iPad Pro Who uses the Apple Pencil primarily for navigation?

[lagwagon]

I'm stoked. Maybe now the software can get better and less focused on simplistic touch interfaces. Pro pro maybe someday!

It probably will get better. From my understanding and from what I've heard on a podcast. Is that touch and pencil were on "two separate layers" and the code for the pencil navigation was pretty much just "copy pasted" from the touch layer. They temporarily disabled navigation on the pencil layer to rewrite it specifically for the pencil. So in theory if I understood it correctly, it should function better than it ever did.

 

[Beavix]

The only complication I can think of with allowing Pencil to be used for navigation is in drawing apps. If you get used to using Pencil to scroll, then you might attempt to do the same in a drawing app, where of course, that'll draw a line instead of scrolling. Come to think of it, this could apply even to apps like Word. How does the app know whether you want to scroll, or draw a line in your document?

No drawings apps I've tried allow scrolling with the Pencil. Only tapping on UI controls works.

Word is clever, it activates the drawing mode only when I tap the Draw tab, and there I can scroll with the finger but not with the Pencil.

EDIT: actually I was wrong, Word switches to drawing mode as soon as I start moving the Pencil on the screen, so scrolling works only with the finger.

 

[Night Spring]

EDIT: actually I was wrong, Word switches to drawing mode as soon as I start moving the Pencil on the screen, so scrolling works only with the finger.

Ok, that is clever. And that kind of software adaptation is going to make the difference in Pencil user experience going forward.

 

[PSDigital]

The pencil was the reason I bought the iPad instead of the Microsoft Surface. I guess I made a mistake because I could have used Photoshop on the Surface.
The pencil is great for navigating and for selecting your cursor in the tween text. You cannot select between letters in a word with your finger. It would be a big mistake to remove this functionality.

 

[C DM]

The pencil was the reason I bought the iPad instead of the Microsoft Surface. I guess I made a mistake because I could have used Photoshop on the Surface.
The pencil is great for navigating and for selecting your cursor in the tween text. You cannot select between letters in a word with your finger. It would be a big mistake to remove this functionality.

It hasn't been removed.

 

[PSDigital]

Yes I found that out but the update did mess mine up. My iPad Pro won't recognize it unless I plug it in like I'm going to charge it. It doesn't show up under my Widgets now unless I plug it in to charge. I hope they fix the issue.

 

[Traverse]

If i'm already using the Pencil I do to minimize smudges, but I don't actively get the Pencil to navigate.

 

[mcdj]

I use the Apple Pencil to point to the door whenever anyone asks me why I'm using a 3 foot long pencil on a 9 inch iPad.

Does that count as navigation?

 

[PSDigital]

Yes I found that out but the update did mess mine up. My iPad Pro won't recognize it unless I plug it in like I'm going to charge it. It doesn't show up under my Widgets now unless I plug it in to charge. I hope they fix the issue.

They still haven't fixed the issue. My tablet won't recognize the pencil until I plug it into the iPad to be charged. This started with the update. Does anyone know where I can report it?

 

[mcdj]

They still haven't fixed the issue.

Yeah, crazy as it may sound, sometimes fixes take longer than 3 hours.

 

[Cascades42]

They still haven't fixed the issue. My tablet won't recognize the pencil until I plug it into the iPad to be charged. This started with the update. Does anyone know where I can report it?

Just to check the obvious: You're not enabling airplane mode or disabling Bluetooth? Either of these will make the iPad forget the pencil until it's plugged in again.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ is the place for reporting issues and requesting features.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Some have insisted that they can navigate quicker with the pencil.

Not going to happen.

 

[sjleworthy]

speed of nav isnt an issue for me, i find finger/pencil both just as noticeably fast, i just prefer the method of pencil nav compared to finger. these days i find fingering a faff. a stumbly 2nd best.

 

[Newtons Apple]

speed of nav isnt an issue for me, i find finger/pencil both just as noticeably fast, i just prefer the method of pencil nav compared to finger. these days i find fingering a faff. a stumbly 2nd best.

I do not think most would feel that way but Apple give us choice.

 

[The Game 161]

Using the pencil to nav round is good when my pro is on my lap I find it easier at times but generally I use my finger if I’m planning on typing. I have found I’m barely using my pencil to draw or anything so the main usage I get is nav round.

 

[sjleworthy]

it is good though Apple give us the choices. Yes, most still use a finger i wager (tuh, how yesterday )

 

[papbot]

Using the pencil to nav round is good when my pro is on my lap I find it easier at times but generally I use my finger if I’m planning on typing. I have found I’m barely using my pencil to draw or anything so the main usage I get is nav round.

I have a Maglus stylus that I had bought to use with my iPad Air but I rarely did. However with the huge screen of the Pro I've been using it 90% of the time. Even for typing. I find it much less tiring on my arm, allowing me to reach further up on the screen without stretching. And very few smudges.

I've debated getting the Apple Pencil. It would be a bit of an extravagance for me but I could justify it. However if navigation were disabled i wouldn't even consider it. I believe the size of the Pro makes a stylus of some sort almost a no brainier. On the 9.7 version not so much. But on this one I couldn't do without it.

 

[sracer]

thats the big question. sracer gives good indication some of the more costly stylus do. but not up to Pencil's degree of course.

This is it. personally i do less art and smart related work with the Pencil as i thought i initially might. i use mine, i would say, for 100% navigation and handwriting throughout the day.
At the moment, i wont be upgrading as the upgrade isnt grabbing me enough to loose general scrolling abilities.

If/when i do upgrade and i loose general Pencil nav, i'll spend 75 bucks or so on a decent fine tipped regular stylus. will this satisfy? thats the 100$$$ question.

but no, i wont be using the 'blunt thumb' stylus that cost pence whatever. i'd prefer to use my own physical 'blunt thumb'

Apple could of course solve all these issues by having Pencil nav toggled ON/OFF. this would make EVERYBODY happy. i have a sneaky feeling nav will be included in 9.3

Yes, I have had some good success with passive and powered capacitive styli. It figures that as soon as I get a decent combo going for use with my iPad Air 2, Staples comes along with a killer deal on the 12.9 iPP that was too good to resist.

I would not recommend spending the $60-$100 for one of those powered capacitive styli. It's not worth it for that purpose, because you'll still be stuck with a lack of palm-rejection. The one that I used, the DotPen, I used for drawing and sketching in combination with an "artist's glove" (white cotton glove with the thumb, index, and middle fingers cut off) that prevented the iPad from registering my palm... palm-rejection old-school style.

So now, I use the Apple Pencil, but haven't ever used it yet for navigation. I guess I should start trying it... or break out one of my other styli for navigation.

 

[Nell]

I'm finding the pencil useful for navigation as it minimises the pain I'm starting to get from the first signs of arthritis in my hands. I don't use it all the time but I am finding it helpful as a change.