Any possibility that a large ipad would work for you? Are there desktop programs you have to have?

I don't have a touchscreen laptop - I have an iMac but also have an iPad. I can't stand using a touchscreen if I'm typing a lot. I much prefer to go to my Mac and use the keyboard and mouse. I mostly use my iPad for internet use and short emails, etc. I'm on my Mac now and so much easier typing a response here using my keyboard than typing on the touchscreen of my iPad. But I suppose it's all in what you prefer. I can type much faster on a keyboard than a touchscreen. My daughter has a MacBook for college and loves it.

I have an iPad and love, love,love it. I didn’t think I’d like the touchscree as I had been used to a full size computer at work. So I bought a keyboard to go go with the iPaD. I’ve never used it. If I had to do a lot of typing, as a long documentar, I imagine I would use it. I do use to voice function,but at times I get frustrated with that as it thinks it’s smarter than me and changes my words. Have to proofread carefully.

4kids4us, I agree with everything you said.

I have an iMac, MacBook, iPad, and iPhone. When I'm watching tv I usually have my iPad in my lap for browsing and searching and doing short emails. But if I get an email that warrants a more thoughtful and lengthy reply, I get up and go to my MacBook with a real keyboard. I actually hate typing on my iPad. For some reason I don't hit E hard enough and E is an essential letter.

My previous laptop was a touchscreen. I don't miss it at all.

I've had a touchscreen laptop at work for several years and like to use the screen if I'm mobile as I can't stand using a trackpad. At home I have a desktop I use if I need to do significant typing vs. internet browsing (use the ipad for that). DH has a MacBook - every time he hands it to me to look at something I attempt to use the touch screen but alas it doesn't have one. If I were going to buy a personal laptop I'd want a touch screen. So far I have no desire to convert to a MacBook but hopefully if I ever do they'll have a touch screen by then.

Bunnyfoof- Tha reminds me of a book (that I've never read) that was written as a lipogram-totally without using the letter "e". And it turns out there are 2 such published books: A Void and Gadsby. Who knew?

When we got our iPad, sadly dead now as it was the very first generation, we immediately bought a keyboard to use with it. I have a Mac laptop and iPhone and much prefer a keyboard.

I have an iPad Pro with the attached keyboard and I love it. I can type just as fast on it as I can on my regular keyboard. I prefer the touchscreen vs. a mouse or trackpad on my laptop. That said, I find it frustrating to use any Apple product when I'm doing spreadsheet work. For that, I go to my Windows-based laptop with mouse.

Yeah, it all depends on what you need a computer to do. I know a great many people who would be just as well off with the large ipad, a stand, and a keyboard for when they prefer to use it as a desktop, but it's all a question of what you use the computer for and what kind of software you need.

OT . A Void was written in French no less. A very e intensive language.

I just went from a mac to a touchscreen dell laptop. I never use the touchscreen and lots of other stuff about it is annoying to me! But it is just the adjustment period I'm sure. Change is hard!

What do you use the touchscreen for? I think touchscreen is great for navigating websites, but for typing documents or even response in this forum I prefer to use a keyboard. In fact if there is a post I want to respond to at length, and I am on my phone I will often wait until I get back to a keyboard.

I also work with a lot of spreadsheets and I hate working on them without a keyboard.

I think the answer to your question can be answered by how and what you use the touchscreen for. If you actually prefer to type on one, then maybe no- dont try to go back. But if it is just the convenience they offer navigating websites, yeah you can. You will be irked without one at first, but you will be fine.

My brother's computer is both touchscreen and it has a keyboard and mouse, but it is a PC (don't know the brand). I have a Galaxy pad that is touchscreen, and I'm not fond of that. I have a lot of problems trying to use Apple products, however, and do not own any.

I have a laptop with a touchscreen so it also has a keyboard - it's a laptop not a tablet. I use the touchscreen when I'm not at my desk and don't have a mouse. I use the screen to scroll, click on things, etc - same stuff you do with a tablet that doesn't have trackpad or mouse. I use the keyboard to type. If you get a keyboard for a tablet it's pretty similar though the laptop has a hard drive with that kind of file storage and ability to access when I don't have internet (on a plane for example).

Thanks everyone. To tell you a little more, I no longer have a desktop and use a laptop for everything. My I've had 2 touchscreen laptops, so I have a keyboard for typing and use the touchscreen for navigating, editing and things you might use a mouse or the touchpad for.

My son has left his personal laptop with me to use while he's been working, so I am trying the Mac without a touchscreen. I do find it easy to type on and like that. I am not finding myself using the touch bar for the most part. I do find myself touching the screen to try to scroll up or other things I would do so quickly before. I'm not ready to throw it out the window, so I guess I might adjust.

I do not like to type on the touchscreen. No. I did that for a day or two on the laptop once the keyboard started dying and I figured I had that end around -- but it drove me crazy. I couldn't even see what I was typing if it was anything more than a short line or two. It was short lived anyway -- it disappeared and now just has a ghost -- just a line to show where the top edge should be. I miss it only because there is a laptop sitting idle over there and I hope I got everything backed up because I don't now that I will have any access to it.

My boys both have ipads and use them for a variety of things - a lot of music support. The youngest got his because it was the preferred way to have his college choir sheet music and he could use it for textbooks and class materials in other classes and have so much less to carry around. The oldest got his when he was talking about getting one and I gave him the one I had and just wasn't using. Though I have considered the ipad pro with keyboard as an option now.

I think the comment that change is hard sums it up. I will need to make some changes no matter what I decide, but I'm nowhere near as frustrated with this Mac as I was with WIndows 8 when that first came out. That is encouraging.

You sound like you will be fine. Like you, when I switch from my Surface to my son’s MacBook I touch the screen. Always causes a groaning, “mom, it’s not a touchscreen”. The 6th time is less amusing but eventually it clicks in. Lol

I think I can adjust. Now I am trying to decide if there is a reason to. We will have to get DH a new laptop when he retires and my switching now would set up the family for all being on Macs and perhaps being able to share certain files more easily. There is one program I used to use and have a number of documents in that is not available for Mac, but that is no longer as big an issue as it used to be. I think I need to get to know other features that I saw my son using but have not played with myself. I have to find them first. ;) . Thanks again.

I am learning -- and going to check out the ipad plus keyboard. I am finding that the inability to delete going forward annoys me more than the lack of a touchscreen. I like the feel of this one and find the keyboard easier to type on than my old one.

Fori, every time I read your whole houzz name, I giggle. Thanks for showing up, even in your displeasure. Laughing is good.

I am finding that the inability to delete going forward annoys me more than the lack of a touchscreen.

Function key (fn) + Delete is forward delete.

Thought I posted earlier this week but maybe not. The touchscreen is feature I really like. I have it on my work laptop and on the the little 11" Dell I have for home/travel. For example, it's really great for scrolling here on GW. :) It's also helpful for scrolling through documents or even grading and moving on to the next item. A lot of my students have Macs and I think it's a little inconvenient that you have to use two fingers to scroll.

Two fingers is for scrolling a box within a window. To scroll a whole window, you only need one.

Writersblock, thank you! I know there are shortcuts I don't know, but that one was really bugging me. The scrolling I about have down (still trying to scroll on the screen at times, but the editing I did not. I do find that this keyboard seems to fit me better, so I am not having to edit as much as I did on the old one, so that helps too.

Yeah, I can believe it was driving you crazy. I remember back when macs didn't actually have forward delete and I hated it, too. I was so happy when they added it.