There are some good points and some bad points in the above discussions. Apple had a pretty simple decision to make to keep the new iPad (10th Generation) as the inexpensive option. So what was more important to the most users?
1.) Having a USB-C port and providing an adaptor, with all of advantages of USB-C, or 2.) Keeping the Lightning port, just to be able to use the the 1st Generation Apple Pencil.
I’m still using a first gen pencil on my 10.5 inch IPP. In fact i am using it right now. it is perfectly functional. But this iPad has a lightning port.
Agree with the move to USBc. But I expect more coordination from Apple. That is why we pay a premium for Apple kit.
This new pencil capable iPad unfortunately has a USBc port and the only option for a pencil has a lightning connector. This is unforgivable.
This design decision, or total lack of coordination across the various hardware and software teams at Apple is the antithesis of what Apple is meant to be about, and should stand as an example of what happens when an overall coherent plan is not there. It's as bad as another Magic Mouse but massively more expensive. And open to deserved ridicule. Ionly hope there are stuff all sales of Apple pencils to base iPad users to justify this poor effort.
There are some good points and some bad points in the above discussions. Apple had a pretty simple decision to make to keep the new iPad (10th Generation) as the inexpensive option. So what was more important to the most users?
1.) Having a USB-C port and providing an adaptor, with all of advantages of USB-C, or 2.) Keeping the Lightning port, just to be able to use the the 1st Generation Apple Pencil.
Apple made the correct decision.
You missed a few of the options, which were:
Keeping the lightning port, just to be able to use the 1st gen pencil (agree no longer tenable)
change to a USBc port, and update iPad to a 2nd gen pencil (best option from a user perspective, but more development work for Apple)
change to a USBc port, and release a modified gen1 pencil (called say, gen 1b) with a USBc connector replacing the lighting connector (second best option from a user perspective, and less development work for Apple).
change to a USBc port, and forget about any changes to the pencil requirement, so require pencil users to carry an adapter as an embarrassing, clunky kluge. (What happened, with least development work for Apple).
There are some good points and some bad points in the above discussions. Apple had a pretty simple decision to make to keep the new iPad (10th Generation) as the inexpensive option. So what was more important to the most users?
1.) Having a USB-C port and providing an adaptor, with all of advantages of USB-C, or 2.) Keeping the Lightning port, just to be able to use the the 1st Generation Apple Pencil.
Apple made the correct decision.
You missed a few of the options, which were:
Keeping the lightning port, just to be able to use the 1st gen pencil (agree no longer tenable)
change to a USBc port, and update iPad to a 2nd gen pencil (best option from a user perspective, but more development work for Apple)
change to a USBc port, and release a modified gen1 pencil (called say, gen 1b) with a USBc connector replacing the lighting connector (second best option from a user perspective, and less development work for Apple).
change to a USBc port, and forget about any changes to the pencil requirement, so require pencil users to carry an adapter as an embarrassing, clunky kluge. (What happened, with least development work for Apple).
1.It's a joke lightning still exist, it is the right decision, but might hurt those people buying the cheap iPad because they could share the cord with iPhones. 2.Done on the other iPad years ago and should have been done here. There's no way that magnetic wireless charger should cost more than $10 at the factory, on a device with an already price hike. 3.Not sure this option was on the table, the Apple Pencil one is so out of date it seems like it's not worth more development cost, and they'd have to sell three models fragmenting the market even more. 4.Yep, least work for Apple, and there decision. At this point its like going back to when the base models didn't have Apple Pencil support at all, and they came up with this as a backup for people already owning the Apple Pencil. IMO this adapter should have come out when the 2018 iPad Pros came out providing backward compatibility however cumbersome it was, that way when this change iwas made it'd still be a joke not carrying over gen 2 support with USB C, but not something that felt like it was so forgotten as it was, this means newer iPads still don't have gen 1 support, which is such anti-consumer.
That image doesn't make sense. Doesn't it need to have a USBC male side to slot into the female side of an iPad? The other side is Lightning to stick a 1st gen Pencil in.
The original Pencil had an adapter very similar - to pop un the end of the lightening charging cord
(while also having a male lightening port on the end of the pencil to plug directly into the iPad)
Maybe some of these posters are Auxio, but that does not excuse Apple putting a product out to market that requires an adapter to charge a key accessory sold by the very same company, when a design tweak of the accessory (a USBc connector, it could be a pencil gen 1b) or adaptation of the iPad to the 2nd gen pencil already available for years. doing this is a despicable move that is pretty damn shameful. And worse, user unfriendly.
What would Steve Jobs have done? Tore the supply chain bean counter that proposed the very idea a new waste disposal outlet.
Apple has been the king of dongle world forever!
At work we have a drawer full of ADC to DVI/VGA/USB, DVI to VGA, FW800 to FW400, Thunderbolt 1 to everything, Lightening to 3.5 mm, Lightening to SD card, HDMI to DVI, Lightening to USB, USB to ethernet, plus all the 30 pin adapters, plus all the Thunderbolt 2 & 3 adapters, plus all the USB-C adapters.....
The list goes on and on - usually $29 a pop, but necessary.
Jobs would have loved a single-port Macintosh, regardless of dongles. He loved "There is no step 3!" While he made some great moves for the company, remember, he also brought forth some doozies, things like Ping (if Coldplay and Lady Gaga are hyping its unveiling.... )
There are some good points and some bad points in the above discussions. Apple had a pretty simple decision to make to keep the new iPad (10th Generation) as the inexpensive option. So what was more important to the most users?
1.) Having a USB-C port and providing an adaptor, with all of advantages of USB-C, or 2.) Keeping the Lightning port, just to be able to use the the 1st Generation Apple Pencil.
Apple made the correct decision.
You missed a few of the options, which were:
Keeping the lightning port, just to be able to use the 1st gen pencil (agree no longer tenable)
change to a USBc port, and update iPad to a 2nd gen pencil (best option from a user perspective, but more development work for Apple)
change to a USBc port, and release a modified gen1 pencil (called say, gen 1b) with a USBc connector replacing the lighting connector (second best option from a user perspective, and less development work for Apple).
change to a USBc port, and forget about any changes to the pencil requirement, so require pencil users to carry an adapter as an embarrassing, clunky kluge. (What happened, with least development work for Apple).
In my opinion Option 2 was the only logical choice in 2022. The new iPad mini supports the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil and the base iPad should support it too. Renewed focus for the upcoming iPad Pro line should be a Gen 3 Apple Pencil.
One of the good things that Apple has done with the lower tiers of their product lines is to let higher tier product features gradually trickle down to the lower tier products. The wild card of course is all in the timing. If they trickle down too quickly they risk devaluing the upper tier premium too quickly and adding build cost to the lower tier. I suppose there is no universal consensus on what the “right” timing is for trickling a specific feature downward. They have to make the call and we are free to agree or not. I am of the opinion that the base iPad should have gotten Gen 2 Apple Pencil support this year. Seeing it on the iPad mini reinforced my expectation.
If we look back on the last few base iPad releases we do see a pattern of Apple holding back longer than expected when it comes to trickling down features from the higher tier versions. They certainly held out with the same basic “big bezels & buttons” chassis for a couple or few releases longer than we expected so I suppose that seeing support for a 6+ year old Apple Pencil design should not have come as a shock. But it still did, and seeing those flat sides on the new iPad where an Apple Pencil Gen 2 would so beautifully dock and charge itself is like rubbing salt in a wound. The donglestein charging mess required to use the ancient stylus adds insult to injury.
Other than those stumbles, the base iPad is still a nice enough product for lots of folks. Personally, if I was in they market for a non-Pro iPad, the new base iPad would immediately push me into buying an iPad Air with zero lingering regrets. It’s a total “Duh - why not?”decision.
That image doesn't make sense. Doesn't it need to have a USBC male side to slot into the female side of an iPad? The other side is Lightning to stick a 1st gen Pencil in.
