Blog Archives

Lightning to USB with Dragonfly DAC

4/30/2016

I already have a video and article that explains how to use the Dragonfly DAC with the iPhone when you do not have power avaialble, but this new adapter adds a better solution for some common situations.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Charge iOS Device while Listening to Music

One of the main weaknesses to using the Dragonfly DAC in my prior article/video was the inability to charge the iPhone while using the external DAC. I even tried splitting the signal and putting a battery charger in the setup and it still wouldn't charge the iPhone or iPad.

However, the upside to the newLightning to USB 3 Camera Kit adapter is that it has two ports. One port can be used with USB and the other with Lightning. This is an awesome addition since you can now provide power to the iPhone/iPad while using the USB port of the adapter.

Below is a new video showing how the adapter works with the iPad Pro 9.7, Dragonfly DAC, and Intocircuit® Power Castle 11200mAh Heavy Duty 5V 2A/1A Dual USB Ports External Battery Pack Charger. Actually, you can also just plug it directly into a wall outlet.

Why do we need this work-around?

I would really like to see Apple increase the power output of the lightning port. As I have mentioned before, outboard DACs like the Original Nuforce uDAC were able to run off of the iPhone's port without needing a work around back in 2010. Then Apple updated their firmware and took the feature away. I believe they did this to "help" us save battery power. At this point, I wish they would just give us the option to use devices that might drain the battery. I can shoot video with my iPhone (the video above was shot with an iPhone), which I assume burns more power than most activities.

The Wrap Up

For those that want to use compatible, unpowered external USB DACs with the iPhone, the new adapter is a fantastic addition. It will also be great for those that want to use other accessories with the iPhone/iPad. I have a camera card reader that would not work with the iPad, but with this accessory, I can use it to transfer files from my Canon's CF card. My understanding is that it works with a wide range of accessories, which will make the iOS system much more useful than ever.

Zuli Smartplug Review - Almost Magical

4/29/2016

I am a big fan of home automation. I have iDevices, iHome devices, WeMo devices, and Hue Bulbs. The Zuli Smartplugs have several cool, unique features, but they aren’t perfect just yet.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

First, to take full advantage of the Zuli plugs, you need to have at least three of them. At that point, you can set up their “Presence” feature and have lights or electronics turn on when you and your iPhone are in the same room with them. The feature also work with Phillips Hue lights, so you can add new rooms without even adding more Zuli plugs.

“Presence" is a feature that you setup after you plug in the three smart plugs. Once they are plugged in, you set up each room by “calibrating” the space. It requires you stand where you want the lights (or other electronic device) to turn on and then turn four times to set up that space and then walk around the room so it knows where the room starts and ends. In theory, once you have everything calibrated, the lights/plug will turn on when you enter the room and turn off at a designated time after you leave the room.

When I first got the plugs, I noticed that I couldn’t set up a room with just a Phillips Hue Bulb in it. Therefore, I had to put the Zuli plugs in every room I wanted to use Presence. However, shortly after I received the plugs, they provided an update to fix that problem and now you only need a Hue bulb or a smart plug in a room (assuming you have three Zuli plugs in the home). Another useful feature they added was that you can now setup the plugs to only turn on when the sun is down. Both of these new features were something that made a huge difference in my feelings about these plugs.

Another cool feature is that I now have the ability to dim the lights that I have plugged into the Zuli plugs. Of course, not every single light works with the dimming feature, but I tested it in three different setups and the dimming feature worked in all three. You can also use the iPhone app to directly turn on and off plugs in addition to Hue lights.

As with most smart plugs, you can also setup a schedule for the plug to turn on and off at specific times on certain days of the week or all days of the week. The app also let you name the devices and rooms, so it is easy to distinguish one device from another. You can even choose an icon to make it easier to recognize the device.

