Apple had spent years insisting that the Mac was best used with a keyboard and trackpad. With the arrival of the new touch-enabled MacBook Pro, that stance changes, more or less. It does so, in any case, in a very interesting way: the idea is that we can keep using our Mac the same way we always have, while gaining the possibility of touching the screen when it feels more convenient. John Ternus, Apple CEO, explained it in an interview with WIRED.
One more option, if we want it
“The Mac is, above all, an indirect-input device, built around the trackpad and keyboard. But I think there are moments when it’s convenient and practical to have a touch screen,” Ternus explains. The change is that touch is added to how we usually work, instead of replacing it.
To achieve this touch surface, Apple had to switch to an OLED display and come up with a lighter design. Adding this kind of interaction, moreover, doesn’t compromise battery life. So, Ternus explains that the display improves brightness, performance, and contrast, and “why not add touch support to it?”.
Technology and our habits have changed
“Ten years is a very long time,” explains Johny Srouji, head of hardware, talking about advances in displays, chips, and cooling. Greg Joswiak adds that “there’s a generation of young creators who use our MacBook Pro and expect to be able to touch the screen”.
So the answer is a very Apple idea: adding options while preserving the experience we already know. And that freedom is, of course, welcome.
