Apple | MacBook Pro: Apple is considering a successor to the Touch Bar – with the Apple Pencil | News | macbook

As you know, the Touch Bar is largely history. The touch-sensitive display bar can only still be found in the MacBook Pro 13″ with an M1 chip, which in terms of design corresponds to its Intel predecessor. Apple returned to a keyboard in the larger notebooks with 14″ and 16″ screens classic function keys, which made quite a few customers happy.However, the Californian company has obviously not yet completely said goodbye to flexible input and control options in its own portable computers.

Touch bar for operation with the Apple Pencil
Apple’s development department is looking into the possibility of using the Apple Pencil or a similar device with MacBooks. In Cupertino, however, they do not think of using a touchscreen as with the iPads, but of an innovative input variant. This describes the Californian company in one patent application entitled “Mountable tool computer input”, now published by the US Patent & Trademark Office. The basis is a touch-sensitive panel above the keyboard, which also serves as a holder for the stylus. Like the Touch Bar, it can display changing content, icons and buttons, which can then be operated with the pencil. This should also be able to display certain elements itself if it is stored in the display bar. Commands can then be executed both by touch and using swipe and tap gestures. Depending on whether the pen is held in the hand or lying on the notebook, there are different possibilities.

Apple: Touch Bar has a number of disadvantages
As usual, Apple’s description of the new process in the patent application is rather general. The company does not give any details about new control and operating options. Noteworthy, however, are the reasons given by Apple in the introduction to the protective brief that the Touch Bar was not a good idea. Such touch-sensitive display bars are sometimes difficult to use, they say, and many users miss the haptic feedback expected from a mechanical keyboard. In addition, the arrangement could lead to essential content being covered by the hand. Since, unlike typing, “blind” operation is hardly possible, a touch bar strains the eyes because the distance to the actual display requires refocusing in order to be able to grasp the elements displayed.

Swipe gestures on the Apple Pencil
According to Apple, these disadvantages can be avoided by combining a touch panel with the Apple Pencil. Among other things, the operation is more natural and fluid because you can swipe on the stored pen. In addition, it is more comfortable to use a touch-sensitive bar as well as other areas of the housing with a stylus, even if it has to be picked up first. It is not known whether Apple is already working on a device that has the input options described in the patent application. The company regularly submits a large number of protective letters, without the processes specified therein being incorporated directly into new products.