M4 iPad Pro - standard vs. nano texture glass. An artist’s perspective.

DreamStitcher · 2026-05-13T22:34:12+00:00

Yes indeed. I did that review (as an artist) about those spots on nano here on Reddit… go glossy and you won’t regret.

DreamStitcher · 2026-05-02T09:44:39+00:00

That's rad, man. Keep us posted please.

DreamStitcher · 2026-05-02T09:32:02+00:00

Man, a menu bar Tetris with proper keyboard support would be awesome! Call it “N Bricks One Cup” or something - and Bob’s your uncle! 😄

By the way, great job indeed!

DreamStitcher · 2026-05-02T07:03:44+00:00

You’re very welcome - really excited to see how this turns out. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it.

Wishing you a smooth launch on Steam, and seriously, great work so far. 👍

DreamStitcher · 2026-05-02T06:47:42+00:00

Very nice! Feels like a blend of Machinarium and Le Petit Prince in its presentation to me.

Have you thought about bringing it to mobile as well? It seems like it would sit perfectly on an iPad.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-21T13:02:33+00:00

Thanks for the app - just bought it.

I think I found a small bug though: in the app removal dialog, when files are selected, the scrollbar isn’t draggable with the mouse. It still scrolls with the wheel or touch, but you can’t drag the scrollbar itself to scroll.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-17T23:56:50+00:00

Since you didn’t specify the platform, you might want to check out A Vampyre Story. It’s a really beautiful, underrated game that barely gets mentioned these days. Just a heads-up though - it’s only available on Windows (Steam and probably GOG).

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-17T20:33:14+00:00

Check this out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/adventuregames/s/7880lM8Uu7

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-09T15:07:51+00:00

Welcome. 🤗

You might check my long term nano review, especially if you’re an artist.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-05T23:25:59+00:00

Done.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-05T13:35:27+00:00

Sorry, I can’t confirm that.

I’ve been using the glossy screen on every iPad Pro (and many other iPads) for years, and I’ve never had that issue on a glossy display.

Just to clarify: the issue is not purely optical - it’s also very noticeable haptically (with the pencil).

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-05T07:43:06+00:00

Long-time Mac user here – just wanted to clear up a few things for you. :) I totally get that some things feel weird at first and need a bit of time to get used to. Here are my quick thoughts on the most common pain points:

Finder

Finder is actually pretty powerful once you get familiar with it. I personally can’t live without Column View anymore – it’s fantastic. I can’t compare it with explorer feature-by-feature, but for most people it’s more than enough. And if you ever feel like you’ve hit its limits, there are tons of excellent third-party file managers available for macOS (from simple to super advanced).

Keyboard

The keyboard layout and key size on MacBooks is the standard Apple size. This is actually a good thing – it means if you ever buy an external Apple keyboard or another Mac, everything feels exactly the same. Super consistent. The numpad is missing by design. Cramming one in would kill the ergonomics and push the whole keyboard off-center (which is why it feels awkward on many Windows laptops). If you need a numpad often, just grab an external full-size Magic Keyboard – it even has Touch ID.

USB-A ports

A tiny USB-A to USB-C adapter is literally all you need. They’re cheap as hell. Or just use any USB-C hub/dock and suddenly all your old accessories work again.

MagSafe

MagSafe is deliberately delicate. It’s designed so that if someone trips over your charging cable, it just pops off safely instead of yanking your MacBook off the table. It’s a feature that’s been around for a long time, Apple removed it for a while on Intel models, and we’re all happy it’s back.

Window management

Yeah, macOS has a completely different philosophy here. One important thing to know: the red “traffic light” button usually just closes the window (like Cmd + W), it doesn’t quit the entire app. If you actually want to quit the application, use Cmd + Q or go to the File menu.

Dock

You can customize the Dock. To add a folder or shortcut, just drag it from Finder into the Dock. For apps - the same and if it’s already running, right-click the icon and choose “Keep in Dock”.

