Submitted by No-Drawing-6975 t3_10a7r6b in technology
Comments
[deleted] t1_j43a1k9 wrote
My work laptop is a touchscreen and I like it a lot. I liked it enough that I sold my MacBook and replaced it with an HP, almost entirely because I wanted my personal laptop to have a touchscreen too. Aaaaaaaaaand then I never ever ever used the touchscreen and ended up selling the HP too, lmao.
Exotic_Treacle7438 t1_j43nkfm wrote
Damn you got some HP sales reps super fucking excited then sad for a second there.
0pimo t1_j44okoa wrote
I once absolutely crushed an HP sales rep's ego. I was sitting next to him in a conference room, and he started making fun of my MacBook. I just looked over at his HP Elitebook and said it looked awful lot like my Mac.
Jaxxftw t1_j45elby wrote
I used to work in retail selling Home Electronics. Back when Windows 8 was launching we had to go and get sales training from Microsoft and the instructor was running it on a Macbook Pro.
Spent a fair amount of time trolling him - "So you're saying you'd like us to upsell to a Mac, you know... the superior Windows computer?"
flybydenver t1_j44naa3 wrote
Thought exactly this lol
[deleted] t1_j4mcns6 wrote
Ha, it was a nice laptop! They did a really good job with the keyboard, it's gigantic. I don't think it's as good as a MacBook but it's still really well made.
littleday t1_j43z4rl wrote
You had me in the first half…
ritchie70 t1_j45018x wrote
My personal laptop is a touch screen and I keep stopping myself on my work one.
Illusive_Man t1_j46wbr2 wrote
my work laptop is a touch screen and I didn’t even notice until I accidentally touched the screen several weeks into using it
vampyire t1_j43b4na wrote
I've had touchscreen laptops for 15 years, I could never go back. I'm way more efficient with it.
[deleted] t1_j43t1gi wrote
[deleted]
juiceyb t1_j43ubq7 wrote
I’m in school right now and it’s been a lifesaver for me. I can read books and highlight with a stylus and it’s mighty handy. When I got my first degree, I had to do it with an iBook. It’s been way easier with the touchscreen to read with my Lenovo laptop. But I’m probably going back to Mac because everything I use for school and work uses Apple products.
rekjabitch t1_j43n6e1 wrote
I think it's something that like 20% of people get obsessed with.
I have one and use it occasionally (certain buttons are just easier to hit that way for some reason), but my brother uses it non-stop.
There's definitely a market for it, but yeah not 100% of people.
MajorLeagueNoob t1_j451clq wrote
This thread illustrates how spot on you are with this comment. From what I can tell most people in this thread aren’t huge fans but a few comments have sparked bitter flame wars between touched and the untouched
Wizywig t1_j43r4qi wrote
Touchscreen support on a mac would be amazing.
Windows tablets are great. And having a touchscreen for drawing is awesome. The fact is that on macs, currently wacoms are kinda the only option. This will open a lot of opportunities.
YouandWhoseArmy t1_j43ruqn wrote
You can connect an iPad with sidecar and use it with the mac.
I’m not a designer and have no idea if it’s any good.
Time-Opportunity-436 t1_j448mum wrote
Wtf, why buy an iPad and a Mac when you can half a combination of both
0pimo t1_j44pxq8 wrote
Can also do it with your iPhone.
misterbobdobbalina t1_j44f91u wrote
This is kind of the only thing I’d possibly care about it for. Current options for drawing as a designer on Mac are certainly suboptimal:
- Draw analog and scan stuff in
- Draw on a Wacom connected to the laptop and get no visual or haptic feedback
- Buy an iPad Pro, have a whole separate workflow from your native Illustrator/Photoshop
I’d really like to be able to draw with a stylus directly in the environment I most frequently use for all my creative work.
PrincessApprentice t1_j4dt81y wrote
If you connect this hypothetical iPad to your hypothetical Mac with sidecar, you can use the touch screen and stylus for your Mac environment
Sniffy4 t1_j45cc8c wrote
I bought an HP touchscreen laptop and used it for 8 years while barely using the touchscreen. Laptops are for keyboards and touchpads.
Alimbiquated t1_j43btvd wrote
Touch is handier (geddit?) but much less precise that the mouse.
- It depends a lot on what you are doing. For browsing it's convenient, but you can't do any detailed work with touch screens
- It depends on your posture. Touch isn't very useful when your computer is on a desk, but great when you are lying on a couch. If you use the same device in both positions it's a good addition.
- It depends on what you are used to. I have a touch screen mostly for casual use, but find myself occasionally touching my non-touchscreen since I started using the touch screen.
sinkovercosk t1_j44v4d6 wrote
How about people who don’t want to pay for two devices?
They could just let the iPad Pro run Mac OS and that would solve the problem but they don’t want to as it will eat into their profits…
[deleted] t1_j43mljr wrote
[deleted]
lord_pizzabird t1_j456xkl wrote
I’ve honestly noticed it’s gone quite a bit, after having gone from a windows laptop with it to MacBook.
