> need on a computing form factor that's already had a touch surface + changeable display for the last two decades?
The fact that it was like that for the last two decades don’t mean that the TB isn’t needed.
I use it daily, I cannot imagine myself going back to a MacBook without the touchbar.
> And are you seriously arguing [...] ~4oz between 2015 and 2017 models that was worth
There are lots of people that believe the lighter weight is worth the unswappable SSD/RAM.
> sacrificing keyboard function
No, the butterfly switches boost my productivity; they have numerous advantages. Just because some people like deep keys don’t mean butterflies are terrible.
> reliability
The '16/17 model’s reliability were terrible; the '18 models aren’t.
It’s a fixed problem, unless people hate Apple.
And besides, of course the newer device is going to have a lower failure rate so far (unless they've screwed up even harder than Apple normally does). You have to compare the failure rate at the same point into the product's lifecycle.
> unless people hate Apple.
It's hard not to, when they are so eager to give people more reasons.
> The fact that it was like that for the last two decades don’t mean that the TB isn’t needed.
That's exactly what it means if you start to think about what laptop interfaces really are. On a form factor that already has one touch surface and plenty of display area -- and where the overwhelming form of interaction that isn't through the keyboard is manipulating on-display objects using the traditional touch surface -- the specific value of adding additional touch surface with additional display is necessarily going to be marginal. Occupying the same space is mildly novel, but it's never going to be the same value-add that bringing touch surface to a mobile device was. There's literally nothing that can be done with it that can't be done without it.
Now, maybe there's some specific marginal utility gains, but notably, you didn't even pick one to put up against living w/o the touchbar, so it appears you can't even make your own argument. Whether you use it every day is no more a point in its favor than the fact that people use/used escape, function, and utility keys every day.
> There are lots of people that believe the lighter weight is worth the unswappable SSD/RAM.
There aren't even lots of people that can reliably distinguish the a difference of 4 ounces between two ~4lb objects by feel. I'd bet there aren't even that many people who know what that weight difference is. Which makes idea that the prospective market actually thought through that and concluded "oh, yeah, this is a fair tradeoff" is pretty tenuous.
If you want a semi-plausible argument, go for the idea that expandability/maintenance isn't something the "target market" thinks about. That's still odd for a pro model, but it's plausible for prosumer/luxury consumers.
> the butterfly switches boost my productivity; they have numerous advantages
Again, none of which you listed.
> It’s a fixed problem, unless people hate Apple.
Stats? Because there's enough anecdotal evidence to suggest it's not entirely fixed.
And the idea that people complaining about the recent features is an audience of people who just hate apple is provably false, as evidenced by the fact that many of those complaining loudest prefer earlier Apple models.
The fact that it was like that for the last two decades don’t mean that the TB isn’t needed. I use it daily, I cannot imagine myself going back to a MacBook without the touchbar.
> And are you seriously arguing [...] ~4oz between 2015 and 2017 models that was worth
There are lots of people that believe the lighter weight is worth the unswappable SSD/RAM.
> sacrificing keyboard function
No, the butterfly switches boost my productivity; they have numerous advantages. Just because some people like deep keys don’t mean butterflies are terrible.
> reliability
The '16/17 model’s reliability were terrible; the '18 models aren’t. It’s a fixed problem, unless people hate Apple.