Kickstarter: Retrofittable touchscreen for MacBooks
Apple currently does not offer Macs with a touch-sensitive display. A crowdfunding project wants to change that – removable as a retrofit kit.
Touchscreen for MacBook Pro from Intricuit: It cannot be closed with the Mac, which prevents damage.
(Image: Intricuit)
For some Apple users, it would be a dream: a Mac that, in addition to a keyboard and mouse (or trackpad), also has a touchscreen. But so far, Apple rejects such an operating concept, pointing to the iPad, which is meanwhile becoming increasingly Mac-like. A crowdfunding project, which is set to launch on Kickstarter soon, wants to preempt all of this: The “Magic Screen” is intended to be a touchscreen retrofit kit for various MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, which can be attached according to your mood.
USB-C cable to the Mac
The system works magnetically, similar to what is known from privacy screens for MacBooks: it is attached to the top edge of the screen and then “hooked” at the bottom. The hardware is designed in such a way that it is not possible to close the MacBook after installation; this is intended to prevent damage, as the tolerances are very tight. All MacBook sizes with 13, 14, 15, and 16 inches from M1 (Pro) or M2 (Air) up to the MacBook Pro M5 should be supported.
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As part of the Kickstarter campaign by the manufacturer named Intricuit, a price of 139 US dollars (plus sales tax and shipping) is planned. However, the “snap on” solution is not wireless. Instead, it is connected to the Mac via a USB-C cable. The touchscreen is said to be transparent enough not to reduce image quality. The system is also stylus-capable (including hover function) and is intended to represent “an alternative to drawing tablets and iPads.”
What about the software?
The hardware shown on the Intricuit website is said to be a “later prototype” and may differ visually from the finished device. Currently, no information has been provided on when delivery can be expected. Interested parties can register for early access, but it has not yet been communicated when it will start.
The big question with the Magic Screen concerns the software: macOS is not touchscreen-capable by default, and an overlay solution would be needed to enable normal operation via finger or stylus. Intricuit speaks, among other things, of tap, swipe, and zoom gestures working, as well as scrolling. As with other crowdfunding projects, one has to invest a good deal of trust in the manufacturer. Kickstarter projects can, as is well known, also fail.
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