The app also has an “Energy” page that shows you the “Energy Usage”, “Est Monthly Cost”, Est Active Time”, and the “Carbon Footprint”. The only issue is that when I set up my lights (using the Zuli Plugs) with “Presence” they give you an option of how long to wait before turning off the lights when you leave a room. The choices were 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes. I didn’t have an option to turn the lights off immediately, so using the automated approach, I would be wasting a minimum of 10 minutes of electricity. As a result, I often still pull out my iPhone to manually turn off the Zuli plugs.

I also had some issues with accuracy of the Presence feature. Sometimes I will walk in the hall outside of my office and the lights will turn on without stepping into the room. I have recalibrated the room, but it is still an issue. Another issue is that the Presence feature will hold onto the last room you were in if you don’t have a Zuli in the new room you are entering (I contacted the company about this problem and they said they are working on the issue).

There are a couple more downsides compared to other smart devices. These plugs can’t be controlled with the Apple Watch because they lack an app, they don’t work with Siri like iDevices, they don’t work with Amazon Echo like the Wemo plugs. For comparison, the Hue bulb work with all three. The Zuli plugs require you to get out your phone and launch the app or push a button on the plug if you want to control them manually.

Another issue is that they use Bluetooth rather than wifi. This means that you can’t be at work or on vacation and turn off/on the plugs when you are away from home like the other wifi connected smart plugs I own.

All that being said, the Zuli Plugs are almost magical. There is nothing like walking into a dark house and having lights turn on as you pass through rooms. I have one Zuli setup in our sunroom that automatically come on when I pass through the room when I take the pups out at night. In a lot of ways, it feels like I am living in a world from Science Fiction novels I read about as a kid.

Sure, there are still a few minor kinks that need to be worked out, but it refreshing to get a huge app update in the few weeks I have had the plugs. I contacted the company during the first week I owned the plugs and they answered me the next day, so it is obvious that they care. I don’t blame them, this is a product that is worth caring about!

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Tidal - The only streaming service with Prince

4/23/2016

I reviewed Tidal many moons ago, but my main feeling at the time was that it was behind the curve related to the late, great Rdio music service. I did love the lossless audio option, but I didn't like the fact that it was priced at twice the amount of services using ~320k.

When Prince passed away this week (April 21st), I was reminded that there were plenty of Prince albums I have not heard. Yes, I have a few Prince albums, but I don't have them all and I wanted a chance to give many of them a try without spending a fortune on CDs.

As many remember, Prince had issues with music companies:

"The Internet's completely over," says Prince, who will not sell his new album via iTunes or Amazon. "I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it."

As a result, fans looking to listen to his music either need to buy the album, find them elsewhere on the web, or subscribe to Tidal.

Tidal on iOS

The main reason I am not on Tidal today is because Apple Music is superior on iOS. Yes, there are many people that don't like Apple Music, but I have given my reasons for loving the service that you can read about here if you are interested.

If it weren't for Apple Music, I am fairly sure I would be subscribed to Tidal right now. The main reason is that they are the only service that integrates with the best music platform on Earth. If I listened to most of my music at home, I would subscribe to Tidal Lossless and pay the $119 for a year's subscription to Roon Audio. However, I mainly listen to music at work and in the car, so spending that much money on a service that is only superior when I am listening at home didn't make much sense. However, I will say that the combination is nothing short of magical.

To Wrap Things Up

I plan to listen to a lot of Prince in the next month and I will see if I still want to be subscribed a month from now. My guess is that I will be ready to drop the service at that time, but I will let you know if something changes.

Airfoil 5 Review

4/23/2016

The Old Features

I have written about the numerous Airplay features of Airfoil many times, so I won't go over every detail here (use the search function on this site if you want to find full articles). However, I have recommended Airfoil combined with the Airport Express (I have two of these $39 last gen versions and they work great) or AppleTV for several years for people that want to stream audio from their computer to a stereo via wifi. The old version of this program could do that with any audio stream and it could also let you choose numerous Airplay receivers and play on all them individually or simultaneously. It is an awesome program for those that want multiroom-audio without spending a fortune.

