The Out-of-Touch Bar is a UI/UX disaster.

[navaira]

It's not about newness. It's that I managed to configure it EXACTLY as I want it. I've got language changer (I use four languages), emoji pop-up, screenshot, mute, clock, weather where I see them. When I press Control I get upcoming events, free space on hard drive, keyboard brightness controls, etc. Instead of forcing me to look up when I don't want to or switch windows, TB gives me all that I need, and if I decide I need more I can just add it.

One thing that's impossible to defend is the software Esc key. I don't use Esc as much as many programmers seem to, but every time I find myself looking for it because my fingers are searching for...well, a key. And the blank space next to it bothers me more than anything else.

(By the way, the volume buttons control only Spotify, they are unrelated to system volume. I use a Sonos system, and ability to control Spotify volume without switching windows is very useful to me.)

 

[LogicalApex]

I have yet to find anyone who thinks this is a good idea

So far, I like the TB so I guess I'm an odd ball.

It isn't perfect, but I find it fairly useful and fluid. I like having a dynamic area of the KB that shifts according to the context of what I'm doing. Like how easy it makes scrubbing through images in Photos app or accessing stuff like brightness controls.

But I get why many don't like it. There really hasn't been any major innovation in keyboards in decades. As a result, any change is going to rub some users the wrong way. Also, any change coming after a period of so much of the same won't be a home run either.

 

[SDColorado]

Also, any change coming after a period of so much of the same won't be a home run either.

It isn't something innovative or new. Lenovo did a similar thing with a touch bar back in 2013/2014 with the X1 Carbons and bailed on it. Microsoft was also working on a similar design and bailed on it. I guess the innovation is that Apple decided to stick with it.

 

[LogicalApex]

Microsoft was also working on a similar design and bailed on it.

Microsoft has a different challenge than Apple has when it comes to implementing redesigns of this nature. Apple can ensure that a majority, or all, of their computers come with a new feature or adjustment as standard. For Microsoft they can introduce an interesting feature and OEMs may find it hard to be the one who implements anything that pushes up the costs against their competitors. This has inhibited a lot of innovative things Microsoft tried in the laptop space before the mobile revolution made laptops an afterthought. It can also lead to an experience that isn't super smooth for users as well as various OEMs implement hardware features in a variety of different ways and have their own issues of stability.

Either way, it is good to see some attempt to innovate still on laptops where largely nothing has changed in almost 2 decades.

 

[zoom25]

Hmmm, I wonder what people's reaction would have been if they kept the existing function keys and then added the touch bar above that as an extra row.

I actually had that setup with a Touch Bar above the function keys on a past HP laptop. It was actually useful that way. It never interfered and only added positively to the experience. It was also a 15 inch 16:10 aspect ratio laptop, similar to the MacBook Pro 15 inch.

Here's a picture: http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/15980.jpg

EDIT: Another one https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/sCkMbQh1FDSwRkeW.huge

 

[SDColorado]

Microsoft has a different challenge than Apple has when it comes to implementing redesigns of this nature. Apple can ensure that a majority, or all, of their computers come with a new feature or adjustment as standard. For Microsoft they can introduce an interesting feature and OEMs may find it hard to be the one who implements anything that pushes up the costs against their competitors. This has inhibited a lot of innovative things Microsoft tried in the laptop space before the mobile revolution made laptops an afterthought. It can also lead to an experience that isn't super smooth for users as well as various OEMs implement hardware features in a variety of different ways and have their own issues of stability.

Either way, it is good to see some attempt to innovate still on laptops where largely nothing has changed in almost 2 decades.

They do have some different challenges, but they had a couple of looks at it. The first was in 2010 with the Adaptive Keyboard. That had icons much larger than Apples at the top of the keyboard and *above* the function keys, not replacing them. Also, the display continued underneath the entire keyboard, so that you could change character sets to different languages, etc. The second look they had was a display cover concept for the Surface but again chose not to go with it, in favor of touchscreen and pen. Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others have chosen that path as well.

As mentioned Lenovo also did the touch bar. Like Apple, they replaced the function keys with the touch bar but retained the physical escape key, which is a design that would probably make some of the TB detractors happy, or at least happier. But the touch bar never caught on and they later dropped the design.

Asus Zenbook went a different route putting in a screenpad display in the trackpad. Which again retains the function keys and perhaps still makes more sense than Apples implementation. MSI also has a concept touchscreen trackpad.

It almost appears Apple was aiming toward the screenpad type design with their iPhone size trackpad, but instead we got the touch bar.

 

[Natzoo]

View attachment 795957
Two-fingers drag: volume up/down
Three-fingers drag: screen brightness up/down

I love TB paired with BetterTouchTool.

I downloaded BetterTouchTool, but i am confused on how to work it and also is it worth it? If I am happy with normal touch bar? I dont mind giving it a shot

 

[aevan]

More than two years in and I have yet to find anyone who thinks this is a good idea.

You’ve found one!

TB certainly has issues, but it’s better than function keys for me.

 

[maflynn]

Hmmm, I wonder what people's reaction would have been if they kept the existing function keys and then added the touch bar above that as an extra r

I think many people would find the Touch Bar superfluous even if they kept the the f-keys. I think one of the excuses we use (including myself) would have disappeared however.

For me, the loss of tactile f-keys is a pain, I use them on a daily basis but as I mentioned earlier in the thread, I find I'm more efficient when I keep my eyes on the screen, with the touchbar, I have to take them off. I know there are uses where people find it very useful. But it seems the majority of folks don't - at least from what I see here and elsewhere. As also mentioned it must be noted that Apple's lack of dedication to this technology must be noted, they have not improved, updated, or expanded the touchbar. Maybe that will change when they roll out the 2018 (or 2019) updates to the iMac, Mac Mini, or laptops and Mac Pro but we can only go on apple current behavior.

 

[boodle]

2015:
"But we have to do something because touchscreen laptop hybrids."
"Do a bizarre touch bar thing that breaks all of our UI guidelines. Then ignore it."

2018:
"Well, that was a resounding meh. Now what do we do?"
"Replace the keyboard with raised glass and claim the Touch Bar was the inspiration."

 

[SDColorado]

2015:
"But we have to do something because touchscreen laptop hybrids."
"Do a bizarre touch bar thing that breaks all of our UI guidelines. Then ignore it."

2018:
"Well, that was a resounding meh. Now what do we do?"
"Replace the keyboard with raised glass and claim the Touch Bar was the inspiration."

That's probably about right. Taptic keyboards and a thinner design, because thin is the new Pro

 

[Jaekae]

Nothing novel about function keys, unless seeing what’s playing on iTunes is that important

You have function keys on the tb and also tons other things