One of the biggest reveals from Apple's recently concluded product launch was the announcement of the Apple Pencil, an advanced stylus designed to work with the also unveiled iPad Pro tablet.
The $99 accessory makes use of pressure sensitive technology to give users more refined control over the device. It's a feature that's been present in the phones and tablets of rivals like Samsung and Microsoft for years and one that many thought would never come to an Apple powered device.
RIP Steve Jobs. (h/t @fmanjoo) pic.twitter.com/EAcFtnHNix
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) September 9, 2015
That's because Apple founder Steve Jobs hated the thought of using a stylus. Back in 2007, at the launch of the first ever iPhone, Jobs mocked the clunky pointing devices that were ubiquitous on the PDAs and Smartphone type devices of that time.
"Who wants a stylus? You have to get 'em, put 'em away, you lose 'em. Yuck! Nobody wants a stylus. So let's not use a stylus." Said Jobs while showing off the iPhone.
Walter Issacson's Biography on Jobs includes an anecdote which further reinforces Job's disdain for the device.
"God gave us 10 styluses. Let's not invent another." Said in reference to the 'Newton' a stylus aided Apple prototype that never saw the light of day.
Things are obviously different this time however. The Apple pencil is obviously being marketed as a productivity tool for designers, artists, and other creative types. It's a far cry from the simple rubber tipped sticks used in the Palm Pilots of yore. The iPad Pro's 12.9 inch screen also seems like the perfect place for such a device to be used.
This is one of those times when not listening to Jobs may actually pay-off for Apple.