It just makes your laptop feel more natural. Most of the time you use your trackpad, but on occasion you just want to poke at the screen.
There’s also an entire generation of people coming who expect every screen to be touch enabled by default. It’ll soon be like shipping a black and white tv in the 90s.
atchijov t1_j45ie8h wrote
IPad Pro with Magic Keyboard is basically Mac Book with touch screen. But when I use they keyboard… I almost never touch the screen.
E_Snap t1_j45so2p wrote
Literally all they need to do is make a native touch driver for Mac OS so it can be compatible with 3rd party touch screens without requiring you to pay extortionate prices for 3rd party drivers.
Top_Bodybuilder_4912 t1_j46cz12 wrote
I agree. Touch screens on laptops are kinda eh... And the thing is, this has been known about for some time. They experimented with this back in the 1980s and found that it's actually quite physically stressful to have a hand elevated for any length of time. The keyboard/mouse interface means your arms are rested on a surface. Lifting your arm continually to touch something on your screen gets tiresome.
​
What I want is an iPad and MacBook in one purchase. I want a MacBook that works like a laptop but I can pivot the screen 180, close the keyboard interface, and make it an iPad.
​
I like having a laptop for when I work on the go, but I could use an iPad for casual browsing and whatnot. I'd happily pay a premium to have both of these in something I can take almost anywhere with me. Maybe this is a step in that direction? I hope so.
jaakers87 t1_j46sp79 wrote
I don't think very many people care about touchscreen on a laptop but its something handy to have if it comes without tradeoffs in image & screen quality.
I've had touchscreen Windows laptops and never used it. For me I'd rather use a mouse.. But we also have a whole generation of kids coming into the "Laptop" age who grew up using tablets/touch, so I could see how this would be a market driver.
catkraze t1_j47h5yk wrote
I'd buy one. I went out of my way to buy the last touchbar MacBook pro that Apple said they'd be making.
Due-Resident-4588 t1_j47xqxp wrote
Eww you bought an Intel MacBook Pro? That thing is awful in performance and battery life next to the new apple silicon models
catkraze t1_j47xvna wrote
No. It's a silicon model. They made one model of silicon MacBook Pro with a touch bar. 13 inch only.
Youvebeeneloned t1_j42laa6 wrote
I highly doubt it. They have tested it internally as far back as the original iBook... but reality is touchscreen computers SUCK. The last thing I want to do is leave my fingerprints all over a screen or keep clicking on things in a awkward hand angle. Its why the market for them is nearly non-existant.
simple_mech t1_j42pw6e wrote
I just don’t understand the benefit other than for art stuff.
A1Chaining t1_j430pyu wrote
and with that we have tablets
ssylvan t1_j436j0f wrote
It's for one off tapping. So you're sitting with your hands on the keyboard typing and you need to just click a button or switch to a different app or something. Just a very short one-off click, and it's just much faster to reach up and tap it than it is to move your hand to the track pad (esp awkward in tight spaces like a airplane), figure out where the cursor is and steer it in to the button and click.
The other big benefit is just a quick scroll. You just reach up and flick to scroll a web page or whatever. Scrolling with multi-finger gestures on the trackpad isn't too bad, but only when you have enough space to push the laptop far enough out that your hand isn't cramped/awkward just keeping it near the trackpad at all times. In a small space, the trackpad will likely be right up against your body so it would be super awkward to have your hand there. The natural position of your hands is next to the laptop right where the screen is (elbows in line with your body and where the trackpad is). Perfect for reaching in from the side and doing a quick scroll.
Nobody would use 100% touch screen all times. It's not replacing the trackpad on windows laptops. It's a multi-modal thing where you use the touch screen for ergonomics/convenience every now and then, and trackpad for sustained precision work.
simple_mech t1_j43dq7m wrote
I think the scrolling is a moot point.
How many “one off” clicks does someone do? Like 2-3/day let’s say?
You’re going to put an entire touch screen on a laptop to save like 1,000 seconds a year? Or 16 mins/year. That’s like an hour or two for the lifetime of the laptop; not worth it imo.
Flippinsushi t1_j43qapx wrote
Yes, I literally am. I have been wanting a touchscreen Mac since the second I got an iPad specifically for the one-offs. I don’t need to use it constantly to justify it, I just need the option so there isn’t anything standing between me and whatever I’m doing.
tinasnow-poty t1_j454jxa wrote
I do way more than that. Instead of moving the mouse, you click it instead, that’s like dozens of times a day. It’s one of those things where if you don’t have it, you don’t see the need for it but I personally love it.
I think it’s a great option if you don’t want to/can’t spend on a laptop and a tablet
simple_mech t1_j469tgt wrote
I've had two touchscreen laptops, and I NEVER used them.
You have to remember in that split second to use the touchscreen, which goes against the habit of going right for the touchpad/mouse, so it takes even longer because you have to think about it.
