Touch Bar discussion [merged]

[Apple_Robert]

Sometimes it is. It's very inconsistent and unpredictable when you're going to have to put your password in or when a fingerprint will suffice.

TouchID integration into the OS is very half baked at this point. Hope they fix it soon.

Thanks for the reply. I have MacID loaded on my late 2011 MBP and it is very consistent in providing Touch ID (via the phone) for admin needs, along with logging in and out etc. Hopefully, Apple can get more of the bugs removed with the next few updates. I hope people are reporting bugs.

 

[Joey Appleseed]

Love the touch bar and use it regularly. I just wish Apple would update Pages so as to allow Touch Bar customization.

 

[Dave245]

I was thinking about the features of the Touch Bar and i wonder if Apple will further implement features into it, or even add new features in the next Mac Os update at WWDC next year? if they have been working on it for years, then Apple will have a roadmap of software features and products that work with it, kind of like how Touch ID is now in most Apple products.

 

[No-Me]

** never mind **

 

[Dante Rising]

Sorry if I missed it, but how does the Touch Bar work in iTunes? Is it simply volume control? I would absolutely love the option for a equalizer/visualizer. In fact, I don't see how you could FORGET to add that as an awesome little option. Gimmicky, but very cool.

Is there an equalizer/visualizer option?

 

[couchdave]

Sorry if I missed it, but how does the Touch Bar work in iTunes? Is it simply volume control? I would absolutely love the option for a equalizer/visualizer. In fact, I don't see how you could FORGET to add that as an awesome little option. Gimmicky, but very cool.

Is there an equalizer/visualizer option?

No equalizer/visualizer option that I've seen. You can use the touch bar to control volume, play/pause songs, move backward/forward in a song or between songs, and add a song to a playlist or to Up Next.

 

[fokmik]

 

[vince730]

My biggest beef has been with consistency, but that's expected to be a problem in any v1.0 product.

Touch ID integration has been frustrating. It works, except for when it apparently isn't an option and I feel stupid having my finger pushed down on the sensor waiting for nothing - such as when unlocking the "Security" preference pane. I assume it's Apple's idea of maintaining additional security for admin level functions, but most of us really just want a 100% system-wide solution as in iOS. Once you've entered your password post-initial log in, it should consistently works for *any* password prompt.

The hierarchy of menus can be somewhat unpredictable. In Safari when auto playing video clips come up, the media scrubber taking over the webpage thumbnail view sometimes is screwy. And I've found certain video-like website elements will bring up the media controls when it really isn't a type of media you'd want to control as such.

 

[jozero]

Huge potential change in workflow.

You can hit the Siri button and say an app name that is open and it will switch to it. If I have say 9 apps open, and what I want to switch to isn't the last three (so I don't know where it is in the ALT-TAB list) it is actually quicker.

 

[BarracksSi]

Got to play with one of the 13" touchbar models for a few minutes today at the store.

Damn. It's cool.

Tap-slide for volume & brightness; scrolling through photos; more and more that I barely got to try.

Switching text to bold, italics, and underline is VERY cool -- tap and it changes, and the "button" stays highlighted in case you wonder what it's going to type.

The font style buttons also demonstrate the purpose of the touch bar -- context-aware controls that are as easy to use as any other key, giving a visual indication of their status, and then disappear when they're not needed.

I want one. Such great potential, too. I'd love to see the prototypes and how Apple developed it.

 

[mattopotamus]

In regards to the Touch ID, has anyone else found it odd, that the same Touch ID that is available to securely log you into your Mac is not available to use when you are prompted to make Admin system changes?

The same thing happens with Apple Watch login. Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes you enter your password.

 

[Ma2k5]

The same thing happens with Apple Watch login. Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes you enter your password.

The Watch was only ever meant to unlock MacBooks right, not to act as a password alternative?

 

[mahcus36]

correct me if i'm wrong about this (since i havent gotten mine yet)...

but i really wish the scrubbing in youtube would update the frame of the video immediately, like it does with the home-made video.

 

[NAYo2002]

correct me if i'm wrong about this (since i havent gotten mine yet)...

but i really wish the scrubbing in youtube would update the frame of the video immediately, like it does with the home-made video.

I think that's more of a YouTube thing than a touch bar thing. You get the same effect using your cursor to scrub YouTube videos.

