iPad Will Apple swallow its pride and ship with Wacom integration?

[Wiesenlooser]

I know I know. The famous Steve Jobs quote. And I do agree that neither the interface or the apps should be designed for stylus input.

However - specially for designers and other creative forces there is just nothing like wacom input. There has evolved a huge industry around ipad stylus devices , and the workarounds to achieve at least pressure sensitivity. But in the end - it doesnt come close to wacom precision.

Its a bit sad because the ipad has such a nice collection of creativity apps. I think of Apple as a brand for creative people and artists. Historically it always paid alot of attention to these peergroups.

I have been eyeing for a Galaxy Note or a Surface Pro just for no other reason than the stylus input.

I know they dont need to add this function because Apple sells iPad like hot cake. But in the end - wouldnt it still be the right thing to do?

What do you think?

 

[ZBoater]

It ain't gonna happen. There is no need (from Apple's perspective)

 

[Tubamajuba]

I know I know. The famous Steve Jobs quote. And I do agree that neither the interface or the apps should be designed for stylus input.

However - specially for designers and other creative forces there is just nothing like wacom input. There has evolved a huge industry around ipad stylus devices , and the workarounds to achieve at least pressure sensitivity. But in the end - it doesnt come close to wacom precision.

Its a bit sad because the ipad has such a nice collection of creativity apps. I think of Apple as a brand for creative people and artists. Historically it always paid alot of attention to these peergroups.

I have been eyeing for a Galaxy Note or a Surface Pro just for no other reason than the stylus input.

I know they dont need to add this function because Apple sells iPad like hot cake. But in the end - wouldnt it still be the right thing to do?

What do you think?

Plenty of people wouldn't mind a keyboard. Plenty of people wouldn't mind a USB port. Plenty of people wouldn't mind an SD card slot. Plenty of people wouldn't mind OS X on the iPad. And yes, plenty of people wouldn't mind Wacom integration.

You could argue that it would be the right thing to include all of those things in the iPad. But the iPad is defined almost as much by what it doesn't do as by what it does. The iPad isn't designed to be a jack of all trades kind of device. Apple drew the line, and even though they may erase that line in the future and put it somewhere else, waiting for Apple to do so isn't a good plan. If you need Wacom input, another tablet is your best bet.

 

[rowspaxe]

The good news is pen technology is finally taking off--the bad news is that apple will most likely be sitting out this revolution for about 3 more years. Right now there are quality wacom interfaces in the surface, the yoga and the galaxy note 10.1 (2014). Samsung has just leaked photos of the 12.2" Galaxy Pro. Also, wacom has released two tablet products. And Sony and others have paired with n-trig to provide pen interfaces--which although less good than wacom--are pretty usable (sony viao duo)

This reminds me of digital video and audio in the ninties--the technologies arrived as piecemeal and then became universal.

Apple is haunted by the specter of the failed Newton stylus--so Jobs hated the stylus and apple has culturally retained his animus. And apple users have come to think of trackpads as the last word in input devices.

For now--I am a realist. I like the ipad ecosystem and I own an ipad mini. I want a pen interface so I have a surface pro. As a bonus--I get one note and a file system.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

The good news is pen technology is finally taking off--the bad news is that apple will most likely be sitting out this revolution for about 3 more years. Right now there are quality wacom interfaces in the surface, the yoga and the galaxy note 10.1 (2014). Samsung has just leaked photos of the 12.2" Galaxy Pro. Also, wacom has released two tablet products. And Sony and others have paired with n-trig to provide pen interfaces--which although less good than wacom--are pretty usable (sony viao duo)

This reminds me of digital video and audio in the ninties--the technologies arrived as piecemeal and then became universal.

Apple is haunted by the specter of the failed Newton stylus--so Jobs hated the stylus and apple has culturally retained his animus. And apple users have come to think of trackpads as the last word in input devices.

For now--I am a realist. I like the ipad ecosystem and I own an ipad mini. I want a pen interface so I have a surface pro. As a bonus--I get one note and a file system.

This. I mean it is pretty obvious that there is a demand for apps created around stylus input. (Penultimate, Paper, etc.). So why ship with a half-assed solution?

