Adobe to Release iPad-Compatible Cloud Stylus and Digital Ruler in 2014

MacRumors · Sep 17, 2013

Earlier this year, Adobe unveiled two cloud-enabled hardware offerings: the "Mighty" stylus and the "Napoleon" digital guide and ruler. The tools were in the development phase at the time, but Adobe has now announced that both Mighty and Napoleon will be released during the first half of 2014.

To bring the products to fruition, Adobe is teaming up with Adonit, known for its own line of Jot styluses. Both tools are constructed with brushed aluminum and feature Creative Cloud connectivity via Adobe software to allow users to store preferences and save their work remotely.

Bluetooth LE is enabled on both tools, and Mighty, Adobe's "cloud pen", is pressure-sensitive, letting digital artists create line drawings with variable widths based on pressure. Napoleon, the digital ruler, is designed to function alongside the stylus, allowing users to draw straight lines and arcs.

With our first tools for the new creative -- Project Mighty and Napoleon -- we are confident that we can help make digital creativity both more accessible and more natural by combining the accuracy, expressiveness and immediacy of pen and paper with all the advantages of our digital products and the Creative Cloud. As we shared in our initial demo, Project Mighty is pressure sensitive, which helps it draw a natural and expressive line. It is also connected to the Creative Cloud, giving you the ability to carry all of your favorite personal digital assets, brushes and colors with you, copy/paste across devices and more.

Along with a release date for its upcoming hardware, Adobe announced that its Creative Cloud apps have garnered more than 1 million subscribers since being released earlier this year.

The company's Photoshop Photography Program has also gone live today, giving current owners of Photoshop CS3 or higher an opportunity to purchase both Photoshop and Lightroom for $9.99 per month.

Article Link: Adobe to Release iPad-Compatible Cloud Stylus and Digital Ruler in 2014

fh-ace · Sep 17, 2013

Shouldn't that statement at the end read "an opportunity to rent both Photoshop and Lightroom for $9.99 per month" ?

pancakedrawer · Sep 17, 2013

Nice tools but I won't pay a subscription for Adobe software.

Laird Knox · Sep 17, 2013

So what does the ruler do that a straight piece of plastic can't do?

shurcooL · Sep 17, 2013

fh-ace said:
Shouldn't that statement at the end read "an opportunity to rent both Photoshop and Lightroom for $9.99 per month" ?

Be thankful you don't have to purchase the opportunity to rent it.

Edit: Apparently that's only if you're already a current owner of Photoshop CS3 or higher. Never mind.

Jessica Lares · Sep 17, 2013

I cannot WAIT.

Although I'm now going to need a pencil bag for all my iPad accessories.

Porco · Sep 17, 2013

And in a world-first, Adobe hardware handily disappears from physical reality if you decide you don't want to keep paying for it for the rest of your life!

Battlefield Fan · Sep 17, 2013

Adobe is becoming more and more irrelevant.

upthetoffees · Sep 17, 2013

Battlefield Fan said:
Adobe is becoming more and more irrelevant.

They are rapidly becoming the EA of the application world. It's thankfully all downhill from here.

Renzatic · Sep 17, 2013

Battlefield Fan said:
Adobe is becoming more and more irrelevant.

upthetoffees said:
They are rapidly becoming the EA of the application world. It's thankfully all downhill from here.

A software suite that currently can't be matched feature for feature by any other mix of products on the market? A million people paying at least $10 a month? Listen, I like the forced subscription plan about as much as the rest of you (well, I'm kind of ambivalent about it really), but I'd hardly say Adobe is becoming irrelevant or on a downhill slide.

Like it or not, Adobe wil be around, as strong as they've ever been, until someone releases a series of products that can directly compete with them in the professional space.

nagromme · Sep 17, 2013

Wait... I'm going to buy, charge and carry a RULER?

They do know there's another way to make graphics software draw a perfect line... don't they?

And oh, how I crave more ways to tie into Adobe's "Creative Cloud" subscription!

The pen could be nice; you can keep the ruler and the cloud.

baxterbrittle · Sep 17, 2013

I believe they removed Bluetooth from the production version of 'the short ruler', the article I believe is based on the original prototypes.

Traisoon · Sep 17, 2013

Maybe it's time for a bigger canvas. Bigger iPad screen for professional.

4jasontv · Sep 17, 2013

Clarify.

I was pretty excited about this because I THOUGHT the ruler was actually a communication platform to the pen, turning any surface into a wacom tablet.

I don't like drawing or writing on an iPad. I find it hard to believe that a ruler was the piece of the experience that was missing.

cclloyd · Sep 17, 2013

pancakedrawer said:
Nice tools but I won't pay a subscription for Adobe software.

I already regret buying into CC, even with the student discount of $240/year. AFter my contract is up, I'll be pirating it.

