One step forward, two steps back. They're finally getting rid of the horrible butterfly keyboard in favor of a more traditional scissor switch, but they're gonna make damn sure you have a touch bar.
Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
11–20 of 397 posts
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#12It’s unfortunate that so many design decisions are made with little regard for the true utility of what’s being designed, of which the touch bar has essentially zero.
What utility did the previous bar have?
Volume changing? Screen brightness? Those are better with the touchbar.
Escape key for vim or whatever? Switch your caps lock with escape! You should have been doing that the whole time!
The actual function keys? I don't use them enough to need them showing up all the time. And an extra key to get them up again is no big deal.
I agree that the touch bar doesn't add a whole lot of utility, but I can't see the argument of it removing any utility.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#13I initially got a macbook seven years ago to work at a mobile shop and dabble in iOS. I liked the form factor and the *nix basis, so I've stayed with them a bit.
Between the touch bar (which bothered me enough to downgrade my work laptop to not have it), keyboard problems, and migrating away from their BSD roots, I'm completely done. I don't care if Linux desktop is clunky or bad, at least I can use it on a laptop that doesn't suck.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#14Is the baseline MacBook Air sufficient for a CS major? I don’t want to spend extra for the pro.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#15The non-touch bar pro that was previously available was a pretty old model, right? First generation butterfly keyboard? If that's the case I'm not sure it makes sense to read too much into this. They will probably reintroduce a non-touch bar option when they refresh the pro line later this year.
I believe it's the second gen butterly keyboard. It's a good laptop for every day use, but it came out late 2016, pretty long ago now.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#16It’s unfortunate that so many design decisions are made with little regard for the true utility of what’s being designed, of which the touch bar has essentially zero.
What utility did the previous bar have? Volume changing? Screen brightness? Those are better with the touchbar. Escape key for vim or whatever? Switch your caps lock with escape! You should have been doing that the whole time! The actual function keys? I don't use them enough to need them showing up all the time. And an extra key to get them up again is no big deal. I agree that the touch bar doesn't add a whole lot…
There is utility in having an absolute consistent location for certain things, like volume. So I would not say universally "touchbar does it better"
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#17The Touch Bar was what finally pushed me over the edge to remap caps lock to escape. I'm shocked at how much I enjoy ESC being close to the home row (I'm not even a big vim user). For this change alone I am glad to have the Touch Bar.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#18It’s unfortunate that so many design decisions are made with little regard for the true utility of what’s being designed, of which the touch bar has essentially zero.
What utility did the previous bar have? Volume changing? Screen brightness? Those are better with the touchbar. Escape key for vim or whatever? Switch your caps lock with escape! You should have been doing that the whole time! The actual function keys? I don't use them enough to need them showing up all the time. And an extra key to get them up again is no big deal. I agree that the touch bar doesn't add a whole lot…
I don’t know where to start... I hope you’re never in a position to design something that people have to use.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#19It’s unfortunate that so many design decisions are made with little regard for the true utility of what’s being designed, of which the touch bar has essentially zero.
What utility did the previous bar have? Volume changing? Screen brightness? Those are better with the touchbar. Escape key for vim or whatever? Switch your caps lock with escape! You should have been doing that the whole time! The actual function keys? I don't use them enough to need them showing up all the time. And an extra key to get them up again is no big deal. I agree that the touch bar doesn't add a whole lot…
> Volume changing? That's better with the touchbar.
Not really. My wife has low vision. Changing the volume used to be a muscle memory sort of thing. Now it's an awkward fumbling mess, especially if she's in the middle of a meeting and trying to mute her laptop.
We've locked the buttons to a static position so she knows where to press but there's still no tactile feedback.
Re: Apple kills the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
What utility did the previous bar have? Volume changing? Screen brightness? Those are better with the touchbar. Escape key for vim or whatever? Switch your caps lock with escape! You should have been doing that the whole time! The actual function keys? I don't use them enough to need them showing up all the time. And an extra key to get them up again is no big deal. I agree that the touch bar doesn't add a whole lot…
I don’t know where to start... I hope you’re never in a position to design something that people have to use.
I'm legitimately curious. Please help me understand.
Again, I don't see how its worth all the hassle and surely extra cost for Apple to push it, but really don't see how it's any worse than the previous bar.