We tried out the Apple Pencil case, and it's everything we could have hoped it to be
Every generation or so, an invention comes along that's destined to change the world as we know it — like Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, or John Campbell's sextant, or Louis Pasteur's germ theory.
These revolutionary ideas forced generations of humans to rethink how they interact with the world. Apple's new Pencil case is such a product.
We can say this with such enthusiasm, certainly, because ... drumroll please... we finally got our hands on a case, and let us assure you that we are all now witness to the birth of greatness.
The $29 taupe "natural leather" case delivered one summer afternoon to the Mashable office redefines what it means to house your one and only — in this case the $99 Apple Pencil — and calls to mind the stylings of 17th century poet Robert Herrick:
See'st thou that cloud as silver clear, Plump, soft, and swelling every where? 'Tis Julia's bed, and she sleeps there.
Yes, the case is truly a "cloud as silver clear" where its Julia, the Apple Pencil, sleeps. But don't be mistaken, for the case is no mere fleeting burst of genius destined to fade with time like Herrick's famous rosebuds. If anything, the case's supple leather belies its durability — both as an idea and as a testament to our revolutionary times.
I mean, just look at it.
Wow.
Years from now, when you're old and gray, your grandchildren will ask you where you were on June 5, 2017, when Apple first listed the pencil case for sale on its site. Were you at home, breathlessly clicking refresh on your browser? Or, by some fluke of chance or unknown miracle, actually in attendance at WWDC?
The longtime Apple faithful will chuckle knowingly in response to such a question — describing in detail their exact location in the great conference hall when they first heard word of the case. Later converts to the church of Apple will have their own stories of discovery, and those too shall have their place in pantheon of Apple lore, but those who saw it first, those who were there, they will forever share an unbreakable bond.
Such is the power of the Apple Pencil case.
And sure, like all genre-defining inventions before it, the case has its share of skeptics. Take, for example, a few of the (very few) existing reviews on Apple's own website:
"Disappointed with the design team," writes one straying member of the flock. "This case will only hold the pencil, what about the accessories (tip and charging adapter) for the pencil. Should I buy a separate case for these two little things??"
Or this other review, clearly written by a customer so blinded by creation that they don't realize this whole time they've been staring at the sun.
"I'm not sure why this product exists," reads the confused ramblings. "It doesn't add any real value. It doesn't attach to any other case or product. It doesn't have extra storage for tips or the female-female charging adapter. It's just a leather sleeve."
But hey, they laughed at Nicolaus Copernicus too.
At some point, many years into the Apple-branded future, we will all look back on 2017 as the year things finally changed. And while in that distant epoch the Apple Pencil case, brought to us by a visionary Tim Cook, may no longer be the required accessory of the time, it will aways and forever hold a special place in our hearts.
And for that, Mr. Cook, we profoundly thank you.
