My question is: How about synchronizing eye "focus" tracking and finger on the button to select? - both in Apple's tool kit anyway? No fingerprints, super fast.
Some Apple fans have long wanted Apple to combine the functionality of the iPad with the Mac, and it appears that it's finally going to happen. Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen Mac technology, and we could see the first touchscreen Mac in just a couple of years.
This guide highlights everything that we know so far about Apple's work on a touchscreen Mac.
Possible Models
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple engineers are "actively engaged" in the development of a Mac with a touchscreen, and one of the first Macs with a touchscreen could be an OLED version of the MacBook Pro.
How Touchscreen Macs Will Work
The first touchscreen Mac is expected to continue to feature a traditional laptop design, complete with a trackpad and a keyboard.
While a standard notebook design will continue to be used, the machine will feature a display that supports touch input like an iPhone or an iPad.
Operating System
Gurman says that the first touchscreen Macs are likely to use macOS, the operating system that runs on the Mac. Apple is not looking to combine iPadOS and macOS at this time, though the lines have blurred between the operating systems with the launch of Apple silicon Macs.
iPhone and iPad apps are already able to run on Macs with Apple silicon chips, unless a developer opts out of the cross platform functionality.
Touchscreen Mac History
Apple executives have said many times over the years that Apple does not have plans to release a touchscreen Mac. In 2021, for example, Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus said that the best touch computer is an iPad, with the Mac "totally optimized for indirect input" rather than touch. "We haven't really felt a reason to change that," he said.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi in 2020 said that Apple believed Mac ergonomics require the hands to be rested on a surface, claiming that "lifting your arm up to poke a screen" is "fatiguing." Touchscreen laptops from other companies were also not compelling to Apple. "I don't think we've ever looked at any of the other guys to date and said, how fast can we get there?"
Later in 2020, Federighi said that a touch-based interface was not considered for the Mac and that Apple had no secret plans to change the way the Mac works. Apple has been dismissing claims of a touchscreen Mac for almost a decade at this point.
The Competition
Almost all PC manufacturers make some kind of touch-based tablet/laptop hybrid device, many of which are positioned as all-in-one or convertible machines.
HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung all have notebook options with touch displays. Major Apple competitor Samsung, for example, offers the Galaxy Book, which has a traditional keyboard and trackpad paired with a touchscreen.
Release Date
The first touchscreen Mac could come out as soon as 2025, but there is time for Apple to change its plans.
Article Link: Apple's Work on Touchscreen Macs: What We Know So Far
As I use my iPad more, I find myself occasionally touching my MBPro screen. It’s not a must-have feature for me, but a nice-to-have that would raise the cost way too much.
Some Apple fans have long wanted Apple to combine the functionality of the iPad with the Mac, and it appears that it's finally going to happen. Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen Mac technology, and we could see the first touchscreen Mac in just a couple of years.
This guide highlights everything that we know so far about Apple's work on a touchscreen Mac.
Possible Models
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple engineers are "actively engaged" in the development of a Mac with a touchscreen, and one of the first Macs with a touchscreen could be an OLED version of the MacBook Pro.
How Touchscreen Macs Will Work
The first touchscreen Mac is expected to continue to feature a traditional laptop design, complete with a trackpad and a keyboard.
While a standard notebook design will continue to be used, the machine will feature a display that supports touch input like an iPhone or an iPad.
Operating System
Gurman says that the first touchscreen Macs are likely to use macOS, the operating system that runs on the Mac. Apple is not looking to combine iPadOS and macOS at this time, though the lines have blurred between the operating systems with the launch of Apple silicon Macs.
iPhone and iPad apps are already able to run on Macs with Apple silicon chips, unless a developer opts out of the cross platform functionality.
Touchscreen Mac History
Apple executives have said many times over the years that Apple does not have plans to release a touchscreen Mac. In 2021, for example, Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus said that the best touch computer is an iPad, with the Mac "totally optimized for indirect input" rather than touch. "We haven't really felt a reason to change that," he said.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi in 2020 said that Apple believed Mac ergonomics require the hands to be rested on a surface, claiming that "lifting your arm up to poke a screen" is "fatiguing." Touchscreen laptops from other companies were also not compelling to Apple. "I don't think we've ever looked at any of the other guys to date and said, how fast can we get there?"
Later in 2020, Federighi said that a touch-based interface was not considered for the Mac and that Apple had no secret plans to change the way the Mac works. Apple has been dismissing claims of a touchscreen Mac for almost a decade at this point.
The Competition
Almost all PC manufacturers make some kind of touch-based tablet/laptop hybrid device, many of which are positioned as all-in-one or convertible machines.
HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung all have notebook options with touch displays. Major Apple competitor Samsung, for example, offers the Galaxy Book, which has a traditional keyboard and trackpad paired with a touchscreen.
Release Date
The first touchscreen Mac could come out as soon as 2025, but there is time for Apple to change its plans.
Article Link: Apple's Work on Touchscreen Macs: What We Know So Far
There was a company a number of year back that would essentially do just that. They'd convert the screen part of a MacBook into a tablet that ran OSX. Not sure if they're still in business or not.
IMO this is unlikely to happen for one simple reason - why sell one device when you can (try to) sell two?
Appears the last anyone's heard from them was 2017. All of their domains are either suspended or expired/taken over by other registrants. kpedia still labels them as an is implying they're in business but appears nothing has shipped to customers in 15 years.
Well this site is definitely living up to its name. This is a rumor at this point we’ve heard it before. Let it come if it’s coming but I’m not sitting here dreaming about it. That’s just a recipe for disappointment and also if I really wanted a touchscreen that bad I would get a pc with that feature set. It’s been a slow News year for apple land I suppose.
Some Apple fans have long wanted Apple to combine the functionality of the iPad with the Mac, and it appears that it's finally going to happen. Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen Mac technology, and we could see the first touchscreen Mac in just a couple of years.
This guide highlights everything that we know so far about Apple's work on a touchscreen Mac.
Possible Models
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple engineers are "actively engaged" in the development of a Mac with a touchscreen, and one of the first Macs with a touchscreen could be an OLED version of the MacBook Pro.
How Touchscreen Macs Will Work
The first touchscreen Mac is expected to continue to feature a traditional laptop design, complete with a trackpad and a keyboard.
While a standard notebook design will continue to be used, the machine will feature a display that supports touch input like an iPhone or an iPad.
Operating System
Gurman says that the first touchscreen Macs are likely to use macOS, the operating system that runs on the Mac. Apple is not looking to combine iPadOS and macOS at this time, though the lines have blurred between the operating systems with the launch of Apple silicon Macs.
iPhone and iPad apps are already able to run on Macs with Apple silicon chips, unless a developer opts out of the cross platform functionality.
Touchscreen Mac History
Apple executives have said many times over the years that Apple does not have plans to release a touchscreen Mac. In 2021, for example, Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus said that the best touch computer is an iPad, with the Mac "totally optimized for indirect input" rather than touch. "We haven't really felt a reason to change that," he said.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi in 2020 said that Apple believed Mac ergonomics require the hands to be rested on a surface, claiming that "lifting your arm up to poke a screen" is "fatiguing." Touchscreen laptops from other companies were also not compelling to Apple. "I don't think we've ever looked at any of the other guys to date and said, how fast can we get there?"
Later in 2020, Federighi said that a touch-based interface was not considered for the Mac and that Apple had no secret plans to change the way the Mac works. Apple has been dismissing claims of a touchscreen Mac for almost a decade at this point.
The Competition
Almost all PC manufacturers make some kind of touch-based tablet/laptop hybrid device, many of which are positioned as all-in-one or convertible machines.
HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung all have notebook options with touch displays. Major Apple competitor Samsung, for example, offers the Galaxy Book, which has a traditional keyboard and trackpad paired with a touchscreen.
Release Date
The first touchscreen Mac could come out as soon as 2025, but there is time for Apple to change its plans.
Article Link: Apple's Work on Touchscreen Macs: What We Know So Far
You may be correct. Somehow this is the sort of thing Apple tends to do. After some time passes, most think whatever Apple did is what they want.
Good point. I wouldn't go so far as to say unlikely. More like, "something Apple's accountants and marketers are number crunching constantly." They will choose the most lucrative path, regardless of what people want.
Believe it or not, Apple used to provide Apple Polishing Cloths for free, included in the box of MacBook Pro and iMac, back in 2007. Albeit those were black-colored.You have an Apple Polishing Cloth for the greasy fingerprints on the screen.
Apple Releases Polishing Cloth for $19
Apple today released a microfiber Polishing Cloth accessory, designed for cleaning the screens of Apple devices, for $19. Although today's...www.macrumors.com
Because to make a Mac work for touch input would require redesigning macOS.
Great read, thanks.
I'd be quite happy with an iPad Pro with runs iPad OS and Mac OS. You could use as an iPad most of the time but switch to Mac OS and when docked to a screen (e.g. when in the office). Samsung does a lite version of this with their Dex product which runs a few Microsoft apps, but the iPad Pros have Apple Silicon so they'd be powerful enough to run the full Mac OS (even if it's separate to iPad OS). User files could be shared between the two operating systems using Files or iCloud.
