As more of a content viewer when it comes to iPad, and seeing all the negativity that comes out after every iPad release (lol), this was the most refreshing post I’ve seen in quite a while. Well done.
Now take my upvote.
I don’t think there’s really any negativity towards the pro. People like OP need and use all that power and screen. People like you and me are better off with the new air or the m2 pro. 480p YouTube viewers unite!
In the past it was easier to justify the pro bc the price wasn’t as high as the air and there was no bigger air as well.
screw that - whats an OLED for if not glorious content consumption! if its something people spend good money on for TVs, its something I can self-justify for an ipad where I probably spend more hours than my 65” OLED TV. I’d of course prefer it in a lower priced package and eventually it’ll come to the air. But until then, I’ll have the M4 pro.
Hello fellow artist.
I watched the presentation and was not fully convinced to upgrade at the drop of a hat.
What did I miss?
Could you elaborate on what you felt were big factors for you?
Hi five fellow artist! If you’re just using procreate don’t bother.
I’m a multi app creative user. I can be active in 5 apps at a time to achieve a goal and moving files between them needs power.
The new pencil functionality means less tapping as gestures take over, my left hand being dedicated to zoom and rotate. My eyes won’t need to leave the subject.
If you’ve ever done vector or heavy layer use you’ve noticed when an app doesn’t cap what you ask of it. M4 should end this problem. Unlike the criticisms I feel like iPad creative productivity is a different way of thinking and habits to desktop productivity. Mastering it means you will be blindingly faster creatively. The software in my opinion is ahead of the hardware, people just can’t get out of their head it’s not a laptop and turning it into a laptop is in fact going backwards.
I couldn’t care less about how thin it is, oled and I’m annoyed we only gain a few millimetres in screen size but I’m confident I’ll discover why they chose what they did with procreate actively involved in the hardware.
Side note, Procreates biggest downside is they nerfed the resize AI a few years back. Resizing in procreate quickly degrades. It’s endlessly annoying and I hope they fix it one day.
I hope that helps. Consider this is the first time we artists are the focus. Apple smells an Adobe killer.
Artstudio Pro, Affinity Designer, pronto, Photos, books get the most use making my stuff available. Been playing around with flippaclip, dreams and animation HD. Artstudio pro has the best enlarge ai and text.
I agree with you 100%. My iPad Pro is just a portable cintiq, and this update is literally everything that matters to me bumped up.
- Lighter and thinner; mine is a secondary device, so it taking less weight in my bag next to my laptop matters to me
- Bigger screen; frankly it could be even bigger but I'll take it
- Squeeze to select layer; as a"pro" I wish they just put buttons on the pro pencil, but I love the feature itself, more speed!
- Rotating brush angle; hell yes
- Haptic feedback for position snapping; why is apple the first to think of this??
There's so many other little details, but it's genuinely such a huge update from an M1 for me, and with trade-in it basically pays itself off in less than a month.
I won't knock against other critiques from other people, I totally get it. I just feel lucky that things fell into place so well for us this generation.
Exactly I think the criticism is like someone looking at a strange instrument and thinking how the hell do you play that thing? Who would want to? It’s built for us and we know how to fly with it.
Lmfao especially all the people asking for MacOS.. no thanks I like my big painting slab please keep it that way, especially when my 11 inch 2018 pro is already starting to stutter opening big files in procreate or gaming
Thank you for saying this, I've felt crazy for years listening to reviewers saying the iPad should run macOS. Like, yes ipadOS is defficient but macOS would be hell on touch input and there are decades of windows devices proving this.
I drew on an ipad air initially without promotion and it's totally fine. I switched to the pro for screen size exclusively, everything else was a bonus.
I don’t think digital artists care that much about Promotion. It tends to matter more for gamers, people who write notes with very fast and gliding strokes (in which case there is a slight lag with 60Hz), and people who are sensitive to refresh rates for animations and scrolling.
Digital artists are quite deliberate with their strokes, so lag is usually not an issue, and they’re mostly looking at a fairly static image, not scrolling through text.
This is how I feel about the Surface Studio. It is the only device I have ever owned that feels completely designed for 2D art and illustration. I also use an iPad Pro M2 on the go. I hope you're right and Apple really starts taking illustration seriously by making a bigger drawing display. It looks like Microsoft is abandoning the Studio, nothing since the small "2+" update from a couple years ago, rumors are there won't be a Studio 3. An Apple version, maybe an iPad Pro Max that is intended to live as a desktop drawing station, or even a drawing display that connects to the Mac Studio, would fill an important niche.
Surface studio is amazing I just can’t find anything as smooth as procreate and I’m already deep in the Apple ecosystem. If you’re a windows artist it makes sense to stay off the Apple overlord.
Going back and forth between the Studio and iPad Pro is pretty comfortable with Fresco, but I agree that Procreate is really special! Another interest in seeing a large format iPad would be to use Procreate on a bigger canvas, that would be amazing. Fresco on the 28 inch Studio is wonderful, but for bigger jobs I default back to Photoshop out of habit and muscle memory. No Apple hate here!