3282868 · Sep 17, 2013

Are these tools offered on a subscription basis, and if unpaid, vanish?

ThunderSkunk · Sep 17, 2013

Or you could just buy Inkpad, or really go nuts, and use iDraw on iOS AND OS X, either of which squarely knock this silliness and assortment of toys into a cocked hat. ...not that it isn't fun to have to walk around with a bunch of extra peripherals.

I love Adobe. But then my favorite things about empires are their declines and falls.

MLMcMillion · Sep 17, 2013

What does this do to overcome the minimum area needed to register input on an iPad? I can't seem to find anything about that. Unless they found a way around that (and it requires the bluntness of a typical stylus) this already falls flat.

I notice that the pictures show a nice thin tip, but all of the live demos have a typical large blunt tip like you see on most styluses.

macs4nw · Sep 18, 2013

fh-ace said:
Shouldn't that statement at the end read "an opportunity to rent both Photoshop and Lightroom for $9.99 per month" ?

Right. You purchase it month after month after month..

throttlemeister · Sep 18, 2013

While I understand people resisting the idea of renting software because it is different from what they are used to, people should realize this is where the market for professional software is moving to.

And in the case of Adobe and their deal for Photographers, it is actually significantly cheaper than purchasing the software. Even if you forget the initial purchase cost and only consider upgrade prices, it is still cheaper. I.e.: upgrade price PS is $200, LR is $80, cycle is 18 months, so that's $15.55/mo.

The argument that if you don't want to pay anymore, you don't have software is a non issue: the only valid assumption for not paying is that you don't want to use the software anymore, or don't need it anymore. So why would you want to have the software if you don't want to use it anymore?

benwiggy · Sep 18, 2013

throttlemeister said:
While I understand people resisting the idea of renting software because it is different from what they are used to, people should realize this is where the market for professional software is moving to.

No it isn't. Professional users are moving away from Adobe in droves, and other companies are heeding the message. Even if it were true: should we merely concede the battle? Or demand something better? It is for customers to demand what the market should offer.

throttlemeister said:
And in the case of Adobe and their deal for Photographers, it is actually significantly cheaper than purchasing the software. Even if you forget the initial purchase cost and only consider upgrade prices, it is still cheaper. I.e.: upgrade price PS is $200, LR is $80, cycle is 18 months, so that's $15.55/mo.

Adobe's sums don't add up. And it's more for businesses with many seats. And if you're outside the US. And it's not just the cost: it's the incessant regularity. Instead of an investment at the time of your choosing, it's a permanent fixed cost. That hurts the bottom line.

throttlemeister said:
The argument that if you don't want to pay anymore, you don't have software is a non issue: the only valid assumption for not paying is that you don't want to use the software anymore, or don't need it anymore. So why would you want to have the software if you don't want to use it anymore?

That's a circular argument. Many large companies have created artwork that is their major business asset. They don't want to pay protection to Adobe just to be able to use their files; and they don't want to be on a meter to Adobe.

Renzatic · Sep 18, 2013

benwiggy said:
No it isn't. Professional users are moving away from Adobe in droves, and other companies are heeding the message. Even if it were true: should we merely concede the battle? Or demand something better?

This I kinda doubt, because there's no equivalent out there to replace CS with. The worst I'd expect is that the vast majority of pro users decide to stick with CS6 instead of joining the creative cloud.

grimmace · Sep 18, 2013

Monthly fees SUCK all around. In the creative "corporate" environment, most creative departments have to ask for new software and purchase many licenses for each computer. MANY times this happens at only one given moment....this moment being when the company HAS THE MONEY to grant the purchase of software. An ongoing cost is only going to make this worse! What I may be able to purchase in February, I may not be able to in June/July! Businesses wont be paying a monthly fee. Even if I could show them the difference in cost. I don't need the latest CS all the time. Actually, I usually purchase every 2 complete cycles. CS4-CS6 etc. There can be a few years before I need to purchase again so monthly fees don't work!

benwiggy · Sep 18, 2013

Renzatic said:
This I kinda doubt, because there's no equivalent out there to replace CS with. The worst I'd expect is that the vast majority of pro users decide to stick with CS6 instead of joining the creative cloud.

There are lots of other professional-grade apps in the various fields as nearly all Adobe's apps.
There are other 16-bit, CMYK, multi-layered photo apps -- and I'm not talking about GIMP.

There is a large thread on Adobe's forums about the range of alternatives.

MLMcMillion · Sep 18, 2013

benwiggy said:
There is a large thread on Adobe's forums about the range of alternatives.

And most of them are subpar.

I'm not saying Adobe is amazing, but if you need more than just basic photo editing (especially if you're a web designer or graphic designer), you don't really have a choice. The other options are either still lacking in usability, features, or support.

Adobe to Release iPad-Compatible Cloud Stylus and Digital Ruler in 2014

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