I plan to buy the mini 5 and was wondering if any of you have experience with the Logitech Crayon v. the Apple Pencil generation 1.
I would use either of them for note taking.
Thanks!
I would use either of them for note taking.
Thanks!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Pencil 1 v. Logitech Crayon?
- Thread starter Ellen
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have extensive experience with the Pencil 1 (use this every day, all day) and some experience with the Crayon. (that I purchased for my elderly mom)
Both are terrific for note taking. The Crayon doesn't offer pressure sensitivity so using it for professional drawing/sketching will not be a good experience. It DOES support tilt so wide shading (for apps that support that) will be fine. It is fine for casual drawing/sketching.
Unlike the Pencil, the Crayon can be turned on and off and doesn't need to be paired... just turn it on and start using. The Crayon can also be used with multiple devices that support it without having to pair it with each.
As soon as there is a sale on the Mini 5 of $75 off or more (probably within 4-6 weeks) I'll be trading my Mini 4 in and getting a Mini 5 and Crayon. I like the ability to be able to use the Crayon with both the Mini 5 and 2018 iPad without having to pair it each time.
Thanks, that is really helpful. I was fooling around with the Pencil 1 today in Best Buy and - maybe because I also tried the Pencil 2 and I liked the feel better and the way it attaches to the iPad - I began to wonder if the Crayon would do just as well for me.
One question - I believe the Pencil uses Bluetooth and the Crayon WiFi. So if my iPad is not on a WiFi network I won’t be able to use it to take notes? That is probably not a dealbreaker for me but something I would want to take into account.
One question - I believe the Pencil uses Bluetooth and the Crayon WiFi. So if my iPad is not on a WiFi network I won’t be able to use it to take notes? That is probably not a dealbreaker for me but something I would want to take into account.
It uses single frequency pairing not WiFi in the traditional sense. So as long as the iPad is not in Airplane mode it will connect.
Will the crayon work with the 10.5 pro? I thought it only worked with the 2018 iPad?
The Crayon only works on the 2018 6th Gen iPad, iPad Air (10.5) and iPad mini 2019.
that's amazing news! Crayon support extends to 2018 iPad Pros. If only it was the iPad Pro 10.5 as well
At this moment in time that is not true.
It will apparently work with the latest (2018) iPad Pro models. The author of the article doesn't know whether or not the 1st or 2nd gen Pro models will work with the Crayon.
Although the Crayon will work with all actively marketed devices using the Pencil 1/2, there are many out there with older Pencil 1-supporting devices that may not get to use the Crayon... nor will those who buy those same devices from Apple's refurb store.
Thanks. I guess we’ll just wait and see. I have the 10.5 pro and would like the crayon for note taking, I don’t draw, but have a hard time dropping $100 on a pencil to write notes.
Likewise. In fact, I am to drawing what Florence Foster Jenkins was to opera. The crayon would make much more sense for me.
Sure, as of March 24, 2019, the Logitech Crayon is only compatible with:
That is not "all devices that can use the Apple Pencie 1/2.
I know, because I tried to use one with my first and second generation iPad Pros. It doesn't work.
So I decided to punt for the time being and bought both the Pencil and Crayon to test over the next 2 weeks with my new mini. There are features of the Crayon that I really like (including the color; I picked up a Smart Cover on Ebay which is a nice orange) but then again the Pencil has its pluses too. Eventually I'll buy a Stylus Sling to store whatever I keep so I'll need to make a decision in order to figure out what size sling to order.
Hi, I haven't used the Logitech crayon but do use my Apple Pencil 1 with my iPad pro 10.5;
Despite all the criticism on the charging method of Apple Pencil 1, I feel I have benefited from it - as you don't have to worry about charging it. If the charge is down, you can just charge it via the iPad;
I have had problems with other digital pens I have used with my iPad mini 4 - having them going out of power when I really needed it (my fault entirely for forgetting to charge it, but things like that do happen!);
So hope you take that into account in your decision making.
Despite all the criticism on the charging method of Apple Pencil 1, I feel I have benefited from it - as you don't have to worry about charging it. If the charge is down, you can just charge it via the iPad;
I have had problems with other digital pens I have used with my iPad mini 4 - having them going out of power when I really needed it (my fault entirely for forgetting to charge it, but things like that do happen!);
So hope you take that into account in your decision making.
I decided to return the Pencil and keep the Logitech Crayon. Since I won’t be drawing, I don’t care about the pressure sensitivity. And I like the fact that it is somewhat smaller and seems sturdier (at least the matte finish makes it more comfortable for me to hold).
I bought the Stylus Sling in the wide size for the Crayon + Mini but may return it. It seems like an excellent product, but perhaps because the elastic and the Crayon are wider than the Apple Pencil version (which I haven’t tested), I am not thrilled with the feel of the Smart Cover when the Sling is attached with the Crayon inside. And if I don’t place the Sling carefully in the middle of the cover, the cover won’t stick to the magnets on the right side of the iPad (and even then it attaches lightly). Which makes me concerned that the cover could open in my bag.
So any storage suggestions are appreciated. I may just use a pencil case.
I bought the Stylus Sling in the wide size for the Crayon + Mini but may return it. It seems like an excellent product, but perhaps because the elastic and the Crayon are wider than the Apple Pencil version (which I haven’t tested), I am not thrilled with the feel of the Smart Cover when the Sling is attached with the Crayon inside. And if I don’t place the Sling carefully in the middle of the cover, the cover won’t stick to the magnets on the right side of the iPad (and even then it attaches lightly). Which makes me concerned that the cover could open in my bag.
So any storage suggestions are appreciated. I may just use a pencil case.
I have used both extensively and in my opinion the Apple Pencil is superior. For any kind of digital art the pencil is way better, but I think that is obvious.
My specific issues with the crayon are as follows:
1. There is no way to know when it is going to run out of power. You can be happily be using it one minute, then the led will flash red and it will be useless. Yes the mechanism for checking the AP charge is clunky, but at least you can check.
2. If the AP does run out you can quickly top it up. (Regardless of how you feel about using the lightning port for this at least you can. With the crayon you need a charger and a cable).
3. The crayon switches itself off without warning and takes time to reconnect when you switch it back on. Not a deal breaker but annoying.
4. It’s not as nice to write with because of the shape (Personal preference I know)
5. In my experience palm recognition is not as good with the crayon. It doesn’t seem to be recognised in the same way as the pencil. I’ve had many instances using the crayon in onenote, procreate and pixelmator when an accidental touch of a finger will cause a stroke on the canvas, but with the pencil it won’t.
I should say that my use of the crayon is on the 2018 iPad (at work as a teacher) and the pencil is on a 10.5 pro (my personal iPad) which may make a difference. But given the choice I would much rather do my marking on my home pro with the pencil. We use OneNote Class Notebooks if anyone is interested.
