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How will Apple Pencil attach to iPad Pro?

J

judahde

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 14, 2015
92
88
I'm interested in the iPad Pro but haven't seen anything regarding how one would carry around the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro.

Doesn't seem like a big deal but it was VERY annoying with the Surface 3; pen attachment/retention was barely an afterthought. This seems to have been addressed with with the Surface 4; the pen now attaches to either side of the computer with powerful magnets.

So how do people propose to carry around the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro?
 
judahde said:
I'm interested in the iPad Pro but haven't seen anything regarding how one would carry around the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro.

Doesn't seem like a big deal but it was VERY annoying with the Surface 3; pen attachment/retention was barely an afterthought. This seems to have been addressed with with the Surface 4; the pen now attaches to either side of the computer with powerful magnets.

So how do people propose to carry around the Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro?
Click to expand...
For me? I'll toss it in my gadget bag with all the other geegaws - charger, cables, breath mints...

I'm just as glad they're not providing some carrier mechanism. From what I hear, the magnet arrangement on the SP4 isn't all that.
 
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I bought an iPad Pro case on Amazon Prime (going to use this case until I can find a case I want to lay down good money for) and it has a loop on it for the Apple Pencil. You might see more cases with the stylus loop now that the Apple Pencil is available.
 
engineerben said:
For me? I'll toss it in my gadget bag with all the other geegaws - charger, cables, breath mints...

I'm just as glad they're not providing some carrier mechanism. From what I hear, the magnet arrangement on the SP4 isn't all that.
Click to expand...
I have an SP4 and can attest to the magnets being all that...it just clicks right on the side and stays there. I can almost pick up the surface with pen before it detaches.

Also had an SP3 and the pen was hard to keep up with. Ever lost a pen? 99 bucks is expensive.
 
wingsabr said:
I have an SP4 and can attest to the magnets being all that...it just clicks right on the side and stays there. I can almost pick up the surface with pen before it detaches.

Also had an SP3 and the pen was hard to keep up with. Ever lost a pen? 99 bucks is expensive.
Click to expand...

I concur. The SP4 hardware is really fantastic and a pleasure to use - the pen doesn't go anywhere unless you really want it to go somewhere. Now only if it ran OSX or at least iOS with a file browser, my digital life would be set.
 
modernaccord said:
I concur. The SP4 hardware is really fantastic and a pleasure to use - the pen doesn't go anywhere unless you really want it to go somewhere. Now only if it ran OSX or at least iOS with a file browser, my digital life would be set.
Click to expand...
agree...I would thoroughly enjoy and buy an iPad pro right now if it did a dual option OS X and iOS, similar to the W10 options. As it is, I love my SP4, Mac and 6S+ solution. I thought for sure they were going to do this with the continued convergence of OS X and iOS. oh well
 
My iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard will go in my J Crew Harwick briefcase that goes with me everywhere. The Apple Pencil will go in one of the pen slots in the briefcase - simple as that.

Are you really on the fence about purchasing an iPad Pro because you don't know how you might carry the pencil? o_O
 
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d28z28 said:
Are you really on the fence about purchasing an iPad Pro because you don't know how you might carry the pencil? o_O
Click to expand...

Was asking after having tried the SP3 for a few months. I found that going from meeting to meeting, it was a royal pain trying to keep track of the pen. Ended up buying about 5 of them (no kidding) so I always had one handy. They were cheap in comparison to the Apple Pencil.

So the use case it that I'm going from meeting to meeting on different floors in different buildings, while having the desire to keep things as simple and light as possible. So no I don't want to carry around a bag/briefcase.

Of course this is a moot point for now as the Pencil isn't even available.
 
judahde said:
Was asking after having tried the SP3 for a few months. I found that going from meeting to meeting, it was a royal pain trying to keep track of the pen. Ended up buying about 5 of them (no kidding) so I always had one handy. They were cheap in comparison to the Apple Pencil.

So the use case it that I'm going from meeting to meeting on different floors in different buildings, while having the desire to keep things as simple and light as possible. So no I don't want to carry around a bag/briefcase.

