For the third time this fall, Apple prepares to launch a very cool thing nobody needs
Macworld ·
Macworld Apple can’t win with people like me. When the company unveils minor iterative updates to successful products, we complain that it isn’t taking more risks . And when it launches crazy, beautiful tech in uncertain new markets, we suck our teeth and complain about practicality and necessity . It’s no wonder journalists are unpopular. They’re damned if you do and you’re damned if they don’t. In which case, they might as well do whichever option is more fun–and Apple has spent this fall living that ethos to the max. First we got the iPhone Duo, a high-priced engineering wonder that nobody needs and everybody wants . Then we got the HomeView, the charming answer to a non-existent question. And now, unless every pundit on the planet has laid a gigantic predictive egg, we’re about to get a completely impractical and anti-ergonomic redesign of the MacBook for no other reason than it being cool. Now, it isn’t surprising in the least that Apple’s senior management would have positive feelings about touchscreens, which were absolutely fundamental to the appeal and success of the iPhone (and later the iPad and Apple Watch) and are thus largely responsible for the company’s current wealth. But touchscreens are not the answer to every problem. They don’t work in every context. Nobody suggests Apple should put a tiny touchscreen on the stem of your AirPods for the obvious reason that you wouldn’t be able to see it. Nobody thinks the Apple TV needs a touchscreen, or the HomePod a touchscreen that does anything more than turn it on and change the volume, because in both cases you’d have to get up and go over to the thing; far better to control it from your seat via a dedicated remote and your voice, respectively. But the MacBook, whose unsuitability for a touchscreen seems just as obvious to me, is in line to get one against all logic and reason. The touchscreen on the iPhone works because you’re holding it . The device is held in a comfortable position for one hand, which (unless you have mismatched arms like the bodybuilder in The Lady In The Water ) automatically means it’s at a level and angle where it’s comfortable for the other arm to touch and interact with the screen. But the MacBook, with a few rare exceptions, is supported by either a desk or the user’s lap, which also supports your wrists while your hands use the keyboard and trackpad. Reaching up to touch the screen is an extra effort, tiring after virtually any time at all (just try it) and completely alien to the way laptops are used. I just don’t get the appeal at all. And that’s just the physical, ergonomic side. There’s also the software aspect to consider: the way apps and the operating system would need to be reappraised for touch compatibility. Icons that are big enough to click are not necessarily big enough to tap, while design best practices for menus and buttons are drastically different in touch and non-touch contexts. Apple has up to now resisted the urge to combine macOS and iPadOS for good reason, which is that the two need to be different because they serve different needs. But if the MacBook gains a touchscreen display, macOS alone would need to serve both types of user interaction, which is a huge and unnecessary headache for the UX team, and likely users. Ultimately, there are only two contexts in which a touchscreen MacBook makes any sense at all. One, proposed by my colleague Michael Simon in last week’s podcast, is that the product isn’t really a MacBook at all, but rather another new form factor for Apple: a laptop/tablet convertible. You’d only use the touchscreen when the keyboard is detached (or folded behind the screen), and it’s acting as a tablet; when it’s behaving as a laptop you’d revert to keyboard and trackpad. That could work, but I’m not convinced there’s a huge appetite for a touchscreen tablet with an optional keyboard when the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard already exist and don’t exactly sell in earth-shattering quantities. The other way it could work is to have touchscreen controls be 100 percent optional. Just build it as a normal MacBook that works exactly the way other MacBooks do, except that if you ever get the urge to touch the screen, like a confused toddler, then you can. Every now and then you’ll find a situation where the touchscreen option is better. Entering a digital signature, say, or selecting all the boxes containing a motorbike on a CAPTCHA test. The rest of the time, that entire facility may as well not be there. Obviously that would be an eccentric approach to product design, to say the least. Upgrading a MacBook’s screen to support touch isn’t free, but rather requires a host of compromises and cost increases. Subjecting oneself to all that for the sake of a niche feature you’ll hardly ever use doesn’t seem like a very good idea. But at least it’s fun. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Trending: Top stories Jason Cross outlines the 6 iPhone Duo highs and lows that defined his day-one experience . Apple’s ‘major mistake’ with the iPhone Duo isn’t actually a mistake at all . The iPhone just became the center of Apple’s new AI hub . Apple just gave Mahmoud Itani a reason to keep his 6-year-old HomePod mini . Halide Mark III vs. iPhone 18 Pro Camera app : Apple shoots its shot . The iPhone Duo arrives exactly 25 years after the iPod . How do they compare? Podcast of the week In the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we take a deep look at the Apple Watch Series 12 . We discuss its new features, its price, and whether it’s worth buying. Tune in and find out! You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube , Spotify , Soundcloud , the Podcasts app , or our own site . Reviews corner iPhone Duo review roundup : A little weird, a lot of fun, and a breath of fresh air . AirPods 5 : More for less. The rumor mill Apple still has one more product launch this month, and it’s a big one . The new iPad mini is coming to put the Air out of its misery . Roman Loyola lists 5 features he wants in the new MacBook Pro (other than a touchscreen ). The iPhone Duo 2 might fix one of its biggest flaws . Software updates, bugs, and problems Apple to iPhone Duo buyers : We promise your favorite apps will look great (eventually) . And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters , including our new email from The Macalope–an irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook , Threads , Bluesky , or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.