Touch bar. Should you buy a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar? Impressions after three months of use

If the last iPhone update turned out to be quite ambiguous, then laptops Macbook Pro received the most significant update in the history of the line. And it's not just a significantly updated case design, a new set of connectors and improved performance, but also the appearance of an innovative control element: the Touch Bar with Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Like any other product, the new 2016 MacBook Pro has both pros and cons. What impressions did the professional Apple laptop leave after three months of use, further in the MacDigger article.

The hallmark of any MacBook is its design. Whether you're a Mac or PC fanatic, it's hard to deny that appearance and the build quality of the MacBook is at a level unattainable for many manufacturers. In terms of design, Apple has always been impeccable.

The look of the new MacBook Pro has been radically updated from previous models. We can say that Apple has made a hybrid of the old MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook. The screen resolution has not changed compared to the previous generation, but its quality has increased significantly and in direct comparison with its predecessor, the difference is immediately evident. Higher maximum panel brightness, saturation and contrast. You can now use your MacBook Pro outdoors in bright sunlight.

The 2016 MacBook Pro has updated the keyboard mechanism, and now the key travel is barely felt, which at first seems uncomfortable. But you just have to get used to the rest computer keyboards will seem terrible to you.

As before, the all-metal body of the laptop looks flawless, but it's not too scratch resistant. Over time, marks may appear on it, so it is better to get a cover.

A feature of the new generation of MacBook is a huge touchpad. Traditionally, the trackpad in Apple laptops is unrivaled, but the need to increase it to such a size is questionable. The touchpad is really big, comparable to the iPhone 7 Plus. None additional benefits it does not carry. The fact is that even before the touchpad did not seem small at all, and there is no feeling that increasing it gives some significant increase in comfort of use.

But the main complaint may be the transition to USB-C. At first, this can really be a problem, and Apple should have at least left a memory card slot. But if you think that you will have to carry a bunch of adapters with you, then you are mistaken. In most cases, one single adapter with "classic" USB ports and an SD card slot. In addition, there are devices on the market for wireless transmission data. For example, MobiLite Wireless Pro with built-in battery. It allows you to transfer data wirelessly from any device.

Apple is striving to establish the USB-C format as the only and universal one, and in principle there are chances to force a general transition to it. Accordingly, if today for owners of MacBook Pro 2016 and MacBook 12″ connecting a USB drive becomes a headache, then after some time, on the contrary, owners of laptops with old connectors will experience the same torment, because the industry will gradually switch to USB-C .

There are only two weaknesses in this concept. Firstly, Apple for some reason does not move to USB-C in the iPhone and iPad, although most competitors already use USB-C in smartphones and tablets. And secondly, even if it is the general introduction of USB-C as the main and universal format ever take place, it will obviously not happen in the next two years. This means that by the time the “happy future” comes, the current “proshki” will already be obsolete.

I am glad that the MacBook Pro can be charged from an external battery, but the proprietary MagSafe port is not enough. What's more, the 15-inch model consumes 85 watts, so it won't charge from a normal portable charger while in use. The 13-inch MacBook Pro draws 65 watts so you can use the gadget and charge the battery.

What I definitely like is the stereo speakers to the left and right of the keyboard. They give a fairly good and loud sound, as far as it is possible in principle in this form factor.

On the Web, you can often find complaints about poor autonomy. new MacBooks. Unfortunately, real time battery life really far from Apple's claimed 10 hours. When performing complex tasks like video editing, a 15-inch laptop "lives" 1-2 hours, with normal use - 3-4. Things are a little better with the 13-inch model, which gets 5-6 hours of battery life, but that's not even close to 10 hours.

The advantage of the new MacBook is certainly speed, which exceeds all expectations. Despite the fact that the laptop does not have the latest Hardware, MacBook Pro 2016 performs better than top-end Windows machines. There are no problems when editing 4K video when it comes to Final Cut Pro.

Upset limit random access memory 16 GB, which is especially felt when editing large videos. The laptop supports connecting an external 5K display via USB-C. The Mac is transmitting an image and charging the battery at the same time, but general impressions from such a bundle are mixed. In normal tasks, everything works fine, but under significant workloads, performance may not be enough.

Concerning touch panel Touch Bar, you can doubt its necessity in terms of everyday use as much as you like, but this is an innovation that can justify an upgrade and immediately distinguishes the MacBook Pro 2016 from all other models. It is logical to assume that other manufacturers will also begin to experiment in this direction.

The Touch Bar is an attempt to come up with another control besides the touchpad and keyboard. But at the same time, this is a rethinking of the keyboard, because the Touch Bar replaces the top row of keys and can imitate them.