If you built up a new habit, that's a bit different. But how many one-off clicks does that take to build a new habit?
tinasnow-poty t1_j46ehkb wrote
Fair enough! It’s automatic for me, I don’t think I ever had to think about it
ssylvan t1_j4a16pp wrote
2-3/day? Lol no, at least 10x that, if not closer to 100x. Scrolling is not a moot point, it's an extremely common use case of a touch screen on a lap top. I try to scroll my macbook screen all the time because of muscle memory and it's just the most convenient way of doing it.
​
This isn't some hypothetical. There already are laptops with touch screens. We know how they work and what the touch screen is used for, and plenty of people simply will not buy a laptop without a touch screen once they got used to it. That's not every single person, perhaps, but there are plenty of us. I have a macbook for work, but I simply wouldn't buy a laptop without a touch screen. It was a very clear "epiphany" for me after using a surface book for a few days. Like, yup, this is just what laptops are for me now, and I'm not going back.
simple_mech t1_j4be9er wrote
Why is scrolling on a screen better than a touchpad.
ssylvan t1_j4c67ke wrote
As I already explained, because it’s easier to reach in cramped spaces like a plane or other small tables or, gasp, your lap. When the laptop is close to you, using the touch pad is awkward where you have to do that t-Rex arm thing to reach it, but the screen is by definition approximately a forearm’s length away due to the geometry of a laptop. So the screen is right where your hands are naturally when your elbows are at your side. It’s also more direct. If you want to scroll two inches, you move it two inches with your finger - with a track pad it’s not 1:1. You can also directly scroll any window, with a track pad you have to click an inactive window first before the scroll gesture gets routed the right way. Touch is fast and intuitive.
simple_mech t1_j4caxw2 wrote
So it’s for cramped spaces? Lol
You’re grasping at straws. Enjoy your touchscreen.
ssylvan t1_j4cdyhf wrote
LAP top. It's literally in the name. This isn't some fringe use case.
simple_mech t1_j4cn8fe wrote
And Mr. Coffee is a man 😂
_Connor t1_j43hdq6 wrote
Yup. I have a nice MacBook as a personal computer. My work laptop is an HP with a touch screen. I've literally never used the touch screen functionality on it.
Fingerprints on the screen also drive me insane.
teddytwelvetoes t1_j42r9ss wrote
>but reality is touchscreen computers SUCK
They're fine. Same with stylus support. Apple just wants MacBook/iPad double-dippers.
>Its why the market for them is nearly non-existant.
What? Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, etc. have had a constant variety of touchscreen laptops from budget to flagship throughout the last decade or so.
brenton07 t1_j42t8p8 wrote
Having a feature be commonplace and demand for that feature are two different things. Most computers sold in the late 90s had zipdisk slots. You know what medium never caught on? Zip disks.
teddytwelvetoes t1_j42ut3f wrote
Mental gymnastics. Touchscreens would've died a half decade ago if this was the case. But as I said, the rest of the industry have had a constant variety of touchscreen laptops at all price points for quite a long time now. They're quite obviously here to stay. And when Apple finally caves and does it in 2030 you lot will act like it's a killer new feature that the ghost of Steve Jobs crafted with his bare hands
Youvebeeneloned t1_j436o7x wrote
Touchscreens have not died because they keep trying to force it down as a high end thing.
But the fact that they are on a VERY slim fraction of computers sold tells you its a niche product with no traction.
DoomBot5 t1_j45d142 wrote
No, they're on a very slim fraction of MacBooks aka 0%. On other modern laptops, they're available on most models. I know you're just trolling here, but at least try to use facts that aren't easily disproven.
Youvebeeneloned t1_j46h9u5 wrote
They are literally on 3% of all laptops sold... try to use facts teenager.
At one time they were 10% of all laptops sold, LAST DECADE. They have not experienced that high since 2013 because like 3D displays they are a freaking fad.
DoomBot5 t1_j46jhm7 wrote
Ooh we got an edgy one. Let's see the source of your claim.
1-800-KETAMINE t1_j48xhxn wrote
The only info I can find on Google about laptop touchscreen sales rates says it was 10% of the market in 2013, and I'd be really surprised if that's dropped by 2/3 since then. Would love to see a source for that. Can't find anything about it so I could be wrong, who knows.
Anecdotally, feels like a lot more laptops now have touchscreen options than did in 2013. Why would they add it as such a widespread option if it's 3% of the market?
Slggyqo t1_j433zte wrote
Touch screen computers suck if you try to use them exactly like desktop computers with a bonus input device.
If, on the other hand, you have valid use cases for using touch screen computers—or say, an entire ecosystem based around touch screen devices that are approximately the same size as a small computer screen, aka the iPad—it can be great.
That being said, I feel like the iPad and Surface already have that space covered…so they really should just be merged with the lowest tier models of laptops.
