The Touch Bar was a missed opportunity for the MacBook - Techradar

Apple’s MacBook Pro line is seeing another regeneration, with the introduction of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) and the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021), and the return of certain ports and a refreshed design is already making a lot of users excited.

But with the new MacBook Pro models, the Touch Bar is no more with Apple seemingly acknowledging that it wasn’t what pros wanted.

While we await the new models and macOS 12 Monterey, let’s look back at how the Touch Bar missed the mark.

Back in 2016 the MacBook line was in flux.

A year later, the MacBook Pro 15-inch (2016) arrived with the Touch Bar.

While it was a surprise to see the Function Row be replaced by an OLED strip, there was hope that developers would be able to take full advantage of what the Touch Bar could offer.

While the Escape key made a return with the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019), the software and hardware side of the Touch Bar never improved past its 2016 unveiling.

Also, while the Touch Bar arrived on other MacBook Pro models, it never came to the keyboards or the MacBook Air.

After my MacBook Air (2013) died a death after the SSD failed, I’ve been waiting for a MacBook to take full advantage of Apple’s Silicon hardware, beyond the M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020).

With these new MacBooks, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) looks to be the perfect upgrade.

As Apple is clearly more aware of the needs of its users on the Mac again now that the demise of the Touch Bar has arrived, it’s exciting to think of what the high-end iMac and Mac Pro devices could be capable of once they’re unveiled.