http://geekslife.cachefly.net/GL/GL45.mp4

Reviews are starting to come out for the new Macbook Pro’s with the Touch Bar. Let’s take a look at some pros and cons!

I used to buy every new gadget I could get my hands on. But let me be completely honest here. I don’t anymore. I prefer to spend my money on tech that actually improves my lifestyle… stuff that makes my life better rather than sits on a shelf collecting dust after a month… and help you do the same.

That’s why I haven’t bought the new Macbook Pro with the Touch Bar just yet. Because as awesome as it LOOKS… I’m skeptical. Let me explain.

Yes, the new Macbook Pro is thinner. Faster. Lighter. All around a better computer. Heck...it’s new. It better be!

But when it comes to the touch bar, I was having a real hard time seeing if it would FOR SURE be useful… or just a pretty bar of lights that sits there glowing at me and reminding me daily how much I paid for this thing that I don’t use..

I don’t look at my keypad when I’m typing. I’m looking at the screen. So predictive word suggestions… didn’t really appeal to me because I think I would FORGET to look at them. I don’t use them that often on my phone. Do you?

Shortcuts on the Touch Bar… yeah, that’s closer for me. I dug the idea of it. But then I thought… I’m so used to my keyboard shortcuts. I use them without thinking. But maybe it would help with shortcuts I don’t yet know or have a habit of using yet.

Creative controls. I don’t edit my videos or do Photoshop. Phillip, our editor and producer, uses keyboard shortcuts primarily for editing video, so not sure if he’d find it useful. Paul Dixon, who does all our graphics, says he isn’t sure if he would use it for Photoshop.

And so it’s been going. Around and around in my head. It LOOKS so cool! I WANT to love it. I do love the IDEA of it.

But I just keep thinking… am I going to ACTUALLY use it?

And as I’ve been looking at the reviews, I’m not persuaded. However, Rene Ritchie from iMore has me almost there with his review:

https://youtu.be/YqerYZ3jqbM

He makes it look seamless and natural to use.

So here’s what I’ve decided. I think it’s all about habits.

Something like this would cause me to create NEW habits. Moving my fingers in a different way. Looking at different places while working. Programming my brain and hands to work together towards a new goal.

And hey… maybe it’s worth doing that. Maybe I’m just being silly. After all, didn’t the iPhone require new habits?

Though to be fair, that felt so damn natural I didn’t FEEL like I was having to create habits.

I’m definitely going to be trying it out, but not sure about buying it until I do.

So… what do YOU think? Are you excited about it? Skeptical like me? Think I’m being an old fart?

Leave a comment below! I’d like to hear.