[deleted] t1_j435tc1 wrote
[deleted]
kurttheflirt t1_j42v7rk wrote
Do you really believe that? The surface pro line is an amazing example of a great touchscreen computer. I’ve loved it since day 1 of buying it. It goes from laptop to tablet seamlessly.
Prior to my surface pro I had the surface laptop which worked great as well. It’s just an additional interface which works great.
Youvebeeneloned t1_j436eq8 wrote
Not only do I believe it, the market bears it out in the fact they still, to this day, have never taken off.
spaghettu t1_j43ao1j wrote
After a decade-long year run, the surface pro still has less than 3% market share. I'm sure some people see value in it, but to me a touchscreen laptop is really nothing more than a nearly useless gimmick IMO. There obviously could be other reasons surface market share is low, but to me this proves that it's not enough of a novelty to win over most people.
submittedanonymously t1_j43djj8 wrote
I have one from my office and didn’t know it was a touchscreen until someone else had to show me some routine on it. They’re the only person who has used the touch function on my device because otherwise it’s pointless in my role.
D_Doggo t1_j45q7ff wrote
Surface isn't the only touch screen laptop though. Almost all other popular laptop makers have quite a few popular models with touch screens.
LittleBigMonet t1_j5l9uge wrote
I agree wholeheartedly. And I feel like the failure can somewhat be attributed to Windows OS, which is lackluster to even be called a mobile OS. I personally recently got a Surface Laptop, and I only got it because I found it for super cheap. Their retail prices are too high for what they are - you cannot say that about Apple MacBooks because you don’t have a choice to pick any hardware and put OS on it. That said, I do think that the Surface devices are built very well. They look great. And for the most part, they work great…as laptops with a keyboard and a mouse or touchpad!!!!
I just can’t come to terms with calling Windows OS touch friendly / tablet friendly so adding that feature to a laptop is useless.
limache t1_j43jymy wrote
I tried out a surface pro 3 before. I sold that and got back into Mac.
It was the one time I tried surface pro and I’ll never try it again.
It couldn’t run older windows program I think because it was a 4k display and it was basically shrunken down.
It was definitely overrated.
BigSwedenMan t1_j436qso wrote
The surface is more of a hybrid device where you can convert it into a tablet or a laptop depending on what you're doing. Hybrid devices definitely have their place, but just straight touch screen laptops suck. I have one for work and it's totally useless. Annoying even, since you occasionally get misclicks.
tlsr t1_j44bte5 wrote
> The surface is more of a hybrid device
This is true for Surface Pro and Surface Book but I don't think the Surface Laptop converts to a tablet.
Kursem_v2 t1_j4391gg wrote
surface pro is a 2-in-1, similar to ipad devices.
kurttheflirt t1_j43is1o wrote
No it runs a full windows OS. It’s a full PC where you can install anything you want. Very different than the ipad.
PeanutButterChicken t1_j42rj2o wrote
The number one thing I miss from my Surface Laptop is the touch screen. I can’t believe this MacBook Pro costs this much and doesn’t have a touch screen. Literally insane to me.
flaagan t1_j4317um wrote
Yup, same. We have multiple Surfaces for home and work use, even my 70-something parents both have them as their main computers and use the touchscreen regularly for interfacing with the computer.
Sucks you're getting downvoted by Apple fanboys and folks who haven't actually used the setup regularly.
wtgm t1_j4337pc wrote
Or there’s this crazy possibility that other people have tried them and didn’t like them nearly as much as you claim to.
tlsr t1_j44b6e8 wrote
> as much as you claim to
Are you implying that u/flanagan could be lying about liking touch screens? Why would they do that?
sneks_ona_plane t1_j43v6vw wrote
My work has surface laptops and I don’t know a single person that uses the touchscreen on a regular basis
I really enjoyed my surface pro 4 but the different form factor made the touchscreen way more useful. You could remove the keyboard, draw, take notes, etc. It just feels so awkward on a laptop when the trackpad is already right there, and the angle makes it basically impossible to draw or write
flaagan t1_j443fwx wrote
Will say that I personally have a Surface Book 2, a Surface Pro 5, and occasionally use a Surface Pro 2 at work. On both the Pro's, despite it technically being easier to flip them to full tablet (just yank off the mag keyboard), I find that the slightly larger and heavier Surface Book feels more comfortable for doing 'walk-around' tablet mode. Sitting down with the Surface Book 2 on a table I will literally switch between the keyboard, touchscreen, and the wireless mouse I have connected to it on the fly, different actions feel more natural between each.
alc4pwned t1_j44wbtk wrote
It's not at all hard to see why many people would legitimately not like them. Fingerprints all over the display constantly? Screen wobble every time you touch the screen? Extra thickness on the display?
flaagan t1_j45rxw9 wrote
I use one in my workshop and even there the screen doesn't get dirty enough to be concerned by it. If you're on the stand or holding it properly they're relatively stable. The thickness is not noticeable, considering touch display features do not add enough thickness to even concern any average consumer with.
brenton07 t1_j42t2f3 wrote
This is what sidecar is for, and it works great. And you keep the higher quality non-touch screen.
natethomas t1_j471zs0 wrote
If I could initiate sidecar from my iPad, it’d be close.
