Apple doesn’t have a very long list of unpopular products or features, but whatever list of shame it may keep probably includes MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. But not everyone hates the feature. The Python developer who runs today’s MacBook Pro setup actually loves it.
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Developer prefers his MacBook Pro with ‘the hated Touch Bar’
Developer and Redditor OcelotEfficient9250 (“Eff”) showcased the Intel-powered MacBook Pro setup in a post entitled, “Wfh lofi place.” His 7-year-old MacBook Pro is powered by Intel i7 chip and packs 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD for storage. And it features a Touch Bar, which Eff has strong feelings about. But unlike most strong feelings about the Touch Bar, his are positive. After all, one Cult of Mac writer who counts himself a Touch Bar fan once called the feature “doomed from the start.”
Eff mentioned the laptop features “the hated Touch Bar, which I love,” and he runs macOS Sonoma on it via OCLP [OpenCore Legacy Patcher]. He sets the MacBook open on an interesting stand that can handle a couple of laptops. That’s handy, because he also keeps a ROG Zephyrus G15 “for gaming with the kids” and a Lenovo ThinkPad T16 for his work as a Python developer.
Because he keeps his MacBook open on a stand, he can reach the Touch Bar. But it looks like his main keyboard for most typing and input is a Tofu60 v1 mechanical keyboard, which he uses with the ever-popular Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse.
We didn’t get an answer to our question asking why he loves the much-maligned Touch Bar. But you can do a lot with it, according to Apple, like use gestures on it “to adjust settings, use Siri, access function keys and do tasks in different apps.” And if you have a Touch Bar machine and you’re underusing the feature, don’t miss Cult of Mac‘s Touch Bar how-to article.
And by the way, you can still find MacBooks with the feature, as you’ll see in the gear list below. A newer machine with a Touch Bar is the 2022 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, which you can sometimes find on sale.
Speedy gaming display
Eff’s laptops drive a 32-inch Dell S3222DGM curved display with 2560 x 1440p resolution that’s probably good for gaming. Eff noted it’s only downsize it it’s not 4K resolution, but it does pack a 165Hz refresh rate that suits his PC laptops.
And as you can see in the photograph above, Eff takes his video calls seriously enough to include a 10-inch LED key light for proper video lighting. And for audio, he doesn’t just rely on the laptops’ speakers. He hangs Soundcore Q30 headphones on a hook under the desk.
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Computers and stand:
- 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro (Intel i7)
- 2022 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro (alternative)
- ROG Zephyrus G15 Gaming Laptop
- Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Business Laptop
- Double laptop stand
Display:
Input devices:
Lighting:
Audio:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected]. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
This 13-inch laptop features an M2 chip, 13-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage, a backlit keyboard with Touch Bar, a FaceTime HD Camera and more.
