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Buying an iPad Pro 10.5? Here are some accessories to consider


Apple has had its WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) and many are excited about the software updates iOS 11 and Mac OS High Sierra and the new iMac Pro, but I am excited about the new 10.5 inch iPad Pro. Over the years I have moved up from an iPad to a first gen iPad Air and now I will be moving to the iPad Pro.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Along with moving to a new iPad, I will definitely need to upgrade my accessories to work with my new iPad. As some of you may know the Pro series iPads have features and accessories that are unique to them so I have been searching for accessories that take advantage of these features. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of products that take advantage of all the Pro features so I will also be listing accessories that will work with the iPad Pro 10.5 as well.

Keyboards

Although Apple probably makes the best accessories that work with their products they are not always the best designed. Case in point: their Smart Keyboard. The design is good but it does not offer any back protection and you always have to have the keyboard attached when the cover is attached.

To me, the best alternative that I have found so far is the Logitech Slim Combo for the iPad Pro 10.5. The Slim Combo not only utilizes the Pros Smart Connector to connect the keyboard and power it, the Logitech Slim Combo also has backlit keys and detaches when not in use. The Slim Combo is available for pre-order now from the Logitech site for $129.99 about $30 cheaper than the Smart Keyboard.

Pencil/ Stylus:

While there is nothing on the market that can truly compare with the $99 Apple Pencil that does not mean you have to shell out that much dough for a quality comparable stylus. One of the main features of the Apple Pencil is that it connects to the iPad via Bluetooth allowing the iPad to account for pressure sensitivities.

My first replacement candidate would be the Pencil by FiftyThree. Compatible with several iPad apps and having Bluetooth connectivity like the Apple Pencil, it has a longer battery life, and palm rejection technology. Although the Pencil by FiftyThree is better suited for drawing and such you can use it for writing. Starting at $34.99 the Pencil by FiftyThree may be a good choice especially if you use the Paper app by FiftyThree.

Another, more pencil/pen like stylus that is rated well would be the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2. Like the Pencil by FiftyThree it is Bluetooth connected and works with several iPad apps. The Intuos Creative Stylus 2 is shaped more like a writing instrument for natural writing. At an average price of around $61, this could be a good alternative

Covers/Cases:

To be honest with you, I don’t think there is anything better than Apple’s Leather Smart Cover for the iPad Pro. I love the original Leather Smart Cover but they changed the design over the years and now they are bringing back a design similar to the original. At a price of $69 and with no back protection a lot of folks will give this a pass, and I couldn’t blame them but I still love it.

For protection on a budget, the JETech Case Cover has a great reputation. With a Smart Cover like flap that wakes or puts you iPad to sleep this $15 cover will not break the bank. You can find them on Amazon

If you want to customize a higher end leather case the Story Leather  Smart Shell Case lets you pick leather colors and textures as well as interior microfiber colors for your iPad Pro case. At a starting price of $139.99 this handcrafted case will definitely set you apart from the crowd, add some custom lettering or a logo and you will be without compare.

Other Accessories:

I could go wild with accessories, so I am only listing things that I find that are unique.

First up is another Logitech product called Base. The Base is a charging stand that uses the Smart Connector on the iPad Pro to charge it. A stand with a charger what a concept. With a price starting at $99.99 this add-on is not for everyone but if you are a heavy user of the iPad Pro it may be worth it.

If you are a stylus user you may want to look into a standalone Apple Pencil charger. There are several on the market and honestly, I could not recommend one over the other but Amazon seems to have all of them.

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Buying an iPad Pro 10.5? Here are some accessories to consider originally appeared on on June 16, 2017 at 6:48 am.

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The IconFactory Linea iPad Pro sketchbook app review

One of my favorite tech innovations of the past year is Apple’s iPad Pro paired with the Pencil. There have been many digital styli that have preceded it, but for me, nothing’s come close to touching the Pencil for note-taking and drawing.

