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

[Gasu E.]

Isn't the question how many OS's has he used? And as a user has valid insights into the value of its design?

He said "from an engineering perspective", not "from a user's perspective." Of course his opinion is valid as a user. But that was not what he said. Only an engineer is qualified to assess a design from an engineering perspective.

 

[zhenya]

To be honest, iOS is poorly designed from an engineering perspective.

I have to LOL at this considering how atrocious the competing tablet operating systems are. What do you have to say for them?

 

[rowspaxe]

For anyone considering the purchase of a cintiq, this is fantastic news. Wacom will surely be worried about this. I am very excited about the possibly of being able to use an iPad as a pro graphics tablet and anyone complaining about it is missing the point (pardon the pun) the stylus won't be intended for everyday use...

Really? Look at the Cintique Companion 2

 

[Jessica Lares]

Adonit is saying they've sold over two million of their styluses BTW.

 

[nutjob]

It's the Newton all over again! Steve is spinning in his grave.

 

[rowspaxe]

Adonit is saying they've sold over two million of their styluses BTW.

BTW--I bought two of them and they were a complete waste of money!

 

[Jessica Lares]

BTW--I bought two of them and they were a complete waste of money!

So did I, and I happen to like them. 😛 But yeah, some people can't stand the fact that they go off center and that they can cause damage to the screen.

 

[nutjob]

"Steve Jobs is rolling over in his grave"

Read the article a little closer. The patent application is from 2010. Steve Jobs died 2011. Surely Steve Jobs knew of this patent him self but Apple never found any use of it, perhaps until know with the alleged iPad "Pro".

His vision for a stylus as the main touch navigation for the iPhone was one thing, but his vision for the stylus to have other uses, was something else. I think this patent was even made when he was in charge, before he gave his position to Tim. (I think, can't remember when Tim took over)

So this patent we see here was made when Steve still lived. It may not be the Stylus we will see with the iPad Pro but still. It shows.

Yeah, I'm sure Steve was really concerned about patents as he was being treated for or dying of cancer during that period.

Also Apple file any number of patents, not because they'll ever use the designs, but because they one day may be able to use them to sue a competitor.

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To be honest, iOS is poorly designed from an engineering perspective.

LOL at the sweeping statement. Unless you get down to specifics it's utterly meaningless.

 

[Mr-Stabby]

Yeah, I'm sure Steve was really concerned about patents as he was being treated for or dying of cancer during that period

To be fair, having read his autobiography, i can very much imagine him being involved in this patent, even that close to his death. Is his name on the patent? I wouldn't know how to find out.

 

[nutjob]

To be fair, having read his autobiography, i can very much imagine him being involved in this patent, even that close to his death. Is his name on the patent? I wouldn't know how to find out.

It's possible if he had a hand in it, but in that same biography it talks about how much Steve disdained styluses.

 

[Michael Goff]

Thanks for your honest assessment. How many OSes have you designed yourself, just out of curiosity?

Ah, that good old defense. I take it you'll never criticize any politicians or engineers. You'll never say that a TV is designed poorly. You've never made a TV, or a bridge, or a TV.

Isn't the question how many OS's has he used? And as a user has valid insights into the value of its design?

Nope, because it's easier to try to invalidate my opinion that way.

I have to LOL at this considering how atrocious the competing tablet operating systems are. What do you have to say for them?

Samsung uses the screen real estate better, as does Microsoft. And have you seen Ubuntu on a tablet? If these are atrocious, then you must really hate iOS.

 

[zhenya]

It's possible if he had a hand in it, but in that same biography it talks about how much Steve disdained styluses.

As stated over and over here it is painfully clear that he disdained styli as a necessary means of interaction with the device. If anything, at the time he said that, Apple had an even bigger share of the creative market than it does today. He never would have told those artists that they should give up their pens, pencils, paintbrushes and other 'tools'. Adding a stylus to a device today is merely representative of where the market is at today, not 2007.

 

[Michael Goff]

Yeah, I'm sure Steve was really concerned about patents as he was being treated for or dying of cancer during that period.

Also Apple file any number of patents, not because they'll ever use the designs, but because they one day may be able to use them to sue a competitor.

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LOL at the sweeping statement. Unless you get down to specifics it's utterly meaningless.

If you want specifics, read further into my later posts. But the problem, essentially, boils down to the fact that iOS 1-6 were made with smaller screens in mind and not much beyond that. It was designed for low power chips to maximize battery life.