Although, for all its innovativeness, the Touch Bar is a rather controversial solution, hardly capable of significantly increasing productivity and greatly facilitating interaction with a laptop. If you set a goal to learn how to use it at 100 and unleash the potential of the Touch Bar, then you will be able to find optimal scenarios where the touch panel is really much more convenient than the usual methods of interacting with a laptop. But to say that after using the MacBook Pro 2016 it will be hard to return to a regular MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar is not.

The last thing worth noting is the fingerprint scanner. Well, in fact: in the top tablets, which most people use as toys, there is a fingerprint scanner, but in professional laptops, where the user has important documents, projects, archives Email and other things that should not fall into the wrong hands, the fingerprint sensor is still a novelty. But now Apple will most likely build it into every laptop, which means other vendors will have to too. Again, a big plus for all users - even those who would never buy a MacBook.

Technically, the Touch ID sensor is not part of the touchpad, but is located to the right of it. Using a fingerprint scanner for quick authorization and online shopping is very convenient.

The most important question - is it worth buying this laptop? The answer depends on your budget and personal preference. Apple has relied on thickness and dimensions, innovation and the “wow factor”, which put the user in front of a difficult choice: it seems that, according to the logic of things, you need to buy the latest model, if you have money, the more it is so cool, but if a laptop is taken to make money with its help, then doubts about the appropriateness of such a decision creep in.

It is clear that Apple laptops have always been expensive, especially top ones, but when buying a classic MacBook Pro Retina 15″, we clearly understood what we would get: a top-end device for all occasions, absolutely understandable and predictable. MacBook Pro 2016 is something new, an experiment, and here everyone must decide for himself: is he ready to spend money on this experiment and get used to the features of the novelty, or is it better to wait until the innovations that Apple has implemented here become the standard de facto.

The Touch Bar is a dedicated touch bar that comes with the 2016 MacBook Pro. This component has radically upgraded the way we use a laptop.

Main materials

If you do not pay attention to details and details, it was the usual speed bump, especially since the performance of the MacBook Pro has increased markedly. Same design, same body colors, same four -C connectors, same battery life. None of the MBP's most attractive features have been sacrificed - no matter what. And this was a real miracle, because it was impossible to do without victims.

Despite the Butterfly III keyboard, albeit imperfect, but still protected from most types of pollution, and the absence of a physical Escape key, and a whole host of other birthmarks of progress, the new little Pro was fantastically good.

In 2016, Apple seriously updated the MacBook Pro lineup with the addition of the Touch Bar. Initially, this idea seemed like a win-win - the user received an additional screen with which he could directly interact with applications. However, even after four years, the Touch Bar has not gained due popularity among users. The biggest dissatisfaction among MacBook Pro owners is the fact that the Touch Bar has completely replaced function keys. On top of everything else, the Touch Bar is completely useless on Windows 10 and others. operating systems. At least that was the case up to this point.

A lot of money and tens of thousands of hours of skilled labor have been spent developing the internal iOS device for some of the Macs, but was the game worth the candle? Those who write good things about the Touch Bar could be paid for it, even if not for everyone. There are those who are truly, sincerely, delighted with the “touch bar”. The Touch Bar is impeccably implemented. The developers successfully overcame all the non-trivial obstacles that confronted them. There are no complaints about the implementation. Engineers, technical managers, designers, testers - as always - were on top.

If you think that this is just an upgrade of a long-existing and almost boring laptop for everyone, I'm at a loss to guess what, in your opinion, innovations in a laptop should be in order to be considered revolutionary. But whether revolutionary innovations are good or not is another question. It would be much more interesting if they taught the MacBook Pro to read minds and guess desires. Or they would place the keyboard on the back of the screen, for example. Alas. They are not crazy, and never (whatever they say about them) were not crazy.

Strictly speaking, the Apple T1 was running bridgeOS based on - but do you remember what watchOS is based on? Even more interesting source of information. Chief among them is Apple itself. Suddenly? The Apple T1 is much better known than other chips developed by Apple. Although, in theory, it was this chip, directly related to security, that should have become the most terrible “apple” secret. Paradox?

In 2016, Apple seriously updated the MacBook Pro, adding a new element to it - . As planned by the company, the touch panel was supposed to simplify access to various functions, but for many users, the appearance of the Touch Bar was not a revelation. On the contrary, this design element is criticized to this day. But can the Touch Bar really be useful in everyday use?

