Table of Contents
The Touch Bar idea was never inherently bad
Apple’s MacBook Pro Touch Bar may have faded into history, but the basic premise has remained appealing: put context-sensitive controls within reach, rather than making people hunt through menus, memorize keyboard shortcuts, or move a pointer across a large display. Flexbar, a new standalone device from Eniac, aims to revive that idea without tying it to a particular laptop.
Created by Eniac, a startup founded by four engineers, Flexbar is effectively a detached version of the iconic Touch Bar. It connects to devices via USB and is intended to provide a dynamic touch interface for a wider workspace. That separation from the computer is the product’s most important distinction. Apple’s implementation lived in the narrow strip above a MacBook Pro keyboard; Flexbar can sit where it makes sense for the task at hand.
That sounds like a small change, but it addresses a central problem with Apple’s approach. A built-in strip can only be used in one place, in one orientation, on a limited set of machines. A standalone controller has the chance to be an accessory rather than a compromise baked into a laptop design.
Flexbar is designed to work across desktops, laptops, and tablets, with support for both Windows and macOS platforms. In theory, that gives the concept a much broader audience than the MacBook Pro Touch Bar ever had. Someone who works across more than one machine could potentially keep the same control surface and adapt it to different applications, rather than learning a separate hardware arrangement for every computer.
Customization is the real test
The success or failure of a device like this will depend less on the display itself than on whether its controls become useful quickly. Touch interfaces can be flexible, but flexibility becomes a burden when setup takes longer than simply using a keyboard and mouse. Eniac’s answer is an app called FlexbarDesigner, already available for Windows, with macOS support in the works.
FlexbarDesigner uses a drag-and-drop system for creating buttons, shortcuts, and interface elements. The attraction is clear: a user is not limited to a manufacturer’s idea of which controls should appear in a given app. They can build layouts around recurring tasks, frequently used commands, or a personal workflow that does not fit a conventional toolbar.
That is where the comparison with Apple’s Touch Bar is most revealing. Apple’s version changed according to the app in use, but its personalization was limited. It also asked users to accept a touch strip in place of physical function keys, an exchange that was not universally welcomed. Flexbar does not have to replace anything. It can supplement a normal keyboard with controls that are useful when needed and unobtrusive when they are not.
For developers, Eniac is offering a JavaScript-based SDK for plug-in creation. Those plug-ins are intended to be available through a dedicated marketplace expected to launch in 2025. The marketplace is not a minor detail. A programmable accessory is only as interesting as the software support around it. Native integrations, focused layouts, and community-made tools could make Flexbar feel specific to an application rather than like a generic strip of onscreen buttons.
There is also a risk in that model. A marketplace expected to launch in 2025 is still a future promise, and developer-friendly hardware does not automatically attract developers. The product needs enough early users to justify the effort of building plug-ins, while users need enough useful plug-ins to justify buying the hardware. That familiar chicken-and-egg problem is why the basic built-in experience and FlexbarDesigner matter so much.
A control surface that can move with the work
Flexbar’s physical flexibility may be more compelling than the Touch Bar comparison suggests. When working with image-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, the device can be positioned vertically to act as a dynamic toolbar. In that orientation, commonly used tools and settings can sit beside the main display rather than taking up space within the application window.
For image editing, video work, design, and other visually dense tasks, that arrangement makes practical sense. Large displays give people room to spread out panels, timelines, palettes, and reference material, but more screen space can also mean more mouse travel and more visual clutter. A separate touch control surface can shift repeat actions away from the main canvas. The benefit is not that every command becomes touch-friendly; many precise tasks remain better suited to a mouse, stylus, or keyboard. The potential value is in putting a selected set of repeat commands in a predictable place.
That distinction matters for professionals and multitaskers. The strongest case for Flexbar is not replacing established input methods. It is reducing the friction around the actions that interrupt them: switching tools, triggering shortcuts, changing settings, or moving between stages of a workflow. If a user has to look down constantly or tap through several layers of controls, the device would create as much friction as it removes. If the layouts are well chosen, it could become the kind of accessory people reach for without thinking.
The Kickstarter question
Flexbar is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. Early backers can secure the device at a discounted price of $119, compared with a full MSRP of $179, with deliveries anticipated by February 2025. The gap between the early price and the stated MSRP gives backers a clear incentive, but crowdfunding should be assessed differently from a conventional retail purchase.
Eniac has said that it sources components through standard supply chains, though it has not disclosed the manufacturer of Flexbar’s unique 10-inch 2K OLED screen. The screen is central to the product, not a background specification: it is the surface users will see and touch throughout the day. That makes manufacturing, software polish, and long-term support more consequential than the initial concept video or a list of promised integrations.
As with any crowdfunding campaign, there are inherent risks. A campaign can demonstrate interest without removing the challenges of production, delivery, or software development. Prospective backers should treat the anticipated delivery timing and the planned marketplace as parts of a project still being brought to market, not as the same thing as an accessory already established at retail.
Still, Flexbar identifies a more promising path for the Touch Bar concept than Apple’s integrated version did. Apple’s Touch Bar struggled because it was limited to specific MacBook Pro models, lacked meaningful customization, and did not cater to user demands. Flexbar addresses those shortcomings by being platform-agnostic, customizable, and developer-friendly.
That does not guarantee it will succeed. Touch controls remain most useful when they are contextual, fast, and optional. Yet Flexbar’s compatibility with various devices and applications gives it a credible role for creative professionals, artists, everyday users, and people managing complex workflows. Whether someone is editing videos, designing graphics, or coordinating repeated tasks, dynamic controls at their fingertips could be genuinely helpful—provided the software makes the hardware feel like a shortcut rather than another screen to manage.
For a related read, see Apple Set to Launch Four New Apple M4 Macs This Fall: What to Expect from the Next-Gen Machines on SquaredTech.
Watch the Flexbar video on YouTube
Stay updated with Tech News.
