Adam Kos Many reports suggest that Apple will remove its Touch Bar in its new MacBook Pro model. Of course, it is directly offered to replace it with classic function keys, but the new concept shows how there could be space for the Apple Pencil instead. And this idea is not completely out of the question.
Before you say that's a really crazy idea, just know that earlier last week, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a new Apple patent that addresses just that. The magazine informed about it Patently Apple. The patent specifically points to the inclusion of an Apple Pencil accessory that is contained above the MacBook's keyboard and can be removed.
This was caught by designer Sarang Sheth, who created a 3D model of what this patent could look like in practice. Between the Esc keys and the one with Touch ID, there is space not only for the Apple Pencil, but also for a smaller version of the Touch Bar, which would still provide the possibility to enter function keys according to the keyboard in use. Of course, the integration of the Apple Pencil would also mean only one thing - the touch screen of the MacBook. And that is the dream of many users who still hope that they will see the day of the introduction of a similar device from Apple.
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But this is a development direction that Apple does not want to go. After all, even Steve Jobs commented on this during his lifetime with the words: "Touch surfaces should not be vertical. While it may look great, after a short time your arm will start to hurt and feel like it's going to fall off. It doesn't work and it's ergonomically just awful.” At the end of 2020, Craig Federighi also confirmed that even with a colorful macOS, such as Big Sur already is, there are no plans to make it touch-sensitive. "We've designed and developed the look and feel for macOS to feel the most comfortable and natural to use, without considering anything tactile," stated
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But the competition solved it. The lid with the laptop display can be rotated 360 ° so that you have the keyboard on the bottom and you can use your touch to control the laptop display like a tablet. After all, even in normal work, touching the screen with your fingers can be faster than pointing the cursor. It's about habit. But it is certain that using the Apple Pencil would not be very convenient, at least in this case.
Touch ntbs were a big fad, the manufacturers put massive drives on the market in large numbers, but there is really no interest in it even among a small percentage of users, and the offer has stabilized. The screen is heavier, the ntb is less balanced, another thing that can go wrong and also why tap on the screen with the ntb, when there is a touchpad, mouse, trackpoint, etc. Raise your hands from the keyboard up and down. They are typically used on company ntbs, which the lady then puts on the couch in the evening at FB, etc.