October Special Event Keynote [video]
apple.com
apple.com
Just imagine the controls for your debugging environment on it. Or pressing a modifier and the display actually showing you a different set of shortcuts.
I had actually been looking around at programmable keyboards with active displays on every key. I want to switch to a keyboard-only workflow, but it is actually incredibly hard if you use a few applications. There's no standard for shortcuts, and not even a standard for defining custom shortcuts.
I'm hoping they're also launching a standalone keyboard in that style.
I could also imagine there will be transparent "screen protectors" that you could apply with raised bumps so as to give tactile feedback. At that point, I see no reason for vim users to complain (saying that as a vim user). Not that it will be too hard to find the left edge of the bar.
Intriguing. Though if the touch bar is context sensitive how is your standalone keyboard going to be able to know what context you are in? Genuine question!
Actually, it must already be happening, considering the Caps Lock indicator is set by the OS, not the keyboard itself (which is why people use it as a sort of brain-stem reflex test when the computer locks up).
Other than the escape button is only available contextually, and has moved? Other than the function keys some of us use as more mappings (such as in insert mode) now require looking at the keyboard and using a chord (Fn-touchbar).
Of course, we can get used to it. Of course, we can just use another keyboard. Of course, we can learn alternate key bindings for escape. The change was unnecessary. Other companies have tried it and given way back to physical F keys - that should say something right there.
Here's a thought: instead of removing keys for a touchbar, why not make the screen touchable? That way you don't need extra controls and interfaces to allow for scrubbing, volume control, application launching, etc.
what's the problem with "if context == vim -> show ESC". And that was at the far left as it has always been.
> Other companies have tried it
Tell that to Blackberry, or those Microsoft tablets.
> Here's a thought: instead of removing keys for a touchbar, why not make the screen touchable?
That would actually feel pretty useless. I'd always have my hands closer to the mouse or touchpad, and it feels really awkward to reach out to the screen.
> And that was at the far left as it has always been.
No, it's indented by half the width of the tilde key, whereas it was directly above the tilde key before.
> Tell that to Blackberry, or those Microsoft tablets.
Those are touchscreen devices, where you can touch the actual controls on the screen. I haven't yet seen another laptop with a touchbar which kept the touchbar for more than one generation.
> I'd always have my hands closer to the mouse or touchpad
Then you could continue to use the mouse and touchpad. The bottom of the screen is only about another inch or two above the touchbar as it stands now, and much more flexible in terms of what can appear there (such as website controls).
There are certain functionalities that might justify the cost of looking down (not to sound too melodramatic). But one of the examples that keeps cropping up is autocomplete. Which seems like a rather unnatural thing to put anywhere but the text it's completing. Wondering what else the expect to show up on this thing, in a location I currently don't really ever look at if I don't have to.
BTW, what is up with the empty space between the left-border of the OLED bar and the virtual ESC key? The space on the right side seems to be for the Touch ID sensor, but the one on the left side makes no sense. And that Trackpad, it seems so big, they will eventually make it full-wide and then include a tactile pencil so you can convert it into a drawing tablet.
It seems cool though, it's unfortunate that I cannot buy it (even when I have more than enough money to maximize its specifications), maybe in 2-3 years when the local shops refresh their stock I will be able to get my hands in that machine. I just hope that the RAM and CPU is powerful enough (aka. future proven) to justify the price in 2-3 years.
EDIT: BTW, how do I power-on and force-shutdown this computer?
I have spent the better part of the last number of years trying to keep my hands ON the keyboard and AWAY from the mouse. This will allow me to do that in interesting new ways. I actually hope they make a full size external keyboard with the same functionality.
I do concede that there are some good uses for it though.
When your hands are on the keyboard are you looking down at them to see where you are typing? Now you are going to take your eyes off the screen and see if the touch bar has something useful for you. I would imagine you are going to keep using the same keyboard shortcuts that you have used for years.
[edited]
But seriously though, I kinda hate it but also think it could be useful in certain situations. Not sure what to make of it.
Can someone share the URL so I can stream via VLC or similar, please?
EDIT: Thank you @alva
first topic: Apple is launching a new accessibility website
It's a standards draft, but not a standard, so it's more that Edge implemented this particular draft feature, whereas Chrome/Firefox have not.
edit: tv shows, not tvs. lol
Edit: Also, if you hold down the function key, the function buttons come back.
Perhaps it's just me, but I find it overwhelming.
What I don't get is why no one, not Apple, not MS, not Lenovo, not anyone, makes "developer editions." These would only need a few tweaks, in this case retain the physical function keys, for PCs remove junkware and go out of your way to make Linux/dual booting easy, preconfigure the OS for "maximum manual operation", etc.
It wouldn't be profitable and might even generate a small loss, but as Apple seems to be forgetting, having the favor of a huge swath of developers pays big dividends if you've got a platform to push.
Every presenter has the same kind of rhythm and timing. I wonder who coaches them?
A couple of thoughts:
* What advantages does the Touch Bar have over chording? One I can think of is less need for memorization.
* One advantage of physical keys is the physical keypress. I can imagine Apple adding taptic feedback in the future.
All and all, I think this is a good move forward.
* Is the the Touch Bar the new <marquee> /s
I just hope that web pages can customize the Touch Bar too.
They kept emphasizing how the 13" Macbook Pro is thinner, smaller, and lighter than the Air. And at the end, they talk up the 12" Macbook.
On the other hand, I'm a very late adopter, and will probably be using my current (late 2013) MBP for another three to five years, so it's not as though I'm going to have to worry about being the infantry here. By the time I get around to even considering the possibility of a purchase, it'll long since have been known whether or not the touch bar is a gimmick.
What I find obnoxious is that the hardware is already a bit outdated. Also, they act as though this touch bar is such a huge innovation when it really isn't. It's minor. Give me a laptop I can use for coding and also has an Apple Pencil compatible touch screen I can use for note taking. I'd call that innovation. But Apple has decided, for all of us, that no one really wants this.
I will say, however, that the 4 thunderbolt 3 ports seem pretty useful. I also like how they're going with port-types that are standard instead of their usual proprietary nonsense.