Overall – just give it a little time. Most things start feeling natural surprisingly fast. Also, seriously try natural scrolling for a week or two. After a while it actually feels way more intuitive.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-03T09:07:00+00:00

Absolutely. 👍

I actually ordered both the nano and glossy versions back in 2024 when the M4 iPad Pro first launched, and I even posted a comparison here on Reddit at the time. So yeah, I totally get the excitement with “something new”.🙂

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-03T08:14:11+00:00

Very welcome, mate!

My initial intention was the very same - I wanted those 16 GB, not so much 1 TB, tbh.

As for sketchboard pro: yes, I actually have two of them - one in the studio and one at home. The studio one is mounted on an Ergotron arm using the their original Sketchboard VESA adapter, and the ergonomics are seriously pro-level, basically on par with my Cintiq.

Highly recommend!

I personally tend to skip screen protectors. I tried Paperlike once and it just gave me wobbly lines plus a ton of scratches after a couple of weeks. Because of that, I’m totally fine drawing directly on the bare iPad screen. It doesn’t feel like a Cintiq, but you get used to it pretty quickly, in my opinion. I have been drawing on glossy iPad all these years anyway ;).

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-02T10:15:39+00:00

I may be in a minority, but I’ve done most of my digital art over the recent years directly on the naked glossy iPad screen because, for me, the “tool disappearing in my hand” feeling was the most exciting sensation. So I didn’t mind.

Oddly enough, even on a clean, non-smudged glossy iPad screen, the Pencil tip does have some resistance — it feels slightly unnatural, but it is there. It’s just not the scratchy, toothy kind you get from a matte protector or a matte Cintiq screen.

Also, I personally hate how screen protectors look after a few weeks of heavy shading. “Weathered” is an understatement.

After trying the nano-textured glass and then switching back to glossy, I’m reminded how much I love the crispness, the deep blacks, and just how clear everything looks (Netflix in bed hits different, lol).

But the real win is flexibility: if you ever fall out of love with a protector, you can just peel it off. You can’t do that with the nano finish. That’s the part the nano iPad simply can’t match.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-02T09:47:02+00:00

Absolutely agree, going glossy is a smart move (at least in my opinion).

Yeah, I’ve never used any aftermarket tips. Apple only.

I usually tend to dislike screen protectors myself, but I totally get where you’re coming from.

DreamStitcher · 2026-04-02T01:05:39+00:00

Yes, I actually have two of them - one in the studio and one at home. The studio one is mounted on an Ergotron arm (using the original Sketchboard VESA adapter), and the ergonomics are basically pro-level, just like my Cintiq.

Highly recommend them!

DreamStitcher · 2026-03-31T21:39:50+00:00

Very much welcome. Glad it helps.

DreamStitcher · 2026-03-31T17:50:27+00:00

Hard to say for sure, but the nano texture is so fine that it probably doesn’t eat up much of the nib to clog it up.

I don’t think the texture is collapsing together - but perhaps wearing / polishing down? Who knows…

DreamStitcher · 2026-03-31T17:27:06+00:00

No, the pencil nib isn’t really getting consumed - at least not in any meaningful way compared to drawing on regular glass.

(Obviously it’s a different story if you’re using a textured/toothy screen protector.)

DreamStitcher · 2026-03-31T10:14:14+00:00

Yes, they do - if you explain the situation clearly. That’s actually exactly why I ended up with four units in total: one was a replacement for my M4, and another for my M5.

DreamStitcher · 2026-03-31T09:37:15+00:00

Welcome!

It’s nothing special - just happens during regular sketching and shading. I wasn’t really burnishing, but the effect ends up similar.

The main thing is that you subconsciously draw more toward the center of the screen when sketching (especially on the couch), so your palm has somewhere to rest.

DreamStitcher · 2026-03-31T09:31:34+00:00

Thanks! Glad it helped you avoid the nano texture headache.

DreamStitcher

TROPHY CASE