Subj : Apple could soon launch a touchscreen MacBook Pro and I hate wha To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Sat Sep 20 2025 11:15:09 Apple could soon launch a touchscreen MacBook Pro and I hate what that means for the companys laptops Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Description: A touchscreen MacBook could land next year, but Im concerned about what that means for Apple. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Rumors that Apple will one day produce a touchscreen MacBook have existed for almost as long as the MacBook itself, but the company has steadfastly maintained that it has no interest in creating such a product. That could be about to change, though, as a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is about to significantly revise its position. According to Kuo , Apple is working on a touchscreen MacBook Pro that is due to enter mass production by late 2026. Thats not far away now, and it signals an abrupt about-face from one of the few computing companies that has unswervingly refused to dabble in this genre. And truth be told, Im really not a fan of the idea of a touchscreen Mac. My concern is as much about what it would say about Apple as a company as it is about the practical implications. Either way, though, I dont think it looks good. The pain game (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) The fact that Apple is apparently only just working on a touchscreen Mac might come as some surprise to you. After all, everyone else seems to be doing it doesnt that mean that Apple is late to the party? Really, though, this is not a new stance, and Apple has long resisted the idea of a touchscreen Mac. One of the main reasons Apple has held out for so long is ergonomics. Notably, Steve Jobs once said that touchscreen computers are so unergonomic that they make your arm want to fall off. After all, constantly reaching up to touch a screen is tiring after a while, and your arms dont want to be held out horizontally. Making strain and pain a central aspect of your products doesnt exactly seem like a sensible idea to me either. And theres another factor in play here: smudges. Sure, you can rest your arm at the base of your MacBook screen and use your thumb to scroll through web pages, and doing this doesnt cause much arm strain. But that doesnt avoid the fact that you still end up with a display covered in greasy fingerprints. Apple will never admit it, but perhaps this is a significant reason why the company seems to dislike the idea of touchscreens on laptops: they mess up the unblemished appearance of its products. A dirty MacBook doesnt exactly scream 'premium' and a smudged-up screen needs cleaning, which is another poor user experience. People buy laptops to use them, not to get distracted from their work by having to regularly wipe down the display. A weakening identity (Image credit: BongkarnGraphic / Shutterstock) On a deeper level, Im concerned about what Kuos report might signal about Apple as a company. Because sure, no one will be forced to use the touchscreen element of a touchscreen MacBook you can just ignore it. But the fact that Apple might add it to its laptops in the first place signals a significant change in the firms attitude. One of the arguments in favor of a touchscreen MacBook seems to be that everyone else has done it, so Apple should as well. But this is not a good reason to do something. Following the crowd has never been the blueprint for innovation. Its also not the way Apple traditionally goes about things. Apple contributes to a field if it thinks it can do something better than everyone else. Blindly diving into a project because youre worried about being left behind has never been Apples way (although you could argue that its headlong rush into artificial intelligence (AI) signals a departure from that outlook). Yet Apple has made several questionable decisions over the last few years, from its failed self-driving car to the Vision Pro headset to getting left behind in AI. My worry is that without a strong leadership presence at the helm, Apple is making bad decisions far more frequently than it ever used to. Its not that Apple never got things wrong under Steve Jobs, but more that he brought a vision and identity to the company that guided its decisions. Right now, it feels like that identity is weakening, leading Apple to follow threads that it never would have before the rumored touchscreen MacBook being just the latest example. Has something changed? (Image credit: Apple) If Kuo is right, something has changed Apples mind. But what? Peoples arms havent changed, after all. What compelling reason has arisen to create a touchscreen Mac has that wasnt there before? Kuo says the decision appears to reflect Apples long-term observation of iPad user behavior, indicating that in certain scenarios, touch controls can enhance both productivity and the overall user experience. But when interacting with an iPad, people usually hold their tablet either flat or at an angle. This posture doesnt strain your arms. In contrast, a MacBook screen is more or less vertical, which requires a more horizontal arm position. Perhaps Apple has suddenly decided that this isnt uncomfortable after all. Another possibility is that Kuos report means the touch element will be integrated somewhere other than the display, such as inside or alongside the trackpad, and this is something we know Apple is at least considering . The Touch Bar was a touch panel that wasnt part of the main screen, after all. Kuos wording is that Apple is working on a touch panel, and he doesnt actually use the word touchscreen does that distinction mean that Apple isnt actually looking to implement this tech inside a screen, or am I merely overthinking things? Whatever the case, my hope is that Apple has some convincing implementation of a touch panel that can add functionality without encountering the same old problems highlighted by Jobs. Apple is a company known for its persistent innovation. Simply adding features because everyone else is doing so would signal a serious change in the mindset that has served it so well over the years. Steve Jobs would hate it (Image credit: Apple) Steve Jobs would probably hate this touchscreen Mac idea, given what he said about the idea before he passed away. The likelihood is he would have shut it down with one of his infamous tirades before it even got out of the ideation phase. Resistance to the concept of a touchscreen MacBook isnt about sticking religiously to the whims of a previous CEO. If those ideas are still relevant, then they can provide useful guidance. And for all his flaws, Jobs was known for his excellent taste and forward-thinking designs. Apples ideas have served it well over the years. Its not a follower, nor a company that shamelessly imitates others in a desperate bid for clout (unlike some of its rivals ). I just hope that this touchscreen Mac rumor doesnt indicate a fundamental change in that mindset. You might also like Touchscreen MacBooks could launch in the next few years - but not before a significant iPad overhaul Apple has a new touchscreen Mac patent but don't get too excited just yet The Touch Bar is back, sort of...and it looks terrible ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/apple-could-soon-launch-a-touchscreen-macb ook-pro-and-i-hate-what-that-means-for-the-companys-laptops --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .