julldufour

I've been reading Apple Insider for 20 years but just set up an account to comment on this thread.

I'm an illustrator and storyboard artist. I've been working on Macs and Wacom tablets for over 25 years by now, starting with an ADB Intuos 2 on a PowerPC G3 running OS7 around 1998.

I think it is ridiculous to compare the iPad to a Cintiq and claiming they're competing. Apple Insider might be excited to imagine Apple winning over Wacom, but the reality is far more complex.

Personnally, I work on Photoshop and Toonboom Storyboard Pro. The latter is a desktop application, and has no iPad version. It is timeline-based, has animation tools, and export functions that allow to output MOV animatics, psd files, and so on.  Procreate, atthough very good at what it does, does not have these features.

A Cintiq also works with the normal OSX cursor, which allows for hovering, and seemless multi-screen integration. The iPad cursor is a pain in the ass as soon as you need to switch between apps, won't allow many screens, and the hovering is terrible.  The Wacom stylus also comes in a few versions of different width, and has programmable buttons (I use it for right-click and screen switch).

Also, although Procreate has amazing results, it is still a "big-iphone" interface,. Personnally, I dislike the amount of laborious clicking around needed to manage layer modes, draw straight lines, manage batches of files, etc. Does beautiful things, sure, but it feels like a very frustrating toy.

Finally, Wacom gained their status by being constant, and proposing devices that are reliable long term investments, that you can expect to keep over the lifespans of a few computers (up to 15-20 years).  Apple is far from doing that.

Very often, I'll travel and work on my Macbook Air with a Huion 13" portable screen-tablet, after years of using a 12" Cintiq. These setups are bulky, I would totally be happy if Apple offered the option of an iPad with full Mac oSX, multiple USB-C and A plugs, audio jack, and VESA mounting brackets (something like a modern Axiotron Modbook).  I'd carry that OSX tablet, a portable secondary screen and some easel stands, and I'd be all set.  The iPad lineup would be so simplified and logical with the iPad being the iOS thing and the iPad Pro running OSX.  They totally could, and it would be a real winner, but they won't, choosing instead to develop competing ecosystems that do not benefit the end user.

Until then, for most people in my field, it's a sketchbook at best. Not a professionnal workstation, unfortunately. And 'squeeze and barrel gestures" aren't changing any of that.

Seen from that angle, it's actually quite a failure, considering they still won't better drawing functionnalities established since the late 80s, and are keeping over many product updates the same limitations the iPad drawing experience has had since its introduction.

Just my two cents.