Astropad setup pro#
Astropad setup plus#
Astropad setup professional#

This could be a great use for an old iMac on your desk that has a perfectly good display but outdated internals. This is an expensive endeavor, but it could be worth the investment if you have other uses for the dongle.įor example, you can use the Luna Display to output one Mac’s display on another.

Astropad setup professional#

You’ll still need to buy Astropad for Apple Pencil input, and you’ll still need to cough up the monthly fee if you want professional features like customizable pressure settings or Magic Gestures (on top of the $130 dongle). Perfect for: Windows users who don’t fancy beta testing Astropad.

Keep in mind that, as of this writing in August 2021, many features have yet to make it into Project Blue and that performance may be unstable during pre-release testing.

Astropad setup plus#

There are some minimum system requirements you’ll need to meet, plus you’ll need to sign up for the public beta. While Sidecar is Mac-only, Astropad has a Windows version in development called Project Blue. If you want to customize pressure input, you’ll need to pay for the subscription. These allow you to create your own set of gestures for oft-used functions like undo or paste, which can speed up your workflow immeasurably. Unlike Sidecar, Astropad doesn’t “add” an external display, it simply allows you to interact with whatever is on your primary display while in use. For drawing this fortunately doesn’t matter too much.Īstropad Studio provides access to some really useful features like an on-screen keyboard, external keyboard support, and Magic Gestures. One major drawback to Astropad is that it relies purely on display mirroring.

Wireless performance can be a bit hit and miss, so wired is recommended for serious work or especially busy networks. Astropad relies on a companion app running on your Mac and can connect via USB or wirelessly.

Astropad setup pro#

Astropad has been optimized for use with the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, and this is the best way to use the app. You can use the Apple Pencil or simply draw with your finger or a cheap capacitive stylus ( but not a smart third-party stylus). A lack of customization could be frustrating to some users who would prefer more control over the UI or pen pressure settings.

There are shortcuts around the outside of the screen that allow you to quickly undo, use modifier keys like Command and Option, and access app-specific shortcuts. Sidecar is well-optimized, reliable, and compatible with supported Macs at a system level. Drawing is possible using the Apple Pencil in Mac apps that already support stylus input, including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. One of the best things about Sidecar is that you can use it as a proper second display, rather than just mirroring what’s on-screen. You’ll also need to be using the same Apple ID on both devices, and be within 30 ft (10 meters) of your Mac for wireless to work. Sidecar with the 2016 MacBook Pro, 2016 MacBook, 2018 MacBook Air, 2017 iMac or 2015 Retina iMac, the iMac Pro, 2018 Mac mini, and 2019 Mac Pro or later. Speaking of the Mac, you’ll need a fairly recent model that’s running macOS Catalina or later.

You can use it wirelessly or plug it directly into your Mac using the USB cable that came with it, which means you can power your tablet while you work on it. Since Sidecar is a first-party solution, it generally works very well (especially compared to some third-party alternatives).