The other unique features is that it will also make your iOS device or Computer appear as an Airplay device. This ideal if you want to stream from your computer to your iPhone/iPad/Android Device.

Groups

One of the best new features with the new version of Airfoil is the ability to create "Groups". Instead of needing to click on individual Airplay devices in the menu every time, you can now setup Groups for the speakers you listen to most often and group them together for easy access. For example, if you like to have your Kitchen Speaker on with your main Living Room speaker when you prepare meals, you can simply put those two speakers in a group and click one button to activate both of them. It is very convenient for those that like to listen to the same speakers all the time.

Below, you can see the "Groups" setup menu. When you hit the "+" symbol, it brings up an "Untitled Group" you can rename. Next, you put a check in the box of the Airplay devices you want in the setup. I have already setup a "Bedroom" group and a "Living" group.

Bluetooth

Airfoil now supports Bluetooth devices, as well. I tested this with myParrot ZIK 2.0 headphones that I had paired to my Mac. I sent the audio to my Denon receiver and my headphones simultaneously and the audio played on both devices.

The interesting thing was that my Bluetooth headphones could still pause and play the audio that was being sent via Airfoil from iTunes. I don't use Bluetooth around the house a lot, but this could really come in handy for those that have Airplay devices playing in one room while a Bluetooth speaker is playing in the kitchen or a bathroom.

Notice in the picture below that myParrot ZIK's are listed with my Airplay devices, my iOS devices, and the Macs that are running Airfoil Satellite:

Audio Drop Outs

I was reading an audio forum thread recently where someone complained that he was getting drop outs using Airfoil for his 5 Airplay devices and he said it was not a router issue, but instead, it was an issue with the technology. That claim sounded false to me, but I decided to test it to be sure.

I set up Airfoil to send audio to the following Airplay devices:

1. Appletv 3 in gym/garage (wireless)
2. Airport Express in the bathroom on the other side of the house (wireless)
3. Phillips Speaker in the kitchen ( wireless)
4. Appletv 4 in my Denon setup the living room ( wired to Ethernet)
5. Airport Express in the Sunroom ( power plug adapter)
6. Airport Express feeding Marantz in living room (wireless)
7. iPad Pro ( wireless) - I even took the iPad out to the deck in the backyard.

I streamed Apple Music's service for a hour. No problems in any of the setups. I then switched to my own lossless (ALAC) music and listened to a full album. Also, no problems. I tried skipping songs and pausing songs using the Remote app on my Apple Watch. The streaming was still perfect on every AirPlay device all over the house/garage/sunroom.

I concluded that any issue with drop outs has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TECHNOLOGY. I realize that people have the tendency to believe that they have the best router and they actually have it setup correctly. Maybe they do and have some sort of other interference, but the fact is that in my setup it worked exactly the way it is supposed to from one end of the house to another and from the front of the house to the backyard. If it works in my setup, it is proof that the technology works and that if you have an issue it is something related to your individual environment.

My setup consists of a Google OnHub router for wifi and I also have an older Airport Extreme (that I bought in 2013) in the setup running in Bridge mode since it has a couple drives hooked to it.

The Satellite App

Airfoil also provided an update to their Airfoil Speakers and AF Remote iOS apps with a new app called Airfoil Satellite. It is a lot better than needing two separate apps to control where the music plays. With the old AF Remote app, it would often have an issue finding Airfoil on my network. No such issue with the new app. It works perfectly.

As with the old Airfoil Speakers app, there is also a new Satellite app that works on your computer. Below is a screenshot of Satellite on a Mac Mini receiving an Airplay signal from an iPhone and then Airfoil sending the audio out:

Awesome Update

Airfoil 5 is an awesome update. They are charging a $15 upgrade fee for those that already paid for a license to a prior version or about double that ($29) for a new license. I bought updates for my Windows and Macs which costed me $30, but you can get a combo license for Windows and Mac for $40 if you are not upgrading.

