Apple Predicted to Launch Optional Stylus Accessory Alongside 12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro'

[Rogifan]

Draw on a different device. I don't see why the iPad should have this functionality. The iPad is about simplicity. Trying to overcomplicate things will affect the user experience in general.
So, if a minority wants to draw on their device (and I am sure most consumers do not care about drawing), they should look for other solutions.

This has been Apple's philosophy for the last 15 years. I don't know if they are changing it now. If they indeed offer a stylus, then obviously they are..That is why I wrote about Steve.
Apple doesn't cover niche markets anymore. At least not the Apple I know.

Um, Mac Pro is pretty niche, no? Also, how does offering a stylus for those who find it useful overcomplicate things? It's not like Apple is going to force anyone to start using a stylus. Grandma will still be able to use her iPad like she always did.

 

[kdarling]

It was the first phone with multi-touch.

It wasn't the first phone design shown off with multi-touch, but it was the first phone actually sold with it.

Though I don't know why people cite multi-touch itself as important, since that wasn't its real attraction. The smooth finger-friendly UI was. Such UIs had also been done before, but never as attractively.

You are aware that iPhone made Google go back and redesign Android completely right?

Not really. They probably added inertia scrolling. Otherwise, the UI basics didn't change. They kept the Back and Menu buttons. They kept widgets. They kept customization. They kept multitasking. They kept support for third party apps. That was all quite different from iOS.

That's because Android was being designed as a Windows Mobile competitor (Google was afraid of Microsoft controlling the mobile search market), and thus was always going to build in support for both non-touch and touch devices. The Android group even used a known model of a Windows Mobile phone for development. (Only ignorant bloggers thought it was a Blackberry clone.)

The iPhone debut did, however, understandably put the nail in the coffin of any idea of selling their non-touch version first, as originally planned. That's what Rubin meant by "I guess we won't be selling THAT phone."

Yeah, I find that funny considering Google and Android phones wouldn't even exist in their current form without iPhone.

That's true, but not in the way that you're probably thinking.

If Apple had continued to stay out of the phone market, I think we'd have a far greater variety of popular phone form factors. E.g. more emphasis on functionality, ruggedness and battery life, instead of on a glamorous and ever thinner slab.

--

As for pen support, I've been saying for years that it's just a matter of time before Apple adds it. It's way too useful to ignore it just because of some old marketing phrases Jobs once used. (He also said we'd need to sandpaper our fingers to use a smaller tablet. Oh well.) Perhaps more importantly, Cook has shown that he will do anything to take away Android market share, by providing similar sizes and functionality.

 

[wigby]

If this turns out to be true, the Samsung and Android fanboys are going to eat this up. I already can't take out my 6 Plus at work or on campus without hearing about how Samsung made big screen phones first.

It's an optional accessory. There are plenty of styluses already available for iPad. Apple already makes a keyboard for iPad too so this just seems like another step. Not sure Android fans would even care.

 

[subjonas]

Maybe I'll hold off on buying a Cintiq until I see what happens with this. I've been thinking about upgrading from my Intuous 4 but there might be a way of using something like this if useful software is available.

You might be in for a long wait depending what your needs are. I have a Galaxy Note Pro with a good, accurate, pressure-sensitive pen. And while it draws well, the problem is the software is so limiting to my workflow (compared to my desktop/cintiq setup). And that's mostly due to the limitations of all mobile OSes, which is due to the limitations of mobile hardware, which is due to the need for battery efficiency and portability. Problems run deep. So the pen might come soon to iPad, but I think really productive mobile software is what's going to take a really long time to get.

 

[subjonas]

This iPad pro I can guarantee is going to be a surface pro 3 competitor and I bet it's going to have OS X running one or two of apples chips.

You'll be wanting that stylus with a 13" touch screen and OS X.

Apple must be really feeling the pressure of the Surface Pro but they can't dare respond to it. If they were to introduce an iPad Pro that ran OS X they would create MANY happy customers. That would of course cause major cannibalization as there would be no reason to buy an iPad or a Mac Air and it would surely bite into sales of the Macbook Pro.

If the iPad Pro ran a dual boot of iOS and OS X, that would rock!

If the iPad Pro ran OS X using Apple chips, wouldn't it still not be able to run the existing OS X applications that we know and love? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it need an intel chip in order to do that? Either that or wouldn't all the applications have to be rewritten based on ARM? As much as I'd like that kind of functionality from a tablet too, it seems too much like wishful thinking, at least at the present time.

