macOS Catalina's Preview App Lets You Sign Documents on Mac Using iPhone or iPad

Nice feature.

 

You can use an Apple Pencil on your phones, it’s just not pressure sensitive. It works like a stylus with a fine tip.
I do this when my fat fingers get in the way of making fine adjustments.

 

While I like this feature, I am also surprised Apple hasn't given us a "surface" like device. iPad Pro with a detachable keyboard that houses the guts of a MacBook Pro. When connected it is the Mac interface, when separated we get the iPad OS interface. People would pony up serious money for that.

 

THIS A THOUSAND TIMES!!! Been reporting this omission in macOS for a couple of years now, we need to push them to implement native document signing with certificates!

 

A few reasons why that makes no sense:
- It would make the iPad thicker which is against Apple’s mantra
- It would increase the costs of the iPP which people will scream about
- It would cannibalize the MBP
- There is probably a reason software for iPads is still limited

 

You watch. They’ll be writing on paper next. That’s how fast technology changes!

 

They (don't remember who said it) claimed they tried doing it once, and said it was an awful experience. For some reason, I think that attempt was eons ago and I really don't think they tried again because of that experience. I really wish they were to have another go. But at least offer that option, not make it mandatory. Have users disable the touch screen aspect of their Macs if they don't want to use it. That's what I dislike about them the most--they decide for us what we get to experience. Why not offer it and let us decide to turn it on or off. Not just about this, but about anything really.

 

I just tried it with my iPad and it does work incredibly smoothly, even with both devices running the beta.

 

And the illegible scrawls from touchscreens are better or more legitimate? We might as well just use the tried-and-true “X”.

 

Apple isn’t doing touch screens on Macs because it’s not a good way to interact with a device when you have a keyboard and trackpad more naturally in front of you on the same plane as your hands, where your wrists are fully supported. Signing your name specifically, or writing in general on a vertical screen where you have to not only self support your hand / arm, but be careful in how much pressure you apply so as not to push the screen back, just makes zero sense.

If I had to guess where we’re headed with both laptops and desktop computers is that the keyboard will be replaced with a secondary screen that can be a keyboard or drawing slate, or some combination of both. I’m writing this on my iPad Pro, but using the Apple keyboard cover. I love this new iPad, but it drives me crazy how smudgy the screen gets because of having to interact on screen all the time. Imagine the mess that you’d have with an even bigger screen if you’re constantly having to touch it.

 

I can roll with this.

 

Still waiting for Trackpads with Apple Pencil support.

 

I haven't heard them before! Honestly asking, what are your reasons?

 

I'd expect digital signatures at this time.

 

But there's no reason why Apple couldn't digitally sign such documents using your iCloud account. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than ticking a checkbox when adding a signature.

 

The only thing I want in coming versions of Preview is the ability to stop it from opening documents in tabs. Stop innovating, please.

 

+1
Couldn't agree more. I use digital signature for years now. The worst part though is, that you can't do digital signatures on the iPad or iPhone, despite their NFC reader which could read out e.g. the german ID card. Similar systems are present in many other countries.

Apple really needs to take a look beyond the US, e.g. at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualified_electronic_signature
While the wiki article is only focusing on European eIDAS regulation the term qualified electronic signature and the requirements are similar in many countries that established that system. Although, for the beginning a QES isn't even required, just signing using certificates stored on the device would be great (storing the private key in the cloud is a big fat no-go unless Apple happens to be the CA, but cloud based private keys are imho an unnecessary risk).

Also, Apple could take that as an opportunity to establish a Public (!) CA for its users. If the private key always remains on the device (Secure Element, T2,... transfer might be possible encrypted over AirDrop using e.g. an export PIN) and secured by a signature/decryption PIN that system could establish a high level of trust as it requires posession of the device and knowledge of the PIN (which must not be related to MacOS/iOS credentials).

The irony here is that Apple does exactly that already (in principle). Any iMessage is signed using exactly that technology... So it's not like that would be new ground for Apple.

--- Post Merged, Jun 8, 2019 ---

No worries! The only reason this isn't happening will be gone in ~5 years. The main reason is x86 CPUs.
I have no doubt OSX will move to ARM (iPad CPUs) within the next years. Apples current CPUs already outperform intels easily, especially when it comes to performance/watt. Also, an intel CPU costs Apple a lot of money compared using their own CPUs.
Once the iPad can run OSX (I'd make a bet there's already an iPad at Apple HQ that runs OSXonARM) I'm pretty sure there will be a desktop mode. OSX can already now run iPad Apps. Making those Apps switch between iPad UI and desktop UI requires practically no extra efforts.

 

Why would it make the iPad thicker? The guts of the “MacBook Pro” would be housed in the detachable keyboard, not the iPad portion.

You could still buy an iPad Pro separate or a MacBook Pro separate. This would just be a combo at a significant premium.

Not everyone needs both devices, but for those that do, this could be a combination device.

 

+(10)^10

 

A trackpad or iSight camera is required to create a signature.
So I have used my mouse to sign documents. That's as good as (or better than) signing on glass when using a credit card in a store. And, yes, some merchants still require a signature.

 

That would be nice in theory, but I think the amount of resources (supply chain, r&d, qc, etc) needed to accomplish this will not end well for the consumer.

You are essentially asking for a MacBook Pro with a detachable iPad. With the shared screen coming in the new iPadOS, you can probably accomplish this in a janky way.

 

This is how some windows 2-in-1s work currently. I’d have to google search, but it’s an existing product.

 

Apple needs to focus on fixing the bugs in preview. Clicking a link often results in adding a text box to the document. Many pdf’s do not print properly (stack overflow and other postscript errors), etc...

 

Please, for the love of all that is sane, just enable us with the tech that makes an Apple Pencil compatible with the Magic Trackpad, in a way similar to scribble on the Apple Watch.

Is that so much to ask? Yes. Apparently, yes it is.