When describing the design, we paid a lot of attention to the main innovation of the model: the Touch Bar above the keyboard. But it is important that this is not only a hardware, but also a software solution. Moreover, the effectiveness of its use directly depends on the software and settings. In this article, we decided to look at the Touch Bar in all aspects and talk about the panel in terms of its application in various use cases.

To start - general information. So, the Touch Bar is an OLED touch panel found in the 13-inch and 15-inch 2016 MacBook Pro models. Resolution Touch Bar - 2170×60. The panel replaces the top row of keys and can display different information - depending on running application, user settings and actions.

Needless to say, the panel can fully function only in the environment macOS Sierra and only if the particular application is optimized for use with the Touch Bar. Of course, all pre-installed macOS applications have this optimization, but third-party developers can use its functionality. In particular, we will see how this is implemented in Microsoft Office.

In order to take screenshots from the Touch Bar, you need to install the current beta version of macOS Sierra. Anyone can do this by enrolling in the Apple program, but you need to be prepared for the fact that the MacBook Pro will be rapidly discharged.

To the right of the Touch Bar is the fingerprint scanner. finger touch ID. Physically, it is separate from the Touch Bar and is not part of it, but when we open the lid of the laptop, the following message appears on the Touch Bar: “Unlock with using Touch ID" and an arrow pointing to Touch ID.

As we noted in the first article, the 2016 MacBook Pro is Apple's first laptop with a fingerprint scanner. And its support first appeared in macOS Sierra. We'll walk you through how to use this feature on your MacBook below.

touch ID

So, when you first turn on and initial setup MacBook we are offered to add a fingerprint.

The procedure is the same as for iPhone/iPad. We put our finger on the scanner several times, and the screen shows how the gray grooves are filled with red.

Once a fingerprint has been added, you can add another finger and also specify what types of operations you can use Touch ID for. In addition to unlocking a Mac, this can be using with Apple Pay and confirming purchases in iTunes Store and the Mac App Store.

Touch Bar: standard options

Now back to the actual Touch Bar. We have already seen what the panel shows before unlocking the computer. And here is what we see by default after unlocking. The screenshot is on the right side. On the left - only the Esc button, between it and the one shown in the screenshot - a black space. Click to see the original screenshot.

So, on the right is the Siri call button. Starting with the Sierra version, Siri is supported on macOS, and Apple immediately decided to make its launch as visual as possible. Moreover, during operation, you often accidentally press this button, because earlier the volume up button was located in this place. And it turns out that we are, willy-nilly, deliberately pushed to use Siri.

The rest of the icons do not need comments. Except for the arrow. If you touch it, a row of touch buttons will open, identical to what we see in the top row of a traditional MacBook keyboard. Here is a screenshot divided into two halves: at the top - the left part, at the bottom - the right.

The decision seems rather controversial, firstly, to make this view not the main one, but available only after touching the small arrow (hit it again!), And secondly, to leave the Siri call icon in this row. However, if desired, all this can be customized. How exactly - we will tell further.

Touch Bar in Apps

Now let's see how the Touch Bar works in apps. Again, if the application is not optimized for the Touch Bar, the panel will always display what is shown above. However, in the case of its pre-installed apps, Apple has naturally made sure that each one actually takes advantage of the Touch Bar's capabilities. Take Safari for example. The screenshots below show fragments of Touch Bar screenshots, but the original screenshot is available by clicking.

As we can see, thumbnails are displayed here open tabs. You can move between them by simply swiping your finger. Comfortable? Perhaps. On the other hand, not to say that it is very visual - the thumbnails are too tiny, and they do not always allow you to understand where which site is. Yes, and switching between tabs in the usual ways is no more difficult. But it certainly is a spectacular opportunity.

Another useful thing on this panel in Safari is “search” and “open a new tab”.

The panel can also change depending on what is open in the browser. For example, if a video is playing there, the video navigation bar appears.

And here we come to understanding the main quality of the Touch Bar: it is complete variability, that is, in one application there can be an infinite number of Touch Bar options. It all depends solely on the imagination of the developers. The main issue is that the functionality of the panel complements, and does not duplicate, the easily accessible application options.

A good option is in the "Calendar". There, using the Touch Bar, you can easily switch between different weeks.

Less successfully done in text editors Pages and Word. The problem is that, for example, it is much more convenient to mark some piece of text in italics simply with the mouse, because we select this piece with the mouse. It turns out that in order to use the Touch Bar, we first need to make some kind of gesture with the mouse, then drop it, press the button on the Touch Bar, then grab the mouse again.

