Apple Pencil + iPad Pro 2018 + iPadOS + Sidecar = Wacom and Astropad are screwed

One of the things I totally missed in all the new Mac Pro hoopla was announcement of Sidecar (all of 30 seconds I guess) in the keynote. Apparently this makes attaching iPad Pro to a Mac as a second monitor a native functionality in iPadOS. This is something I thought Apple would introduce at the 2018 iPad Pro announcement.

Why 2018 iPad Pro and not the earlier models? Because 2018 models switched from Lightening port with USB 2.0 chipset to USB-C connector with USB 3.1 chipset, allowing max bandwidth of 10 Gbps (10 billion bits per second). That made it for the first time that in iPad's history you can send full uncompressed screen buffer through that port at at least 60 Hz (the math is 2732 x 2048 x 24 x 60 = 8,056,995,840
). You could theoretically mirror or remote what's on the iPad Pro's screen to a Mac without compressing color or resolution information.

I guess it took a while longer than I predicted, but Apple seems to be doing native iPad Pro to Mac screen mirroring/extending while attached with the correct USB-C cable (ones that allow for UHD and HDR for monitors). They are also doing Sidecar via Wifi, but with 802,11ac (a.k.a. WiFi 5), you don't have enough theoretical max bandwidth to send uncompressed screen buffer back and forth at 60Hz (at least for the 12.9" model. 11" technically fits under WiFi 5 specs, but nature of WiFi means that max is rarely if at all, reached and sustained).

So all you Mac/iPad ppl who keep asking me if using iPad as a mini Cintiq without lag is possible, Now I can say yes. Probably. No one can test Sidecar yet, but all the technical hurdle should be gone now.

Anyways, Sidecar pretty much means Wacom and Astropad are ****ed, at least for Apple user base. Wacom can only blame themselves for this, but I feel bad for exclusive iOS devs like Astropad. Overnight they getting crushed by the very hand that fed them. As soon as Apple concocts a pen driver for Photoshop, its over. You live by Apple and die by Apple I guess...

 

If they'd just put Apple Pencil support into the iPod Touch (or iPhone), I'd be in --- I still want a real replacement for my Newton MessagePad.

 

That's good for MacOS users, but as a windows user EasyCanvas is my only option. TBH I think the lag is overblown. After a bit it's not really noticeable.