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Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

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Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#101

Post by roboy »

wildrhythms wrote: post #92

"We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work. Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical. It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn't work, it's ergonomically terrible." -Steve Jobs, 2010 https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-touch-screen-mac-...

I had several PCs with touch screen and this absolutely true. Even intermittent use is not something I did, it’s just too inconvenient to ever become a habit, so the few times it’d be great, I don’t think about it being there because it’s not in my active list of affordances.

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#102

Post by AussieWog93 »

dotBen wrote: post #16

I wouldn't want a touchscreen MBP even if it was free, anyone else feel similar? I don't get the draw - we already optimize for keyboard commands to avoid living our fingers over to a touchpad. Why would I want to start clicking on my screen? If you're using your computer for tasks (rather than entertainment) and you're not a visual designer, I don't get why Apple are apparently going to be putting them into the new…

I feel like the point isn't "there should be a touch screen MacBook" but more "holy shit we simulated a working touch screen by looking at reflections coming off the glass, isn't that cool".

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#103

Post by bigyabai »

platevoltage wrote: post #70
bigyabai wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why would I ever choose to put fingers on that beautful screen ... I don't get it! I'm not sure, but bare in mind that the iPad is almost as large of a market as the Mac at this point, and the iPhone has long surpassed Mac revenue. Touching your computer is a very popular sentiment among the grimy-handed public.

There is a reason why the MacBook hasn't been replaced by an iPad with a keyboard and trackpad attached to it. Very different use case.

What is that reason? Clearly Apple can put desktop chips in the iPad, their desktop apps already support ARM, and the iPad hardware can absolutely run macOS. What is the advantage of iPadOS, instantially?

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#104

Post by neya »

wildrhythms wrote: post #92

"We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work. Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical. It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn't work, it's ergonomically terrible." -Steve Jobs, 2010 https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-touch-screen-mac-...

Yeah, but this was also strategically in Apple's interest to sell the iPads with nerfed up iPad OS as a separate line up. I love Steve Jobs and all, but this did NOT age well. The millions of people using Surface and Surface Pro will absolutely disagree with this take.

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#105

Post by sitharus »

devmor wrote: post #75
sitharus wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you find missing from macOS keyboard navigation? I've been using macs since the 90s so I'm quite used to it, so I'd love to know what I've been missing out on.

I have a lot of complaints but I would say my three big gripes are: - Window navigation within (rather than between) open programs. Mainly if one is on an external monitor, this is just a nightmare and I end up using expose and clicking the window instead. - Window positioning (I installed 3rd party software called Rectangle for this last year so it’s kind of solved but if we’re talking about the vanilla experience t…

Interesting, those are problems I don't have, I guess due to my work and workflow.

Command-` works for window switching as I expect, probably simply due to being used to it so I know exactly how It works.

Window positioning is an interesting one. I can't stand windows being positioned through tools, I stack them like you would with papers and shuffle through so the edge overlap is really important. Probably showing my age there!

And I never use the dock. Spotlight gets me everything I'd need from there.

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#106

Post by egeozcan »

bruckie wrote: post #81
bitmasher9 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes, if I’ve been using my iPad for awhile and switch over to my MBP, I might reach out and touch the screen out of habit. I can’t be the only one.

My kids do this all the time. They also use the touchscreen in conventional laptop configuration (not folded-flat tablet mode) on their Chromebooks all the time. It's bizarre to me. I'm always trying to get them to use the keyboard, but they don't care. Example: enter password on the keyboard, then tap the log in button on the screen with their finger, rather than just pressing enter. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My 3 year-old never had access to tablets or phones but sees us using phones all the time. So when he gets curious and touches the laptop screen (something he does with our phones occasionally as well), he's shocked to see it doesn't react.

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#107

Post by satvikpendem »

wildrhythms wrote: post #92

"We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work. Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical. It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn't work, it's ergonomically terrible." -Steve Jobs, 2010 https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-touch-screen-mac-...

I wonder what people will say when Apple releases the touch screen MacBook later this year then.

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#108

Post by wombatpm »

dotBen wrote: post #16

I wouldn't want a touchscreen MBP even if it was free, anyone else feel similar? I don't get the draw - we already optimize for keyboard commands to avoid living our fingers over to a touchpad. Why would I want to start clicking on my screen? If you're using your computer for tasks (rather than entertainment) and you're not a visual designer, I don't get why Apple are apparently going to be putting them into the new…

But the Touch Bar was such a resounding success …

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#109

Post by samtheprogram »

devmor wrote: post #75
sitharus wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you find missing from macOS keyboard navigation? I've been using macs since the 90s so I'm quite used to it, so I'd love to know what I've been missing out on.

I have a lot of complaints but I would say my three big gripes are: - Window navigation within (rather than between) open programs. Mainly if one is on an external monitor, this is just a nightmare and I end up using expose and clicking the window instead. - Window positioning (I installed 3rd party software called Rectangle for this last year so it’s kind of solved but if we’re talking about the vanilla experience t…

They kinda added window positioning with Tahoe -- there are things I like more about it than Rectangle (resizing), but I found that it was janky enough I switched back to Rectangle.

I rarely use the Dock, it's somewhat eye candy I leave up, or add stacks for folders that I use, but typically for keyboard action I reach for spotlight (cmd+space). Now, spotlight occasionally shitting the bed, that's another issue...

Re: Turning a MacBook into a touchscreen with $1 of hardware (2018)

#110

Post by alsetmusic »

satvikpendem wrote: post #107
wildrhythms wrote: post #92

"We've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work. Touch surfaces don't want to be vertical. It gives great demo but after a short period of time, you start to fatigue and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off. it doesn't work, it's ergonomically terrible." -Steve Jobs, 2010 https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-touch-screen-mac-...

I wonder what people will say when Apple releases the touch screen MacBook later this year then.

That it’s a silly idea, mostly. But some people will love it. As with anything Apple does.

(Longtime Apple user.)

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