What I really want is the iPad experience for recreational activities like reading and note taking/pencil input. and the Mac experience when working. I do a lot in terminal and web dev that doesn’t always play nice with the iPad browser. Plus full USB MacOS support and hard drive support would be nice.
Really frustrating how close iPadOS and MacOS are without taking that last little step.
Oryx t1_j42x490 wrote
Touchscreens suck. 🤷🏻♂️
Atty_for_hire t1_j42w5ey wrote
I have an HP Elitebook for work and it’s a touchscreen laptop that can completely fold over to be a tablet-like device. It’s nice, I’m not a fan of touching the screen, but it comes with a stylus and I can sign or initial digital document (I’m required to approve things). It’s handy to have, but not something I need. I’d be happy if my MacBook had the functionality.
L4RK1N t1_j459sai wrote
You can use a stylus currently with the MacBook trackpads & the surface area is big enough for signatures which I often do as well for work. This is the only “touch” use case I can think of for a regular laptop user. iPads exist for a reason & fill the “hybrid” niche well IMO.
I’m against touching my Retina display at all costs as fingerprints drive me crazy. If Apple can come up with a better oleophobic coating then what they use on iPhone for the display I’d maybe consider it but still find it unnecessary.
Atty_for_hire t1_j460bbo wrote
I agree. I regularly have to ask my colleagues and wife to not touch my screen when they are pointing to something on a non-touch screen. But with that said, some people don’t care and you can use the functionality sparingly without dirtying up your screen.
FloridaGatorMan t1_j43kayw wrote
"Today, we'd like to announce that we at Apply have created the first ever touchscreen notebook."
nmpraveen t1_j47vzl8 wrote
But on Apple credit, they did invent multitouch on phone which paved way for the modern smartphone industry. With that aside, I do believe that Apple has to step up something unique to sell this touchscreen on laptops.
FloridaGatorMan t1_j482n5u wrote
John Elias and Wayne Westerman of Fingerworks invented multi-touch, which Apple purchased in 2005.
nmpraveen t1_j483gc7 wrote
Alright, that could be said for many things. Thats not my point. Apple mainstreamed multi touch. Thats what I was trying to say.
elblots t1_j42w9l3 wrote
I work in a position that puts me in front of many different clients on a daily basis. Whenever I put my macbook in front of them, the first thing most of them do is try and scroll by touching the screen. Like it or not, touchscreens are a commonplace on todays portable computers and are here to stay. Most would call it the most intuitive way to navigate an OS. Apple is going to have to adapt eventually.
roofgram t1_j42taj3 wrote
My friend just returned her new laptop because it wasn't a touch screen and that was a dealbreaker. Some people are very accustomed to using the screen to scroll and hit buttons on web pages.
dark_rabbit t1_j42x407 wrote
I disagree. When I pack my bags for a work trip, it feels like I’m packing every device under the sun into my bag. iPads can almost be used as MacBooks, but not quite. MacBooks don’t have touch or flexibility to fold back, so they’re not as nimble for flights. So as a result I need all the devices and their cables and their protective cases.
Like c’mon, merge them already.
dirtyshits t1_j42xtd5 wrote
If apple was to(and I don’t trust them at all) to create a touchscreen macbook that can fold over and be used as a tablet as well for under $1500 it would sell like bananas.
I trust them to get the hinges and the flexibility right(form factor/durability). I don’t trust them to have a decent price point. Would probably be a MacBook Pro max or whatever and be priced at $2500
Basically a baby of the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro.
Shewsical t1_j43l2bi wrote
What's the use case here? I either want the convenience of a touchscreen (so the iPad will work fine), or I need the power the MacBook Pro provides (and if I need that computing power, the touchscreen is an annoyance, not an asset).
Really, it just feels like people want to be able to run OSX on their iPad?
dirtyshits t1_j43m4fp wrote
I like the laptop form factor for when I’m actually working working but in travel mode or for entertainment stuff the touch screen would be nice.
Harder to use a laptop on flights than a tablet for me and I fly fairly often. There’s a ton of great games made for iPads as well.
Would also be nice to use a pen on the touch screen for graphic design and other random stuff I work on.
Essentially reducing the amount of stuff I need by combining them.
I think the downside is that it could hurt iPad sales. They might actually want people to buy both even if they lose some customers because of it. Business wise I’m guessing that’s one of the reasons they haven’t done it.
