That should lower the chance of accidental breakage.
Instead of a 6" pencil sticking out of your iPad... there is a 1" plug with a bendy cable.
Though this sounds like an "Infomercial Struggles" problem.
If that's what people need to make sure they don't break their Pencil or iPad Pro port then I say go for it as it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to CE, but I still contend the chances are pretty slime.
As a designer, this one looks like an indispensable tool for me but I'll wait for 2nd generation for it to be much lighter (hopefully). I'm not bothered by the lost of Apple Pencil or the charging. There will be cases for you to stick the Pencil to and there will be charging stand soon.
A concern that's been brought up by people I've talked to is the charging method for the Pencil. It just seems like an accident waiting to happen, having it sticking out of your iPad.
Apparently the Pencil ships with a male/female Lightning dongle. So you can just use the iPad Pro's power brick and cable. (It was mentioned somewhere on The Verge).
Quote:
Originally Posted by polymnia
Totally agree. Apple is clearly using a different technique for their pen(cil). Wacom pens have never needed power…apparently a double edged sword for them, because it seems that marrying Wacom pens with screens have resulted in mostly-less-than-portable solutions thus far.
...
Makes me think they might be interested in developing a high-end input device for iPad Pro.
The way I understood it, there are APIs in 9.1 for using the Apple Pencil in your apps. There are no APIs that would allow you to build an alternative device (e.g. whatever the Pencil and the iPad are communicating is proprietary).
It seems to me that Apple and Wacom are not mainly using different techniques for their pens, they are using completely different techniques for their digitizers. E.g. while Wacom always describes the resolution of their digitizers (no matter if it is a mousepad-like slate or an entire screen) in dpi (suggesting there are individual "spots" registering device movement and velocity), Apple went to great length to explain the frequency changes applied when swapping between finger and Pencil. I certainly do not understand the full extent of all that, but it sounds like completely different technologies to me.
But why assume both devices would be resting on a flat surface, as opposed to, say, the iPad Pro on a desk and Pencil plugged but hanging off the end.
Because, speaking purely emotionally, it would look precarious, hanging off the end. I have knocked over more than a few items that have dangled off a desk. But that's just me.
(Have I mentioned that November cannot come soon enough? I am all over this thing, Day One!)
Because, speaking purely emotionally, it would look precarious, hanging off the end. I have knocked over more than a few items that have dangled off a desk. But that's just me.
(Have I mentioned that November cannot come soon enough? I am all over this thing, Day One!)
1) Sure, me, too, and I can I say the I would typically be proactive enough to think about such things, but I can't speak for everyone (and I don't understand how half the broken stuff I see could have even gotten that way unless someone was being dumb).
2) Too bad it can't also click into the 3 magnetic rings on the adjacent side of the iPad Pro for charing.
Not being in a career that can really utilize that tech I'm only familiar with Wacom's wares and what they've done in broad strokes, but I look forward to seeing how the reviews come in. I agree that in-and-of-itself Pencil being powered and needing BT isn't as good, but what if that powered Pencil means there is an accelerometer for detecting angled strokes and if that means it can more accurately gauge where elements are on the screen. Wouldn't it then be worthwhile?
I see what you did there! well played, sir
The powered pencil does offer interesting potential. Have you ever taken a look at Adobe's Ink & Slide for iOS? Being that they use the same less-than-ideal hardware hacks that all the iOS stylus manufacturers have been forced into, it was a bit disappointing as a drawing tool.
What was interesting to me was that it used bluetooth to transmit a token to the host app (Adobe has several apps that work with Ink) that enable access to your Adobe ID. With your Adobe ID token residing in the pen, you could pickup ANY iPad running any Adobe pen-enabled app and have access to your Creative Cloud asset libraries.
Not trying to wade back into the battles over Creative Cloud or proprietary assets being hosted on Adobe's servers.That's a super (not) fun running argument that I'm sick of...but the idea of using the battery and Bluetooth built into the pen for novel functionality is what your comment makes me think of. Accelerometers, add-on buttons or dials, login tokens…all interesting things that bluetooth & a battery make possible.
And for all we know... it might come with a female Lighting charging cable. And the "recharge" on the iPad Pro, my be for quick emergency cases, to get another 30-60 minutes of usage.
