[kscherer]

Anyone got one yet?

Gruber's review at Daring Fireball is pretty good. We're still waiting for the demo units to come in and have a short waiting list.

I don't use an iPad due to the crappy long-document editing tools/crappy keyboard support/lack of arrows. New thing seems to address these issues by not addressing these issues.

Anyone got input, yet?

[kieran]

I'm really curious as to how these play out. The trend is definitely moving toward tablets and phones being primary computing devices nowadays.

Hell, this thing beats the hell out of my MacBook performance wise, but I didn't buy the MacBook for performance.

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by kscherer Anyone got one yet? Gruber's review at Daring Fireball is pretty good. We're still waiting for the demo units to come in and have a short waiting list. I don't use an iPad due to the crappy long-document editing tools/crappy keyboard support/lack of arrows. New thing seems to address these issues by not addressing these issues. Anyone got input, yet?

The problem with the iPad remains ergonomics for all usage needs.

It's a great device for some tasks, but using it comfortably and efficiently for most tasks, especially content creation, sucks. The iPad Pro is even less of something I want to hold upright for extended periods of time. It's designed to be used flat and looked down at. Used in an upright position with a keyboard is better for typing, but then you lose all of the pencil usage and touch interface.

I almost think that the only way I would legitimately be interested in a larger iPad is if it was Thunderbolt display size (27") and came on a special stand/arm that pivoted and moved from flat to perpendicular effortlessly and was used with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse... basically an iOS iMac with a high tech stand.

[drewprops]

I would LOVE one as a sketch platform.


...

[Kickaha]

Bingo, drew. My wife is drooling over one of these as an artist's device. It will all depend on the pen lag for her. She has a friend with a Wacom Cintiq that is *gorgeous* (big 22" beast) but she still feels like it's just not quite in sync with her hand gestures. If the Apple Pencil is as good in her hand as reported, then she's likely going to find one under the Xmas tree.

BTW, a 13" Cintiq HD is a full $1k and you still need a computer to hook it up to.

[drewprops]

What. The. Actual. Fuck.





...

[drewprops]

I know, I know, it's just an emergency charging slot.

...

[kscherer]

As I understand it, the Pencil comes with a female-to-female lightning adapter so it can be charged with a standard lightning cable.

Because … yeah.

[Wrao]

The pencil charging thing is so mystifying. Especially when they introduced that new specialty connector on the side for the keyboard that looks *so completely ideal* for not only charging a stylus but storing it when not in use. Just completely baffling.

I'd bet a lot that probably by the third revision, the pencil and iPad Pro will adopt a more elegant charging/storage solution. I mean, it's not the end of the world when literally seconds of charging gives you a ton of usage. It's just so clumsy looking.

[Wrao]

As for the iPad Pro in general. It looks great. Culmination of a lot of subtle details elevating the device in ways that don't necessarily show up on a spec sheet. Pretty much only the price pushes me away from getting one immediately. Even though it compares favorably to a $1k laptop and all, it's still a lot of money. I'm going to hold out I think, maybe wait for the first revision. I kind of suspect Apple will eventually work pencil support into all their iPads and maybe even eventually the desktops(via Magic Trackpad 3).

Much has been made about the Surface Pro, and Surface Book. I think they're both compelling devices but I'm really not convinced MS has the right philosophy overall. It's true that a Surface can technically do more through its full Windows support, but increasingly, that support starts to feel like *legacy* support and I have to wonder if it won't hold them back moving forward in ways that Apple will be unencumbered by. Which is to say, strictly speaking, a Surface might give you more options today, but I kind of trust that through a combination of first and third party development, the iPad Pro will very quickly start to look more and more like a full-on OS replacement device. In that, it's not a question of being able to use the same software, it's a question of being able to achieve the same (or superior) results.

[Matsu]

I will probably get one. For while I was really into using a Wacom Intuous, but since I got proficient in using the pen tool and a mouse, I don't touch it that often. Not a huge fan of switching between too many devices, though I use both a mouse and a trackpad whether it's on my iMac at home, or on a laptop at and between work.

I'd look at it primarily for a really slick photo editing/retouching implementation, but I don't know who that will come from. I don't trust Adobe anymore. I'm sticking with CS6 for the foreseeable future, and I don't think their iOS solutions are there yet for serious work. Any software that ingests a RAW file and lets me a bunch of non-destructive edits that Lightroom will understand, I'm there. But image processing and organizing software is a bit of mess in general. Apple likes to solve organizational challenges by hiding everything in their own ecosystem - which makes handling of large volumes problematic in it's own way. And it doesn't really have enough memory to work as a standalone device yet either, but... I suppose that if someone wrote a really slick program that let it act as a Cintiq for an OSX or Windows machine, I'd probably get it right away. It certainly looks like a proper step in the right direction at any rate.

[Eugene]

Apple sees it as a niche tool for a small number of professionals and a plaything for Apple fanatics. Since iOS and OS X haven't completely converged, even light users who could live with an iPad 90% of the time will sorely miss their MacBook [Air|Pro] during the remaining 10%. I find it impractical as a daily driver tablet because of its weight combined with its footprint...it yearns to be laid down or propped up. With a keyboard cover added, the device is still poor at laptop mimicry.

[psmith2.0]

Saw the iPad Pro yesterday in my local AT&T store.

Funny thing is, from across the room I thought it was the Air and the Air 2 was the mini (the display mini was hidden from my angle). As I approached the display area, I finally saw the third unit (mini) and realized what it all was. Up close, the Pro then looked very large (despite looking small from across the room, and thinking it was the iPad Air 2...weird). But I picked it up and was impressed by how light it felt. Nice surprise.

