Will Apple Abandon Touch Bar with next generation MacBook Pro?

[bballers29]

I have a Touch Bar MacBook Pro and only find Touch ID to be useful. In fact, I frequently press the Touch Bar by mistake, enabling Siri or other functions which is aggravating.

I think Touch Bar was Apple's response to people saying they weren't innovating and to somewhat hush critics who kept on harping about Apple laptops needing to be touchscreen.

From what I've read, I am not the only customer who finds the Touch Bar gimmicky and unhelpful. I was wondering if Apple might just implement a MacBook Air style keyboard—that only includes Touch ID in the power button—with their next generation Pro's?

 

[filmbuff]

I think it will still be there but they will rework it somehow. Definitely brighter, maybe haptic feedback, probably some developer kit to get apps to make more functionality for it.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Unless they completely reinvent the keyboard in some way, the touch bar is here to stay. Apple will tweak and refine it in future revisions, be that software or hardware. They added it with a next step in mind, so we'll see what that is eventually.

 

[robvas]

I could see them leaving it out....they didn't put it on the Air or iMac keyboard yet. I hope they do, hate the touchbar.

 

[MacNut]

Apple never admits to making mistakes. They will never get rid of it now. If they won't admit the new keyboard is bad and no headphone jack on the iPhones are bad they won't admit the Touch Bar was a mistake.

 

[PROFESS0R]

I think the Touch Bar is most likely to go away when apple introduces touchscreens to their notebook computers; something I expect to happen at the next major revision of their notebook lines.

 

[psingh01]

They will “improve” it by making it bigger and replacing the number row on the keyboard as well.

 

[QCassidy352]

I think most people would support them abandoning it, but they probably won't. They very rarely acknowledge design errors (which the TB is) by reversing course.

 

[FrostyF]

I could see them making it more useful not removing it. Better Touch Tool is getting there but the UI is terrible and not very user friendly.

 

[puma1552]

Apple never admits to making mistakes. They will never get rid of it now. If they won't admit the new keyboard is bad and no headphone jack on the iPhones are bad they won't admit the Touch Bar was a mistake.

Pretty much this.

I do wonder though if they might reintroduce a non-TB base model with the next redesign.

 

[MacNut]

Pretty much this.

I do wonder though if they might reintroduce a non-TB base model with the next redesign.

I have to wonder what's left for them to redesign. The machine is already way to thin. What are they going to do different?

 

[FrostyF]

I have to wonder what's left for them to redesign. The machine is already way to thin. What are they going to do different?

Smaller body/screen would be nice, the bezels are still quite large compared to the competition like the XPS.

 

[puma1552]

I have to wonder what's left for them to redesign. The machine is already way to thin. What are they going to do different?

Hard to say. Can't get much thinner, already ruined the keyboard, stripped the ports to their limit, about all they could do is try and shrink the footprint incrementally.

I will say they did a nice job really shrinking the display/body gap when the lid is closed on the 2016+ models compared to the 2008-2015 models, which was a necessity to hit their thinness obsession.

EDIT: I guess they still have to ditch the headphone jack...

 

[MacNut]

Smaller body/screen would be nice, the bezels are still quite large compared to the competition like the XPS.

How can they make it smaller and still have speakers?

 

[FrostyF]

How can they make it smaller and still have speakers?

How do they have speakers on the MBP 13”, 2018 MBA, and 12” MacBook?

Using magnet paper you can see how small the speakers actually are. The grille sizes are fake news.

 

[MacNut]

How do they have speakers on the MBP 13”, 2018 MBA, and 12” MacBook?

Using magnet paper you can see how small the speakers actually are. The grille sizes are fake news.

I don't mind the grills, it gives my hands a place to rest.

 

[FrostyF]

 

[MacNut]

View attachment 808012

IF they make the machines any smaller they won't have any room to cool them at all. As it is now they can barely keep them cool enough to operate.

 

[VMMan]

Well, if they make the MacBooks any smaller they’d be Mac versions of the Surface with a detachable or optional keyboard.

 

[FrostyF]

IF they make the machines any smaller they won't have any room to cool them at all. As it is now they can barely keep them cool enough to operate.

With current components, yes. Just wait until they switch to ARM / 7nm tech.

I was referring to the 15”. It still has quite a large footprint.

 

[puma1552]

I don't mind the grills, it gives my hands a place to rest.

The grilles are the sexiest part of the 15" machine.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

I have a Touch Bar MacBook Pro and only find Touch ID to be useful. In fact, I frequently press the Touch Bar by mistake, enabling Siri or other functions which is aggravating.

I think Touch Bar was Apple's response to people saying they weren't innovating and to somewhat hush critics who kept on harping about Apple laptops needing to be touchscreen.

From what I've read, I am not the only customer who finds the Touch Bar gimmicky and unhelpful. I was wondering if Apple might just implement a MacBook Air style keyboard—that only includes Touch ID in the power button—with their next generation Pro's?

No because it is really useful for some pro apps that use track editing.

It’s also great for finding symbols and emojis.

Eventually keyboards will have no moving parts and will be haptic. The Touchbar is just the beginning.

 

[VMMan]

Some day Apple will make a device that has a virtual pop up keyboard that comes up on a touch sensitive display.

 

[FrostyF]

The grilles are the sexiest part of the 15" machine.

If they reduced it by quarter or half an inch on either side it would still look good. IMO the top bar is the bigger eye-sore than the sides. Compare the footprint of the front facing camera on the iPhone to MacBooks; there’s no reason why the bezel has to be that large.

 

[MacNut]

No because it is really useful for some pro apps that use track editing.

It’s also great for finding symbols and emojis.

Eventually keyboards will have no moving parts and will be haptic. The Touchbar is just the beginning.

This is where I fear Apple is moving. They will have a touch keyboard.