Ok, so I like doing up handwritten notes for those of you who may not know. I also (prepared for the shock of your life) don’t like paper that much, so I spend much of my time looking for Alternative solutions. Most of the time, I like using my reMarkable, but I have found that on occasion, writing on the iPad is where it’s at. For this, I would need a Stylus of some variety, and I had used the original Apple Pencil and (actual shockingly) I found that it was only slightly better than the alternatives. Luckily, Apple did what it usually did and came out with a superior product.
1) The tip is so much better – When I got the first apple pencil, I got it because I thought it was a good solution to my “paper issue.” The problem that I had was that the tip of the old Apple pencil was scratchy on the iPad. Every time I wrote something on the iPad, it felt like I was scratching the screen. Luckily the new pencil is much better. The smoothness and writing action for the new pencil is so much better than the previous model. It allows you to write on the screen with greater accuracy and much better motion than before.
2) Magnetics is key – One of the things that always bothered me about previous stylus’ is that there was no logical way for me to make sure that the stylus was always near the device I would be using it on. Indeed, I could get a case with a holder, but I always found that either the case would be much heavier than I wanted it to be, or the holder for the stylus would be a floppy piece of fabric outside of the case. This would inevitably fall off or get ripped off, and then I would have the same problem as before. The Pencil 2 is magnetized to the side of the iPad, so it has a pretty natural way of sticking to the iPad. I will admit that while the magnetic connection can be a little tenuous, it’s not that bad.
3) Charging on the device is excellent – I have seen styluses’ where they are dependent on a small battery for their power. While that typically would work for me, I’ve had some issues getting the correct sized battery. Sometimes they are those tiny circular batteries; sometimes, they are AAA batteries. I have even seen a stylus that has an AAAA Battery. Even the old Apple Pencil needed to be hooked up to a charging cable to make it work properly. Now Pencil 2 has a much more elegant solution. Along with the magnetic solution for keeping the pencil on the iPad, It also charges the pen at the same time. I handle this because I will happily charge my iPad at night while the pen is attached, and both with getting charged equally.
If you’re looking for a solution to having to deal with paper, the iPad is a legit solution. Particularly with Pencil 2, having a writing solution that does not include paper is easier than ever. If you own an iPad and don’t yet have the Pencil 2, I would advise getting it. It’s a straightforward solution, and it will allow you to cut down on any paper that you may interact with.
Would you use Apple Pencil?
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