Flexbar evaluate | Macworld

Value When Reviewed

$179

Finest Costs Right this moment: Flexbar

When Apple discontinued the Contact Bar from its MacBook Professional lineup, it left a small variety of customers nostalgic for the futuristic, context-sensitive management strip that divided opinions for years. Though the Contact Bar is gone for good, those that miss it will probably now have it again due to an adjunct known as Flexbar.

I’ve been utilizing Flexbar with my Mac for the previous few months. Let’s have a look at the way it compares to the unique Contact Bar and whether or not it’s value shopping for.


The rise and fall of Apple’s Contact Bar

When Apple launched the Contact Bar with the 2016 MacBook Professional, many customers have been skeptical about having bodily keys changed by digital ones. The Contact Bar didn’t provide tactile suggestions, so many complained about having to take a look at the keyboard to know the place they have been urgent.

On the identical time, the Contact Bar had its personal software program, which meant it was extra susceptible to bugs or crashes. It’s no shock that the ultimate revision of the newest MacBook Professional with Contact Bar introduced again the bodily Esc key.

Filipe Esposito/Foundry

Nonetheless, the Contact Bar launched many cool ideas, a few of which I miss to today. You can choose emojis together with your fingers, select recommended phrases as you typed, and customise which buttons you see for various apps.

Apple didn’t go for a center floor. As a substitute, it killed the Contact Bar on all MacBooks. Fortunately, the engineers and builders behind Flexbar discovered a option to convey the Contact Bar again.

Filipe Esposito/Foundry

A Contact Bar you may place wherever

Primarily, Flexbar is an exterior Contact Bar that connects to your Mac (or Home windows PC) through a USB-C cable. This alone presents a significant benefit: you should utilize it with any keyboard you need, so that you received’t lose the normal operate keys or the bodily Esc key. It really works as an add-on to the setup you have already got.

Because of the magnetic stand that comes included within the field, it’s tremendous simple to put it on a desk, and it locations the Flexbar at a snug angle to be used. I positioned my Flexbar above my Magic Keyboard. One other factor I like is the aluminum end, which seems fairly premium and Apple-like.

Filipe Esposito/Foundry

The Flexbar itself incorporates a high-resolution AMOLED show, which seems similar to the panel utilized by Apple within the previous MacBook Professional fashions with Contact Bar. The scale can be practically equivalent to an actual Contact Bar, which makes the Flexbar sit completely alongside Apple’s wi-fi keyboard for Mac.

Customizing Flexbar

Flexbar depends on software program known as Flex Designer, which manages all of the controls you see on the contact display. You’ll be able to deeply customise it with the buttons you need. This contains shortcuts to open apps, run particular duties, and even execute Terminal instructions.

Flex Designer additionally features a sequence of official and third-party widgets that allow you to monitor your pc’s {hardware} utilization and even combine with apps akin to Photoshop and Last Lower. The software program is out there for macOS, Home windows, and Linux, so you should utilize Flexbar with different working methods.

Flex Designer is a bit clunky, in all probability attributable to its cross-platform assist and never being designed particularly for macOS. You’ll be able to drag and drop buttons so as to add them to your Flexbar, and there are alternatives to customise issues like colours, icons, and actions.

Filipe Esposito/Foundry

Contact Bar emulation adjustments all the pieces

However if you wish to have the true Contact Bar expertise as an alternative of counting on Flexbar software program, builders have give you an unbelievable thought. Because of a brand new plugin known as Contact Bar Emulator, Flexbar can run the official Contact Bar software program on the newest Macs.

That is attainable as a result of the software program behind the Contact Bar remains to be in macOS, even on Macs that don’t have a Contact Bar. What the plugin does is run this software program and present it on the Flexbar display.

However is the expertise good? It really works effective more often than not. I can entry all interactions created for the Contact Bar, even in third-party apps. This contains controls akin to adjusting quantity and brightness, deciding on emojis (one in all my favourite Contact Bar options), and even scrolling by a venture timeline in Last Lower Professional.

Nonetheless, since we’re speaking about an adjunct that “hacks” Apple’s official Contact Bar, you could discover some annoyances on occasion. It’s uncommon, however I’ve observed the Contact Bar plugin turning into unresponsive generally, which requires me to shut it and reopen it. Additionally, as a result of Flexbar is proscribed to 30 fps, the animations don’t look as clean.

Once more, you should utilize Flexbar with its personal software program (which is extra dependable than the Contact Bar plugin) in order for you. However this plugin is what actually acquired me all for Flexbar.

For the long run, I’d like to see a brand new model of Flexbar with the next refresh charge show and maybe a built-in battery to make it wi-fi. The neighborhood behind it appears genuinely dedicated to creating the product work higher with every software program replace, which can be factor.

Do you have to purchase Flexbar?

In case you’re like me and miss the Contact Bar, you’ll in all probability be pleased with Flexbar, regardless of its limitations. It’s tremendous enjoyable to have the Contact Bar again in some type and have the ability to mix it with a traditional keyboard. As a result of you should utilize Flexbar’s personal software program to customise its interface the best way you need, it additionally works as a substitute for equipment akin to Stream Deck.