I realize that paid upgrades are frowned upon by many users, but in this case, $15 is more than fair. I want to support these folks. There is no one doing the stuff they are doing with Airplay audio.

(As a side note, I know some people will wonder if Airfoil works with Chrome Casting. At this point it does not, but they are working on adding the feature. If and when it is added, they say it will be a free update for the people using Airfoil 5.)

Essential R&B Albums: Mastered for iTunes

4/15/2016

This is the sixth entry of an ongoing series to list (via screenshots) the "Mastered for iTunes" albums that Apple Music has spotlighted.

So far, we have the following links:
Essential Rock Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Jazz Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Metal Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Pop Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Country Albums: Mastered for iTunes

iPad Pro 9.7 - First Impressions

4/9/2016

As I mentioned in a prior post, I decide to get the new iPad Pro 9.7. The decision to move up from my iPad Air 2 was initially not something I was going to do, but after more consideration, the ability to use the Apple Pencil was just too much to resist.

Form Factor

For me, there will always be a trade off for size. I think the larger Pro would be better with the Pencil, but it is just too big for most of my other tablet needs.

In other words, the 9.7 is just right for the way I use the iPad, while still being something I can live with concerning my amateur needs as an artist and photographer. I still have the Air 2, but having two iPads at different sizes is overkill for my needs and I would rather have one iPad that does it all. As a result, I gave the Air 2 to my girlfriend and will use the 9.7 Pro as my only tablet.

Pencil

This is the main reason I upgraded from the Air 2. I love photography and when I was younger, I loved drawing, so I am going to try some sketching with the Procreate app and some of the sketching apps. For editing photos right on the iPad, Pixelmator has some great features.

However, the big selling point for me was using it like a Cintiq Wacom tablet with an app called Astropad that runs on the Mac and iPad (the picture above has Astropad running on the iPad and on the iMac). I have been getting used to the Astropad app and it is great for pen point adjustments in Photoshop.

Currently, the iPad doesn't support the regular version of Lightroom or Photoshop. There are some Adobe mobile apps, but they are limited in comparison to the desktop apps.

Astropad makes the iPad an extension of the Mac, so you can edit Photoshop files using the iPad, but it is more cumbersome than just using the stand alone apps on the iPad. This is one of the main benefits of the Surface over the iPad, but for me, the trade off in size just wasn’t worth going that route.

Camera

While I don't typically use the iPad as a camera, it now has a good enough lens that it won't be a huge compromise. If you have pets or children, you know that it is often nice to be able to take a picture at a moments notice. With the new 12 Megapixel sensor, the output is more respectable than ever. It also has Live Photos (which I love for shooting pups). It even has a Panorama feature that will take a 63 megapixel photo. The aperture is also a respectable f/2.2. The front camera has also been updated to 5 megapixels for those that like to use FaceTime or Skype. Lots of other camera features I won’t dwell on here, but if you think the iPhone 6S takes good photos, you get the same quality here.

I also want to mention that there is a small "camera bump" that some will find unattractive. The good news is that the iPad will still sit on a flat surface without any wobble at all, so it is just an aesthetic issue. Not a big deal, but it is worth mentioning. You can see it in the picture above.

That being said, the video recording capabilities are even more worthwhile because the huge viewfinder (screen) makes recording video a more useful proposition. There are already kits available for the iPad like iOgrapher mounts and extra add-on lenses that could make this a respectable kit that shoots up to 4K @ 30Hz.

Note: I am not sure at this point if the iOgrapher for the Air 2 will work with the iPad Pro 9.7. One issue may be the new flash that would most likely be covered with the old iOgrapher but it may be worth picking up to try if you are only interested in video (assuming you buy it from a vendor like Amazon with a good return policy). I will probably hold out for the iPad Pro specific version, though.

