Smart Connector useless?

[SoN1NjA]

Does anyone else feel the Smart Connector is useless? Other than keyboards, what does this thing do? Also thing the positioning of the connector hurts it too, kind of an awkward spot other than for keyboards

So did Apple make a Smart Connector for 1 type of accessory?

The Pencil would be a good use, it holds the Pencil and charges without having to remove that cap

 

[ericwn]

I think the idea was to be able to connect and disconnect the keyboard quickly and directly. Not sure what other accessories should work on the port, but Logitech offers a charging stand too.

 

[theluggage]

The Pencil would be a good use, it holds the Pencil and charges without having to remove that cap

This. Apple had a blank slate to design both and they launched at the same time - I find in incomprehensible that they don't work together, and that there's no storage solution for the pencil.

The Pencil feels great as a pencil, but there's a fiddly charging cap to lose, a separate fiddly Lightning gender-changer to lose if you want to charge it from a cable (was it beyond Apple's capability to build that into the cap?), and as for the idea of leaving a 7" lever projecting at right-angles from the lightning socket... even for a quick top-up charge it is begging to be damaged.

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I'll snap that lightning connector clean off .

Oh, yes - they also make regular pencils hexagonal so they don't roll off the table... and regular pencils don't cost $100...

(cue silly responses from people living in magic unicorn accidents-never-happen land)

It just feels like someone came up with this elegant, featureless round pencil design on purely aesthetic grounds, then refused to change a single detail for the sake of functionality. (Just like they couldn't besmirch the lines of the Magic Mouse so you could charge it in use).

 

[iPadDad]

Does anyone else feel the Smart Connector is useless? Other than keyboards, what does this thing do? Also thing the positioning of the connector hurts it too, kind of an awkward spot other than for keyboards

So did Apple make a Smart Connector for 1 type of accessory?

The Pencil would be a good use, it holds the Pencil and charges without having to remove that cap

I think the smart connector is brilliant! Yes it's main purpose is the keyboard but that's quite an important purpose, and it does it very well. If you think about it, positioning it anywhere else would look out of place and would be difficult to work with a keyboard style of case.

 

[andyw715]

It would be nice to know what its capabilities are.
It can power a keyboard.
Data com with keyboard.
Logitech charging stand, so I guess you can charge the iPad through it?

What is its data throughput? Can it output video?

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

This. Apple had a blank slate to design both and they launched at the same time - I find in incomprehensible that they don't work together, and that there's no storage solution for the pencil.

The Pencil feels great as a pencil, but there's a fiddly charging cap to lose, a separate fiddly Lightning gender-changer to lose if you want to charge it from a cable (was it beyond Apple's capability to build that into the cap?), and as for the idea of leaving a 7" lever projecting at right-angles from the lightning socket... even for a quick top-up charge it is begging to be damaged.

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I'll snap that lightning connector clean off .

Oh, yes - they also make regular pencils hexagonal so they don't roll off the table... and regular pencils don't cost $100...

(cue silly responses from people living in magic unicorn accidents-never-happen land)

It just feels like someone came up with this elegant, featureless round pencil design on purely aesthetic grounds, then refused to change a single detail for the sake of functionality. (Just like they couldn't besmirch the lines of the Magic Mouse so you could charge it in use).

I'm with you on the hexagon thing, and that has another benefit for pencil stackers: You can easily stack them.

As for the Pencil, I think it is weighted so it doesn't do the flick it and it rolls for ever. I'll check when I get home on mine. On a sloped table, you're out of luck, but on a flat one, it should eventually stop on the weighted part. (again, I'll check)

 

[GoldfishRT]

I'm with you on the hexagon thing, and that has another benefit for pencil stackers: You can easily stack them.

As for the Pencil, I think it is weighted so it doesn't do the flick it and it rolls for ever. I'll check when I get home on mine. On a sloped table, you're out of luck, but on a flat one, it should eventually stop on the weighted part. (again, I'll check)

I just checked and it is weighted.

 

[Badrottie]

I think Wacom should incorporate a new drawing tablet with smart connection. Sound awesome?

 

[ericwn]

I think Wacom should incorporate a new drawing tablet with smart connection. Sound awesome?

A Wacom tablet on an iPad?

 

[theluggage]

As for the Pencil, I think it is weighted so it doesn't do the flick it and it rolls for ever.

