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For 16 years, Apple rejected touchscreens on the Mac, with arguments ranging from Steve Jobs to Craig Federighi. Now the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR responds to touch, and Apple CEO John Ternus explains why the Mac should still remain a Mac. His answer is less a departure from tradition than a condition.
Since October 28, Apple has offered the first MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive display. How it came about is described by CEO John Ternus, hardware chief Johny Srouji, and marketing chief Greg Joswiak in a detailed conversation with Steven Levy of Wired. The core message runs through all three answers: touch complements the keyboard and trackpad, but does not replace them. The display, weight, and features of the device are summarized in the complete picture of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Ternus continues to refer to the Mac primarily as a device for indirect input via trackpad and keyboard.
- According to Ternus, touchscreen technology only came about when it made the MacBook Pro neither heavier nor thicker.
- Srouji attributes the timing to advances in display technology, chips, and software.
- Joswiak refers to professionals and a young generation of creatives who expect a touch.
- This marks the end of a line that Apple has publicly upheld since Jobs' appearance in October 2010.
Touch is an addition, not a new basic principle
Ternus makes it clear in the interview that the Mac's self-image should remain unchanged. He puts it this way:
The Mac is primarily a device for indirect input, built around the trackpad and keyboard. But I think there are times when it's convenient and practical to have touch.
According to him, the crucial factor for Apple was that the new feature be free. Ternus clearly states the condition:
We needed to reach a point where touch functionality in no way makes the product worse.
Touch hasn't made the device heavier or thicker, says Ternus. The numbers bear him out: According to Apple, the 14-inch model weighs around 230 grams less than its predecessor, the 16-inch model around 320 grams less, and both cases are slightly thinner. A large part of this is due to the OLED panel, which doesn't require backlighting. It's also telling how Ternus lists the new features: first the new display as the best Apple has ever built into a Mac, then everything else – and Touch almost as an afterthought at the end.
Why it's the right time
Srouji explained the timing, according to Wired, by stating that display technology, Apple's own chips, and software had advanced to the point where Apple's goal of touch integration had been achieved. Joswiak added the demand side: professionals had been waiting for touch functionality, and a young generation of creatives simply expected it.
On the software side, macOS adapts to the finger. Levy describes how menu bar entries enlarge under the finger and the buttons for closing and hiding windows become larger when tapped. This aligns with what had previously been anticipated regarding touch operation in macOS.
Levy also raises an obvious concern: fingerprints on the display. Apple points to an anti-reflective outer coating, which means the display doesn't need to be cleaned any more often than a screen without touch.
16 years of "no": Apple's previous arguments
The about-face is significant because Apple has justified its refusal for years with the same reasons – ergonomics and the concern that a compromise would harm both operating concepts.
| Time | Who | Argument against touchscreen on Mac |
|---|---|---|
| October 2010 | Steve Jobs | Contact surfaces should not be vertical; the arm will tire |
| April 2012 | Tim Cook | Users do not like the idea of merging toasters and refrigerators |
| November 2016 | Phil Schiller | It's impossible to optimize one device for both |
| June 2018 | Craig Federighi | Raising your arm to tap the screen is tiring |
Jobs' most famous commentary comes from his appearance at the "Back to the Mac" event in October 2010: Touch surfaces wouldn't stay upright, and after prolonged use, the arm would fall off. Cook picked up on this analogy in 2012 with regard to Windows 8, comparing touch notebooks to a combination of a toaster and a refrigerator.
A compromise with clear boundaries
I find Ternus's argument more convincing than the about-face initially appears. Jobs and Federighi argued against the touchscreen as the primary interface, against the arm lingering in mid-air for hours. Apple isn't claiming that now: touch is meant to be used occasionally, with the keyboard and trackpad remaining the primary means of operation. Whether this strategy succeeds won't be decided in the interview, but rather by how many apps actually make effective use of touch.
If you already work almost exclusively with the keyboard and trackpad, you won't need to adjust – and the models with Mini-LED will remain available. The differences between the two display variants are explained in the comparison of PROLED XDR and Mini-LED; the Mac buying guide provides an overview of the other Macs. All articles about the device are compiled on the MacBook Pro page.
Would you actually reach for the screen on your MacBook Pro, or would your hands stay on the keyboard and trackpad anyway? Tell us in the comments when you would really use touch on your Mac.
