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SamB_

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 1, 2016
29
3
I'm not sure if this has been discussed, I'm sure Apple considered it at some point, but to me, as a heavy Lightroom Classic and Photoshop user (pro photog), I would really like having touchbars to the right and left of the trackpad (immediately below the keyboard), to assign to various functions for PS and LRC. This would seem far more useful than having it way up top (kind of out of reach). I would pay extra for this feature.

Anyone else feel this way?
 
Id rather touchbars on the left and right of the keyboard. Still near the keyboard if you want to use them, but not somewhere that you'd accidently touch it, and it gives you back the function row.

In the meantime I'm just glad the Air doesn't come with it.
 
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It's an interesting idea although I think they'd get in the way when typing. In any case, something needs to be done about the Touch Bar.
 
I personally think they should make the whole area below the keyboard a touch-sensitive screen. Then you could setup a trackpad, keys, etc. however you want, turning off areas you don't want to use. Maximum flexibility that way.
 
I personally think they should make the whole area below the keyboard a touch-sensitive screen. Then you could setup a trackpad, keys, etc. however you want, turning off areas you don't want to use. Maximum flexibility that way.
I like that idea too. My thought was to make the touchbar, split in two, recessed like the keyboard tray area, so you could type without touching it, or turn it off completely if you don't want it on, on an app by app basis.

For photo, video, and audio work it would be very nice that way, and you could turn it off for apps like excel, etc, where it might not be as useful or get in the way.
 
I've always thought myself that the location of the touch bar was just not that great, and a different location might have made it generally more liked and accepted. I like the idea of the left and the right of the keyboard, because it is the one area where your hands are not going to obstruct their view when the laptop is on your lap and your hands are on the keyboard, it could become very natural to operate them with the pinky fingers without completely moving the hands from the typing position, and sliders might feel a bit more natural.
 
For photo, video, and audio work it would be very nice that way, and you could turn it off for apps like excel, etc, where it might not be as useful or get in the way.
For Excel it actually might be nice to have a pop-up numeric pad for when you are inputting a lot of numbers.

The area could be used for pen input too, so you could use it like a graphics tablet, for signatures, etc. And with Apple's design chops, I wonder if they could make it almost seamless so that when it's off (or rather matching the color of the case), it would look like it wasn't even there. So many possibilities.
 
I do think, or at least HOPE, that eventually Apple will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the era of touchscreens. I can't tell you how nice that would be in the education environment at this point. Unlike the touchbar, a touchscreen takes away nothing if you don't want to use it and adds features if you do want them, whereas the touchbar removes key (hahahaha) functionality and replaces it with something a lot of users don't like at all. So basically, there are significant downsides to the touchbar, but no real downsides to adopting a touchscreen and going back to actual keys in that location.
 
I do think, or at least HOPE, that eventually Apple will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the era of touchscreens. I can't tell you how nice that would be in the education environment at this point. Unlike the touchbar, a touchscreen takes away nothing if you don't want to use it and adds features if you do want them, whereas the touchbar removes key (hahahaha) functionality and replaces it with something a lot of users don't like at all. So basically, there are significant downsides to the touchbar, but no real downsides to adopting a touchscreen and going back to actual keys in that location.
I do think they could justify offering different versions. As a photo editor, a touch screen is a non-starter due to fingerprints (maybe a pen would work), but people with other needs love them. I really don't want a touchbar, though, unless it was down near the trackpad, where I could efficiently transition between the trackpad and touchbars to the R and L of the trackpad (recessed slightly, just strips below the bottom of the keyboard).
 
Putting it near the trackpad would mean your wrists would accidentally touch it, because it's like a touchscreen and those demand accuracy in where you touch them. Keeping it in the keyboard zone is accessible, and placing it at the top keeps it out of the way. You also get the benefit of it "blending in" because it looks almost like a row of keys, whereas putting it to the sides of the trackpad would probably stand out and look messy.
 
Putting it near the trackpad would mean your wrists would accidentally touch it, because it's like a touchscreen and those demand accuracy in where you touch them. Keeping it in the keyboard zone is accessible, and placing it at the top keeps it out of the way. You also get the benefit of it "blending in" because it looks almost like a row of keys, whereas putting it to the sides of the trackpad would probably stand out and look messy.
For those of us who use the laptop for creative purposes, our hands are lower b/c we use the touchpad as much or more than the keyboard, and if the touchpad were recessed at the level of the keyboard 'housing', and it were similar in size to the current touchpad (laterally narrow), it shouldn't be an issue. You could also disable it, too.
 
Putting it near the trackpad would mean your wrists would accidentally touch it, because it's like a touchscreen and those demand accuracy in where you touch them. Keeping it in the keyboard zone is accessible, and placing it at the top keeps it out of the way. You also get the benefit of it "blending in" because it looks almost like a row of keys, whereas putting it to the sides of the trackpad would probably stand out and look messy.
I'm sure palm detection would prevent any problems like that (e.g. you can use the pencil on and iPad without your palms causing problems). That's why they were able to make the trackpad bigger.

I agree a screen could look bad, but I envision Apple designing it so that it could match the color of the case when needed and make it "disappear" virtually.
 
For those of us who use the laptop for creative purposes, our hands are lower b/c we use the touchpad as much or more than the keyboard, and if the touchpad were recessed at the level of the keyboard 'housing', and it were similar in size to the current touchpad (laterally narrow), it shouldn't be an issue. You could also disable it, too.
It seems weird to disable a physical feature that is in a critical area of the laptop, I.e where people’s wrists/palms are mostly around. I don’t think this should ever be considered a solution for any product manager
 
I am thinking a better location would be on the actual screen where the dock is located for most currently. If or when Apple goes to a touch screen, this may work. Then the dock can be located on the sides, which some people do anyway. It is not such a reach from the keyboard to the bottom of the screen. I think it is misplaced currently because many people actually prefer real function keys -- like me.
 
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