Apple’s new touch bar is a usability disaster

Regarding Mission Control: Do you use it from the keyboard? Is this even possible? If you use the touch pad you can summon Mission Control with a three finger swipe up. I find this very convenient.

> 1. It needlessly shifts the cognitive load from touch to sight

The Touch Bar is meant to be an input device and not a display, or in Apples words: "Use the Touch Bar as an extension of the keyboard and trackpad, not as a display." [1]

> 2. Any function key available on the touch bar should already be visible on-screen.

Sure but that's not necessarily a bad thing. All letters and digits are available from the screen (Character viewer) as well, it still makes sense to have them on the keyboard.

> 3. While it remains to be tested, the small touch area will likely not be accurate enough for most use-cases

Have you tried it? As it is controlled by an Apple Watch SoC it should have similar characteristics.

> 4. The touch bar is not placed thoughtfully, making its use an additional unwarranted effort (see point 2.)

The Touch Bar is an extension of the keyboard and there are not so many possibilities to place it so it can be used easily with your fingers. Where would you have placed it instead?

[1] https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Us...

Haha, he hasn't even seen or used one yet.

Low quality article.