In a recent interview with CNET, Apple’s Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, has said that the Touch Bar which features in Apple’s redesigned Macbook Pro laptop line is “just the beginning of a very interesting direction” for Apple.
Last week, Apple revealed its redesigned MacBook Pro and its new input feature, the Touch Bar. Sitting at the top of the keyboard where we’re used to seeing the function keys, the Touch Bar is a slim multitouch OLED display which displays a changing menu of settings and buttons depending on what app is being used.
In his interview Ive reveals that the inclusion of the Touch Bar was borne from a desire to “recognise the value” of both traditional keyboards and more modern touch inputs, to have something “contextually specific and adaptable” as well as “mechanical and fixed.”
Considered changes
It seems like a fairly straightforward idea, but according to Ive the Touch Bar is the result of two years of development which was originally exploring the idea of “larger, haptic-rich trackpads.”
Considering Apple has never shown interest in bringing multitouch displays to its MacBook Pro line before, the Touch Bar is an interesting design move and it’s “one of a number of designs” Ive says his team spent a great deal of time exploring.
As far as full multitouch displays are concerned, we probably shouldn’t expect to see them feature in the MacBook Pro lineup any time soon. Ive revealed that though Apple explored the feature many years ago, it “just didn’t feel that [the Mac] was the right place for that.”
The interview is an interesting insight into the thought that goes into each change in design in Apple’s products. Though Ive says that his team isn’t afraid to change familiar designs, they have to remember that the design must then be productized. So they’ll only push changes if it’s taking the product “to a better place.”
Though it’s a simple addition to the MacBook Pro (relative to the rumors of full touchscreens and detachable keyboards, anyway) the Touch Bar could prove to be a convenient option for users and it’ll be interesting to see where Ive and his team plan to take it.
Sourse: techradar.com
It is always the same old trash talk with Apple and especially Ive. We design for this we improve for that, things yet to come – blah blah blah. Take away the iPhone and iPad and you a medium size tech company in terms of their financial status. They really do say some gargbage.
Why they continue to develop tech that has already been done and claim they made it better when they should be innovating not re-designing the same old stayed designs. What on earth is Jonny Ive on? He is in his own pretentious design bubble and thinks what he spurts out is gospel – TOSH…Stop being full of yourself and produce something NEW for pete sake…I would sooner go back to my 80s Apple IIe and use that only because it looks different to the constant same lame designs and old revamped tech.
Oh and do not get me started on the dongle issue. Apple again trying to force manufactures to re-design new gear that uses the USB C port. I think the manufactures should stand their ground and tell Ive and co to do one…enough is enough…
I am done with Apple fed up of boring and fed up of their greed.
You can’t take the iPhone and iPad away though. Those revolutionised mobile.
And I’m no Apple fan but give Apple credit where it’s due.
Yes I agree with you on that for sure. Good point.
In other words, 2 years of develop for a gimmick.
Look what Microsoft managed in similar time!