Got an iPad? Get a styIus (Part 2)
Just
Mobile AluPen
Company Just
MobiIe www.just-mobiIe.com Price
$24.95
The Danish-designed,
Taiwan-manufactured AluPen from Just Mobile is an iPad stylus that looks like an
oversized, stubby pencil. That’s no bad thing, though: the chunky aluminium
body makes for a comfy fit in almost any hand (providing you’re not working in
chilly conditions, when it can feel like ice).
Nicely weighted, the nib is
of the soft and spongy type that responds well to the iPad’s LED screen. All
mark making, and drawing in particular, feels tactile and pleasurable, and at
times almost effortless. The AluPen is also a pleasant object to hold and
rotate when waiting for those moments of inspiration to arrive.
Build quality is good, and
the nib doesn’t look like it will drop off or rot. Just Mobile doesn’t make the
cheapest styluses on the market but they are built to last, and likely to
survive the life span of an iPad,
Sadly For those hoping to
get double or triple use from the AluPen, it’s a tad too chunky For the iPhone
or iPod touch. If you want a stylus that will suit all or your iOS devices,
look elsewhere.
Just Mobile has a won a
number of significant design awards, and the Alu Pen makes it easy to see why.
Well built, nicely designed and available in a choice of appealing colours, the
AluPen Is an excellent choice For iPad users looking to get creative.
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The Skinny
Likes: Nicely tactile
Feel; responsive rubberised nib: solid and sturdy build; choice of attractive
colours;
supplied with leather case for storage and travel
Dislikes: All -aluminium
body gets painfully cold when working in chilly conditions; thickset body
makes it unsuitable for iPhone or iPod; not cheap.
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Just
Mobile AluPen Pro
Company Just
Mobile www.just-mobile.com price $39.95
The AluPen Pro from the award-winning
Just Mobile team brings together two solutions in one pen. It’s a classy Biro
and, with a flip, an iPad stylus. Made from sleek and tactile aluminium and
complete with Pelikan ballpoint refill, spare rubber nib, leather case and
Apple- like stickers, it looks the part.
The AluPen Pro performs
well: the ballpoint pen is comfortable to use, tapered to sit well in your
grip. At the other end, the soft rubber stylus makes marking on an iPad or any
capacitive touchscreen device a pleasurable experience. The rubber tip does
feel a little on the soft side, but we were still able to make fairly precise
marks on iPad. iPhone and iPod touch.
The AluPen Pro is also
nicely weighted — the rubber tip requires little pressure, which makes writing
and drawing with the stylus end easier. And as with the Alu Pen above, that
attractive aluminium gets chilly in cold environments, so it’s best to wrap the
stylus in its leather case when not in use.
The Alu Pen Pro From Just
Mobile ticks a lot of boxes. With a look and leel that oozes quality, it also
delivers as a traditional pen. That said, it’s a combination that won’t appeal
to all, and at a price that’s likely to put off the casual buyer.
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The Skinny
Likes Quality Feel and
look: good performance both as pen and stylus: classy package includes
additional extra rubber nib, carry case and Apple-like stickers
Dislikes Expensive: we’re not convinced
the Biro/iPad stylus hybrid pen has a solid market; quality packaging is also
fiddly to open
Rating 4 stars
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MediaDevil
Magicwand
Company MediaDevil
www.mediadevil.com Price $15
British-based MediaDevil
has made something of a name for itself by selling more than one million screen
protectors for devices such as the iPad and iPhone worldwide.
The company has recently
started expanding its range of accessories. Among them is the Magicwand, a neat
and affordable capacitive touchscreen stylus. Available in a choice of four
colours, including the sexy-sounding hot pink, it’s both compact and
lightweight enough to carry anywhere. Like many of the styluses already
available on the market, the Magicwand uses a rubberised tip for mark making.
Results on a range of tasks, both work-related and leisure-based, were fine,
and consistently solid.
The Magicwand comes with a
useful built-in clip for pocket or storage and a not-so-useful lanyard. The
lanyard, which attaches to the earphone socket on your device for safekeeping
and ready use, adds little, and indeed we found it to be distracting during the
review. Thankfully, it’s easily detached, so you can decide for yourself how
useful the lanyard might be for daily use.
The Magicwand is another
simple iPad stylus worthy of your attention, that does a fair job with all
Apple iOS devices and probably any touchscreen. While we could live without the
lanyard, the built-in clip is useful for keeping your stylus safe and close by.
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The skinny
Likes: Responsive
rubberised tip; neat and compact, choice of colours; built-in clip;
reasonably priced
Dislikes: Lanyard adds
little to the overall fell and proved a distraction
Rating 4 stars
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