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What a whiney, content-free blog post. The author complains about removing the function keys, MagSafe, HDMI, SD Card and the escape key but doesn't give any exa

What a whiney, content-free blog post. The author complains about removing the function keys, MagSafe, HDMI, SD Card and the escape key but doesn't give any examples of how they used those in the past or how those features' absence will cripple their workflow. Here are my thoughts: Removing the function keys and replacing them with the touch bar is a step up. The function keys have been annoyingly inconsistent on macOS for a few years now, most programs don't make use of them like they could because by default you need to use an awkward chord with the fn key. The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win, but having proper context sensitive keys will be huge for discoverability and ease of use. RIP MagSafe - it was such a great design. I would have kept it and ditched a thunderbolt port, but that's just me. Having HDMI built-in was pretty good for connecting to projectors, but HDMI doesn't support many screen modes and is pretty out-dated these days. Buy a $10 adaptor if you need it. SD Card readers are also not used much these days. Buy a $10 adaptor if you need it. Lots of people are moaning about the escape key like it is their favorite member of One Direction. My guess is that the escape key will be available (as a touch bar icon) in any application that actually needs it. I am not in the market for a new MacBook Pro, but I can see the appeal.

santaclaus 10y ago
> The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win 1Password is going to rock on this machine.
- AndrewStephens 10y ago
  Even logging on is going rock on this machine if it works as well as the iPhone Touch Id (I assume it is exactly the same device)
  - extra88 10y ago
    They said it was a second gen. Touch ID and it has the same sapphire surface as the iPhone's so I expect it's the same as the 6s & 7.
deanclatworthy 10y ago
I work in an office of about 100 people and 8 meeting rooms. In each room is a tv or projector. Every room has a hdmi > DisplayPort adaptor. We have tried about 15 different adaptors. Every single one will break down within half a year to a year. Or sooner. I've never had a single problem plugging in HDMI directly.
- TeMPOraL 10y ago
  Your customers would be pretty annoyed at you if a display port in their $1000+ laptops broke after half a year of normal usage. On the other hand, $10 adapter is a throwaway item, so manufacturers have zero reasons to care. Such is the disposable culture.
TeMPOraL 10y ago
> The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win Interesting. Every other laptop has one these days, but I haven't really seen people using it much. It seems more like a gimmick. Fingerprint scanner on a phone makes more sense, because it lets you to unlock it almost as quickly as if you didn't have any lockscreen security, which is a big convenience.
- AndrewStephens 10y ago
  Every laptop I have seen with a fingerprint scanner has used one of those cheap swipe-your-finger-across-this-slit style devices. They are slow, unreliable, and insecure. TouchID (at least on my iPhone) is 100% more usable and I would love to have it on my laptop as well.
- reustle 10y ago
  > It seems more like a gimmick. Don't you use a password manager? Aren't you tired of constantly typing your master password in to unlock your keys?
  - belovedeagle 10y ago
    Because having your password manager unencrypted (so that biometrics can "unlock" it) is a great idea.
    - r00fus 10y ago
      What do you even mean by that? On iOS any app can request a TouchID authentication for upgraded privileges. Would be surprised if something similar weren't possible. 1Password on iOS uses TouchID. It's certainly not unencrypted at rest. That's the goal - I provide my TouchID + maybe a PIN (or if for added security, combined with separate channel factor).
- bbcbasic 10y ago
  The phone finger print scanner is sweet. Can't live without it now. Can single handedly unlock the phone and browse HN. :-)
jitbit 10y ago
It all comes down to this: NOW I HAVE LOOK AT THE KEYBOARD. For example, as a developer I press the ESC button zillion times a day. I'm used to "upper-left corner is cancel/close/undo". Now with the new touchbar it can have an "OK" there. Or "Done". Or "edit". It's up to a developer now.
- dloose 10y ago
  As a developer do you not use an external mouse, keyboard, and display?
  - rorykoehler 10y ago
    I use laptop and display. Laptop keyboard and trackpad are perfect. The mac trackpad is the best available and I will miss it now that this release has convinced me to go full linux.
falcolas 10y ago
> The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win I think security minded folks in IT are not going to be thrilled with these. A fingerprint being an identifier, not a authenticator and all that.
LnxPrgr3 10y ago
> SD Card readers are also not used much these days. Buy a $10 adaptor if you need it. Photographers. Photographers were still using that. You know what my mid 2009 MBP can still do? Pull images from my DSLR while charging while plugged into a wired network, transferring them to an external hard drive under the command of an external mouse and keyboard, using an external display. No daisy chaining required, and the cabling is only a minor disaster! (If I bought a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, I'd be using zero USB ports for any of this. External disk is Firewire.)
- iknowstuff 10y ago
  On the other hand, the new MBP can do all that when you plug it into a big display at home with a single cable, avoiding the cabling discomfort. I like the Surface Book more than the new MacBook but I see its benefits.
  - LnxPrgr3 10y ago
    That requires that I buy a display that works like that, and still limits the subsets of that setup I can use. Which comes up for me a shocking amount these days :/ In particular it's nice when my computer is useful without a bunch of extra crap plugged in, and mostly progressively enhanced by new attachments. I can do light photo work on site with a 2009 MBP and no peripherals at all.
1_2__3 10y ago
Calling HDMI outdated helpfully allows me to ignore the rest of your comment.

santaclaus 10y ago

> The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win 1Password is going to rock on this machine.