 

[subjonas]

Draw on a different device. I don't see why the iPad should have this functionality. The iPad is about simplicity. Trying to overcomplicate things will affect the user experience in general.
So, if a minority wants to draw on their device (and I am sure most consumers do not care about drawing), they should look for other solutions.

This has been Apple's philosophy for the last 15 years. I don't know if they are changing it now. If they indeed offer a stylus, then obviously they are..That is why I wrote about Steve.
Apple doesn't cover niche markets anymore. At least not the Apple I know.

Yes, the iPad is about simplicity. But the rumored iPad Pro is supposedly about productivity. So I guess that's your "different device."

Besides, an active digitizer is useful for so many different niches that I think when you add all of them up, collectively it's not so niche.

Also I don't think Apple would do it in a way that would complicate the "normal" experience. Anyone who didn't have use for it would probably never know it existed, and would continue using ios in the way they always have.

I have looked for "other solutions." The problem is they are all subpar, mostly because they aren't ios and part of the apple ecosystem. It's apple's fault for making me dependent on their ecosystem. (half joke, half serious)

Edit- Also I don't think apple wants everyone who wants a digitizer to go to one of their competitors, like I had to.

 

[mabhatter]

True that. I should have said 'most people'. Not only here on this forum, even other tech blogs mocked Microsoft for the stylus.

Microsoft's problem is not including a stylus. it's that a stylus is a key feature of their tablet strategy... tied to pervasive handwriting recognition. Except near zero DESKTOP or LAPTOP apps are written to use or include support for handwriting, so the stylus feature is worse than useless as nobody updates GUIs from desktop resolutions to tablet resolutions/finger-sized controls. Microsoft never makes anybody move forward or choose a "right way" which means every Control Panel has 3 ways to do something, every programming language has three APIs, every input has keyboard, mouse, pen.... when you don't make developers CHOOSE to make one input REALLY GREAT they just sort of half-ass the bare minimum the OS or programming IDE fills in.

 

[skellener]

Sigh... Steve is rolling over in his grave

You know, with all his talk about art and artists, I have always found his hatred of the stylus baffling. Generally you stop painting with your fingers by age 3. Sure, there are some folks that have done some fantastic pieces on the iPad/iPhone with their fingers. I work in a studio with hundreds of artists. Nobody uses their fingers. What a surprise. Cintiq with stylus. Period. That could have easily been iPad and stylus. Maybe if what Apple delivers is good enough it could still take hold. We'll see.The 21"/22" Cintiq and stylus is just a standard these days.

 

[gaximus]

Steve Jobs: If you need a stylus, you've already failed.

I agree.

I'm pretty sure that the stylus will be an option. Not something you NEED.

 

[RobertMartens]

It's obviously an expression. What you never heard of that before being from Japan and all lol

So Solly

 

[iZac]

If you can use the Stylus on any surface (like a table) Then you can basically use it as a mouse pointer. Would make a very cool (but desk bound) tablet.

Yes, I know that's basically trying to reformat it as a laptop / Surface, but I think the only thing holding the iPad back is the mouse support / accurate input. Drawing precisely is a thankless task with any spongy captivate stylus.

Proper stylus support means AutoCAD for iOS. yay

 

[Michael Goff]

If the iPad Pro ran OS X using Apple chips, wouldn't it still not be able to run the existing OS X applications that we know and love? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it need an intel chip in order to do that? Either that or wouldn't all the applications have to be rewritten based on ARM? As much as I'd like that kind of functionality from a tablet too, it seems too much like wishful thinking, at least at the present time.

You're correct, none of the applications would run.

 

[Xiroteus]

Steve Jobs: If you need a stylus, you've already failed.

I agree.

Now days it is about added functionality as an option, not a requirement. Cannot go wrong with being able to do more.

 

[StoneJack]

I would like to use the stylus on my iPad for drawing and other things.
Sure, I already have 3-4 different styluses for iPad.
What they lack is pressure sensitivity, a key indicator showing how thick the line is going to be, a very important for drawing and writing as well.
If Apple can do the pressure sensitivity on the (bluetooth) stylus and NOT make their tablets pressure-sensitive, I am fine with it, because it enables the feature on ALL of older iPads and iPhone. Count me in (price also is important), 50-70 US dollars OK, not hundreds, please.

 

[lowendlinux]

It wasn't the first phone design shown off with multi-touch, but it was the first phone actually sold with it.

Though I don't know why people cite multi-touch itself as important, since that wasn't its real attraction. The smooth finger-friendly UI was. Such UIs had also been done before, but never as attractively.



Not really. They probably added inertia scrolling. Otherwise, the UI basics didn't change. They kept the Back and Menu buttons. They kept widgets. They kept customization. They kept multitasking. They kept support for third party apps. That was all quite different from iOS.

