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Adobe Ink and Slide review: A software giant tries its hand at hardware
As big as Adobe is in the software space, the company only announced last spring that it planned to dive into hardware, starting with a cloud-connected stylus and a drafting ruler. The Ink and Slide, as they're called, are accessories that allow the company's creative-pro customers access to Adobe's Creative Cloud service on mobile devices. Now, the final versions are available in the US, and as you might expect, Adobe has a smattering of companion apps in tow for making the most out of what could otherwise be a dear $199 purchase. With hoards of more affordable styli to choose from, are Adobe's efforts really worth the premium? As is often the case, the answer's a bit more nuanced than a simple "yes" or "no."
Adobe XD's Mighty and Napoleon prepare for retail, Contour and Parallel apps introduced (eyes-on)
As you've likely read today, Adobe XD has announced its plans to officially bring Projects Napoleon and Mighty -- a drafting ruler and cloud-connected stylus for iPads -- to retail in 2014. Rather than make the consumer-facing hardware itself, the company's relying on Adonit's manufacturing prowess. Creative professionals can rest assured that the tools will function with Creative Cloud. The retail versions will be much like the prototypes, except that Adobe ditched Bluetooth in the 'short ruler,' Napoleon. It now uses only capacitive touch and a single button (see above) to act as a selector for options within apps. Mighty will ship with a non-replaceable tip that's just under 2mm, but it's otherwise the same and includes a lipstick-style carrying case / charger. On top of all that, Adobe's introducing Projects Contour and Parallel as its next serious experiments in the area. They will serve as reference apps to highlight the kinds of functionality the tools could afford designers. Contour is Adobe's take on a draft-sketching app, while Parallel is an iPhone app that lets you grab photos of objects in real life and instantly convert them into vectors -- as you'd expect, both intermingle. No word on whether these apps will make it out of Adobe's in-progress lair just yet, but a rep gave us a coy smile and note to stay tuned. You'll find a video of the apps after the break, as well as our early hands-on with Napoleon and Mighty from June.
Adobe Creative Cloud hits 1 million subscribers, Projects Mighty and Napoleon available in 2014
During today's Q3 earnings report, Adobe announced that its Creative Cloud software service had passed one million subscribers since launching in June. In addition to reaching that milestone much faster than expected, the outfit officially removed the "technology exploration" label from both Project Mighty and Project Napoleon, and confirmed plans to release them as full-fledged products in 2014. Experience Design team lead Michael Gough and crew will work with experienced maker outfit Adonit in order to complete the pair and ship it out in the first half of next year. In case you need a brief refresher, our hands-on video with the two cloud-connected peripherals is embedded below.
Adobe XD's Project Mighty and Napoleon: the future of cloud-connected design tools for tablets (hands-on)
Adobe's best known for its creative software, but lately it's been toying with the hardware side of design. Over the past few weeks, the company's XD division's been teasing Projects Mighty and Napoleon for tablets: the former is a pressure-sensitive stylus, while the latter is a ruler for drafting. Both hardware experiments feature Bluetooth but, more importantly, they tap in Adobe's Creative Cloud. The units are essentially a serious side project for Adobe, but we have a feeling designers will be seriously excited once they get to see these prototypes in action. Geoff Dowd, XD's Design Lead, was kind enough to delve a bit deeper into the projects for us in a video walkthrough you can catch after the break.%Gallery-190361%