In general, despite the fact that the capabilities of the Touch Bar in text editors are very wide, it actually turns out that you either need to relearn and get used to completely new movements while working, or simply perceive the Touch Bar as some kind of optional addition that we can , someday we will use it purely for the sake of fun, but for now we will do it the old fashioned way - with a mouse and keyboard.

This applies not only text editors but also most other applications. For example, QuickTime Player.

Yes, we see the pause button, but in order to pause the video playback, just press the spacebar on the keyboard.

And this is the main problem of the Touch Bar concept and the main challenge for developers: how to make using the Touch Bar intuitive and easier than the usual keyboard shortcuts and mouse commands? It is clear that a lot here depends on Apple itself, because it is necessary to set an example for third-party developers, to show that the Touch Bar can really be used wisely. And there are such examples. We have already given several examples and we can give more.

Let's say Pages has pop-up word hints. This is exactly the option that is impossible or at least not practical without touch screen, and the Touch Bar is just right for its implementation.

Customizing the Touch Bar

The Touch Bar can be customized, not only in general, but also for each application individually. Access to general settings can be accessed via "Settings" / "Keyboard".

You may notice that there is a button "Customize Control Strip". This is exactly what you need to customize the Touch Bar. At the top, you can also specify what should be displayed by default on the panel.

The Control Strip are the standard icons on the right side of the Touch Bar. An extended version of the Control Strip opens when you click on the arrow. But if you don't want to do this regularly, you can set the expanded Control Strip to show up right away.

So, click "Customize Control Strip" and we see a window with icons, and above them - the inscription: "Drag frequently used objects to the Touch Bar at the bottom of the screen." Actually, from this it is already clear how exactly we can replace any icon on the Touch Bar with another one. Just take the desired mouse and drag it down to the edge of the screen, after which it “jumps” to the Touch Bar and trembles there, like on iOS after a long press.

Here the choice is quite large. There are some useful things too. For example, "Screenshot", "Sleep", Launchpad, "Show desktop", "Do not disturb"... So don't miss the opportunity to create the optimal set.

Thus, outside of applications, we have two levels of Touch Bar customization: the first level - what is displayed by default, the second level - what is the composition of the Control Strip (normal and advanced options). But besides this, you can also customize the composition of the Touch Bar icons in individual applications. For example, below is how it is done in Safari. In the "View" menu, we observe the line: "Customize the Touch Bar".

Click on it - and we see a window similar to the Control Strip settings window, but with a set of icons directly for the browser. Well, then we act according to the familiar scheme: we drag the necessary icons with the mouse and fix them in the right place in the Touch Bar.

Therefore, software developers must take care not only about the fact of using the Touch Bar, but also about the options for customizing the panel within their application and choosing additional icons. That is, on the one hand, there should be a clear relationship between the user's actions and the icons that appear on the Touch Bar, and on the other hand, the initial set can be adjusted by the user.

conclusions

The Touch Bar is one of the major innovations behind last years. This is a very interesting and promising solution that can significantly expand the user's interaction with a laptop and make it easier to perform a number of tasks. Hypothetically. In practice, a lot depends on how the Touch Bar functionality is implemented in a particular application and how easy or difficult it is for the user to customize it for themselves and start using it in real life.

While it is impossible to say that the Touch Bar is really useful. And expecting your productivity to increase if you upgrade from a previous generation MacBook Pro to a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar would be reckless. And given that most third-party software vendors haven't yet had time to optimize their apps for the Touch Bar, there's no reason to be under any illusions. But at the same time, the idea itself seems very promising, its implementation is as competent as it can be in real conditions, and the prospects are impressive, given that Apple has repeatedly demonstrated how it can convince the entire industry of the need to implement those or other innovations. Will it work this time?

Apple MacBook Pro (Late 2016) deserves our Original Design Award for pioneering the Touch Bar and its deep implementation hardware element in the software component of the laptop.

The Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro is its most controversial component (other than the keyboard itself). If for some reason you don't like the Touch Bar, you can simply disable it. Instead of a touchbar, you will have a regular set of keys that will not change depending on which program you are using.

The touchbar will display ESC, Brightness Down, Brightness Up, Mission Control, Launchpad, Keyboard Brightness/Dim, Audio Control, Mute, Volume Control, and Siri. You can also select other keys. In any case, they will be static and will not change in different programs.

How disabletouch baronMacbook Pro

Go to the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
Select the "Keyboard" icon and then the "Keyboard" tab in the window that opens.
Find "Show on Touch Bar" and select "Enhanced Control Strip" next to it.

The keys listed above should appear on the touchbar.