The scrubber works on all videos viewed on Safari though.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

This cool Touch Bar app polishes MacBook Pro task-switching. https://www.slashgear.com/this-cool-touch-bar-app-polishes-macbook-pro-task-switching-23465211/

 

[Apple_Robert]

This cool Touch Bar app polishes MacBook Pro task-switching. https://www.slashgear.com/this-cool-touch-bar-app-polishes-macbook-pro-task-switching-23465211/

Don't see it in the app store.

 

[phloo]

CMD+Tab is way quicker and doesnt need an app.

 

[Komplement]

Why the hell is there no way to edit the iMessages touch bar layout? That new messages button is a real annoyance in that position.

 

[vmflapem]

I own a lot of Apple products and I really love Apple because everything just works. I recently bought a 13" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and things are not as smooth as I had hoped it to be. Also, not many programs support the Touch Bar function at this point.

Do you think a lot of developers would spend their time and money making the Touch Bar compatible with their programs? Also, would Apple improve the Touch Bar experience with their future updates?

 

[monkeydax]

Where has you experience been with it not being smooth? And certainly large developers are likely to come on board the Touch Bar as they can expect this is where Apple will be headed over the next few years.

 

[CXsjr]

.... things are not as smooth as I had hoped it to be. Also, not many programs support the Touch Bar function at this point.

Do you think a lot of developers would spend their time and money making the Touch Bar compatible with their programs? Also, would Apple improve the Touch Bar experience with their future updates?

When you say things aren't as 'smooth' as you hoped, would you care to elaborate? And is it really as pixelated as some here have stated?

A lot of developers won't have had access to Touch Bar until recently so I expect there will be more and more programs and which will take advantage, particularly TouchID, but I expect it to be a drip feed rather than a torrent .... I hope so anyway as my 15" is due next week!

 

[vmflapem]

Where has you experience been with it not being smooth? And certainly large developers are likely to come on board the Touch Bar as they can expect this is where Apple will be headed over the next few years.

When you say things aren't as 'smooth' as you hoped, would you care to elaborate? And is it really as pixelated as some here have stated?

A lot of developers won't have had access to Touch Bar until recently so I expect there will be more and more programs and which will take advantage, particularly TouchID, but I expect it to be a drip feed rather than a torrent .... I hope so anyway as my 15" is due next week!

When I was customizing the Touch Bar, sometimes dragging the icons to the touch bar would not work properly - this might be a problem with the trackpad. Also, normally when customizing the touch bar, the icons are supposed to sorta wobble around but this wasn't working properly so even when I remove or add an icon, it would not show that in real time and I have to quit the customization tab to see the touch bar updated. It's really hard to explain but you'll see what I mean when you try it yourself

And yes it is very pixelated, which was frustrating because they're going to make a 'retina' version for the touch bar in future and the current one would look like crap

 

[CXsjr]

And yes it is very pixelated, which was frustrating because they're going to make a 'retina' version for the touch bar in future ....

I really don't understand; the Touch Bar resolution is supposedly 2180 x 80 which, given it's width comparative to the main screen, is the same resolution, thus making it Retina. It's a mystery why several posts confirm it to be pixelated. I will see my first Touch Bar in store on Saturday and if it's too pixelated, I'll be waiting or ordering a non-TB version.

 

[myscrnnm]

I really don't understand; the Touch Bar resolution is supposedly 2180 x 80 which, given it's width comparative to the main screen, is the same resolution, thus making it Retina. It's a mystery why several posts confirm it to be pixelated. I will see my first Touch Bar in store on Saturday and if it's too pixelated, I'll be waiting or ordering a non-TB version.

One of the first things I noticed on the Touch Bar was how pixelated it looked, despite the claims to being "Retina." Maybe it's because of greater dot pitch? Doesn't bother me anymore since I'm so far away from the Touch Bar during normal usage.

 

[Qwertylizer]

I'm pretty disappointed that the Touch Bar isn't as sharp as the MBP's screen. The resolution was the first thing that caught my eye (especially considering the time spent watching at the touch bar in order to hit the right button!). The difference (between 2560x1600 MBP's screen vs Touch Bar's 2170x60) was more noticeable than I first thought. You could see the pixels...