 

[meistervu]

The iPad uses a different screen technology

It's not suitable for fine precision input. That's why all the styluses have large tips.

 

[xPad]

Yes, and it will be on the iPad Pro.

They always change when needed. Steve Jobs also quipped about having to whittle down the tips of your finger to use a smaller iPad. That nobody would want to watch video on an iPod. That no one reads books anymore.

Apple has no pride from the past, it's only about the now. And now, pros want a stylus on a big iPad. And students, I think, would benefit as well.

But what they won't do is ever make stylus input required (as has been noted).

 

[Nevaborn]

It's not suitable for fine precision input. That's why all the styluses have large tips.

Truglide Apex when released will have a great tip that will be good for both handwriting and art.

 

[Nevaborn]

Yes, and it will be on the iPad Pro.

They always change when needed. Steve Jobs also quipped about having to whittle down the tips of your finger to use a smaller iPad. That nobody would want to watch video on an iPod. That no one reads books anymore.

Apple has no pride from the past, it's only about the now. And now, pros want a stylus on a big iPad. And students, I think, would benefit as well.

But what they won't do is ever make stylus input required (as has been noted).

Usb is what id love built in or an adaptor.

 

[rowspaxe]

Truglide Apex when released will have a great tip that will be good for both handwriting and art.

Sorry--ipad capacitative touch interface is a fraction of the resolution of a wacom active interface. There will a never be a good capacitative stylus using current ipad sensor technology. Sad but true

 

[zhenya]

Sorry--ipad capacitative touch interface is a fraction of the resolution of a wacom active interface. There will a never be a good capacitative stylus using current ipad sensor technology. Sad but true

I have a Surface Pro, but some of the new styli available for the ipad are pretty impressive. At their best they are pretty well just as precise (and better near the edges of the screen) as the SP. There is also a booming app market which means there are really a lot more choices on the ipad today than on other platforms. the current state of things is a lot better than you make it out to be.

 

[Ezhik]

Apple caring for professionals? What universe do you live in?

 

[Thepoobear]

Have they ever done such a thing?

 

[Wiesenlooser]

I have a Surface Pro, but some of the new styli available for the ipad are pretty impressive. At their best they are pretty well just as precise (and better near the edges of the screen) as the SP. There is also a booming app market which means there are really a lot more choices on the ipad today than on other platforms. the current state of things is a lot better than you make it out to be.

I don't know if the surface pro is Wacom or not. But there is no way that any stylus is remotely as precise as the Wacom technology. And personally - I don't know of one for the iPad.

 

[Night Spring]

IMO, it's not a matter of "swallowing pride," it's a matter of whether it makes business sense to make a tablet with digitizer integration. A tablet with digitizer necessarily costs more to make than one without. I believe it also makes the tablet slightly more thicker and heavier. So a tablet with digitizer will be a "pro" model -- Surface Pro has a digitizer, and regular Surface doesn't. I think it's probably the same with other companies that make digitizer tablets.

So if, in the future, Apple decides that there is a big enough market that wants digitizers in tablets, or digitizers come down enough in price (and thickness and weight) that it doesn't add a significant cost to the overall price of a tablet, Apple will probably make one. But for now, Apple thinks that the market isn't large enough to bother. Whether they are right or wrong? Well iPads seem to be flying off the shelf without digitizer, so... *shrug*

 

[zhenya]

I don't know if the surface pro is Wacom or not. But there is no way that any stylus is remotely as precise as the Wacom technology. And personally - I don't know of one for the iPad.

It is a Wacom, and it's fine but it's not exactly great, especially with the limited number of useful apps. There are a number of styli available for the a ipad that are quite accurate and have essentially nothing in common with the rubber eraser tips you are probably thinking of. But what do I know, I only use both every day and have written hundreds of pages of notes on each.

The only thing the Wacom does for me is give consistently no issues with palm rejection, which is not surprising. On he ipad palm rejection comes down to the pairing of an app and a stylus, and at its best it's very good, but it's inconsistent across apps.

 

[darngooddesign]

I know I know. The famous Steve Jobs quote. And I do agree that neither the interface or the apps should be designed for stylus input.

People need to stop basing their arguments on things he said, because didn't always stick to his word. If he did the iPad Mini would not have been created and there would only be Web Apps.

