Apple shows first touchscreen laptops amid product blitz

Los Angeles — At an Apple event in Los Angeles, the company's new CEO, John Ternus, unveiled Apple's first touchscreen MacBooks, marking a shift from the company's previous aversion to the technology. Ternus, a former Apple hardware expert, took the stage amidst a media frenzy of product announcements ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Prior to attending Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters in September, Ternus debuted a folding iPhone, dubbed the Duo. Additionally, he introduced a smart home hub in New York earlier this month. While these products aim to explore new markets for Apple, the Los Angeles event may reignite an age-old debate within the company: should Apple incorporate touchscreens that have become ubiquitous in iPhones and iPads into its established laptop line?

Apple executives have traditionally been against the idea, with Steve Jobs expressing concerns about the ergonomics of touchscreens on laptops in 2010, and then-CEO Tim Cook stating in 2012 that such devices would be as appealing to users as combining a toaster with a refrigerator. Before assuming his current role, Ternus contended that Apple had already integrated touchscreen technology into its products.