One benefit that was pointed out in one of the Lynda.com videos is that "nothing says tourist like shooting with an iPad". That may be beneficial in some places where you don't want to look like a pro. Businesses are typically more accomadating to a goofy tourist than a person carrying a DSLR with a professional lens. Make sure you put on a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts to really make yourself look like a harmless doofus.

The pic below was taken in a darkish living room with the iPad without flash and edited on the iPad with Pixelmator.

The pic below was taken with the iPad with flash on right after the pic above. I edited the photo in Pixelmator on the iPad only to desaturate green pupils, but the rest is what the photo looked like out of the camera. You can click on the photo to get a larger look at the pic.

Of course, the photos in decent light are fantastic. The pic below is completely unedited (other than any magic Apple puts into their jpegs):

Speed

As many have reported, the iPad Pro 9.7 still has 2GB of RAM. That doesn't mean it isn't faster than the Air2, though. The additional speed is related to the new A9x processor. For single-threaded apps like Safari, the extra speed is easily noticeable. I tested it by launching TheVerge on both iPads and the Pro loaded quite a bit faster. Personally, Safari is my most used app, so every extra second I save loading pages can lead to real time savings over the life of the iPad.

The Big iPad Pro has 4GB of RAM, but it also has many more pixels to push around, so in the Geekbench scores I have seen, it isn’t much faster than the 9.7 in any category. Also, the 9.7 has better battery life as a positive trade off.

If I had the choice, I would have liked to see Apple put in 4GBs of RAM even if it didn’t net much difference in the current operating system. In the future, I am sure that the 2GB limitation will be noticeable. However, since I use the iPad more than any of my other home computers (probably all of them combined), I will probably upgrade for other features before that becomes a problem.

TrueTone

This is a feature that automatically matches the screen color to ambient light. It is an interesting feature. I held the Pro up next to the Air 2 and the Air 2 looked blue in comparison. Some think it is a gimmick, but I find it more pleasant to use with the feature turned on, so I am happy to have it.

In the pic below, I set my Hue lights to bright yellow just to give an extreme example of the difference.

Screen

The screen is being touted as being the brightest and least reflective iPad screen. Apple is also saying that it has wider color gamut that translates into 25 percent greater color saturation than previous iPads. This is also easy to see when you pull up a photo with brilliant colors (like a sunset/sunrise style shot). The Pro simply looks more saturated in areas that you see more dull colors on the Air 2. I have a photo on Flickr with a house during sunset. The dark areas, especially in the roof of the photo, simply has more color and looks better on the Pro.

I have seen other reviews that think it will be a problem for editing since most people won’t be using a display with the same capabilities. However, I would rather edit on a screen with the same DCI(P3) color gamut support that is found in the Retina 5K iMac. I think monitors will continue to get better, so I prefer the best possible screen now because it will make a difference later.

The downside to the iPad vs Mac is that you can calibrate the screen on the iMac using tools like the Spyder 4, but you don't have that same benefit with the iPad. However, you can tweak the color temperature via the Night Shift settings. There is also a Spyder app for the iPad that you can use for calibrating the iPad inside the app and for viewing photos inside the app. While the app doesn't contain photo correcting software, you can at least review a photo on the calibrated screen before posting it.

Smart Connector

I have not bought the Apple Smart Keyboard for the iPad because I honestly don't know if I will ever use a keyboard with the iPad, and if I do, I just don’t know if it is worth the money ($149) that Apple charges for the privilege.

I still have to think that over, so I will wait and see what third parties come up with. Until then, I am using my rugged, but lightweight, Ottorbox case. I initially complained about the Ottorbox because it has a clasp on the side that is more cumbersome than the magnets on the Apple Leather Case. However, since they moved the magnets on the new iPad Pro 9.7, it is the only case I own that works with the Pro right now. I am very happy to have this feature rather than having to buy a new case when I bought the iPad. I probably would have just bought the Apple Smart Keyboard case, but this at least gives me time to see if there are better alternatives first.