I’ve been dabbling in iPad sketching apps for almost as long as they’ve been available. Procreate, Adobe Sketch and Paper have been my go-to apps for different reasons. I like the simplicity of Paper, the depth of Procreate and the Creative Cloud integration of Sketch, and I’ve been bouncing between all three for quite some time.

When I found out that The IconFactory was creating their own sketchbook app that was built from the ground up around the Pencil, you can bet that caught my eye.

Linea feels like it pushes all the right buttons for me. Its toolset boasts the simplicity, and more important, the restraint, of Paper, while offering several very useful features. Let’s crack this nut.

The Interface

The IconFactory did a fine job with their layout. It puts everything within reach while remaining compact, maximizing the canvas area. It can be hidden with a simple tap on the arrow in the bottom of the screen. The layer, grid, and paper textures can be toggled with a quick double-tap on the respective icons. It’s fast and intuitive.

The interface is so tidy and gets out of the way.

I love the way they handled the color selection. Tapping on a hue reveals a second row of swatches with lighter and darker shades. Sliding the swatch bar up or down moves to the next row of colors. There is an entire row of customizable swatches if you want to pick out your own palettes.

On the opposite side, you’ll find the layer tab, grid selection, and paper texture. Five layers are all you get, but that’s been plenty, in my experience. Each can be moved up or down, turned on or off and adjusted for transparency. A layer can be merged down with the one under it. It’s worth noting there are no blend modes as you might find in other drawing apps.

Multiple layers make it easy to pencil, ink and color.

There is no import option, which is a shame. I often import source material to the canvas so I don’t have to swap back and forth between apps to keep drawing.

Blueprint, black construction, gray bristol, butcher paper and paper grain.

The paper textures are a nice touch. There are five distinct colors and the texture themselves can be turned on and off with a quick double tap. There are also five types of grids and a number of handy templates, including storyboards, app icons and mobile device screens, perfect for design prototyping.

I appreciate the multiple export settings available, such as multiple file types and transparency options. I can even export a layered PSD to finish up in Photoshop.

The Tools

Finally, there are the drawing tools, themselves. At your disposal are a mechanical pencil, art pencil, technical marker and wedge marker. Each have several tip sizes and utilize the Pencil’s pressure sensitivity in different ways. For instance, the pencil tools act as you’d expect, where a firmer press against the glass creates a darker line. Whereas the marker creates a thicker line with more pressure.

For an app claiming to be built around the Pencil, it’s curious that the art pencil tool doesn’t take into account the angle at which the Pencil is being held. It wouldn’t work if you were trying for an angled shading technique, for instance.

There’s also an eraser, of course. With a Pencil connected, the app defaults to using a finger as the eraser. It’s an intuitive approach that’s not unlike using your finger to remove marks on a dry erase board.

What’s more, undo and redo can be quickly accomplished with a two or three finger tap on the canvas, respectively. You can pinch to zoom, as you’d expect, but you can also rotate the canvas.

Conclusion

After spending some time with Linea, I found a lot to like. Right out of the gate, it’s a refreshing entry in a category with many excellent alternatives, and I feel like with a few tweaks and additions, it could prove to be the one I go back to the most

Linea is available on the App Store for $9.99. If you want to give it a closer look, you can watch some short demo videos on The IconFactor website.

Source: The app for this review was purchased with my own funds. Please visit The IconFactory for more info and the iTunes App Store to buy it.

 

Product Information

Price: $9.99
Manufacturer: The IconFactory
Retailer: iTunes
Pros:
  • Intuitive finger/Pencil control
  • Simplified art tools and color selection
  • Unique templates and grids
  • Uncluttered interface
Cons:
  • Could further utilize the Pencil's abilities
  • Lacking a selection tool and image import

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The IconFactory Linea iPad Pro sketchbook app review originally appeared on on February 24, 2017 at 10:30 am.

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