Mark Gurman:
> The updated notebooks will be thinner, include a touch screen strip for function keys, and will be offered with more powerful and efficient graphics processors for expert users such as video gamers, said the people, who asked not to be named.
>
> The new computers have been in advanced testing within Apple since earlier this year, said one of the people, who didn’t want to be identified discussing products before their release. The MacBook Pros aren’t likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone, according to one of the people.
And:
> The most significant addition to the new MacBook Pro is a secondary display above the keyboard that replaces the standard function key row. Instead of physical keys, a strip-like screen will present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application. The smaller display will use Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, a thinner, lighter and sharper screen technology, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year.
>
> Apple’s goal with the dedicated function display is to simplify keyboard shortcuts traditionally used by experienced users. The panel will theoretically display media playback controls when iTunes is open, while it could display editing commands like cut and paste during word processing tasks, the people said. The display also allows Apple to add new buttons via software updates rather than through more expensive, slower hardware refreshes.
You had me at new MacBook Pro.
Several years ago I had a Lenovo Thinkpad with a row of LED’s in place of function keys that would present different functions based on what you were doing. It was bloody awful. Never knew what was going to be there, constantly having to scroll thru different sets of keys to get back to the set you wanted, etc… Hopefully if Apple does this they’ll do a much better job at implementing it.
http://gizmodo.com/the-thinkpad-x1-carbon-is-getting-its-buttons-back-1677371992
I feel like a battered housewife wishing that this time the Apple rumors are true.
Need this now.
I think there is a good chance it’ll be better. However, that doesn’t mean it will be incredibly useful or be used a lot.
Of course, I said the same thing (said worse actually) about Spaces and Mission Control and the breaking of my WindowShade extension. However, Mission Control’s way of handling windows has improved and surpassed (for me) a long time ago the stacking of windows collapsed to title bars that I used to do.
So, now, I whine a lot less and wait to see how hardware and system changes affect my workflow and if it’s for the better.
Me too. It has been a while since I’ve seen this kind of pent up demand for a Mac model.
Is that a 2nd degree “Yep”?