Sound

The new Pro has speakers that are just a whole lot better than the iPad Air 2. It now has a 4 speaker setup with stereo sound (the pic above shows the difference between the tops of the Air 2 and the Pro). Personally, I am not recommending that you use this as your main music listening system, but it is really is nice to have for YouTube, games, and other times you are not near an Airplay or Bluetooth speaker.

I was disappointed that the Pro, with the new USB camera adapter, still gives a message that the Dragonfly DAC requires to much power to play. I remember the year 2010 when you could use a lot of USB DACs with the iPad without any problems. Then came along the OS update 4.2 that gave the “too much power required” message. It was a bummer.

Six years later and nothing has changed in that area. In fact, the 9.7 Pro is still using USB 2.0, while the Bigger Pro got USB 3.0. I think this limitation is simply a way for Apple to control the battery power at the expense of user experience. That being said, the new USB connection kit does give you one benefit over the older kit in the fact that it has a separate port for charging the device while using it and providing enough power that the Dragonfly DAC and original uDAC will still work when it is plugged in to power. For on the go, the Plugable solution also still works.

Notice the two ports in the picture below.

Is it worth the price increase?

This is a tough question to answer. As I mentioned before, I love the iPad and use it everyday. It is my most used home computing device (I use the iPhone a lot more away from home). However, I think a big part of deciding whether it is worth the money comes down to the Pencil. If you use or want to use photography, art, or note taking apps on the iPad it is a significant upgrade over the iPad Airs. It can significantly change the user experience.

Also, while not as dramatic as the Pencil addition, the screen is noticeably better, Safari and other apps are noticeably faster, and the camera and speakers are also huge improvements. For me, it was worth the money. I don’t know that it will be worth it for everyone, but hopefully this article will help you to decide.

Samsung T3 Portable 250GB USB 3.0 External SSD Review

4/2/2016

Fast SSD over USB 3.0

The main way I use the Samsung T3 Portable 250GB USB 3.0 External SSD is for my Lightroom catalog. Putting the catalog on an external drive gives me the ability to pull it off my iMac and plug it into a laptop and still maintain some editing feature while I am on the go.

This Samsung SSD is very fast. I ran CrystalDiskMark on the drive and it gets close to the 450 MB/s speeds that Samsung claims. On my Toshiba laptop, using the basic "Seq Q32T1" tests, the read speeds of my internal drive were 541.1 MB/S and the write speeds were 306.9 MB/S. Running the same test on the Samsung gave me read speeds of 428.8 MB/S and write speeds of 423.9 MB/s. I may have some background applications running that are slowing things down a bit, but overall I am very impressed. The write speeds are actually faster over the Samsung drive than the internal drive!

Small and Thin

The small and thin size make the drive easy to carry anywhere. The pic below has a pen behind it to give you a way to compare it. This thing is so small that it could fit in a shirt pocket.

The Perfect Travel Companion

The problem with using an external drive in the past was the fact that the drives were larger, easier to damage, and too slow. This drive fixes all those problems. As a result, the Samsung T3 Portable 250GB USB 3.0 External SSD works perfectly for my needs. If you have similar needs and have a computer with USB 3.0, I think this is a great solution.

Contemplating the iPad Pro 9.7 inch

4/2/2016

I have mentioned it in the past, but the iPad has been my favorite Apple device. Of course, I like the iPhone and the Mac, but I could more easily switch to another phone or computer than another tablet. However, I am wondering if the iPad Pro 9.7 is worth buying at the increased price.

PC Replacement?

Once again, Apple is marketing the iPad as a PC replacement. If I was using this point as a way of deciding whether to buy it, I would definitely not buy it. In fact, just a couple of days ago, I was telling a co-worker I wasn't going to buy it. For me, it is not a PC replacement and I have my doubts that any iPad will ever be with the way that Apple cripples the device when compared to much, much older PCs.