The original Pencil had an adapter very similar - to pop un the end of the lightening charging cord
(while also having a male lightening port on the end of the pencil to plug directly into the iPad)
Yup. I know. I have that coupler for my Pencil 1. Apple advertised that as a way to charge the Pencil 1 with a Lightning cable.
For pairing with an iPad however, you just plug it in to an iPad’s Lightning port.
I thought the adaptor would be like this microUSB to Lightning adaptor:
But in the reverse. It would be a USBC plug and a Lightning port. This would let a user just plug in to an iPad and pair or charge instead of messing with a Lightning to USBC cable. Apple does make a ton of Lightning to USBC cables though. So, I can why they did what they did.
Someone clearly needs to have a serious talk too at apple.
Not everyone owns the Apple Pencil #2 and the #1 works perfectly fine. I would have been upset if I was forced to either get an old iPad in order for my pen to work or a new iPad and have to get the 2nd pencil. The adapter thing is highly annoying but, no one is forcing anyone to buy the new iPad.
Comments
1.) Having a USB-C port and providing an adaptor, with all of advantages of USB-C, or
2.) Keeping the Lightning port, just to be able to use the the 1st Generation Apple Pencil.
2.Done on the other iPad years ago and should have been done here. There's no way that magnetic wireless charger should cost more than $10 at the factory, on a device with an already price hike.
3.Not sure this option was on the table, the Apple Pencil one is so out of date it seems like it's not worth more development cost, and they'd have to sell three models fragmenting the market even more.
4.Yep, least work for Apple, and there decision. At this point its like going back to when the base models didn't have Apple Pencil support at all, and they came up with this as a backup for people already owning the Apple Pencil.
IMO this adapter should have come out when the 2018 iPad Pros came out providing backward compatibility however cumbersome it was, that way when this change iwas made it'd still be a joke not carrying over gen 2 support with USB C, but not something that felt like it was so forgotten as it was, this means newer iPads still don't have gen 1 support, which is such anti-consumer.
(while also having a male lightening port on the end of the pencil to plug directly into the iPad)
Apple has been the king of dongle world forever!
At work we have a drawer full of ADC to DVI/VGA/USB, DVI to VGA, FW800 to FW400, Thunderbolt 1 to everything, Lightening to 3.5 mm, Lightening to SD card, HDMI to DVI, Lightening to USB, USB to ethernet, plus all the 30 pin adapters, plus all the Thunderbolt 2 & 3 adapters, plus all the USB-C adapters.....
The list goes on and on - usually $29 a pop, but necessary.
Jobs would have loved a single-port Macintosh, regardless of dongles. He loved "There is no step 3!"
While he made some great moves for the company, remember, he also brought forth some doozies, things like Ping (if Coldplay and Lady Gaga are hyping its unveiling....
One of the good things that Apple has done with the lower tiers of their product lines is to let higher tier product features gradually trickle down to the lower tier products. The wild card of course is all in the timing. If they trickle down too quickly they risk devaluing the upper tier premium too quickly and adding build cost to the lower tier. I suppose there is no universal consensus on what the “right” timing is for trickling a specific feature downward. They have to make the call and we are free to agree or not. I am of the opinion that the base iPad should have gotten Gen 2 Apple Pencil support this year. Seeing it on the iPad mini reinforced my expectation.
If we look back on the last few base iPad releases we do see a pattern of Apple holding back longer than expected when it comes to trickling down features from the higher tier versions. They certainly held out with the same basic “big bezels & buttons” chassis for a couple or few releases longer than we expected so I suppose that seeing support for a 6+ year old Apple Pencil design should not have come as a shock. But it still did, and seeing those flat sides on the new iPad where an Apple Pencil Gen 2 would so beautifully dock and charge itself is like rubbing salt in a wound. The donglestein charging mess required to use the ancient stylus adds insult to injury.
Other than those stumbles, the base iPad is still a nice enough product for lots of folks. Personally, if I was in they market for a non-Pro iPad, the new base iPad would immediately push me into buying an iPad Air with zero lingering regrets. It’s a total “Duh - why not?”decision.