Touch Bar discussion [merged]

[Macalway]

I ended up buying the non touch bar version. I want the touch bar, but i'm doing a 'wait and see' for now, no hurry. To depend on developers to support this is perhaps unrealistic. Some will, some will not.
If there turns out to be support for my favorite apps, I'll switch. It does bother me a bit some of the complaints about Safari. Seems they should have though that out a little more. Don't know.

 

[Mythos99]

How are people feeling about the TB a few days later?

 

[maflynn]

How are people feeling about the TB a few days later?

I played with the Touch Bar yesterday at my local Apple store and while I cannot even come close to qualifying it as an exhaustive indepth review, I can say that in some ways I'm impressed with how apple implemented it, but with my usage it still seems rather gimmicky. I didn't really find it much more effecient over keyboard shortcuts or just using a the touch pad.

granted their's a dearth of apps, so we have few examples of how it can be used but so far I didn't really see it a huge benefit over keyboard short cuts (which I use extensively) or even a mouse (I prefer a mouse over the touch pad)

 

[teerexx52]

How are people feeling about the TB a few days later?

I am really liking it on my 15". Using it more and more each day

 

[mattopotamus]

System Preferences / Keyboard, you can customize the Control Strip there and add spotlight - best thing I've done for my touch bar so far as I've never gotten used to the shortcut for that one.

or you know, cmd+space

 

[David R]

I keep forgetting that it's there so I keep using the on screen menus and buttons most of the time. Perhaps if I forced myself to learn what's there in each app, I would find it more useful and faster but I haven't bothered yet.

So far the best use for it has been to stop the autoplaying videos on CNN.com while I read an article. The moment the video starts playing, I hit pause on the TB.

 

[bbates123]

For me touchid id the killer feature here. I really wish they had this on the non-tb versions. As for the rest of the touchbar I find it useful periodically but definitely not a killer feature, at least yet. It's more just kind of gee wiz neat but not particularly time saving.

 

[maflynn]

For me touchid id the killer feature here.

Honest question why?

What advantages is there with this over a password?

 

[lamerica80]

Honest question why?

What advantages is there with this over a password?

- Speed. Go ahead and press the backspace button on your keyboard. There, you just woke and unlocked your computer had it been touch ID.

- Security. Most people (me included) dont use a very complicated password for login, to much of an hassle to type every time. That makes your computer easy to hack. If you DO have a complicated pW its a pain to type it every time. Loose loose. In addition, you will now do apple store (and I'm guessing others too) payments more securely as they will go over touch ID. Imagine logging in to your online banking with a simple press on touch ID instead of fiddling with a code generator and stuff.

Touch ID is a total no-brainer and worth half of the extra 300 imo.

 

[MacBH928]

Some one in another thread said there is a screen/gpu problem, is this true or is he trolling?
he said to check the MBP forums

 

[maflynn]

Speed. Go ahead and press the backspace button on your keyboard. There, you just woke and unlocked your computer had it been touch ID.

Fair enough on that

- Security. Most people (me included) dont use a very complicated password for login, to much of an hassle to type every time.

I can see this, and I guess I'm a bit ambivalent on this reason. On one hand, touchid brings increased validation security which is a good thing, so for people who care about that, its a plus, but on the other hand, for those people who care about security, it seems incongruous that they would use weak passwords.

I'm not knocking the inclusion of touch id, but if you use a strong password, maybe not even a strong one just a decent one, then the benefits of touch id are purely speed, i.e., quicker then typing.

 

[nstz]

I'm not knocking the inclusion of touch id, but if you use a strong password, maybe not even a strong one just a decent one, then the benefits of touch id are purely speed, i.e., quicker then typing.

Harder, better, faster, stronger. That's the mantra, right?

 

[maflynn]

Harder, better, faster, stronger. That's the mantra, right?

But is it really harder and better then a strong password?
I'm not disagreeing, just wanting to get my brain wrapped around whether its any more secure then typing $pfskwi@16 Touch ID is certainly faster then typing that in, don't get me wrong, but is it any more secure?

A side question on Touch id for the Mac. Is it used for administrator actions, i.e., being prompted to install an app or change a setting?

 

[Dave245]

I wonder if Apple will implement the Touch Bar in the next iMac? maybe in the keyboard? one of my friends who ordered one of the new Macbook's says that he is very impressed with the Touch Bar, especially for editing which he does daily. I can't really comment on actual usage because i haven't had a hands on yet.

