But Apple also said nobody wanted to watch movies on an iPod, and that stylus input was suboptimal.
Then we got the iPod Video and the Apple Pencil.
But when it comes to touchscreen Macs, there are good reasons why we really will never see one.
Marek Levák / Unsplash
“If it has a touchscreen, your hands will be working against gravity most of the time.
Gorilla Arm
The main argument against touch in a laptop is that its plain uncomfortable to use.
Touching the screen of a phone or a handheld tablet is easy, because its right there.
Timothy Muza / Unsplash
But a laptop screen forces you to reach up and hold your whole arm in the air.
Its fine for a quick tap, but not for extended use.
Theres even a name for the pain you get when you try:gorilla arm.
Another reason is that touch and mouse input require very different user interface designs.
The mouse is accurate down to the pixel, whereas a finger is a blunt sausage.
Thats why the tap targets on the iPad are so big.
The iPad can handle mouse input, but the Mac cannot handle finger input.
At least, not without a major interface redesign that would compromise the experience for mouse and trackpad users.
It could get very messy.
Those MacBook lids are thin.
Much thinner than an iPad or an iPhone.
Thats one reason why we dont have Face ID in a MacBook yetit just wouldnt fit.
In the new MacBook Pros, for example, that budget goes to the micro-LED display.
The Pros and Cons
There are some great counter arguments for adding touch.
One is that you dont need to interact fully with the UI via touch.
Sometimes you might just want to tap something, or to scroll through a web page.
“If it has a touchscreen, your hands will be working against gravity most of the time.”
For someone who uses and loves both the Mac and the iPad, a hybrid gear is tempting.