I just checked and it is weighted.

Yes, it is weighted - so it won't roll "for ever" - but it will happily roll 6" or so if you put it down carelessly. As an anti-roll device a clip would probably be more effective (plus, it would have a clip). Yes, I know some third party is bound to be offering a $20 Pencil clip...

Not that any of these things are "OMG the Pencil is useless!! Sack Tim Now!!!" problems, but it does feel like Apple are losing their "attention to detail" and sense of form/function balance.

 

[sracer]

Does anyone else feel the Smart Connector is useless? Other than keyboards, what does this thing do? Also thing the positioning of the connector hurts it too, kind of an awkward spot other than for keyboards

So did Apple make a Smart Connector for 1 type of accessory?

The Pencil would be a good use, it holds the Pencil and charges without having to remove that cap

Yes, the smart connector is a uni-tasker. Just like Microsoft's version of it on the Surface even though it has more capabilities than Apple's smart connector. Microsoft nor 3rd parties ever produced "blades" beyond the limited run of a DJ/Audio blade.

 

[Mathias Denichi]

I think the Smart connector would be more useful if they added one to the top, and move the power button to the right side. This would allow the pencil to be charged and a possible storage option while allowing the Smart Keyboard to stay on. This would also open up more stand options, or a hub to also put in portrait mode if needed.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Yes, it is weighted - so it won't roll "for ever" - but it will happily roll 6" or so if you put it down carelessly. As an anti-roll device a clip would probably be more effective (plus, it would have a clip). Yes, I know some third party is bound to be offering a $20 Pencil clip...

Not that any of these things are "OMG the Pencil is useless!! Sack Tim Now!!!" problems, but it does feel like Apple are losing their "attention to detail" and sense of form/function balance.

My issue with the Pencil is the Lightning gender bender. I wish they would have built it into the cap, rather than have a cap and something small to lose. As for the clip, I'm with you. I plan on taking my iPad and pencil up in GA aircraft, and rolling an inch will be bad. I'll probably use a lanyard and a glove to hold it.

 

[bensisko]

Oh, yes - they also make regular pencils hexagonal so they don't roll off the table... and regular pencils don't cost $100...

(cue silly responses from people living in magic unicorn accidents-never-happen land)

A silly response to a silly statement?
Not all pencils are hexagonal - many (if not most) art pencils are round (such as graphite drawing pencils, color pencils, etc.).

Of course regular Pencils don't cost $100 - the Apple Pencil is a piece of technology specifically designed for the iPad Pro (for now) - slight difference in use cases.

Also, looking at my other styli, they are round as well - the Surface Pen is round with a single Flat Edge. The Adonit Pixel is round. The stylus for my Dell tablet is round. The Surface Pen and the Dell both have a clip (which can be added to the Apple Pencil easily for a couple bucks).

There are tons of really easy and cheap solutions to secure the Apple Pencil if you don't like it - and the BEST thing about third party solutions is that you can choose your own solution (or not, if, like me, you like the round clip-less design).

 

[theluggage]

Of course regular Pencils don't cost $100

...my point was that it is rather less serious if they roll off the table and get broken.

The Surface Pen and the Dell both have a clip

...so two of your three examples have clips or flat edges that will stop them rolling. The Surface Pen magnetically snaps to the tablet and the Adonit attaches to its charger with a magsafe-like arrangement so you won't snap it while it is charging.

What was your point exactly?

(which can be added to the Apple Pencil easily for a couple bucks)

...or which Apple could have included with the most expensive stylus in the list for 50 cents.

 

[jdechko]

It would be nice to know what its capabilities are.
It can power a keyboard.
Data com with keyboard.
Logitech charging stand, so I guess you can charge the iPad through it?

What is its data throughput? Can it output video?

Unfortunately no video out. Data throughput is very low. It's really more for input devices, though an a/v dock would have been a cool idea.

 

[andyw715]

Unfortunately no video out. Data throughput is very low. It's really more for input devices, though an a/v dock would have been a cool idea.

Yeah I was thinking more on the lines of a Smart Keyboard like device that is actually a headless Mac. You could have one machine that is OSX and iOS.

 

[ericwn]

Unfortunately no video out. Data throughput is very low. It's really more for input devices, though an a/v dock would have been a cool idea.

Can you please link a source for this info? Thanks.