ThePhantomTrollbooth t1_j4544ed wrote
I think running full Photoshop (and other media editing) on an accurate, pressure sensing display will appeal to a lot of creative pros (many already love the pencil for the iPad). We’re also seeing the first generation of kids raised on tablets start to hit adulthood. Old people and others will have their own interest in it. I think it’s something that has been long-awaited.
natethomas t1_j472xg9 wrote
A lot of people use MacOS on MacBook Airs that have literally the same compute power as iPad pros: The M1 chip. These days you can ALMOST accomplish everything such a person might want on an IPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard, but not all. I personally need terminal and non-mobile web browsers for my work. But I don’t need a ton of compute power, and when I do, I normally remote into a desktop PC that has a beefy chip you won’t find in most laptops.
Shewsical t1_j47od9d wrote
I think this was more or less my point. Functionally, a touchscreen Macbook already exists in the iPad pros. So, it doesn't make sense to me to make the Macbook a touchscreen, when that essentially already exists.
Do people just want to be able to run MacOS on their iPads?
natethomas t1_j47prz0 wrote
Personally? Yes. If my iPad Pro could plug into a thunderbolt port at my desk and become a desktop running MacOS, unplug and turn into an iPadOS device, and then turn back to macOS when attached to the keyboard, it’d be amazing for me
Chester8765 t1_j42yfj7 wrote
You could also get a surface pro 8 that does all of that, for significantly less.
natethomas t1_j473suk wrote
If surface pros had MacOS and terminal , you’d be right. Doing the work I do on a Windows PC would be somewhere between impossible and very difficult.
Big_Paleontologist83 t1_j440bue wrote
please be serious
DoomBot5 t1_j45do15 wrote
The amount of Apple fan boys here that are just like "we Mac users don't use touch screens on our laptops, so hardly anyone does" is just too damn high. Of course I expect nothing less.
FruitFly t1_j46wkqk wrote
Eh, definitely get the same sort of thinking on the Apple hater side of things too.
Human nature is like this with so many things. "Well I don't experience things that way, ergo no one does!"
One of the most frustrating things about dealing with people in general to me - the inability to understand that the world doesn't actually revolve around you and other people might want/use/need something you don't. It's literally the root of so many shitty things in the world.
sudodaemon t1_j42oht3 wrote
Please, no… don’t do this shit. Nobody wants a fucking touch screen computer. We have phones and iPads for that.
flaagan t1_j431s6c wrote
Right... which is why Microsoft is clearly pissing away money on the.... checks notes... 9th generation of the Surface lineup.
ObligatoryOption t1_j42mn10 wrote
I don't know why it's taking so long. I'm so used to everything being touch screen that I always find myself tapping on my wife's MacBook expecting it to do what it should. Oh right, I have to use that thing below the keyboard...
AdDear5411 t1_j42whof wrote
And they'll make a HUGE deal about it, like it's something no one has ever done.
iambolo t1_j44ssfx wrote
my work laptop is touch screen and i honestly use it all the time. Scrolling documents is way better with touchscreen. Pinch-to-zoom is amazing if you work with documents and images. I have to click the same buttons in a menu all the time - I can do that way faster with my fingers than a mouse. I use the calculator a lot, and with no numpad on my keyboard, touching the buttons directly on the screen feels a lot better than using the number keys. Grabbing different windows and arranging them with my fingers, it feels better and faster for me than using a mouse
EricRollei t1_j4541dw wrote
Too late, I already went on to PC.
[deleted] t1_j42uyoh wrote
[deleted]
[deleted] t1_j433yu8 wrote
[deleted]
Itsrigged t1_j438hmx wrote
Arent they kinda merging the Ipad OS and MacOS, maybe at this point it is trivial to add?
natethomas t1_j4748kr wrote
Hopefully. iPad OS is so close. Really wish connecting iPad pros to a keyboard just flipped on MacOS mode
Randomae t1_j43g47f wrote
I don’t care as long as they don’t get rid of MacBooks without touchscreen. I don’t want to pay an additional premium for something I won’t use.
Optimus2725 t1_j43kjb6 wrote
So basically a iPad
HellaciousHoyden t1_j43shew wrote
Sigh. I'd rather get an internal disk reader back.
onomojo t1_j43sygl wrote
Apple fan boys will be defending the guerilla arm as a positive just you watch.
Krasblack t1_j447gyn wrote
Welcome to 2010!
usernmtkn t1_j44bmme wrote
No they wont, nor should they.
[deleted] t1_j44bxlq wrote
[removed]
[deleted] t1_j44cid9 wrote
[deleted]
dollerhide t1_j44ep3h wrote
"I might have brought my arrowhead collection on board. But I didn't!"
-random vintage comedy reference
slvneutrino t1_j44jo73 wrote
This would make sense with all of the iOS like changes they are making to the UI. I really can't say I would need, nor appreciate having a touch screen... that's why I have an iPad.
bubonis t1_j44k326 wrote
I repair laptops (among other things) and I can honestly say 99% of my customers with touch screens have told me that they never or almost never use them.