From the ArsTechnica website:
Quote:
The accessory charges with a Lightning connector that plugs directly into the iPad Pro or an included dongle—this connector is used to pair the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro the first time you use it. The connector is hidden under a removable magnetic cap at the top of the device. Apple says the pencil should last about 12 hours, and that in emergencies 15 seconds of charging can provide about 30 minutes of use.
What was interesting to me was that it used bluetooth to transmit a token to the host app (Adobe has several apps that work with Ink) that enable access to your Adobe ID. With your Adobe ID token residing in the pen, you could pickup ANY iPad running any Adobe pen-enabled app and have access to your Creative Cloud asset libraries.
That's pretty cool.
Not trying to wade back into the battles over Creative Cloud or proprietary assets being hosted on Adobe's servers.That's a super (not) fun running argument that I'm sick of...but the idea of using the battery and Bluetooth built into the pen for novel functionality is what your comment makes me think of. Accelerometers, add-on buttons or dials, login tokens…all interesting things that bluetooth & a battery make possible.
What was interesting to me was that it used bluetooth to transmit a token to the host app (Adobe has several apps that work with Ink) that enable access to your Adobe ID. With your Adobe ID token residing in the pen, you could pickup ANY iPad running any Adobe pen-enabled app and have access to your Creative Cloud asset libraries.
Maybe your pencil, working in concert with TouchID? Otherwise, "she stole my pencil!" gets taken to a whole level...
Being in my business, I usually get involved in the creative software discussions around here. That often means discussing Adobe, their business practices, Cloud strategy, etc., discussions that seem to bring out the worst in everyone. Myself included.
For the people commenting on the charging of the the Pencil and it's an accident waiting to happen of it breaking off. According to Apple's website, the Pencil lasts for 12 hours. 15 seconds of charging, gives you 30 minutes of usage. So you can fully charge the Pencil in 6 minutes. Put the iPad Pro down, plug in the Pencil, go make a cup of coffee. Come back, you're good for another 10-12 hours. I don't see the problem.
The problem is that (like anything else plugged into a port) there is easily too much leverage given to the pencil. So simply trying to pull it from the iPad Pro might snap off the lightning connector, rendering it incapable of charging forever-more. Like, as much as Wacom is overpriced nonsense, their batteryless design eliminates this AND makes it possible to use multiple stylus without having to pair another one.
Like I don't think it's too much of a big deal, one would have to be very careless to break it off. A more pressing need is the lack of any way of attaching it to the iPad Pro, thus the pencil gets shoved in a purse if one doesn't have an iPad Pro cover designed for it.
It would be great if the Pencil had a sensor that let the iPad know when the eraser side was touching the screen. Instead of selecting the eraser tool in software. It would be like drawing and erasing with a real pencil. I actually thought it had this function until I saw the opposite end of the pencil tip was just a plug to power it up.
What a waste.
Would really cause the Pencil name to be meaningful.
The problem is that (like anything else plugged into a port) there is easily too much leverage given to the pencil. So simply trying to pull it from the iPad Pro might snap off the lightning connector, rendering it incapable of charging forever-more. Like, as much as Wacom is overpriced nonsense, their batteryless design eliminates this AND makes it possible to use multiple stylus without having to pair another one.
Like I don't think it's too much of a big deal, one would have to be very careless to break it off. A more pressing need is the lack of any way of attaching it to the iPad Pro, thus the pencil gets shoved in a purse if one doesn't have an iPad Pro cover designed for it.
Agreed. They should have used the keyboard contacts to connect to Snd charge the pencil.
So much missed opportunity. Though it's still amazing.
Touch charging and an actual digital eraser are two HUGE missing features. Hopefully they get baked into version 2.0
Being in my business, I usually get involved in the creative software discussions around here. That often means discussing Adobe, their business practices, Cloud strategy, etc., discussions that seem to bring out the worst in everyone. Myself included.
I don't interact with Adobe much. I thought their demo was amazing (I don't think Apple could have made that SW), and I recently had to learn InDesign for a project and found it extremely versatile. Anything I wanted to do was surprisingly possible with a little thinking or a quick search for a website or YouTube video.