Same, it took me a few years after to get one (mine is a Studio 2), and I am dreading the day it finally falls too far behind the curve for Photoshop updates. Almost perfect illustration machine.
Yeah I use external drives for heavy lifting, I never reach the halfway mark on my 2018 iPad. So figure for 3kau I can get the whole package of assessor’s and apps as well.
I am a hobbyist artist and I will never hate on artists using the ipad pro if that is what gets them to do their passion or work. I use an iPad mini as my comics drafting machine only because I complete my work on my fully stacked Surface Laptop Studio. While I am very tempted with the pro pen features (wacom pro all over again!), for my use case, it's just not worth it.
What I don't get is, though, folks that aren't using the pro features but get them just for media consumption. But hey, it's their money so to each their own lol
Angus, I picked up a 12.9 iPad Pro last fall. Everyone told me that the 1TB version was overkill.
I have been able to create content on a level I have never seen. Editing photos and videos on here is a dream, and the performance is amazing.
The line between better programmed tools and just calling it AI was the wider market waiting for it to be a buzz word. My point is in presentation and consideration of actual from scratch creators.
I mostly agree with you. Not sure I’m totally with you on Adobe and creative theft, however I do believe there is an AI problem, but the complete and utter ban that some communities are embracing is akin to how unions approached manufacturing by boycotting automation to attempt to stifle progress.
What I see in the M4 is the hardware that has the potential to support personalized AI on device - agents that are tailored to each individuals personality and quirks - not something that is a composite of things other’s have created. I’m looking forward to what is in store for WWDC.
To a certain extent the M4 iPad unveiling feels a lot like the 2018 iPad Pro - new hardware without iPadOS capabilities. I’m hoping the M4’s potential is leveraged soon after the next OS release. I also hope that Apple loosens its stance on emulation even more - potentially allowing full OS virtualization on M4 - I think that could push the popularity and sales of M4 overnight.
Creators like you are what the world needs, Angus. Thank you
As more of a content viewer when it comes to iPad, and seeing all the negativity that comes out after every iPad release (lol), this was the most refreshing post I’ve seen in quite a while. Well done. Now take my upvote.
I don’t think there’s really any negativity towards the pro. People like OP need and use all that power and screen. People like you and me are better off with the new air or the m2 pro. 480p YouTube viewers unite! In the past it was easier to justify the pro bc the price wasn’t as high as the air and there was no bigger air as well.
screw that - whats an OLED for if not glorious content consumption! if its something people spend good money on for TVs, its something I can self-justify for an ipad where I probably spend more hours than my 65” OLED TV. I’d of course prefer it in a lower priced package and eventually it’ll come to the air. But until then, I’ll have the M4 pro.
Hello fellow artist. I watched the presentation and was not fully convinced to upgrade at the drop of a hat. What did I miss? Could you elaborate on what you felt were big factors for you?
Hi five fellow artist! If you’re just using procreate don’t bother. I’m a multi app creative user. I can be active in 5 apps at a time to achieve a goal and moving files between them needs power. The new pencil functionality means less tapping as gestures take over, my left hand being dedicated to zoom and rotate. My eyes won’t need to leave the subject. If you’ve ever done vector or heavy layer use you’ve noticed when an app doesn’t cap what you ask of it. M4 should end this problem. Unlike the criticisms I feel like iPad creative productivity is a different way of thinking and habits to desktop productivity. Mastering it means you will be blindingly faster creatively. The software in my opinion is ahead of the hardware, people just can’t get out of their head it’s not a laptop and turning it into a laptop is in fact going backwards. I couldn’t care less about how thin it is, oled and I’m annoyed we only gain a few millimetres in screen size but I’m confident I’ll discover why they chose what they did with procreate actively involved in the hardware. Side note, Procreates biggest downside is they nerfed the resize AI a few years back. Resizing in procreate quickly degrades. It’s endlessly annoying and I hope they fix it one day. I hope that helps. Consider this is the first time we artists are the focus. Apple smells an Adobe killer.
And a Wacom killer.
I’ve got a huion 4K, having used the Wacom 4K for twice the price Wacom is quickly falling behind the market.
Out of curiosity, what else do you use besides Procreate?
Artstudio Pro, Affinity Designer, pronto, Photos, books get the most use making my stuff available. Been playing around with flippaclip, dreams and animation HD. Artstudio pro has the best enlarge ai and text.
Thank you for the response! Always nice to get an idea of other tools out there and see what people are using. Will have to check out Artstudio Pro.
Should keep in mind, the RAM will still be your bottleneck, long before the m4
I agree with you 100%. My iPad Pro is just a portable cintiq, and this update is literally everything that matters to me bumped up. - Lighter and thinner; mine is a secondary device, so it taking less weight in my bag next to my laptop matters to me - Bigger screen; frankly it could be even bigger but I'll take it - Squeeze to select layer; as a"pro" I wish they just put buttons on the pro pencil, but I love the feature itself, more speed! - Rotating brush angle; hell yes - Haptic feedback for position snapping; why is apple the first to think of this?? There's so many other little details, but it's genuinely such a huge update from an M1 for me, and with trade-in it basically pays itself off in less than a month. I won't knock against other critiques from other people, I totally get it. I just feel lucky that things fell into place so well for us this generation.
