Apple Pencil

I was super hesitant to buy the Pencil Pro due to the inflated price tag, but Apple products usually place a greater demand on your wallet but offer you less (Why does my Mini7 cost around $900 but the camera doesn’t even have software stabilization???). But I had a perfect trading week and I was itching to buy something smallish to reward myself, so on a whim walking past an Apple Store, I thought why not?

This is for my Mini7, which I have two knock offs from TaoBao for about $8 and $24 USD each. They are actually not bad and do about 80% of what matters for a pencil, so a great alternative if you don’t need like 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity. Two attached drawings were made with the knockoff pencils. I really wonder why they haven’t replicated the Pencil Pro yet…

In keeping with the philosophy of offering consumers less, there were no extra nubs included in the packaging. There is no cable for charging, and it doesn’t need it since it charges while attached to your iPad. This is a huge problem. More on this later.

First thing you notice in the tutorial the moment you attach it to the side is the haptic feedback when you squeeze it. This is kind of cool, but I haven’t used it yet to make doodles and draw boobies yet. And then you notice that it charges as soon as you attach it to your iPad… This is convenient, but also raises the question of why are there no controls over charging? I actually like the TaoBao pencils in this area, because you needed to plug them in to a USB cable to charge, giving you full control over the power level in the Pencil. The TaoBao pencils also come with carry cases and extra nubs. I immediately tossed the cases aside when I go them, but it’s a nice touch. You feel like you’re getting more value for your money. What does the Apple Pencil Pro have that the others don’t? Uhh…the Pencil Pro is wrapped in that rice paper-ish packaging,

If the Pencil Pro charges any time it is attached, and you attach it for the convenience of keeping it close to the iPad, then inevitably you are going to fuck up the battery by needlessly keeping it at 100% all the time. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to give Apple $130 USD or whatever the equivalent is every year or so because the battery on the Pencil Pro is prematurely worn out due to poor power management choices. Scanning through the Apple Pencil part of the menu yields zero options for the battery. At least the iPad has the option to charge to 80% only.

Other than that, it would have been nice to have it available in different colors. I would 100% have been willing to pay maybe $200 if they made this thing in aluminum instead of matte plastic, which let’s face it: it’s going to turn glossy over time and look terrible. Any scratches of scuffs is going to be immediate apparent since it’s white too. Let’s see if it really is worth the retail price.

I’m a 2nd year engineering student and I’ve decided I’m going to switch from paper notebooks to an iPad for notes and work.

After trying a friend’s setup and doing some research, I’ve settled on:

- 11" iPad Air (M3, 128 GB)

- Apple Pencil Pro

I qualify for Apple’s education pricing, but I know that’s year-round. Since it’s right around Black Friday, I’m trying to figure out when/where to buy for the best overall value:

- Is it usually cheaper to buy from Apple during their Black Friday “gift card” event, or from places like Amazon / Best Buy / Target / Costco with straight discounts?

- For people who’ve tracked prices the last year or two, are Black Friday / Cyber Monday generally the lowest prices for the 11" Air, or do better deals pop up later in winter/Christmas?

- Does Apple ever beat the third-party retailers on total value for iPad Air (especially if you’re a student), or is it almost always better to go with a retailer?

- Any tips specifically for the Apple Pencil Pro (bundles, separate deals, etc.)?

I’d like to have it in hand for next semester, but I’m okay waiting a few weeks if it saves a meaningful amount of money.

Thanks for any help!