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iPad Pro FYI 9.3 beta breaks Apple pencil

This issue is what keeps me from buying an Apple Pencil. I'm just waiting to find out the outcome of this. I use excel on my iPad, and it's quite difficult to do some things without a mouse. Some have suggested getting the Apple Pencil as a mouse replacement, and while that sounds like a good idea, it sounds like maybe this won't be possible with the next iOS update. I will wait and see.

Other than this use, I have no need for the pencil.
 
I've also found it useful for navigating remote Windows sessions - i.e. using Screens or Microsoft Remote Desktop. Much easier for me to select the small Windows UI elements.
 
Dranix said:
May I ask what is difficult?
Click to expand...

I believe the principal issue is that when you have small screen elements from e.g. a zoomed out view or when using a VNC / Remote desktop onto a high resolution device (high res device independent pixels), a finger is too fat to reliably target an area with multiple touch targets.

I think it's a valid use case for the Pencil as a precision alternative to a mouse, although personally I've never had the same issue. I either zoom in (touch target enlargement), or in the case of a remote desktop (I use TeamViewer) dragging the finger moves a virtual mouse pointer for sufficient precision for my needs.

I suppose for other "pro" uses, e.g. the anatomical 3d viewer app during the Apple keynote, it would be easier to touch using the Pencil. The case for scrolling using the Pencil is more nebulous though - I can't imagine a need for "precision scrolling" - perhaps when trying to drag a narrow scroll bar when doing a remote desktop?

Barring that... I guess it's more hygienic and leaves less fingerprints if you use the Pencil. I'm thinking that for all the users in this thread who say they need a Pencil - they might actually be satisfied if iOS supports a pointer using a bluetooth mouse?
 
it doesnt matter if scrolling was never a intended feature for the apple stylus. If it wasnt it should have been because thats exactly the way the other 500+ stylus for the ipad currently function. Why should one type of stylus work one way and another work another way. Thats counter intuitive.
 
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Dranix said:
May I ask what is difficult?
Click to expand...

Resizing rows and columns is a pain with normal touch. It would not be an issue if it was something that only needed to be done once in a while, but one of the tasks I need to do for work is to print out accounting statements that are sent in excel format. The way they are sent is far too wide to print out, so I need to play with the columns and text size to get it to fit across a page in landscape mode. I can often times spend 20 minutes straight working on a statement before I can get it to print well. With touch that 20 minutes becomes 2 hours. I need something with more precision. Perfect would be if there was mouse support. As of now I just avoid doing this work on my iPad Pro. But it would be nice if I could.
 
Leo90 said:
Why would you want to scroll with the Apple Pencil really? iOS was designed for high precision with the finger. Honestly, I just use my Apple Pencil when I want to write and create diagrams (activities you would normally use a pencil)
Click to expand...
Because some of us have long fingernails that make it difficult to use touch. You know, like the people who had to dial rotary phones with a pencil :) Love the pencil for navigation. If I have the pencil in my hand for writing why should I have to move it in my hand to get my finger in place for navigation? Everyone is different. I won't upgrade to 9.3
 
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There is something nice about being able to use the Pencil to scroll and fully navigate. I'm sure with enough feedback sent to them via the feedback app they may bring it back (I can't remember off the the top of my head, but there was a similar case of something being there, going away and then coming back due to feedback in the 9.0 beta.)

A feature I would LOVE with the Pencil would be since it has pressure sensing. Allow Peek and Pop (3D Touch) when using the Pencil. That way the iPP could gain 3D Touch essentially.
 
I've heard from the Procreate devs that Apple is actually giving this line to developers: The Pencil is intended for writing and drawing, not UI interaction (paraphrased). Now this was before the 9.3 beta so I'm not saying it's related, but it certainly makes me uneasy.

I'm not in a situation where I NEED the Pencil for UI manipulation, I simply find it preferable quite often because I'll already be holding it and can tap on menus without having to change my grip on the pencil (my other hand is generally holding the iPad). Its use with the UI is a selling point and it would be insane to cut this functionality, especially after it was available for this long since launch.

It's an excellent bit of hardware, but everything about the Pencil launch has been mixed up. The supply constraints, the fact that Apple's only example usage documentation for developers had a major bug with correction handling (and they still haven't really provided the devs enough info on how to utilize the input properly). My iOS development experience consists entirely of making a little testbed paint program after I got the Pencil and this dumb app I've made has better pressure handling than any of the major note/drawing apps out there. Something's gone wrong internally with this project.
 
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Thanks for the update Beavix. I'm moving towards this being on purpose by now =/
 
mrnoisytiger said:
So, at this point, what can the pencil do and what can it not do? Can I still tap on UI elements? Or am I 100% limited to apps that are optimized?
Click to expand...

You can interact with anything that is currently on the screen, if it's off the screen via a scroll view, you'll have to move it on the screen with your finger before you can interact with it with the pencil.
 
gigatigga said:
You can interact with anything that is currently on the screen, if it's off the screen via a scroll view, you'll have to move it on the screen with your finger before you can interact with it with the pencil.
Click to expand...
What about text-selection handles? Those tend to use dragging, so I'm assuming those do not work also?
 
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Can also confirm that nothing has changed in this beta from the previous betas
 
Yes, I too can do without NightShift, lol, but eventually I know that some wonderful app will be developed and of course it will require iOS (fill in blank) and then I'll want to update.

So I figure I might as well try to get myself used to not scrolling with the Pencil...sooner rather than later when I'm even more attached to doing this.

Keep hoping that Apple will have a change of heart but it's looking more and more...not.
 
i agree, just happy using the Pencil for all at the moment, being as it's all shiny and new and expensive and all. please dont spoil my fun yet :(

scrolling with finger and tapping with pencil is a juggle to say the least. not really good. might as well just use my finger ;)

if (and when) i upgrade the ios, i might buy this little baby - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QHO0A...UTF8&colid=3U46W67AK84N1&coliid=I1QHEABTUGJ8V

it's only capacitive with no smart features like the Pencil, but with all best intentions it should be most similar to Pencil in it's own capacitive state. navigating, scrolling and note writing/doodle scribbling should be most similar i think. has a nice fine tip and some great reviews. just means shelving my Pencil for when i do Pencil specifics.
 
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I've been scrolling only with the finger and rarely using the Pencil. To me it's more natural that way, it's almost the same gesture like when I turn a real notebook page while holding the pencil with the same hand.
 
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