"Touch" is the magic word for the new laptop generations. The current models of Microsoft, Lenovo and other manufacturers have now through screens for tapping and wiping.

Also Apple is using the new MacBook Pro to touch by touch. This is not the actual screen, but a narrow display strip called Touch Bar above the keyboard.

At the presentation of the new input field you could already guess that it is not just a technical gimmick. Adobe manager Bradee Evans demonstrated how in Photoshop complicated work steps can be done with a fingertip.

MacBook Pro starts when you open it

The Touch Bar is a touch-sensitive, narrow OLED display and replaces the top row of the keyboard with the function keys F1 to F12. When touching it is obvious: It does not feel like a screen, but much more grip.

The symbols appear crystal clear and in color - as printed. The strip reacts to several inputs simultaneously as a multi-touch display. Up to ten input points are detected.

The touch bar also replaces the conventional on / off switch. The MacBook Pro now starts when you open the lid. With the built-in touch-ID sensor registration and user account change via fingerprint are possible.

In the US and some other countries you can also pay via Apple Pay on the web. In Germany and Austria the payment service is not yet available.

Apps by touch bar

If no program is active, the Touch Bar displays the usual function keys. The classic escape key can also be found here. The displayed buttons change depending on the situation and the active app.

When writing in Word or other programs, you can select formatting and font colors or accept word suggestions. Users can select which controls they want to see on the OLED strip, similar to the "ribbons" in Microsoft Office.

The touch bar is also flexible in other apps: in the Notes app you can directly call up lists on the touch bar. In the news app or in mail, she will move to the Emojileiste, the photo app, to wipe through many images to find the photo you want more quickly.

Not all programs support the new operating concept. However, since Apple has opened the API (API) for developers, it is only a matter of time.

Lighter, thinner and narrower

The new touch bar is so fascinating at the Praxistest that the other features of the new MacBook Pro generation are a little bit in the background. The new MacBook Pro has become significantly more compact compared to its predecessors, making it lighter, thinner and narrower.

The trackpad is significantly larger. The 15-inch device has grown by 100 percent, while the 13-inch model has a 43 percent increase in surface area. When tapping, hands that do not work do not trigger unplanned actions, but finger input is precisely