When I first bought my 12.9-inch iPad Pro, purchasing an Apple Pencil as an added accessory made sense because of the way Apple advertises it. However, now I realize it was a waste of my money, and here’s why.

I’m Not an Artist

Not being an artist is one of the main reasons I found little use for an Apple Pencil. The iPad Pro is certainly a powerful tool for illustrators, painters, and digital artists, but those descriptions don’t define me.

To be clear, drawing doodles on an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil felt great. The display is responsive, and the whole experience mimics the feeling of drawing. However, I can’t justify spending more than $100 on something if all I’m going to do is draw stick figure doodles.

Of course, if you’re a professional who makes a lot of money with your art,drawing tablets might be a better bet than an iPadand Apple Pencil.

I Prefer Pen and Paper for Notes

Although I’m not an artist or an illustrator, I’m a writer. I usually type away on a keyboard or write in a notebook with a pen. And that’s not even including all the times I need to take notes while watching background materials for an article or interviewing a subject for a story.

However, I prefer the tactile and analog feel of a good pen and piece of paper when taking notes. While this may come across as old school or “hipster-like,” some evidence suggests that writing in this antiquated fashion can be beneficial.

According to a 2021 study by researchers atthe University of Tokyo, writing notes on paper allowed for better memory recall and cognitive understanding than writing on a digital screen. More than that, there are fewer possibilities to get distracted when you have an old-fashioned notebook in front of you instead of an internet device.

I Don’t Like Keeping Track of an Extra Accessory

The specific iPad Pro and Apple Pencil models that I own do not allow the stylus to be attached to the side of the tablet. Although seemingly a minor inconvenience, this is ultimately the dealbreaker for me.

Keeping track of the iPad Pro and ensuring that it’s sufficiently charged before I take it on the go is one thing. Making sure to charge the first-generation Apple Pencil and then remembering to bring it as a loose accessory is another. Although there are ways tofind a lost Apple Pencil, I lose it enough that I’d rather avoid the hassle altogether.

Like an iPhone, it makes more sense to leave the Apple Pencil at home and use my finger to control my iPad Pro. This reminds me of the original iPhone announcement back in 2007. Looking back, Steve Jobs was right when he said the human finger is “the best pointing device in the world.“Apple has changed since Steve Jobs passed, but for me, at least, this statement aged like fine wine.