It would be great if the Pencil had a sensor that let the iPad know when the eraser side was touching the screen. Instead of selecting the eraser tool in software. It would be like drawing and erasing with a real pencil. I actually thought it had this function until I saw the opposite end of the pencil tip was just a plug to power it up.
What a waste.
Would really cause the Pencil name to be meaningful.
Since it can determine the angle, I would assume it has an accelerometer in there. Could it not then know when it's inverted and moving over the screen, or would that need more than a capped end with no sensors to do that right?
I don't interact with Adobe much. I thought their demo was amazing (I don't think Apple could have made that SW), and I recently had to learn InDesign for a project and found it extremely versatile. Anything I wanted to do was surprisingly possible with a little thinking or a quick search for a website or YouTube video.
Since it can determine the angle, I would assume it has an accelerometer in there. Could it not then know when it's inverted and moving over the screen, or would that need more than a capped end with no sensors to do that right?
The Wacom pens all automatically detect the inversion of the pen and the 'eraser' is activated automatically when inverted (of course half the beauty of the Wacom system is that the eraser can be programmed to control many tools in addition to the eraser tool)
There are no accelerometers in the Wacom pens, as there is no power. All the active sensors reside in the tablet. Which is why I feel we can't learn much about pencil by studying how the Wacom pens operate. Clearly Apple is going down a different technological route with their pencil.
Comments
Lightning extension cable:
That should lower the chance of accidental breakage.
Instead of a 6" pencil sticking out of your iPad... there is a 1" plug with a bendy cable.
Though this sounds like an "Infomercial Struggles" problem.
If that's what people need to make sure they don't break their Pencil or iPad Pro port then I say go for it as it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to CE, but I still contend the chances are pretty slime.
As a designer, this one looks like an indispensable tool for me but I'll wait for 2nd generation for it to be much lighter (hopefully). I'm not bothered by the lost of Apple Pencil or the charging. There will be cases for you to stick the Pencil to and there will be charging stand soon.
A concern that's been brought up by people I've talked to is the charging method for the Pencil. It just seems like an accident waiting to happen, having it sticking out of your iPad.
Apparently the Pencil ships with a male/female Lightning dongle. So you can just use the iPad Pro's power brick and cable. (It was mentioned somewhere on The Verge).
Totally agree. Apple is clearly using a different technique for their pen(cil). Wacom pens have never needed power…apparently a double edged sword for them, because it seems that marrying Wacom pens with screens have resulted in mostly-less-than-portable solutions thus far.
...
Makes me think they might be interested in developing a high-end input device for iPad Pro.
The way I understood it, there are APIs in 9.1 for using the Apple Pencil in your apps. There are no APIs that would allow you to build an alternative device (e.g. whatever the Pencil and the iPad are communicating is proprietary).
It seems to me that Apple and Wacom are not mainly using different techniques for their pens, they are using completely different techniques for their digitizers. E.g. while Wacom always describes the resolution of their digitizers (no matter if it is a mousepad-like slate or an entire screen) in dpi (suggesting there are individual "spots" registering device movement and velocity), Apple went to great length to explain the frequency changes applied when swapping between finger and Pencil. I certainly do not understand the full extent of all that, but it sounds like completely different technologies to me.
I really want this, but yeah its better to wait for the 2nd gen. Unless my Wacom tablet decides to break "accidentally"
But why assume both devices would be resting on a flat surface, as opposed to, say, the iPad Pro on a desk and Pencil plugged but hanging off the end.
Because, speaking purely emotionally, it would look precarious, hanging off the end. I have knocked over more than a few items that have dangled off a desk. But that's just me.
(Have I mentioned that November cannot come soon enough? I am all over this thing, Day One!)
1) Sure, me, too, and I can I say the I would typically be proactive enough to think about such things, but I can't speak for everyone (and I don't understand how half the broken stuff I see could have even gotten that way unless someone was being dumb).
2) Too bad it can't also click into the 3 magnetic rings on the adjacent side of the iPad Pro for charing.
Because, speaking purely emotionally, it would look precarious, hanging off the end.
... and, knowing our apprentices, it would take mere minutes until somebody wants to try the new selfie stick.