AndrewStephens 10y ago
Even logging on is going rock on this machine if it works as well as the iPhone Touch Id (I assume it is exactly the same device)
- extra88 10y ago
  They said it was a second gen. Touch ID and it has the same sapphire surface as the iPhone's so I expect it's the same as the 6s & 7.

deanclatworthy 10y ago

I work in an office of about 100 people and 8 meeting rooms. In each room is a tv or projector. Every room has a hdmi > DisplayPort adaptor. We have tried about 15 different adaptors. Every single one will break down within half a year to a year. Or sooner. I've never had a single problem plugging in HDMI directly.

TeMPOraL 10y ago
Your customers would be pretty annoyed at you if a display port in their $1000+ laptops broke after half a year of normal usage. On the other hand, $10 adapter is a throwaway item, so manufacturers have zero reasons to care. Such is the disposable culture.

TeMPOraL 10y ago

> The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win Interesting. Every other laptop has one these days, but I haven't really seen people using it much. It seems more like a gimmick. Fingerprint scanner on a phone makes more sense, because it lets you to unlock it almost as quickly as if you didn't have any lockscreen security, which is a big convenience.

AndrewStephens 10y ago
Every laptop I have seen with a fingerprint scanner has used one of those cheap swipe-your-finger-across-this-slit style devices. They are slow, unreliable, and insecure. TouchID (at least on my iPhone) is 100% more usable and I would love to have it on my laptop as well.
reustle 10y ago
> It seems more like a gimmick. Don't you use a password manager? Aren't you tired of constantly typing your master password in to unlock your keys?
- belovedeagle 10y ago
  Because having your password manager unencrypted (so that biometrics can "unlock" it) is a great idea.
  - r00fus 10y ago
    What do you even mean by that? On iOS any app can request a TouchID authentication for upgraded privileges. Would be surprised if something similar weren't possible. 1Password on iOS uses TouchID. It's certainly not unencrypted at rest. That's the goal - I provide my TouchID + maybe a PIN (or if for added security, combined with separate channel factor).
bbcbasic 10y ago
The phone finger print scanner is sweet. Can't live without it now. Can single handedly unlock the phone and browse HN. :-)

jitbit 10y ago

It all comes down to this: NOW I HAVE LOOK AT THE KEYBOARD. For example, as a developer I press the ESC button zillion times a day. I'm used to "upper-left corner is cancel/close/undo". Now with the new touchbar it can have an "OK" there. Or "Done". Or "edit". It's up to a developer now.

dloose 10y ago
As a developer do you not use an external mouse, keyboard, and display?
- rorykoehler 10y ago
  I use laptop and display. Laptop keyboard and trackpad are perfect. The mac trackpad is the best available and I will miss it now that this release has convinced me to go full linux.

falcolas 10y ago

> The addition of the fingerprint scanner alone is a win I think security minded folks in IT are not going to be thrilled with these. A fingerprint being an identifier, not a authenticator and all that.

LnxPrgr3 10y ago

> SD Card readers are also not used much these days. Buy a $10 adaptor if you need it. Photographers. Photographers were still using that. You know what my mid 2009 MBP can still do? Pull images from my DSLR while charging while plugged into a wired network, transferring them to an external hard drive under the command of an external mouse and keyboard, using an external display. No daisy chaining required, and the cabling is only a minor disaster! (If I bought a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, I'd be using zero USB ports for any of this. External disk is Firewire.)

iknowstuff 10y ago
On the other hand, the new MBP can do all that when you plug it into a big display at home with a single cable, avoiding the cabling discomfort. I like the Surface Book more than the new MacBook but I see its benefits.
- LnxPrgr3 10y ago
  That requires that I buy a display that works like that, and still limits the subsets of that setup I can use. Which comes up for me a shocking amount these days :/ In particular it's nice when my computer is useful without a bunch of extra crap plugged in, and mostly progressively enhanced by new attachments. I can do light photo work on site with a 2009 MBP and no peripherals at all.

1_2__3 10y ago

Calling HDMI outdated helpfully allows me to ignore the rest of your comment.