Now the touchbar interface will not change in different programs, it will remain constant and will be more like a regular keyboard. Naturally, the keys will be virtual on a small touchscreen.

Disable Touch Bar - the most effective method get STANDARD KEYBOARD. Or you can use an external keyboard. Disabling the touchbar won't bring physical buttons back to the keyboard, but it will help you get rid of unnecessary elements. Like most options, this one can be overridden by resetting the settings to their previous state.

In addition, the Touch Bar can not be disabled, but simply configured. For example, you can remove the Siri icon if you constantly press it by accident, and add a screen lock icon. There are many more different options, so we advise you to study the settings and understand what suits you best.

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If Last update The iPhone turned out to be very controversial, then the MacBook Pro laptops received the most significant update in the entire history of the line. And it's not just a significantly updated case design, a new set of connectors and improved performance, but also the appearance of an innovative control element: the Touch Bar with Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Like any other product, the new 2016 MacBook Pro has both pros and cons. What impressions did the professional Apple laptop leave after three months of use, further in the MacDigger article.

The hallmark of any MacBook is its design. Whether you're a Mac or PC fanatic, it's hard to deny that the look and build quality of the MacBook is unmatched by many manufacturers. In terms of design, Apple has always been impeccable.

The 2016 MacBook Pro has updated the keyboard mechanism, and now the key travel is barely felt, which at first seems uncomfortable. But once you get used to it, other computer keyboards will seem terrible to you.

As before, the all-metal body of the laptop looks flawless, but it's not too scratch resistant. Over time, marks may appear on it, so it is better to get a cover.

A feature of the new generation of MacBook is a huge touchpad. Traditionally, the trackpad in Apple laptops is unrivaled, but the need to increase it to such a size is questionable. The touchpad is really big, comparable to the iPhone 7 Plus. It does not bring any additional benefits. The fact is that even before the touchpad did not seem small at all, and there is no feeling that increasing it gives some significant increase in comfort of use.

But the main complaint may be the transition to USB-C. At first, this can really be a problem, and Apple should have at least left a memory card slot. But if you think that you will have to carry a bunch of adapters with you, then you are mistaken. In most cases, one single adapter with "classic" USB ports and an SD card slot is enough. In addition, devices for wireless data transmission are on the market. For example, MobiLite Wireless Pro with built-in battery. It allows you to transfer data wirelessly from any device.

There are only two weaknesses in this concept. Firstly, Apple for some reason does not move to USB-C in the iPhone and iPad, although most competitors already use USB-C in smartphones and tablets. And secondly, even if this universal adoption of USB-C as the main and universal format ever takes place, it will definitely not happen in the next two years. This means that by the time the “happy future” comes, the current “proshki” will already be obsolete.

What I definitely like is the stereo speakers to the left and right of the keyboard. They give a fairly good and loud sound, as far as it is possible in principle in this form factor.

On the Web, you can often find complaints about the poor autonomy of new MacBooks. Unfortunately, the actual battery life is really far from Apple's claimed 10 hours. When performing complex tasks like video editing, a 15-inch laptop "lives" 1-2 hours, with normal use - 3-4. Things are a little better with the 13-inch model, which gets 5-6 hours of battery life, but that's not even close to 10 hours.

The advantage of the new MacBook is certainly speed, which exceeds all expectations. Despite the fact that the laptop does not have the latest hardware, the MacBook Pro 2016 performs better than the top Windows machines. There are no problems when editing 4K video when it comes to Final Cut Pro.

The 16 GB RAM limit is disappointing, which is especially felt when editing large videos. The laptop supports connecting an external 5K display via USB-C. The Mac transmits an image and charges the battery at the same time, but the overall impression of such a bundle is mixed. In normal tasks, everything works fine, but under significant workloads, performance may not be enough.

As for the Touch Bar, you can doubt its necessity in terms of everyday use as much as you like, but this is an innovation that can justify an upgrade and immediately distinguishes the MacBook Pro 2016 from all other models. It is logical to assume that other manufacturers will also begin to experiment in this direction.

The last thing worth noting is the fingerprint scanner. Well, in fact: in the top tablets, which most people use as toys, there is a fingerprint scanner, and in professional laptops, where the user has important documents, projects, an email archive and other things that should not fall into the wrong hands, there is a fingerprint sensor is still new. But now Apple will most likely build it into every laptop, which means other vendors will have to too. Again, a big plus for all users - even those who would never buy a MacBook.

Technically, the Touch ID sensor is not part of the touchpad, but is located to the right of it. Using a fingerprint scanner for quick authorization and online shopping is very convenient.