191–200 of 244 posts
> the Touch Bar. It was introduced in 2016 and… never really went anywhere. A more aggressive set of software updates from Apple might have turned it into something, but that never happened. > Now it’s gone, replaced instead by a very traditional row of function keys. Well to be honest I liked the Touch Bar and I used it quite often. On the other hand I never used the "Function Keys".
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Personally I dislike this bit. Thinness isn't everything, but it's something. I don't know that the new models really needed to look as brick-ish as they do, and the previous design was certainly sexier.
I actually like the throwback, personally. I'm guessing they did that to differentiate it in the market. What I have trouble getting over is the flipping notch to the top. Just why. The bezel on my 2019 macbook looks the same, if not skinnier. Do people really not watch fullscreen videos anymore or something?
Everything beneath the notch is the same size as the screen on previous laptops, so the notch allows for extra space beyond the 16x10 that you're used to. This means when not using fullscreen apps, you gain some screen real-estate because the menu bar now has dedicated space for it. However, when you're doing something fullscreen (like watching a video) the screen on either side of the notch is blacked out so you're left with a standard sized screen for viewing your content (with no visible notch). It seems like a win-win.
I much prefer this implementation to what they did on the iPhone with the notch cutting into fullscreen images and videos. The only downside I can see is if you have a light colored menu bar or background and don't like the look of it when not fullscreen, however my menubar is always black anyways so I don't see that being an issue at all.
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Can you identify a system that doesn’t cause these issues for you?
Older systems like a ThinkPad from 2013 work. Something changed around then for the display tech.
There are many, many differences between display techs. Higher / lower contrast, brightness, ‘Refresh rate’ - where these can be controlled at higher granularity than the whole display at once these days. Colour response, blue light and it’s presence / absence.
There is also simply screen size. Large screens (‘external’ monitors) are much more commonplace. Having more screen real-estate in field of view could be a factor.
How close we sit to screens. That many people also look at phone screens for the time they aren’t looking at a ‘computer’ screen. Maybe just total screen viewing time is important.
Perhaps it’s possible to eliminate many of these factors? Go back to 2013 screen size, amount of phone screen use, TV screen size, etc.
It might be easier to just go cold turkey and stop using anything but one small 2013 era monitor with a TN screen (no mobile, no TV, no tablet etc.) and see if all is well, then start re-introducing.
> the Touch Bar. It was introduced in 2016 and… never really went anywhere. A more aggressive set of software updates from Apple might have turned it into something, but that never happened. > Now it’s gone, replaced instead by a very traditional row of function keys. Well to be honest I liked the Touch Bar and I used it quite often. On the other hand I never used the "Function Keys".
How did you change volume or brightness?
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My guess is that Apple bet on something that did not materialise, it wasn't about Jony Ive not caring about user feedback. What was the bet you say? I think they bet that the shift to USB-C/Thunderbolt/Wireless will happen quickly and they can help with the push and increase their margins. IMHO It wasn't a design decision but a business one and I think the removal of mag-safe is a giveaway. Every little thing that th…
USB-C adoption mostly went fine, though. Or as fine as could be expected. I think the past five years can be more easily explained with — ironically — a Steve Jobs quote: > When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks, because that's what you needed on the farm. But as vehicles started to be used in the urban centers, cars got more popular … PCs are going to be like trucks. They're still going to be around,…
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What's amusing about the "design purity" is this is basically (from an externals point of view) an upgraded PowerBook G4. Good design isn't limited to "make it look as much like a thin sheet of metal as possible".
Personally I dislike this bit. Thinness isn't everything, but it's something. I don't know that the new models really needed to look as brick-ish as they do, and the previous design was certainly sexier.
If I had to choose between an SD card slot and a USB-A port, I definitely would have chosen a USB-A port. I would take both, if possible. I would even give up a USB-C port for a USB-A port, but that might be a little backward-thinking. The USB-A to USB-C adapter is small and inexpensive, but it is still something I will need, mainly for the occasional flash drive.
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USB-C adoption mostly went fine, though. Or as fine as could be expected. I think the past five years can be more easily explained with — ironically — a Steve Jobs quote: > When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks, because that's what you needed on the farm. But as vehicles started to be used in the urban centers, cars got more popular … PCs are going to be like trucks. They're still going to be around,…
Really? USB-C adoption went fine? I have never seen a usb thing that I found superior to what it replaced. I see a lot of dongles though.
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Micro-Braided-Jacket/dp...
https://www.amazon.com/JSAUX-Charger-Braided-Compatible-Exte...
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Printer-USB-C-Black/dp/...
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... All 4:3 videos are taller than 16:9 certainly, and there's a non-trivial number of those.
Absolutely. I run into this all the time with my phone's screen (likely a different ratio, but I almost never have it not cover video. If there's a program that will literally add black padding until the notch goes away I'd probably use it, at least when watching media.
I can't even be frustrated with you. This is so humanity. "I hate what they did! If only they had done this instead!" They did do that. They talk about that a lot. The article talks about that. They solved the problem in a way so obvious that it's what random people on the internet come up with, but of course the same random people on the internet are so convinced of their own superiority and so sure of Apple's inferiority and also unable to read TFA.
Much has already been said about this, but this achievement of shipping a MBP that pro users seem to love is a triumph of user feedback over design purity. I suspect that Jony Ives’ departure may have facilitated this. I suspect it will be a breakout success and I aspire to contribute to their sales figures some day. Of all of Apple’s revenue streams I know their pro products are now merely an afterthought, but they…