn't do it if it did because the arrow keys are so heavy on muscle memory and work so well even if simple. Scrolling through emojis? I don't really use them, but if you want a particular one the little pop-up in Messages shows a lot more at a time than the TB.
I don't consider the TB 100% bad contrary to the above. I do especially like it in apps that have taken the time to intelligently customize the toolbar. My go-to example is a program I use daily that I hadn't even heard of a little over a year ago-Zoom. I usually spend most of a Zoom meeting screen sharing, and it's hard for me to monitor the chat box which my students use semi often. The TB gives me a notification when someone posts, and I can pull it up directly from the TB. There are also handy things like global meeting controls, mute and unmute, and the like. Most programs haven't customized it to that level.
That's my take on it. I can see some limited continued use of it, but given the choice I'd rather have function keys, or at least mostly function keys and perhaps an even smaller TB area. BTW, I know I could have bought an M1 without a TB, but I wanted the better battery+lack of throttling thanks to the fan, and the touchbar comes with those.