 

[zhenya]

Samsung uses the screen real estate better, as does Microsoft. And have you seen Ubuntu on a tablet? If these are atrocious, then you must really hate iOS.

Hogwash.

Android does a truly atrocious job at using screen real estate because they screwed up and built their developer's kit around the idea of letting software decide how to scale elements. Today, YEARS later, Android still has crummy tablet apps. I have a 10" Android tablet (mid-2014). I virtually NEVER use the multi-tasking.

Microsoft allows you to multi-task, but honestly, it's rarely that big of a deal for me - I use that feature more when docked to my large monitors than when using my SP3 on its own. Microsoft has screwed up by not putting any effort into their app store, so there are effectively NO apps available, again, even years and years later. (I owned a SP1 as well and thought the situation would be better today. It's not.) The one thing Windows does well is allow for quick scrolling through open full-screen apps with edge gestures, but iOS does this as well. They both work great and I find it far preferable to having multiple apps open side-by-side the majority of the time.

Further, allowing side-by-side apps, which Apple will likely offer soon, speaks to nothing of the quality of the apps themselves, and how well they use the available space. In that category, nothing touches Apple because they designed the system correctly from the bottom up, and have by far the largest pool of top developers creating apps for their devices.

 

[roadbloc]

At last! So much for everyone not needing a stylus. 🙄

 

[Imory]

You're acting like you would be forced to use the stylus.

Back then, you were forced to use it with "smart" phones because using your finger would be annoying.

I think most people might be worried that Apple will implement features or ways to use the iPad which would essentially require you to use a stylus.

I personally would have no problem with Apple at least implementing an active digitizer, and let those who want buy a stylus if they want it.

 

[occollegeboi420]

Does this mean there's going to be another annual lawsuit between apple and some other company that uses or makes stylus?

 

[Imory]

The other ones are too small to sketch on, it will be made for the 12.9" because of its size.

No it isn't. It's perfectly fine and there are thousands of artists who've done wonders on the regular sized iPad.

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

The other ones are too small to sketch on, it will be made for the 12.9" because of its size.

Then why are there sketch apps made for those "small screens"?

 

[nutjob]

As stated over and over here it is painfully clear that he disdained styli as a necessary means of interaction with the device. If anything, at the time he said that, Apple had an even bigger share of the creative market than it does today. He never would have told those artists that they should give up their pens, pencils, paintbrushes and other 'tools'. Adding a stylus to a device today is merely representative of where the market is at today, not 2007.

That doesn't explain anything. He obviously didn't care if people use styluses with Apple products, they've been available forever. But why would he design a stylus or have one designed by Apple? The OS hasn't changed that much and the fundamental usability/user interface questions remain the same. Styluses haven't suddenly become that much different.

Like so many other things at Apple, this is obviously something that was worked on or talked about during Steve's rule, but went nowhere. Now that he's dead his views no longer are final and things like this emerge.

 

[nick42983]

Either wild speculation or shady, supply chain, information piracy. I think the original iPad and iPhone announcements were the last magical moments for Apple product launches. There's a lot of false information out there, but it seems like the general outlines if not outright specifics of Apple's plans are almost all leaked beforehand.

 

[zhenya]

That doesn't explain anything. He obviously didn't care if people use styluses with Apple products, they've been available forever. But why would he design a stylus or have one designed by Apple? The OS hasn't changed that much and the fundamental usability/user interface questions remain the same. Styluses haven't suddenly become that much different.

Like so many other things at Apple, this is obviously something that was worked on or talked about during Steve's rule, but went nowhere. Now that he's dead his views no longer are final and things like this emerge.

The stylus is no longer intended as a primary means of user interaction. It's a writer's and artist's tool for a platform that has developed greatly over the years. That's a huge difference. They stylus has to be incorportated into the design to work properly.

 

[rowspaxe]

Does this mean there's going to be another annual lawsuit between apple and some other company that uses or makes stylus?

Perhaps. the challenge of pen tech is not how to do it--but how to do it a way that doesn't infringe on patented tech.

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No it isn't. It's perfectly fine and there are thousands of artists who've done wonders on the regular sized iPad.

Sorry to spam--the implied equivalance between capacitative pens on the ipad and active digitizers by wacom and ntrig is simply not true.

 

[Karma*Police]

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.

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

 

[B2k1977]

Sigh... Steve is rolling over in his grave 🙁

Maybe. Give the people what they want. You can't "write" with your finger. I'm looking at the Jot Script because apple has nothing to offer in that department.

Brian