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Apple Pencil Navigation Functionality to Return in Next iOS 9.3 Beta
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It's like... Temporarily removing some functionality involving the pen and iPad Pro as it wasn't working perfectly then addeing it back in later, in a BETA cycle do it does not matter a tiny bit anyway.
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It was a BETA. What you not getting? Not a decision. Stuff gets turned on and off in BETAs all the time.
The problem is that until now you had reason to assume they might remove the functionality from a release-channel version as well.
Maybe Apple should try being a little more transparent, at least to pro[sumer] customers who do get a bit worried about these things.
Just one damn mention of "we'll bring this back eventually, please test other areas of this beta for now".
I have a sneaky suspicion why they were not as transparent as they should be:
a) it's Apple. They are the just-became-adult dude who's on vacation all alone and couldn't care less about calling home.
b) It's PR. If you can end this drama on a high note and everyone sighs in relief it's been "worth it". Come on guys, we all know that almost any step Apple makes gets covered even by regional newspapers and the like. They could publish a press room article with literally nothing written in it and people would jump on it.
Glassed Silver:mac
Yup, because you just knew it would return. Just knew.
If it's not a pad or a phone Apple are deaf so I'll shout.
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Well then Apple. Maybe you should start thinking about making a smaller Apple Pencil "stylus" for the iPhone 7?
I say this because I enjoy a stylus, its the only thing I miss from my Samsung Galaxy Note II. It helps prevent finger prints, that I dislike, and feels so professional while writing notes. My Bamboo stylus is great, but an official stylus that is built specially for the device would be a lot better.
I know it's very unlikely Apple will do this, but that doesn't mean I can't dream of it happening!!
I say this because I enjoy a stylus, its the only thing I miss from my Samsung Galaxy Note II. It helps prevent finger prints, that I dislike, and feels so professional while writing notes. My Bamboo stylus is great, but an official stylus that is built specially for the device would be a lot better.
I know it's very unlikely Apple will do this, but that doesn't mean I can't dream of it happening!!
I don't think it's as huge or as heavy as some make out, depends what you're used to though and perhaps if it's a home device or to be carried around. It's bit shorter but bit taller than my 13" macbook screen so seems fairly normal to me. Weight wise it's a bit lighter than the original ipad but being larger has a bit more leverage so it does need a smart cover or something with a stand. But the pencil's the big thing, would be very surprised if the air 3 gets it.
I don't know why some people are assuming that it was just going to return in a later beta and release version and mocking the people that were upset and communicated their concerns to Apple.
There are these things with betas called release notes and they're a really good place to detail the changes or known bugs. Nowhere in any of the betas' notes did it say 'Some Pencil navigation on the iPad Pro has been temporarily suspended'.
This made beta testers (and don't forget this included a great many public beta testers) think, quite legitimately, that it was a design decision.
I think Apple was experimenting with getting rid of certain navigational functions (granted, possibly because they felt they interfered with other Pencil functions) and had there not been such a vociferous backlash they might have left it that way.
The fact, however, that there was a very loud expression of concern may have made Apple realise they had to find a way of returning the missing functionality while at the same time not abandoning any false-input work they'd been working on.
We'll never know for sure but if beta users had not said anything, I think we may not have got the functionality back.
There are these things with betas called release notes and they're a really good place to detail the changes or known bugs. Nowhere in any of the betas' notes did it say 'Some Pencil navigation on the iPad Pro has been temporarily suspended'.
This made beta testers (and don't forget this included a great many public beta testers) think, quite legitimately, that it was a design decision.
I think Apple was experimenting with getting rid of certain navigational functions (granted, possibly because they felt they interfered with other Pencil functions) and had there not been such a vociferous backlash they might have left it that way.
The fact, however, that there was a very loud expression of concern may have made Apple realise they had to find a way of returning the missing functionality while at the same time not abandoning any false-input work they'd been working on.
We'll never know for sure but if beta users had not said anything, I think we may not have got the functionality back.
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Indeed. Beta releases are supposed to be feature complete so if a feature has been removed and there's no explanation in the release notes then it is quite reasonable to assume that the feature is gone for good.
Excellent point. One more thing I'd add, these alleged "refinements" that Apple is working on, they need to be beta tested right? Beta 4 just came out and it still doesn't have the "refinements". Assuming that Apple was truthful about this which is suspect (seems more like an excuse for a reversal), when would these "refinements" show up for beta testers? beta 5? beta 6? I don't recall a minor release having so many beta releases.
It seems to me Apple was fully intending to phase out pencil use for UI but reversed the decision due to feedback.
I've worked with Apple for over 20 years and have countless friends and contacts that work within the company. Yes, some of us can simply ask and get an answer. Why is that such an impossible concept for some to understand? So yes, I did know it was coming back rather than simply guessing.
All beta software is released/tested regularly and often contains functionality/code that doesn't make to the public release. Sometimes functionality is excluded or turned off in a beta release because the focus for testers in on something else. New code under test may break something previously tested and so that functionality may get temporarily turned off.
Not exactly rocket science. No climb down by Apple, no bowing to pressure either, just the way software is developed and tested. And yes, I know about this as I work for a software company and am a beta tester for a GPS manufacturer who runs a smaller (than Apple) set of beta testers and who is more up front about how and why they do things during testing.
Functionality comes and goes through the development/test process and only gets finalised towards the end of the process. Simples.
Not exactly rocket science. No climb down by Apple, no bowing to pressure either, just the way software is developed and tested. And yes, I know about this as I work for a software company and am a beta tester for a GPS manufacturer who runs a smaller (than Apple) set of beta testers and who is more up front about how and why they do things during testing.
Functionality comes and goes through the development/test process and only gets finalised towards the end of the process. Simples.
It's a Beta! Expect all kinds of under-development features to disappear and reappear at random.
But do you send out public betas to thousands of users without mentioning removed functionality?
It's only reasonable to assume that the feature might be gone for good. That's what "supposed" means.
Why? This never made it out of beta and we have no solid evidence it was ever going to.
Good news, then.
Despite people trying to troll and feel superior telling us that we were "throwing tantrums" for expressing our concerns, it is precisely those concerns that led to this news being released.
Why exactly wouldn't it be a good idea to express those concerns to Apple as a customer and user?
I don't understand this attitude.
Despite people trying to troll and feel superior telling us that we were "throwing tantrums" for expressing our concerns, it is precisely those concerns that led to this news being released.
Why exactly wouldn't it be a good idea to express those concerns to Apple as a customer and user?
I don't understand this attitude.
It would be too naive of Apple NOT to expect cry babies when they themselves have opened the beta for public.
I'm thinking they just wanted to kill the rumors that it was a permanently removed since a lot of folks (even those without an iPad Pro) thought that was a very bad move.
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, so when you said "smart" people knew.... what you ACTUALLY meant was "people that got told". Gotcha!
And out of curiosity... when Myke got info from HIS Apple guy, what made him not know that it wasn't coming back??
If both opposing bits of info came from an Apple employee & they both can't be right- again, nobody can KNOW.
If you don't want to apologize for pretending like you're smart & sneering at others... fine.
(though your silly backpedal change of story admits you didn't figure anything out or do ANYTHING clever whatsoever... supposedly you just got fed info from inside sources)
Soooooo.... if I get the fix on a horse & win the bet... should I crow on about how all the "smart" people KNEW it was going to win?????!
Check your logic.
I'm fairly certain Apple did not pull this feature out JUST to make improvements. As a matter of fact that defeats the purpose of BETA TESTING functionality or improvements.
What happened here is like an eye exam when they put a lens (feature), then take it away and see if
1. Got better
2. Got worst
3. No change
Clearly 2. applied in this case and it was simply put back. Apple can sugar coat it the way they like but its clear by giving such a specific statement that its a test
What happened here is like an eye exam when they put a lens (feature), then take it away and see if
1. Got better
2. Got worst
3. No change
Clearly 2. applied in this case and it was simply put back. Apple can sugar coat it the way they like but its clear by giving such a specific statement that its a test