The Touch Bar was a controversial Apple creation, to say the least. But the now-discontinued MacBook Pro feature is being revised, in a way, through a new Kickstarter campaign for a more versatile standalone product: the Flexbar.
Flexbar is a Touch Bar spiritual successor with more versatility
Flexbar was inspired by Apple’s work with the Touch Bar, as its creators outline:
The discontinuation of the original Touch Bar didn’t mean the concept was flawed—it simply wasn’t taken far enough…the potential for a customizable, adaptive interface that could streamline workflows was immense.
The Touch Bar unfortunately is tied in many users’ minds to Apple’s butterfly keyboard troubles, which is technically a separate issue.
Nonetheless, the Flexbar takes the essence of the idea and offers it in a standalone product that can work with a variety of devices—and importantly, doesn’t require sacrificing a physical function row of keys.
Features of the Flexbar include:
- compatible with Mac, Windows, and mobile devices
- 2K AMOLED display
- USB-C connectivity
- non-slip silicone pads
- aluminum build plus an aluminum magnetic stand
- customizable tools to suit your needs
Pricing ranges from $119-149 depending on when you back, and the expected MSRP will be $179 when it formally launches.
As with all Kickstarter campaigns, proceed with caution if you plan to back. Hardware devices, especially those that involve software components like Flexbar, are all over the place in terms of Kickstarter successes and failures.
9to5Mac’s Take
I never owned a MacBook featuring the Touch Bar, but it always seemed like an interesting idea that suffered from execution struggles. Flexbar in theory could be a great successor, with the huge asterisk that this is a Kickstarter campaign and we’ll have to wait until the product is in users’ hands before seeing how well—or poorly—it works.
Are you interested in the Flexbar? Did you enjoy the Touch Bar back in the day? Let us know in the comments.
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