It looks great, but it's just not for me. I don't free-form draw/sketch (shading, painterly strokes, etc.). And I'm not really needing the side-by-side screens and multi-tasking real estate. So much of what makes the iPad Pro what it is would simply be lost on a user like me, so I still prefer the Air (very light, one-handed, etc.). As good as the Pro may be for artists and business users, I can't imagine comfortably lying on the couch or bed (or hammock) with it the way I would an Air or mini). And that's how I'd use it so much of the time (surfing, reading, watching videos, Scrabble, etc.).

If I was more of a painter/sketcher/fine artist (or spent my time in spreadsheets and presentation software), it would definitely be something to consider (and I could accept the trade-off with the above "reclining comfort" issue). But I'm glad I saw one in real life, just, if nothing else, to confirm that it's not something I'd save for or consider for my next purchase. That was clear after just 1-2 minutes.*

Despite having the entire three-model iPad display area all to myself, I spent the bulk of my time on the Air 2 after dabbling with the Pro. That's likely to be my next major Apple purchase, as I just can't really justify a new Mac at this point (for reasons both on my end/needs and Apple's current offerings/pricing).

[kieran]

I was in an Apple store up here this weekend just looking at the iPads and I mentioned something about it to the wifey and she said that she was buying ti for me for my birthday. Well, that's in a month, but we got it anyways.

I haven't had an iPad since the first mini, so this is a big change.

I also picked the smart keyboard with it and that has helped immensely with being able to type things on it.

As of now, it's taken on the role of being my "after work" device and my MacBook has stayed in office connected to the external monitor. It's been a nice way of keeping things separate.

I placed an order for the Pencil but that won't be delivered until January. Still gong to just try and pick one up in the store by randomly going in, but it's definitely something that the wife wants to try.

[kscherer]

So far, about 95% of the people wanting to see our floor model also want to see the Pencil. Since Apple has no idea how to make those, we don't have any. Without a Pencil demo, people turn around and leave.

In other words, the iPad Pro is not complete in most people's minds unless it has the Pencil.

Apple blew it by not having enough Pencil's to go around. That's the selling point. "Wait until January" is not good enough.

Fail.

[psmith2.0]

They'd certainly have to come up with a way to tether it (or somehow render it completely inoperable - via a mini internal explosion or broken acid capsule - once it leaves the store) because all you guys would be doing is replacing stolen Apple Pencils about 30 times a day...

A shame, but that's just true. Apple would have to dedicate a factory solely to manufacturing replacement Pencils for all the demo ones stolen in stores (their own, plus Best Buy and other retail partners).

And, no...it doesn't matter that it wouldn't work with anything but the iPad Pro. That's not even the point to the thieving little cretins who'd snag such an item.

[kieran]

That's pretty much my thought on the matter as well.

The iPad Pro is not complete without the Pencil.

Hell, I had a hard enough time tracking down the smart keyboard. The guy at the Apple Store said he had only seen 3 come in since the Pro was released.

There had to have been something come up with the manufacturing of the Pencil. It just doesn't seem liek they wouldn't have enough of these out with the release. It's ridiculous that the shipping times are over a month. My order isn't scheduled to arrive for 42 days. :-(

[psmith2.0]

Serenity Caldwell said that her local Apple Store(s) (I believe she's in Boston?) had them and she was saying on a podcast that she managed to get one that way, just by lucking out at a retail store. She posted a photo of a pretty healthy-looking stack of them.

I don't have any Apple Stores around me, but for those who do it might be worth a phone call.

Yeah, I would've assumed they had plenty of these things ramped up and ready to go with the release of the iPad Pro (since it was such a strongly-linked selling point).

I think they're out there in places, just might take some calling (and a bit of travel) to snag one.

[kieran]

Yeah, I just listened to her on Upgrade with Jason Snell today. She does live right outside of Boston and went to a store that had 8 of them that day surprisingly. However, I've been to six other stores, including that one, and they haven't had any.

I've got the order in, but I"m going to keep randomly going in adn searching for them when I'm near an Apple store.

[Brave Ulysses]

Apple stores in Oregon have had ample supply.

[Kickaha]

Took my wife in to look at one a couple of days ago. "Cross everything off of my Christmas list and replace it with gift cards for this."

She was gobsmacked, and she's used to Wacom Cintiqs and the like for professional artwork. In her mind, the apps aren't quite there for what she wants, but the hardware was everything she wanted with *one* exception.

"What do you mean the other end isn't an eraser??" That blew her mind.

Maybe for the Pencil Pro in 2017...

[Brave Ulysses]

Anyone here actually buy one?

The Apple Pencil is really cool. But I will wait until the iPad Air 3.... it will inevitably include Apple Pencil support.

[Frank777]

For me the Mac revolution was all about desktop publishing.

For print, video and online publishing, I'm not seeing how the iPad Pro really helps me over and above a MacBook Pro. And I can't draw. At all.

So for now, I'm sticking to Mac OS for work.

[kieran]

Originally Posted by Brave Ulysses Anyone here actually buy one? The Apple Pencil is really cool. But I will wait until the iPad Air 3.... it will inevitably include Apple Pencil support.

I've got one. My wife got it for me as an early christmas/birthday present. Picked up the smart keyboard as well.

Took it away this weekend instead of my MacBook and it funcitoned parfectly. Obviously, some workflow issues arose, but there are different ways to doing things on iOS. The keyboard really makes it seem a lot better than just having the sotware keyboard.

[kieran]

Finally was able to grab an Apple Pencil at a local Boston store and cancel the online order I had.

Not really enough time to figure out the pros and cons, but it does look nice and it's fun to play with so far.