Jobs made a semi-famous speech some years ago about why Macs don’t have touch screens, and he was entirely right about it. Granted, the equation has changed a LITTLE since then; specifically, iOS wasn’t a thing. So I could see exactly one reason to have a touch screen on a MacBook: full out-of-the-box compatibility with iOS apps. This will NEVER happen as it will cannibalize Apple’s sales, but if Apple ever made a MacBook with a screen that can flip 180 degrees and effectively be an iPad, I’d buy three of them today.
natethomas t1_j474l3k wrote
Same. Or conversely if the iPad Pro switched to MacOS mode when you connected the Magic Keyboard, I’d be pretty happy
Qwerty678910 t1_j44pgez wrote
Apple is about 15 years late. They felt if they created a touchscreen Mac. Customers would stop buying iPads. This was back when tablets were still a new concept.
davepete t1_j44wpqm wrote
School districts often do requests for proposals for touchscreen laptops, and Apple doesn't even have one. I would imagine making a touchscreen laptop would be lucrative for Apple.
Berova t1_j4631ca wrote
Sure, if they can make them as cheap as Chromebooks so schools can afford them, why not?
davepete t1_j47a0t3 wrote
And we know Apple can make a $300 iPad for schools (because they have for many years). I'm hoping they eventually come out with a $500 touchscreen MacBook for schools.
trymill t1_j44wrnh wrote
Don't see the appeal of a high quality retina display covered in smudgy fingerprints.
Spencerbug t1_j44x0lh wrote
I find it’s mostly doctors that use the touch screen laptops , so they can sign prescriptions and scribble doctors notes quickly
vanhalenbr t1_j44xxn0 wrote
As Mac user I don’t have much interest… unless they do something different from everyone else I don’t see the point.
kimokimosabee t1_j454hdc wrote
Omg life will never be the same!
YoeBuches t1_j456kx5 wrote
I hate Apple lol
redddcrow t1_j45buli wrote
are the screens not greasy and disgusting enough already?
Beansmild t1_j45m3jw wrote
I hear it'll only cost 3 payments of 30k! (Not including the charger, and the outlet adapter to make the charger work, and the headphone adapter)
AlertThinker t1_j45venp wrote
Do we really need a touch screen when we have iPads?
gaetanzo t1_j4620pt wrote
I'm so old I still get mad when someone touches my external display.. and still work 90% of my day using an external display. I cannot stand having finger prints on the screen of the device I use to actually get work done. If there was a touchscreen on my 16" MBP M1 Max I would never use it. That said I know there's a huge market of people that causally use their Mac and it might be something they want. I am sure the option will be nice for some people I just hope there's an option to skip it if you don't want it.
FruitFly t1_j46vxqx wrote
You can have a touchscreen but not actually use it. I have a touchscreen laptop that I only use the touchscreen on when traveling, which isn't that often any more. I forget that it is a touchscreen most of the time, as I've got it set up in stand and the laptop display functions more like a secondary display.
Also, not sure if my own device is just special, but my laptop touchscreen never really shows fingerprints after being touched (while my stationary monitor definitely does if it's touched). It's not the same type of screen as phones and tablets have. (I am CONSTANTLY wiping down my tablet and phone because the fingerprints irk the shit out of me.)
It's not like the device having a touchscreen suddenly means you can't use the mouse and keyboard to do things - the touchscreen is just one of the options when it's there.
Windows has the option to disable the touchscreen as well if it's troublesome, and I would assume Apple would build the same option. (Might not be fair to assume, as Apple does make some weird decisions sometimes, but still.)
saintmsent t1_j46qnpz wrote
I just hope they will have options both with or without it. Having had 2 laptops with touch displays, I don't find this feature useful and wouldn't want to pay extra for it
downloweast t1_j46x8i7 wrote
Touchscreen laptops suck. It’s a feature that you are never going to use unless in fall into a few niche fields. I thought I would use it for handwriting, and I was wrong about that. If you want a touchscreen, get a tablet or use your phone. Using a touchscreen the size of even a small laptop is cumbersome. You hands will tire out and if the edges are not completely smooth when folded back on it’s self it will cut into your hand at some point. Multifunction devices are never as good as the stand alone device.
evil_burrito t1_j475fiq wrote
Do people actually like touchscreen laptops?
ethanjim t1_j47xmry wrote
What will actually happen is we’ll get an iPad with a built in keyboard running iPadOS
dustmanrocks t1_j4a5xqh wrote
I’m down for this if it’ll allow a full iOS mode for touch and a full macOS UI for keyboard and mouse input.
What I can’t deal with in Windows is the compromised experience on both. iOS and iOS apps on a Macbook could mitigate this if done exactly correctly.
teddytwelvetoes t1_j42qqqr wrote
They're not going to add a touchscreen, stylus support, create a hybrid device, etc. as long as their devoted fanbase continues to purchase both a MacBook and an iPad to browse the web. They've been clinging onto these double-dippers for ages - the rest of the industry does not have this luxury, so they added all of these things a decade ago without issue
[deleted] t1_j43aups wrote
It's so good how nothing can be discussed on this website without victims of Apple Derangement Syndrome inventing shit in their head to get mad about.
