I've used it for a few months now and from my personal everyday use for software development, it feels like a slight net-negative to the overall experience. That said, I'm not aware of any developer-specific Touch Bar apps.

The Touch Bar aside, I'm also not a fan of the new keyboard. Each keypress feels less tactile, and I don't like the new differing arrow key sizes (left & right is bigger than up and down). I actually like the keyboard on the early 2015 MBP better :/ Along with the physical button for controlling volume and screen brightness.

There is a natural aversion when Apple introduces something new, but I kept and open mind and wanted it to work--and I'm still open to ideas I haven't explored to make this work.

What are some of your best tips for a workaround?

Whether it's a combination of external hardware and/or software, and for 2 use-cases: when you have a sit-down setup with an external monitor at a physical location (home or office) and when you are on-the-go (e.g. coffee shop, conference room, etc.)

Thanks!