 

[Night Spring]

People need to stop basing their arguments on things he said, because didn't always stick to his word. If he did the iPad Mini would not have been created and there would only be Web Apps.

And no iBooks app/store. And no video iPod. And didn't he say at one point people didn't want tablets?

 

[NewbieCanada]

Apple caring for professionals? What universe do you live in?

It's a mass market consumer device from a mass market consumer products company. Wacom would be something whose cost Apple would have to absorb (couldn't raise the price because it's included) and couldn't market as something their average customers would want as a "must have"

 

[Nevaborn]

Sorry--ipad capacitative touch interface is a fraction of the resolution of a wacom active interface. There will a never be a good capacitative stylus using current ipad sensor technology. Sad but true

I wish people would stop putting down the use of stylus on an iPad... sure wacom may be superior but having seen what iPads can do artistically they are very capable with a decent stylus.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

It's a mass market consumer device from a mass market consumer products company. Wacom would be something whose cost Apple would have to absorb (couldn't raise the price because it's included) and couldn't market as something their average customers would want as a "must have"

Hold on. There are consumer groups that are more valuable than others. You want the creative forcers and pro users on your platform even if their buying force is small compared to the mass market.

Why? Because they create content on your device - which also makes for nice buzz for your device (how many times has that morgan freeman portrat gone around). So they sort of create a halo effect for your device.

Otherwise Apple would have dropped the Mac Pro a long time ago and not even bothered designing a new one.

And could any of the users who claim that there are suitable ipad styli post examples? I have tried basically everyone and none could even come close to wacom experience.

 

[Night Spring]

Hold on. There are consumer groups that are more valuable than others. You want the creative forcers and pro users on your platform even if their buying force is small compared to the mass market.

Why? Because they create content on your device - which also makes for nice buzz for your device (how many times has that morgan freeman portrat gone around). So they sort of create a halo effect for your device.

Otherwise Apple would have dropped the Mac Pro a long time ago and not even bothered designing a new one.

And could any of the users who claim that there are suitable ipad styli post examples? I have tried basically everyone and none could even come close to wacom experience.

I don't use any styli, so I don't have any input on that front.

As for this halo effect you speak of, there are already a ton of amazing art work being done on the iPad without the benefit of digitizer. I think Apple is getting enough halo effect now, no need for them to court the market more by adding a digitizer.

And as I said in my earlier post, right now, it seems that adding a digitizer will increase the thickness and weight as well as cost of a tablet. As a consumer without any need for a digitizer, I personally would be rather upset if my iPad gained thickness and weight for a feature I didn't want/need. So Apple has to take that into account too.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

I don't use any styli, so I don't have any input on that front.

As for this halo effect you speak of, there are already a ton of amazing art work being done on the iPad without the benefit of digitizer. I think Apple is getting enough halo effect now, no need for them to court the market more by adding a digitizer.

And as I said in my earlier post, right now, it seems that adding a digitizer will increase the thickness and weight as well as cost of a tablet. As a consumer without any need for a digitizer, I personally would be rather upset if my iPad gained thickness and weight for a feature I didn't want/need. So Apple has to take that into account too.

Gained thickness and weight would be rather negligible . Its simply a layer beneath the LCD screeen. In the thickness could stay the same as the iPad air if the display were laminated to the glass surface.

Also- resting on your laurels is NEVER good. There is a big demand for active styli like the galaxy note. All Note models are selling very well. And despite the technological limits of current ipad styli there already is a huge variety of handwriting input apps (penultimate, etc.)

 

[darngooddesign]

Gained thickness and weight would be rather negligible . Its simply a layer beneath the LCD screeen. In the thickness could stay the same as the iPad air if the display were laminated to the glass surface.

Also- resting on your laurels is NEVER good. There is a big demand for active styli like the galaxy note. All Note models are selling very well. And despite the technological limits of current ipad styli there already is a huge variety of handwriting input apps (penultimate, etc.)

Is it selling well because of the digitizer or is it selling well because there aren't many other big-ass phablets?

 

[Wiesenlooser]

Is it selling well because of the digitizer or is it selling well because there aren't many other big-ass phablets?

You are not very well informed are you? There are many choices for a phablet.
And the Note tablets are selling well too.