Just one example is that iTunes running on a 5 year old PC can Airplay to multiple rooms without a problem. For some reason, the iOS devices can't do this with Apple Music. I have written about this in the past if you are interested. Also, Apple cripples the Lightning Port. This means that you can't use a USB DAC like the Dragonfly without tricking the iPad. The list of things you can't do with an iPad that you can do with a 5 year old PC are numerous and I don't have days to make a list that would rival the length of Santa's Christmas list right now, so you just have to trust me on this one.

iPad as a Tablet

My main use for an iPad is that I like the form factor. It is perfect for laying around on the couch and consuming media. I also like writing most of my Blog posts on it using Evernote. Yes, I am used to the onscreen keyboard at this point. As a tablet, I can take anywhere without much stress because it is light and thin. I have had three iPads and I love the fact that they have gotten thinner and lighter over the years. I still can't believe it when I hear Podcasters complaining about Apple's handheld devices getting thinner and thinner. If you really need battery power and you don't care about carrying around a brick all the time, get an external battery to charge it. Sheesh!

iPad for Creation

As I mentioned above, of course you can use the current Air2 and earlier iPads for creation. However, the big selling point for the iPad Pro 9.7 (PLEASE APPLE, START GIVING YOUR DEVICES MORE DISTINGUISHING NAMES!!!), is that it takes the "creation" side of things to a new level. In fact, rather than calling it a "PC Replacement" why don't you just point out that it does a lot of things better than a PC thanks to the Pencil instead?

The Pencil

When I first heard about the iPad Pro (the big version), I was intrigued by the Pencil. To be able to edit photos, take notes, or sketch on an iPad with touch sensitivity sounded awesome. However, I couldn't justify spending that much money on a device that would really just serve one purpose because its form factor doesn't lend itself as easily to couch surfing as the 9.7 inch iPad. Therefore, I didn't buy one.

Now that they have a 9.7 inch iPad that works with the Pencil, I am much more interested. Yes, in typical Apple fashion, that limited it to 2GB of RAM compared to the 4GBs used in the Big Pro, but the Geekbench scores are close enough to the Big Pro, that I know I would still get a lot of use out of it. My Air2 has the same amount of RAM and it never chokes even when I run a macro that pulls open 5 pages of the image heavy "The Verge" site. However, I just hope we are not in that same situation that we had with the iPad 3 release where they come out with a better version with 4GB of RAM in a few months. That would be a kick to the gut if I buy this thing now.

Is it Worth It?

For me, it really comes down to the Pencil. Being able to wirelessly edit Photoshop files on a Mac running Astropad is the killer feature that just makes it too difficult to wait for the next iPad Pro 9.7 inch that will most likely have 4GBs of RAM. Life is just too short to wait, so I am going to get one. The price is a lot to swallow, to be honest, but the more I think about it, the more I want to use the Pencil. When I was younger, I loved to draw and paint. However, I would love to renew that interest in a device that I will always have close by. Also, for photo editing, the Pencil will most likely replace my Wacom Intuos tablet since Astropad puts the interface right on the tablet even when I am in a separate room from my iMac. Even when editing photos right on the tablet with Adobe or Pixelmator, the Pencil will give more pinpoint control when compared to using a finger.

So is it worth it? For me, it is on the edge of what I would be willing to pay for such a device. If it didn't have a Pencil, the other neat new features would not have been compelling enough for my to pay up. However, I am going to bite my lip and just grin an bear the "Apple Tax" and get one.

For me, the combination of a nearly perfect tablet media consuming device combined with an art creating platform is just too much to turn down. However, I am fully aware that it won't be worth it for a whole lot of people. I think it depends on what you want from a tablet and the iPad Pro 9.7 checks nearly every box for me.

Essential Country Albums: Mastered for iTunes

4/2/2016

This is the fifth entry of an ongoing series to list (via screenshots) the "Mastered for iTunes" albums that Apple Music has spotlighted.

So far, we have the following links:
Essential Rock Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Jazz Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Metal Albums: Mastered for iTunes
Essential Pop Albums: Mastered for iTunes

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