Artists, doodlers, or those who just need to sign some PDF documents on the fly, tend to rely most often on their trusty iPads and iPhones, as these devices provide the nicest, smoothest experience, whether we use our fingertips, or an Apple Pencil.
Speaking of the Apple Pencil, this accessory was initially introduced as an exclusive for 12.9 inches iPad Pro users, later extended to the smaller 9.7 inch iPad Pro, with no word on whether the Apple Pencil would support more devices, including the iPhone. While it’s hard to picture iPhone users scribbling away with an Apple Pencil, there is another category who could find Apple Pencil quite useful: Mac users.
As mentioned above, there are plenty of reasons for a MacBook or iMac Retina user to consider a stylus that is capable of working with their MacBook’s Force Touch trackpads or Mac’s Magic Trackpad, especially as Force Touch supports different levels of pressure. With that said, it’s worth noting that force Touch doesn't work in the same way as your typical Intuos tablet, and the pressure levels supported by the trackpad. By that token, the Apple Pencil may have to provide additional functionality for pressure level range and accuracy.
According to a recent patent titled: Stylus with inertial sensor, Mac users may soon be able to sign documents, draw, and play games, using an Apple Pencil, in conjunction with a MacBook’s Force Touch Trackpad, or a Magic Trackpad 2.
The patent was granted Tuesday July 26th, and was initially filed in 2014, most likely when Apple first considered designing a stylus. Some of the use cases described in the patent, go far beyond writing or drawing, and include applications where the Apple Pencil can be even used as a 3D joystick, capable of controlling 3D objects on screen.