Earlier this year I gave my son my old iPad Air 3 (Lightning), and it supports the 1st Gen Pencil. In fact, the case I got for him has a storage slot built in for the Pencil. My Air 5 is USB-C and supports 2nd Gen.
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Apple Pencil Buyer's Guide: Which Model Should You Choose?
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This is exactly what happens when company takes profitability obligation to the extreme to the detriment of literally everything else. Perfect live case study on how contemporary megacorps work.
Is this the sign CEO and management team being replaced by AI?
I mean, Apple just wants money, and only money.
Those times which were not even super distant, and all happened within a human’s current lifetime (depending on when you were born of course).
For ipad 10 users, basically. The ipad 10 features the all-screen design of the pros and air and has a usb-c port, but lacks the support to magnetically charge the 2nd gen apple pencil. This meant that, until now, the only option for ipad 10 users was the 1st gen pencil with a lightning to usb-c adapter.
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The article on the MacWorld web site best summarises the release of this Pencil. It's a total mess. Not only do you need a chart to figure out which Pencil to buy, the hover function on an iPad Pro is available on a low-end Pencil while the same low-end Pencil does not have the pressure sensitivity which is essential to most users, including me who is not an artist or anything near it.
Not what he meant
Steve didn't want a stylus interface that you poke with a stick. He wanted something you use with your fingers, and can use finger and hand gestures with. He would have probably been fine with the Pencil because it is completely optional and doesn't get in the way of finger input.
Not sure he'd be happy with this many Pencil variations, though....
Apple’s product page for the 10th gen iPad clearly shows the pencil and says “attaches magnetically”:
https://www.apple.com/ipad-10.9/
👉 It’s obvious that this pencil is the pencil that should have been available with the 10th gen iPad from the get-go. Seems they messed up by development and/or production of the new pencil running behind schedule - and covered it up by quickly churning out a couple of USB-C to Lightning adapters.
Apple would have spared themselves from much media ridicule, had they just announed the new USB-C pencil along with the iPad 10th gen - instead of that awkward old Pencil only made compatible on the new iPad by way of a new charging adapter:
“Here’s our brand-new, most affordable iPad with USB-C. And a new affordable USB-C Pencil to go along with it (without wireless charging or pressure sensitivity)”
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Are there too many yes-men at Apple? Is anyone able to say, “Hang on guys, this confuses the line-up and I don’t think we should release this product to market. Let’s re-think our product strategy.” Or does everyone feel compelled to say how great every product is?
Is a transition period,
They will probably kill soon the remaining lightning products, 9th gen iPad and the 1st gen pencil, and will all make sense afterwards
They will probably kill soon the remaining lightning products, 9th gen iPad and the 1st gen pencil, and will all make sense afterwards
I feel there was a decision made somewhere that no USB C accessories should be released before the iPhone transition from Lightning was announced. They had this Pencil ready to go but couldn’t ship it.
I know it makes no sense but things like this happen in big organisations, someone will have made this decision which seemingly makes sense where they are but then results in a mess somewhere else.
Bear in mind the only accessories to have switched to USB C so far are AirPods Pro and this Pencil.
I guess the old Pencil 1 is hanging around until they finish with the base model with Lightning. And yes I fully expect tilt to be only available on the higher end iPads in the future.
I have a logitech crayon and a $20 clone. I found they all lack another important feature: Scribble!
With apple pencil 2, the write area waits about 2 seconds then starts to recognize the handwrite.
With crayon and clone, the area starts to recognize *immediately* when the tip leaves the glass surface. E.g. writing a letter E will result 3 letters: L - -
I believe this is a designed flaw for 3rd party stylus.
Think of what Steve Jobs said:
You know, it's not just about making something cheaper. It's about making the best product possible for our users. At Apple, we never compromise on quality and user experience just for the sake of price. If something is 50% less functional, it's not a better deal—it's a step backwards. The real question is, would you want to use a product that frustrates you half the time, even if it's 20% cheaper?
What is the vision now of Apple?
You know, it's not just about making something cheaper. It's about making the best product possible for our users. At Apple, we never compromise on quality and user experience just for the sake of price. If something is 50% less functional, it's not a better deal—it's a step backwards. The real question is, would you want to use a product that frustrates you half the time, even if it's 20% cheaper?
What is the vision now of Apple?
Few people know that Tim Cook can talk with Steve Jobs on their IMagicPrivateCloudPro.
Tim: Hey Steve, remember the iPad? what if we added some kind of pencil ?
Steve: yeah, sure. we could make it glossy white and slip it for free into packages, nice touch.
Tim: well, it interacts with user, captures some data, has USB-C plug... I was thinking of a one twenty nine price point.
Steve: one dollar twenty nine?
Tim: ...
Tim: Hey Steve, remember the iPad? what if we added some kind of pencil ?
Steve: yeah, sure. we could make it glossy white and slip it for free into packages, nice touch.
Tim: well, it interacts with user, captures some data, has USB-C plug... I was thinking of a one twenty nine price point.
Steve: one dollar twenty nine?
Tim: ...
Their product vision feels clouded.
I haven’t bought an iPad for a couple of years but - prompted by the debate here - I just spent 5 minutes looking at the iPad pages on Apple.com. So much confusion and fine print.
It's a mess.
Every day I come here, this site is filled with people complaining about something they don't want, and are never going to buy. Have you been to a Vision Pro post ? I read through just to see how long it takes for someone to call Tim Cook "Timmy"
Some people don’t need or want pressure sensitivity. Why should they be forced to pay more for something they didn’t want. It’s still the best writing device for precision and latency available. Geesh
Yeah, having choices of 3 things is way beyond many people’s ability. Can you imagine if they had to make a decision whilst driving?
Totally agree. Boring and totally predictable. They're here because they don’t have a life.
I like that they have
1. embraced USB C.
2. Provide a cheaper alternative with less features instead of banging up the price on something with a single extra feature. The same people would whine about both scenarios.
It’s like when they produced the iPad Air and still release the iPad 9 & 10 th generation. More choices mean more choices.
Yeah it’s too difficult for some people to work out. Maybe if you spoke to someone they could help you out. Try a 13 year old.
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Why do you say they regressed? Or are you suggesting the Apple Pencil is rubbish or are you saying they changed their mind?
Not so much now, but before I recently retired, I’d use my iPad and Apple Pencil daily in my job as a CSI.
"why did Apple regress in this manner, and why are we even being pushed to consider which stylus is best?"
Because many creative people (artists, illustrators, animators, etc) using an iPad have found it difficult practicing their craft and creating art using just their fingers and thumbs.
Why does it bother you, that others who are creative, have embraced using a stylus in producing their art? Does that somehow diminish your life?
I wonder if Leonardo da Vinci had to go through this silly pushback from non-artists in wanting to paint with brushes, rather than his fingers and thumbs?
Finger painting is fine for children in grade school.
Exactly. At least with the Pencil, Apple is failing at what used to be one of its best competencies: tightly editing their product lineup. The bean counters will never understand the benefit of simplicity or the difficult behind-the-scenes decisions needed to achieve it.
Also, this new pencil looks like it could be a Chinese off-brand design from Amazon.