(First, let me say, Astropad and Duet Display aren't what I'm looking for. See further down for explanation.)
tl;dr
iPad Pro can almost be a portable Cintiq. Just needs a "video in" connection, probably USB-C. What do you think the chances are of an upcoming iteration of iPP receiving this?
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My full spiel...
For those that don't know, Cintiqs are pen-input monitors made by Wacom. They are the design and animation industry standard and, in general, great devices.
The problem is they have no competition, so their devices are quite bulky, not the best resolution, and extremely expensive. Not to mention, they don't run iOS/OSX in their tablets and PCs.
iPad Pro DOES run iOS and hits those other areas, so it could be a wonderful portable Cintiq replacement (and Apple would undoubtedly take a large share away from Wacom), but in order to do so, Apple needs to build "video in" functionality into the iPad Pro, of course with Pencil support. If they did, it would be an Apple version of a Wacom device called the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. The CCH is an Android tablet with pen input (like a digital sketchbook), and when you plug it into a laptop on the go, using USB and HDMI, it becomes an external pen-input monitor for real work (and battery-powered as a bonus). It's a dream device in theory, except that it runs Android, it's thick, and weighs almost 4 lbs!! Needless to say, it didn't do so well with sales because of those reasons, plus it was a tad expensive. But an iPad Pro with the same functionality really would be the dream.
Before people suggest Astropad or Duet Display, let me tell you why those apps won't work, at least in my case. First off, DD doesn't have pen input, so that's a non-starter. Astropad only mirrors; it doesn't do extended desktop, which is most times crucial for my workflow. Both apps have have at least partial lag, which is a no-go for professional work. Also in the times I do use only one monitor, Astropad still wouldn't usually be of help to me, because the only times I work with one monitor is when I literally don't have the space for two monitors (like on an airplane for example)--so if I were to use Astropad, I would need to close my MBP monitor (to enter clamshell mode) and use the iPad Pro on top of the MBP. But if I close the MBP, the iPad Pro wouldn't be recognized as an actual monitor and the MBP would go to sleep. (I suppose I could get something like Insomniax, but that's just another piece of software I have to run that I don't really want.) So all in all those apps don't help much with my needs.
So I believe for the iPad Pro to truly be a Cintiq replacement, it needs a hardware change. It needs a "video in" connection... I'm thinking if Apple ever does this, USB-C would be the likely choice since it's small and multi-functional. Do you guys see a good chance of this happening in an upcoming iteration of iPP? Just interested in others' thoughts.
tl;dr
iPad Pro can almost be a portable Cintiq. Just needs a "video in" connection, probably USB-C. What do you think the chances are of an upcoming iteration of iPP receiving this?
---
My full spiel...
For those that don't know, Cintiqs are pen-input monitors made by Wacom. They are the design and animation industry standard and, in general, great devices.
The problem is they have no competition, so their devices are quite bulky, not the best resolution, and extremely expensive. Not to mention, they don't run iOS/OSX in their tablets and PCs.
iPad Pro DOES run iOS and hits those other areas, so it could be a wonderful portable Cintiq replacement (and Apple would undoubtedly take a large share away from Wacom), but in order to do so, Apple needs to build "video in" functionality into the iPad Pro, of course with Pencil support. If they did, it would be an Apple version of a Wacom device called the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. The CCH is an Android tablet with pen input (like a digital sketchbook), and when you plug it into a laptop on the go, using USB and HDMI, it becomes an external pen-input monitor for real work (and battery-powered as a bonus). It's a dream device in theory, except that it runs Android, it's thick, and weighs almost 4 lbs!! Needless to say, it didn't do so well with sales because of those reasons, plus it was a tad expensive. But an iPad Pro with the same functionality really would be the dream.
Before people suggest Astropad or Duet Display, let me tell you why those apps won't work, at least in my case. First off, DD doesn't have pen input, so that's a non-starter. Astropad only mirrors; it doesn't do extended desktop, which is most times crucial for my workflow. Both apps have have at least partial lag, which is a no-go for professional work. Also in the times I do use only one monitor, Astropad still wouldn't usually be of help to me, because the only times I work with one monitor is when I literally don't have the space for two monitors (like on an airplane for example)--so if I were to use Astropad, I would need to close my MBP monitor (to enter clamshell mode) and use the iPad Pro on top of the MBP. But if I close the MBP, the iPad Pro wouldn't be recognized as an actual monitor and the MBP would go to sleep. (I suppose I could get something like Insomniax, but that's just another piece of software I have to run that I don't really want.) So all in all those apps don't help much with my needs.
So I believe for the iPad Pro to truly be a Cintiq replacement, it needs a hardware change. It needs a "video in" connection... I'm thinking if Apple ever does this, USB-C would be the likely choice since it's small and multi-functional. Do you guys see a good chance of this happening in an upcoming iteration of iPP? Just interested in others' thoughts.
