The Contact Bar was a controversial Apple creation, to say the least. However the now-discontinued MacBook Professional function is being revised, in a method, by a new Kickstarter marketing campaign for a extra versatile standalone product: the Flexbar.
Flexbar is a Contact Bar religious successor with extra versatility
Flexbar was impressed by Apple’s work with the Contact Bar, as its creators define:
The discontinuation of the unique Contact Bar didn’t imply the idea was flawed—it merely wasn’t taken far sufficient…the potential for a customizable, adaptive interface that might streamline workflows was immense.
The Contact Bar sadly is tied in lots of customers’ minds to Apple’s butterfly keyboard troubles, which is technically a separate challenge.
Nonetheless, the Flexbar takes the essence of the thought and provides it in a standalone product that may work with quite a lot of units—and importantly, doesn’t require sacrificing a bodily operate row of keys.
Options of the Flexbar embrace:
- appropriate with Mac, Home windows, and cell units
- 2K AMOLED show
- USB-C connectivity
- non-slip silicone pads
- aluminum construct plus an aluminum magnetic stand
- customizable instruments to fit your wants
Pricing ranges from $119-149 relying on once you again, and the anticipated MSRP shall be $179 when it formally launches.
As with all Kickstarter campaigns, proceed with warning in the event you plan to again. {Hardware} units, particularly people who contain software program parts like Flexbar, are in all places by way of Kickstarter successes and failures.
9to5Mac’s Take
I by no means owned a MacBook that includes the Contact Bar, however it at all times appeared like an fascinating concept that suffered from execution struggles. Flexbar in idea may very well be an amazing successor, with the large asterisk that it is a Kickstarter marketing campaign and we’ll have to attend till the product is in customers’ palms earlier than seeing how properly—or poorly—it really works.
Are you interested by the Flexbar? Did you benefit from the Contact Bar again within the day? Tell us within the feedback.
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