Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

sparksd

macrumors G3
Jun 7, 2015
8,892
27,381
Seattle WA
Buy it from the Apple store and you can try it until early January and then return for a full refund if your suspicion is correct.

Also try the capacitive stylus - you can get one cheap and see if that fills your needs. I like the feel of it better than the pencil for just navigating/tapping around the screen.
 

Otflyer

macrumors 65816
Nov 14, 2017
1,474
999
SF Bay Area
Logitech makes what they call the Crayon. It’s $69 and is made for 2018 iPads. It uses Apple Pencil technology including palm rejection. It lasts 7 hours on a charge and can be turned off.
 

DoubleFlyaway

macrumors 68000
Nov 16, 2017
1,620
2,526
Logitech makes what they call the Crayon. It’s $69 and is made for 2018 iPads. It uses Apple Pencil technology including palm rejection. It lasts 7 hours on a charge and can be turned off.

Can consumers buy it now, or is it just for educational institutions? I’m curious to hear any reviews if anyone here has tried it.
 

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,436
2,352
DE
Case scenario: Eating buffalo wings.

Fingers dirty, use pencil to navigate....

I'm not even going to pretend I haven't done this.

Did I need the Apple Pencil? No. But I still use it everyday to navigate on my iPad. Especially since the Pencil doesn't leave smudge marks on the screen like my fingers do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: J.J. Sefton

Rory76

macrumors regular
Apr 24, 2017
193
174
Also try the capacitive stylus - you can get one cheap and see if that fills your needs. I like the feel of it better than the pencil for just navigating/tapping around the screen.

Could you recommend a good capacitive stylus? Looking around on Amazon but there are gazillions.
 

tdbrown75

macrumors 6502
Apr 28, 2015
297
247
Dallas, TX
I mainly use the iPad for browsing the web and movies and I barely play any games. Does any consumption user actually find the Pencil useful? I ask simply because I purchased a used iPad Pro bundle off eBay and found that I can reduce my cost by reselling the Pencil for around $40. There is a certain appeal that I got the Pencil for pennies on the dollar through the bundle but not sure if I'll be making "excuses" just to use it (like taking notes which I prefer doing with pen and paper).

Same here. Got one for my 10.5” because it was a neat toy, but never used it. Skipping it all together on the 11”, although it’s an even cooler toy now!

Tim
 

akil316

macrumors member
Dec 17, 2013
53
18
I like using it but just wish the gestures would work with it, they work with the stylus I used to use
 

Mackilroy

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2006
3,906
539
I use my Pencil daily - taking notes, sketching, drawing, painting, even CAD. I can use my finger for some of that, but the Pencil offers more precision and is easier to use. But I got mine on sale.
 

darkarn

macrumors 6502a
Apr 8, 2017
839
343
Singapore
I don't use it only cos I cannot find a way to keep the Pencil and iPad together until recently when I got a sleeve big enough for both
 

seadragon

Contributor
Mar 10, 2009
1,872
3,151
I use the Pencil mostly with Lightroom to process photos. Being able to draw local adjustments directly onto a photo is really amazing. But for strictly consumption purposes, I tend not to use it at all.
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,322
3,018
Australia
Good views.

My first disappointment with the Pencil was that it couldn’t do any gesture that required a swipe from outside of the screen (Home, Control Centre, Notifications). These gestures happen to be significant ones so if a AU$200 pointing device can’t even do them, then it’s a no go zone for me.

I really wanted to find some justification for buying the thing...maybe take up sketching...but it needed to completely mimic finger use for the times I wasn’t drawing...
 

cornerexit

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2014
474
251
I use my pencil daily and cannot use my iPad without it.
I use it as a mouse.

I have often wondered about this. Can I use it to close safari browser windows, etc. Thanks and I’m going to give it a try. If I can’t use it for clicking on various things I will return it.
 

Ctg44

macrumors regular
Sep 25, 2012
195
107
I have often wondered about this. Can I use it to close safari browser windows, etc. Thanks and I’m going to give it a try. If I can’t use it for clicking on various things I will return it.
That’s basically the only way I use it. I don’t draw or anything like that, just to click, type, etc. I enjoy it. Do I need it? No, but it’s certainly nice to have.
 

DotCom2

macrumors 603
Feb 22, 2009
6,164
5,431
I have often wondered about this. Can I use it to close safari browser windows, etc. Thanks and I’m going to give it a try. If I can’t use it for clicking on various things I will return it.
Of course! You can use it for anything you also use your finger for. The only thing I have found that it doesn't work on as a mouse, is swiping the bar up that has replaced the Home Button. A "feature" Apple could probably change with software if they wanted too. But I use my Pencil as a mouse for everything from scrolling web pages, back clicking, tab closing, text selection etc. etc. etc. Even typing.
 

cornerexit

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2014
474
251
Thank you very much. Looking forward to receiving now. I was on the fence about returning it (new 12.9 64gb WiFi only) but the new keyboard, and I think with the addition of the pencil, will make it a new device in many ways over my 2015 12.9. And I think Apple will add more functionality with iOS updates in the future. I’ve always broken my laptops (windows) at the hinges from opening and closing too much. This, primarily, is why i switched to iPads many many years ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DotCom2

tarsins

macrumors 65816
Sep 15, 2009
1,168
847
Wales
Since it can be attached to the iPad I use it all the time now. Previously it always seemed to be the other side of the room when I wanted it.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.