Would you still buy an apple pencil if it only worked in supported apps?

[gigatigga]

I made another thread about the 9.3 beta "breaking" Apple pencil in the interface. I.E. You can't control the interface, can't scroll safari. I did this just In case someone was thinking about installing it and this would bother them, save them some time from having to restore back to 9.2. But you can still tap, and draw in draw views on supported apps.

Someone responded that "interface control wasn't a promised feature" and so that made me wonder, if Apple removed this feature on purpose (which I think they didn't, it's likely a bug in the first 9.3 beta), but let's say they did remove the ability to use the pencil as you could any other stylus and limited it to only drawing apps that specifically support it. Would you still buy one? Would you be angry at Apple for removing this feature if you already bought one?

Your comments please.

 

[cmichaelb]

It's a beta. It's not finished. I doubt they would remove functionality in the final version.

 

[gigatigga]

I realize that, I'm just curious as a thought experiment

 

[sracer]

It's a beta. It's not finished. I doubt they would remove functionality in the final version.

If that functionality wasn't planned and it interferes with the PLANNED functionality, I can see them removing it.

 

[gigatigga]

If that functionality wasn't planned and it interferes with the PLANNED functionality, I can see them removing it.

I think they would probably have to come up with some pretty good excuse for removing it, but you're right, Apple has done some unfavorable things in the past.

 

[sracer]

I think they would probably have to come up with some pretty good excuse for removing it, but you're right, Apple has done some unfavorable things in the past.

It's not a matter of "unfavorable" things. If using the Pencil for navigation interferes with palm rejection within apps, then navigation has to go.

edit: in other words, if they remove it, it will be for technical reasons not for raining on people's parade.

 

[Newbert]

Well, to answer the original question ---- It depends on the apps. If it was important enough to me in the apps that I use (that support pencil use), Yes, I'd still buy the pencil.

In fact, I generally don't use the pencil for navigating/swiping, so if that capability was indeed removed, I don't think it would bother me.

 

[gtmac]

I like using it for navigation I hope they don't make it a permanent change.

 

[friedmud]

I wouldn't mind if they remove it. Note that many "navigation" related things don't work with the Pencil and they make sense.

For instance, you cannot activate "Slide Over" with the Pencil... That's a great idea because it allow you to write all the way up to (and even take your pencil over) the edge of the screen.

Same with resizing the panes in multitasking mode.

Same with activating the control panel.

Same with pulling down the notification panel.

Like Jony Ive said: The Pencil is for _marking_. They want to make it the best damn digital marking tool possible. They are laser focused on just that and will remove anything that gets in the way of that idea.

Have you ever noticed that you can have the iPP in multitasking mode with a drawing app on the left and put your hand down IN the app on the _right_ and still draw just fine in the app in the left using the Pencil? Getting that right is incredibly difficult and requires palm rejection to be built right into the OS (if not into the screen itself). It's the little things like this that always separate Apple from the others. The attention to detail...

 

[gigatigga]

Well so I would say "many" isn't exactly true. To not be able to scroll through a safari web page, scroll up and down your Twitter feed, scroll up and down your playlist, your messages conversation, to me seems like a huge loss should it not be a bug. I think the 3 "off screen" gestures are very specific exclusions from what the pencil could control. I'm not seeing this being discussed much elsewhere. I know it's dev beta not a public beta which is already a small subset of users, then throw in an iPad pro WITH an Apple pencil and you've probably got a few thousand people globally, but I'm surprised there isn't much talk about whether it's purposeful or a bug.

 

[malandra]

Ugh. I'd miss that functionality terribly. But I'd still keep the pencil for its intended purposes, with a good dose of grump.

 

[shox2k2]

My first thought was I would rather have an iPad air instead. But after a little thought I suppose I could just get a different stylus.

 

[jlczl]

I would not upgrade to 9.3

 

[Nausicaa]

Yes, that's pretty much how it is for me right now. I get that some people like to do it, but I have no interest in navigating the UI with Pencil. None at all.