Of course this is a moot point for now as the Pencil isn't even available.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. For me I have all of my essentials in my briefcase that goes with me absolutely everywhere - so my iPad Pro and Pencil will live right in there!
 
Centris 650 said:
I bought an iPad Pro case on Amazon Prime (going to use this case until I can find a case I want to lay down good money for) and it has a loop on it for the Apple Pencil. You might see more cases with the stylus loop now that the Apple Pencil is available.
Click to expand...
I have a similar case to this one for my iPad Air 2. http://www.amazon.com/iPad-Pro-Case...124&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=ipad+pro+case&psc=1

I HATE folio cases but I wanted something protective for summer when I'm outdoors a lot. It is so protective, and the loop is so convenient, I haven't taken it off! (It's also precisely engineered around the opening, which I insist upon. And ridiculously cheap.)

Like the OP, I have a lot of meetings in the same building and I can haul this around without worrying about slips onto the concrete floors.

I do carry a small messenger bag with all my gear and accessories, and I did buy it large enough to fit the iPad Pro, so once I actually get the Pro, I'll probably get the Logitech Create keyboard case and consider rigging up my own pen loop with a little epoxy.
 
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No magnet attachment is a huge glaring oversight, I 100% expect it in the next version
 
judahde said:
Was asking after having tried the SP3 for a few months. I found that going from meeting to meeting, it was a royal pain trying to keep track of the pen. Ended up buying about 5 of them (no kidding) so I always had one handy. They were cheap in comparison to the Apple Pencil.

So the use case it that I'm going from meeting to meeting on different floors in different buildings, while having the desire to keep things as simple and light as possible. So no I don't want to carry around a bag/briefcase.

Of course this is a moot point for now as the Pencil isn't even available.
Click to expand...

The Surface devices have multiple solutions for pen management. The pen has a clip, the simplest solution of all. Clip it in your pocket. Clip it to the typecover. Clip it to the pen loop that came with the typecover and could even be attached to the back of the device itself.
image.jpeg


The SP4 adds the magnetic solution and it is ridiculously strong. Almost too strong.

There are executive ink pens that cost far more than Apple's Pencil. They've been using the same way to prevent loss forever... A clip.

I think Apple took the whole Pencil thing too literally when a clip is a tried and true solution to the problem. The iPad itself may be too thin and rounded for magnets to be a good solution. Just like the photo of the SP3 above, a simple clip could allow you to attach the pencil to the smart or keyboard cover.

If I was a genius, I'd Kickstart a replacement cap that had a clip coming down off of it. If you could somehow fit watch batteries in it and a Bluetooth top button mapped to the Undo keyboard shortcut... That would be a killer add on. That's how I have my Surface pen's top button mapped when Photoshop is in focus.
 
The surface Pro line of computers has similar issues. The Sp3 had the loop that you attach to the type cover. An inelegant but functional solution. For the SP4, they went back to magnets, yet based on the reviews I've read, it will easily come off while in a carrying case. The result, it could eventually get lost.

Pug72 said:
I've backed Quarter on Kickstarter, a great remedy to the Apple Pencil storing problem.

Quarter
Click to expand...
My concern with this solution is the stresses that will be placed on the lightening connector, especially if its a case, i.e., could snap off.
 
maflynn said:
The surface Pro line of computers has similar issues. The Sp3 had the loop that you attach to the type cover. An inelegant but functional solution. For the SP4, they went back to magnets, yet based on the reviews I've read, it will easily come off while in a carrying case. The result, it could eventually get lost.
Click to expand...

How does a Surface have similar issues to not including any pen docking solution whatsoever? Clipping the pen onto the cover was a rock solid solution (and still is) with 0% chance it will be lost. There is even a divot the pen fits into. The only stupid thing Microsoft did was show the pen loop in official images instead of this superior solution, which was in the instruction manual.

That's how I transport mine, using the magnet to dock when in use. Though that magnet is crazy strong.
 
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