iPad Pro Apple Pencil as general stylus/pointer?

[sjleworthy]

how many of you use the new Pencil as a general pointer slash stylus?

it's an amazing little product. i use the Pencil 99.99% of my time on the Pro these days, from general UI navigation, to complex XL sheets, to app activation and navigation right through to actually prodding out keys on my smart keyboard.

it's so pin point accurate and responsive it's a fantastic stand in for the lack of a mouse. yes, i love sketching with it, but its turned out to be soooooo much more usefull as an every day all rounder its unbelievable.

do you guys do this too?

 

[DaniJoy]

for sure. i use wacom cintiq all day long so im used to using a stylus for running a full OS. it works great. i dont ever bother with mouse anymore on my computers.

This is partly why i dont get the "tablets need IOS touch" argument for why the IPP has been gimped with a phone OS. but im an artist so my needs are totally different than most users.

I do fine that the procreate app interface does not work well with the stylus. im having to adapt to using my fingers more. its been fun, but its not all that precise IMO, i would prefer a cursor and a precision interface.

 

[macaximx]

I find myself also using it as a pointer / stylus. It is precise and keeps my screen cleaner.

 

[ZombiePete]

I've never felt the need to do so; the only time I have is when I'm already using the Pencil to write or something and want to change a setting. Otherwise, iOS is just too well suited for finger input.

 

[AppleRobert]

I do, for its cost I want to get as much usage out of it as I can.

 

[KPOM]

I find myself also using it as a pointer / stylus. It is precise and keeps my screen cleaner.

Me, too. It's come in handy. I like not needing it, but having it.

 

[rotarydoc]

how many of you use the new Pencil as a general pointer slash stylus?

it's an amazing little product. i use the Pencil 99.99% of my time on the Pro these days, from general UI navigation, to complex XL sheets, to app activation and navigation right through to actually prodding out keys on my smart keyboard.

it's so pin point accurate and responsive it's a fantastic stand in for the lack of a mouse. yes, i love sketching with it, but its turned out to be soooooo much more usefull as an every day all rounder its unbelievable.

do you guys do this too?

All this time, I thought I was the only one!

In fact, it was a primary factor in my iPad Pro purchase, actually, if that is believable. I have tried just about every stylus/pen out there on my old iPad Air 2, and could never get anything to work well as a "general" stylus. The closest I have found is the Adonit Jot Dash. Still, even it is not nearly as good as the Pencil for general use. The sensitivity and pinpoint accuracy is just not the same.

I find the Pencil perfect for navigating, tapping small links, playing tile games (Mahjongg, etc), typing, and especially scrolling web pages. Between the Pencil, and the "ball bearing" effect of iOS, it is the most gratifying web browsing/scrolling experience I think I have ever seen!

Only 2 complaints:

For some odd reason (maybe has to do with the fact that it would mess up drawing?) the Pencil cannot be used to swipe in from the sides or top/bottom, as when using the notification shade, slide in, or the settings panel...interestingly, the Adonit Dash does do this...it would be cool if Apple would offer an option in the future in settings.

The other one...I like to save battery on the iPad if it's going to sit overnight asleep, by putting it in airplane mode. Well, it turns out, that if you disconnect the bluetooth connection on the Pencil, you have to reconnect it each time...not pair it, but you have to plug it back into the iPad. Kind of a PITA. So, instead of airplane mode, I just turn off wifi to save battery, and leave bluetooth on. Then, I was worried about the Pencil battery life, but it's still very, very good, even when left "on". Apple has always been excellent with power/battery management, and this is no exception.

Sorry for the long post, but at least I know I'm not the only one, thanks for posting!

 

[friedmud]

I've never felt the need to do so; the only time I have is when I'm already using the Pencil to write or something and want to change a setting. Otherwise, iOS is just too well suited for finger input.

This is me. I use my fingers (like a regular iPad) unless I already have the Pencil in my hand because I'm writing with it.