 

[Awjvail]

I wonder if Apple will implement the Touch Bar in the next iMac? maybe in the keyboard? one of my friends who ordered one of the new Macbook's says that he is very impressed with the Touch Bar, especially for editing which he does daily. I can't really comment on actual usage because i haven't had a hands on yet.

Touch Bar in a keyboard would be expensive and the battery life would suck. I have doubts they will include it in the iMac, at least not in the box. Perhaps they could offer a wired option for those who really want Touch Bar.

I also have doubts that a wireless Touch ID would be possible in its current incarnation. Touch ID requires a "secure enclave" that is paired with the logic board at the factory. A wireless "secure enclave", I think, would require that Apple strip out a lot of their security features.

At least I think.

 

[sguser]

How are people feeling about the TB a few days later?

Day two with my 13''. I like touch bar better than on the day one. It just takes time to adjust to it.

 

[fs454]

Fair enough on that


I can see this, and I guess I'm a bit ambivalent on this reason. On one hand, touchid brings increased validation security which is a good thing, so for people who care about that, its a plus, but on the other hand, for those people who care about security, it seems incongruous that they would use weak passwords.

I'm not knocking the inclusion of touch id, but if you use a strong password, maybe not even a strong one just a decent one, then the benefits of touch id are purely speed, i.e., quicker then typing.

It works system-wide too. Any time an app requests admin access or otherwise needs your password, Touch ID blasts through that process.
[doublepost=1479486429][/doublepost]

But is it really harder and better then a strong password?
I'm not disagreeing, just wanting to get my brain wrapped around whether its any more secure then typing $pfskwi@16 Touch ID is certainly faster then typing that in, don't get me wrong, but is it any more secure?

A side question on Touch id for the Mac. Is it used for administrator actions, i.e., being prompted to install an app or change a setting?

It is used for admin actions, and I'd bet it's a hell of a lot more secure, but who knows for sure. The whole secure enclave / running on an embedded chip situation doesn't bode well for being able to crack into it. Then there's the whole modeling an electrostatically-active "living" finger model of your exact fingerprint to get in. As long as it's backed by a strong password, Touch ID is as resilient if not moreso.

 

[maflynn]

It is used for admin actions

That's good, I was thinking it was just to unlock the computer

 

[gametime10]

Any chance they'll release a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID?

 

[dyn]

But is it really harder and better then a strong password?
I'm not disagreeing, just wanting to get my brain wrapped around whether its any more secure then typing $pfskwi@16 Touch ID is certainly faster then typing that in, don't get me wrong, but is it any more secure?

In certain cases it is. There are situations where they film the keyboard or when someone is looking at it. When you type in your password they obviously see what keys you hit. Touch ID doesn't have that problem. This is also great when giving presentations or a demo. Touch ID does have the issue that you could lift the fingerprint and re-use it to gain entry.

What we've seen with Touch ID on the iPhone is that lots of people started to use it because it is so much easier than typing in the password. Since you only have to type it in occasionally people are more eager to actually use a more complex kind of password. That in essence increases the security as well. By making security easier to use more people are going to use it and because it is used more that increases security. Especially in environments where there are password policies (which you can't circumvent). The alternative in that case are post-its/notes under keyboards and so on.

 

[Ataricade]

I ended up buying the non touch bar version. I want the touch bar, but i'm doing a 'wait and see' for now, no hurry. To depend on developers to support this is perhaps unrealistic. Some will, some will not.
If there turns out to be support for my favorite apps, I'll switch. It does bother me a bit some of the complaints about Safari. Seems they should have though that out a little more. Don't know.

You blew it. Its great. I think you bought into the hate.

Day two with my 13''. I like touch bar better than on the day one. It just takes time to adjust to it.

I love the customization. Really digging it. Its super interactive.

 

[azntaiji]

How are people feeling about the TB a few days later?

Heavy keyboard shortcut user here, got my MacBook Pro with touch bar Tuesday night.

I've started using it a lot more often since. Really helpful for emoji, and iWork. Specifically, distributing or aligning groups of objects. Also the screenshotting tool is great! Beats stretching my hand in an awkward postion to reach CMd + shift + Ctrl + 4

 

[midtrains]

How are people feeling about the TB a few days later?

Loving it. It already feels natural.

 

[Works4Me]

Any chance they'll release a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID?

I'm wondering the same thing...

 

[phloo]

Magic Keyboard would need a cable (for power and to transfer the data). I dont think bluetooth is able to do all the tasks.
A big problem and not sure they will find a quick solution for this. So keep your hopes low.