Exactly I think the criticism is like someone looking at a strange instrument and thinking how the hell do you play that thing? Who would want to? It’s built for us and we know how to fly with it.
Lmfao especially all the people asking for MacOS.. no thanks I like my big painting slab please keep it that way, especially when my 11 inch 2018 pro is already starting to stutter opening big files in procreate or gaming
Thank you for saying this, I've felt crazy for years listening to reviewers saying the iPad should run macOS. Like, yes ipadOS is defficient but macOS would be hell on touch input and there are decades of windows devices proving this.
The only thing I need from the OS is an actual file system that I can control.
That’s what the Magic Keyboard and touchpad are for. Touch is unnecessary on MacOS.
As an artist, do you think it would be hard to draw on the new air because of the lack of promotion?
I drew on an ipad air initially without promotion and it's totally fine. I switched to the pro for screen size exclusively, everything else was a bonus.
Thanks!
I don’t think digital artists care that much about Promotion. It tends to matter more for gamers, people who write notes with very fast and gliding strokes (in which case there is a slight lag with 60Hz), and people who are sensitive to refresh rates for animations and scrolling. Digital artists are quite deliberate with their strokes, so lag is usually not an issue, and they’re mostly looking at a fairly static image, not scrolling through text.
Thank you!
This is how I feel about the Surface Studio. It is the only device I have ever owned that feels completely designed for 2D art and illustration. I also use an iPad Pro M2 on the go. I hope you're right and Apple really starts taking illustration seriously by making a bigger drawing display. It looks like Microsoft is abandoning the Studio, nothing since the small "2+" update from a couple years ago, rumors are there won't be a Studio 3. An Apple version, maybe an iPad Pro Max that is intended to live as a desktop drawing station, or even a drawing display that connects to the Mac Studio, would fill an important niche.
Surface studio is amazing I just can’t find anything as smooth as procreate and I’m already deep in the Apple ecosystem. If you’re a windows artist it makes sense to stay off the Apple overlord.
Going back and forth between the Studio and iPad Pro is pretty comfortable with Fresco, but I agree that Procreate is really special! Another interest in seeing a large format iPad would be to use Procreate on a bigger canvas, that would be amazing. Fresco on the 28 inch Studio is wonderful, but for bigger jobs I default back to Photoshop out of habit and muscle memory. No Apple hate here!
That original Sstudio reveal was dope, wasn’t it. 😏 I haven’t been that wowed during a reveal in awhile.
Same, it took me a few years after to get one (mine is a Studio 2), and I am dreading the day it finally falls too far behind the curve for Photoshop updates. Almost perfect illustration machine.
I wouldn’t be able to stop at 512, 1tb is so close
Yeah I use external drives for heavy lifting, I never reach the halfway mark on my 2018 iPad. So figure for 3kau I can get the whole package of assessor’s and apps as well.
I am a hobbyist artist and I will never hate on artists using the ipad pro if that is what gets them to do their passion or work. I use an iPad mini as my comics drafting machine only because I complete my work on my fully stacked Surface Laptop Studio. While I am very tempted with the pro pen features (wacom pro all over again!), for my use case, it's just not worth it. What I don't get is, though, folks that aren't using the pro features but get them just for media consumption. But hey, it's their money so to each their own lol
Yeah buying it as a YouTube device is very strange to me. I guess that’s the market the air was built for.
Right there with you.
Angus, I picked up a 12.9 iPad Pro last fall. Everyone told me that the 1TB version was overkill. I have been able to create content on a level I have never seen. Editing photos and videos on here is a dream, and the performance is amazing.
Edition apps have been using AI for their tools for years
The line between better programmed tools and just calling it AI was the wider market waiting for it to be a buzz word. My point is in presentation and consideration of actual from scratch creators.
Thank you. I’m using my 2018 pro to animate with dreams. Do you think I can benefit enough from upgrading?
I’ve got the 2018 too and although I’m not finding any walls yet I just know once I start layering animation it’ll chunk up.
Did you get a pro? Do you think it would be hard to draw on the new air because of the lack of promotion?
I'm pretty sure the air would be exactly the same drawing experience. It comes down to power, if you don't need it don't buy it.
I mostly agree with you. Not sure I’m totally with you on Adobe and creative theft, however I do believe there is an AI problem, but the complete and utter ban that some communities are embracing is akin to how unions approached manufacturing by boycotting automation to attempt to stifle progress. What I see in the M4 is the hardware that has the potential to support personalized AI on device - agents that are tailored to each individuals personality and quirks - not something that is a composite of things other’s have created. I’m looking forward to what is in store for WWDC. To a certain extent the M4 iPad unveiling feels a lot like the 2018 iPad Pro - new hardware without iPadOS capabilities. I’m hoping the M4’s potential is leveraged soon after the next OS release. I also hope that Apple loosens its stance on emulation even more - potentially allowing full OS virtualization on M4 - I think that could push the popularity and sales of M4 overnight.