Not being in a career that can really utilize that tech I'm only familiar with Wacom's wares and what they've done in broad strokes, but I look forward to seeing how the reviews come in. I agree that in-and-of-itself Pencil being powered and needing BT isn't as good, but what if that powered Pencil means there is an accelerometer for detecting angled strokes and if that means it can more accurately gauge where elements are on the screen. Wouldn't it then be worthwhile?
I see what you did there! well played, sir
The powered pencil does offer interesting potential. Have you ever taken a look at Adobe's Ink & Slide for iOS? Being that they use the same less-than-ideal hardware hacks that all the iOS stylus manufacturers have been forced into, it was a bit disappointing as a drawing tool.
What was interesting to me was that it used bluetooth to transmit a token to the host app (Adobe has several apps that work with Ink) that enable access to your Adobe ID. With your Adobe ID token residing in the pen, you could pickup ANY iPad running any Adobe pen-enabled app and have access to your Creative Cloud asset libraries.
Not trying to wade back into the battles over Creative Cloud or proprietary assets being hosted on Adobe's servers.That's a super (not) fun running argument that I'm sick of...but the idea of using the battery and Bluetooth built into the pen for novel functionality is what your comment makes me think of. Accelerometers, add-on buttons or dials, login tokens…all interesting things that bluetooth & a battery make possible.
And for all we know... it might come with a female Lighting charging cable. And the "recharge" on the iPad Pro, my be for quick emergency cases, to get another 30-60 minutes of usage.
From the ArsTechnica website:
http://arstechnica.co.uk/apple/2015/09/hands-on-with-the-ipad-pro-its-keyboard-and-its-pencil/
I'm thinking that the dongle has some a cable attached – otherwise what's the point of it?
I try.
That's pretty cool.
I'm not familiar with any of those arguments.
What was interesting to me was that it used bluetooth to transmit a token to the host app (Adobe has several apps that work with Ink) that enable access to your Adobe ID. With your Adobe ID token residing in the pen, you could pickup ANY iPad running any Adobe pen-enabled app and have access to your Creative Cloud asset libraries.
Maybe your pencil, working in concert with TouchID? Otherwise, "she stole my pencil!" gets taken to a whole level...
EDIT: minor typo
I'm not familiar with any of those arguments.
Lucky you!
Being in my business, I usually get involved in the creative software discussions around here. That often means discussing Adobe, their business practices, Cloud strategy, etc., discussions that seem to bring out the worst in everyone. Myself included.
The problem is that (like anything else plugged into a port) there is easily too much leverage given to the pencil. So simply trying to pull it from the iPad Pro might snap off the lightning connector, rendering it incapable of charging forever-more. Like, as much as Wacom is overpriced nonsense, their batteryless design eliminates this AND makes it possible to use multiple stylus without having to pair another one.
Like I don't think it's too much of a big deal, one would have to be very careless to break it off. A more pressing need is the lack of any way of attaching it to the iPad Pro, thus the pencil gets shoved in a purse if one doesn't have an iPad Pro cover designed for it.
What a waste.
Would really cause the Pencil name to be meaningful.
Agreed. They should have used the keyboard contacts to connect to Snd charge the pencil.
So much missed opportunity. Though it's still amazing.
Touch charging and an actual digital eraser are two HUGE missing features. Hopefully they get baked into version 2.0
I don't interact with Adobe much. I thought their demo was amazing (I don't think Apple could have made that SW), and I recently had to learn InDesign for a project and found it extremely versatile. Anything I wanted to do was surprisingly possible with a little thinking or a quick search for a website or YouTube video.
Since it can determine the angle, I would assume it has an accelerometer in there. Could it not then know when it's inverted and moving over the screen, or would that need more than a capped end with no sensors to do that right?
My guess is great since this is already baked into iOS from many years ago.
The Wacom pens all automatically detect the inversion of the pen and the 'eraser' is activated automatically when inverted (of course half the beauty of the Wacom system is that the eraser can be programmed to control many tools in addition to the eraser tool)
There are no accelerometers in the Wacom pens, as there is no power. All the active sensors reside in the tablet. Which is why I feel we can't learn much about pencil by studying how the Wacom pens operate. Clearly Apple is going down a different technological route with their pencil.