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Apple event font triggers Comic Sans haters

Apple introduced new Macbook Airs, iPad Pros and an awkward font that veers dangerously close to the reviled Comic Sans.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
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Amanda Kooser
2 min read

Comic Sans sits alone atop the throne, reigning supreme over the list of the most reviled fonts in history. Even Papyrus is nothing but a pretender. But it seems Apple would like to stake a claim with the use of a puzzling font during Tuesday's introduction of new MacBooks and iPads. 

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The font appeared in jarring fashion.

 CNET

The font reared its ugly head during the iPad Pro part of the presentation, where it was used to point out features including a proximity sensor and an infrared camera. Twitter took note.

"What is this font? Why did Apple put it here? Whimsy? Informality? Shocking!" CNET's Stephen Shankland wrote. His theory is that Apple may have chosen the font as a handwriting-style nod to the Apple Pencil .

We usually take fonts for granted, but they can inspire deep feelings, particularly when it comes to the overused Comic Sans. Apple's font edges dangerously close to Comic Sans territory. Twitter user Richard Major even called it "fancy Comic Sans." 

There seems to be some confusion as to the mystery font's actual identity, and Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for its name. Futurist and artist Kevin Fox believes it's a font called Apple Casual, which he says was used for the early Apple Newton handheld. 

Amit Gawande called out the font for being hard to read. "I do not like these new fonts that Apple is using on slides to announce specs. They aren't legible at least on the stream," he wrote.

"New iPad sure does look 'Pro' but this font sure as hell does no," John Gruber wrote.

James Thomson suggested that Apple CEO Tim Cook may have written the captions out himself by hand using the Apple Pencil.

For those people with open minds, there is a way to embrace Comic Sans without losing your soul. Check out Comic Neue, a grown-up makeover of the classic font. 

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