October 27, 2016

Thoughts on Apple’s Mac Event Keynote

Events held on Apple’s campus are my favorite and today didn’t disappoint. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the new Macs, but after getting some time with the MacBook Pro, I was impressed with the new Touch Bar and wide gamut display.

Here are some things that struck me during the keynote:

  • Apple’s commitment to accessibility is incredible. They don’t see it as a “market”, but rather a responsibility to that community. The company deserves a lot of credit for figuring out ways to make its products accessible to so many people.

  • Apple TV is moving—slowly, but it’s moving. I can’t wait for Single Sign-on for apps (TV stations), but until then the new TV app won’t be of much use for me. I’m not going to activate every app separately.

  • Interesting that MacBook Pro comes in only two colors. Perhaps what they think the pros want—and it could be.

  • It’s clear that size and weight still matters to Apple. They talked quite a bit about it today.

  • I’m really happy to see the new keyboard (MacBook keyboard) come to the pro. I love that keyboard so much.

  • The Touch Bar is more impressive than what I thought it would be. It’s not just contextual by app, but by function.

  • The Touch Bar is configurable, which is going to be great for third-party developers too.

  • There’s more to the MacBook Pro than a Touch Bar. An entirely new thermal architecture shows the thought that goes into these machines.