That's because Android was being designed as a Windows Mobile competitor (Google was afraid of Microsoft controlling the mobile search market), and thus was always going to build in support for both non-touch and touch devices. The Android group even used a known model of a Windows Mobile phone for development. (Only ignorant bloggers thought it was a Blackberry clone.)

The iPhone debut did, however, understandably put the nail in the coffin of any idea of selling their non-touch version first, as originally planned. That's what Rubin meant by "I guess we won't be selling THAT phone."



That's true, but not in the way that you're probably thinking.

If Apple had continued to stay out of the phone market, I think we'd have a far greater variety of popular phone form factors. E.g. more emphasis on functionality, ruggedness and battery life, instead of on a glamorous and ever thinner slab.

--

As for pen support, I've been saying for years that it's just a matter of time before Apple adds it. It's way too useful to ignore it just because of some old marketing phrases Jobs once used. (He also said we'd need to sandpaper our fingers to use a smaller tablet. Oh well.) Perhaps more importantly, Cook has shown that he will do anything to take away Android market share, by providing similar sizes and functionality.

That would have been nice, though I am starting to see more phones cater to different needs than before. My personal opinion is BB had the functional smart phone pegged but it was overcome by the masses. Such is life though.

 

[pdaholic]

Once again amazing how many people on here don't want an "option." When it comes out, everyone will love how cool having a stylus is, despite Apple half-assing at least some aspect of it.

I love my Apple products!

 

[Macist]

Procreate is a brilliant app but to get a pressure sensitive pen working with it is awkward as there's no palm rejection. This is the sort of App that could be amazing on an iPad pro.

The Air and 6+ have surely cannibalised Mini so much that making the Air the smallest iPad and introducing a larger model makes a lot of sense.

 

[attila]

If Apple did do this, I hope the pen would be pressure sensitive for digital painting and stuff.

YES! Though I still remember Mr Jobs saying "Who needs a stylus?!", the iPad didn't impress me at all at launch because it could not work as a Wacom.

 

[CFreymarc]

Sigh... Steve is rolling over in his grave

More like his body ashes are spinning in its urn in the Jobs family living room.

But yeah, for an iPad this big, a stylus is in order. Can see it working on smaller iPad mostly for signature collection. Love to see a stylus in the Apple store for signing credit card purchases.

 

[ChromeCloud]

I don't get why so many people fail at understanding the simple difference between a pointing device and a drawing tool.

Enough of that quote of Steve Jobs saying "If they have a stylus, they blew it". He clearly meant stylus as a pointing device. A stylus is an impractical pointing device when using a touch screen.

The stylus, however, is a much more practical device for drawing and annotating than just using your fingers.

 

[Xiroteus]

I don't get why so many people fail at understanding the simple difference between a pointing device and a drawing tool.

Enough of that quote of Steve Jobs saying "If they have a stylus, they blew it". He clearly meant stylus as a pointing device. A stylus is an impractical pointing device when using a touch screen.

The stylus, however, is a much more practical device for drawing and annotating than just using your fingers.

Yes, that continues to be annoying. That statement is based on NEEDING a stylus to use the device. Not as an option for artistic reasons and the like. If an option either use it or not, cannot see how it existing for those who want it would be an issue to those who do not.

 

[s2mikey]

Wow, 12 pages of basically arguing over nothing more than an option for the upcoming iPad Pro? Geesh.

I think it's a good idea. This pro level tablet should have some options and things that the regular versions don't have.

I will wonder though if this ipad pro will hurt sales of the laptops, specifically the MBA? I mean.... Hmmm.....

 

[petvas]

Wow, 12 pages of basically arguing over nothing more than an option for the upcoming iPad Pro? Geesh.

I think it's a good idea. This pro level tablet should have some options and things that the regular versions don't have.

I will wonder though if this ipad pro will hurt sales of the laptops, specifically the MBA? I mean.... Hmmm.....

As long as the iPad Pro runs iOS in its current state, there is no way people will choose it over a laptop..

Apple needs to create an iOS version specific for the iPad, with many more features than the current ones.

 

[Abazigal]

My only concern is how this might potentially affect app design.

As of the moment, most apps are designed primarily for the touchscreen because there haven't been any viable styluses.

Would a stylus incentivise developers to create apps with a UI that's more optimised for a stylus (and the precision that comes with it) rather than touch? Which in turn means that I "must" use a stylus if I am to navigate the app with any degree of ease.

 

[MacrumoursUser]

God help us ...