TouchBar

The HN thread about nyancat on the new MacBook TouchBar is overwhelmingly negative, that's normal for HN, but the response I have seen to it other places has been just as bad.

The changes to the keyboard, awkwardness of touch screens and position of the board are common points of compliant. I think Keyboards have too many keys, I type on a planck which only has 40 keys. I love this keyboard. I think if you look at a layout map of the planck you will realise that you can get used to very strange layouts.

An awesome, long screen like that is a great addition the standard laptop layout. Having a way to access context while not obstructing the main display is awesome. The hardware as implemented by Apple is a problem, if it really is running WatchOS then no other OS will ever work with it, that doesn't stop over manufacturers doing it with a sensible hardware link.

I love the idea of having a secondary display built into my laptop. Look at the awesomeness @jcs managed with the RGB bar on the chromebook pixel, that bar is only RGB, a full colour display could do so much more.

Screens on keyboards aren't new, there have been gaming keyboards with screens for a long time. Apple might be the first to try this on a laptop, but will probably be the first to succeed with this idea. I suspect Apple will have the first implementation that sees real adoption in the secondary screen peripheral space.

It is Sunday, so that makes seven days of writing .

Reading: Abaddon's' Gate, Reamde