Rivale t1_j42ygcz wrote
how is this going to work? macbooks for a while now have had thin displays, a touch screen display that thin is going to break easily. it's going to be a challenge to keep the weight and the dimensions down while making sure the build quality is still there.
FruitFly t1_j431pr6 wrote
I have a Dell XPS with a touchscreen that’s almost 5 years old, lighter and thinner than my MacBook Pro that’s only about a year (maybe 2) older. It’s 2.8 lbs and super thin.
It’s traveled to several countries with me and gotten 5 day a week use throughout the 5 years and works great still. No problems. I mean I take care of my devices in general, but the MacBook has had a dead pixel corner that showed up within the first year with a lot less moving around and not nearly as much use.
Anecdotal evidence sure, but PC makers have been making thin, light touchscreen laptops for years now, so clearly it works.
zone23 t1_j4387id wrote
Just because its a touch screen doesn't mean you "have" to touch it... just saying.
ReverbDuck t1_j43uqrd wrote
It does mean apps will have annoyingly resized ui elements to facilitate touch even if you don’t use it, and the overall cost of the device will go up
D_Doggo t1_j45qfpc wrote
Not really. Windows is made for touch screen and resizes when using the laptop as a tablet (iirc, correct me if I'm wrong). Although it's already accessible without the resizing. I wouldn't call the windows interface particularly any bigger than apple's macOS. Certain buttons like the close/minimize button are bigger, but I think they're just too tiny on macOS personally.
FruitFly t1_j46xtwf wrote
I mean the cost will go up because it's Apple. That's what they do.
And I've had a touchscreen Windows laptop - just a laptop, not a computer/tablet hybrid thing - for almost 5 years and literally have never come across any app that has "annoyingly resized ui elements to facilitate touch" for Windows. Sure there might be some out there optimized for touch that I just don't use I guess, but it just feels weird that this is something that anyone would worry about when it's ... not really happening?
Xunderground t1_j478mp5 wrote
ReverbDuck t1_j479m0m wrote
Yep, that's what I'm talking about
FruitFly t1_j47scup wrote
I dunno... maybe because I'm old and need things zoomed anyway to see them, I don't see that as a nod to touchscreen, just better readability. Heh.
I guess it's probably for touch, but I've enjoyed being able to see things better.
Xunderground t1_j483tq7 wrote
The Microsoft Design Language used in Windows since Windows 8, previously called Metro, was explicitly designed for touch and introduced with Windows Phone 7.
Readability being improved is a side effect, and there are better ways to accomplish that goal than what is being done here.
werdmouf t1_j43fp4r wrote
Make a 2 in 1 Mac Yoga with 5G
timcorin t1_j43k2qr wrote
Touch screens are great if the apps are designed to be touch based with gestures, larger UI elements etc. But desktop apps are designed primarily for mouse and keyboard interaction. It will always feel a bit weird using touch for desktop apps, and a mouse with an iPad.
Im sure if it was a good idea and they would sell well, Apple would do it. They have probably done their research.
Bear in mind they did their Touch Bar, and it was rejected by consumers. Maybe that was their test?
D_Doggo t1_j45qlax wrote
The touch bar is useless 90% of the time though. I use it to adjust audio, that's it. It's completely different to having your entire screen be touch screen.
HKShortHairWorldNo1 t1_j442t4z wrote
I hate touchscreen since I have get used to "touch" my screens to compare figures, but I don't want to click on anything by that touch. This is a habit transfer from paper reading to screens. A touchscreen will make this super annoying
[deleted] t1_j445kxu wrote
[removed]
Crazy-Cheesecake-945 t1_j44k5i0 wrote
Ummm, isn’t that what an iPad with the keyboard accessory is? It’s literally the same thing
Headless_Human t1_j46h9ao wrote
Only if you think the only difference between an iPad and a MacBook is the keyboard.
Crazy-Cheesecake-945 t1_j46zbie wrote
For the average user it achieves the same result. I own both and have used them for school and work seamlessly.
AB287461 t1_j42w50q wrote
Great, more issues to go wrong so Apple can charge me $2000 for a simple fix more often
flaagan t1_j431u6p wrote
Or you could just buy a Surface for far less.
PerfektNova t1_j42x5aj wrote
Another Apple "innovation" a decade behind? Do tell.
WaterlooCS-Student t1_j440z98 wrote
No they won’t
[deleted] t1_j44ksd1 wrote
[deleted]
Due-Resident-4588 t1_j42w0qh wrote
They honestly don’t need to if we’re just gonna be real. Are touch screen laptops that big of deal for most people? I don’t think so. I myself at least have a MacBook Pro for my desk work and if I need to go somewhere for work I can easily pack it up but when I’m laying in bed or just going up to the local coffee shop for a break I take my iPad. I’m sure some people out there want a touch screen MacBook but I don’t think it’s the majority of people.