Got an iPad? Get a styIus (Part 3)
Studio
Neat Cosmonaut
Company Studio
Neat www.studioneat.com Price
$25.00
The Cosmonaut, From
US-based Studio Neat, was born out of the desire to create a great stylus that
didn’t try to replicate the Feel of pen on paper. The makers say the idea was
to feel more like a dry erase marker, which should mean more responsive mark-making
on iPad.
Despite concerns about the
size and shape, which resemble a child’s large crayon, we were impressed. The
Cosmonaut offers a control and precision lacking From slighter, more
traditional pen-like options, working well with not only the iPad, but iPhone
and iPod touchscreens too.
The all-rubber build is
nicely tactile and pleasingly comfortable, and should appeal to anyone who
struggles to grip a smaller stylus. The tip is responsive and doesn’t suffer
From the soft, rubberised Feel of some rival offerings.
As well as designing,
drawing and painting on the iPad, the Cosmonaut produces nicely legible results
when it comes to writing. Designed and manufactured in the US. it feels solid
and well made, and comes with either a subtle cherry wood or aluminium accent.
The Cosmonaut is a
novel-looking stylus, which does a precise job oF mark- making on your lOS
device. Ideally suited to more creative pastimes such as doodling, drawing and
painting, the Cosmonaut also proves an excellent all - rounder.
The Skinny
Likes: Greater control than we could
have everhoped for. considering the size; lovely tactile feet: ideal for
creative types; should appeal to small and big kids alike; well made
Dislikes: Big crayon look won’t
be to all tastes: Body appears to attract marks and dirt more easily
Rating
5 stars
Trust
Stylus Pen
Company
Trust www.trust.com Price $20
The 17741 from Trust— also
known as simply “Stylus Pen” — does a lair job of meeting varied touchscreen
needs. Shorter than your average pen, the stylus has a rubberised tip that
interacts with your device without the need For too much pressure. Round and
spongy, it produces good results from a range of typical iOS activities,
including note taking, gaming and sketching.
Slim and lightweight, the
Trust is compact and robust enough to travel just about anywhere.
The Trust stylus is also
available in special football themed editions to tie in with Euro 2012 this
summer, including a red-and-white option for England fans.
Like many Trust products,
the stylus can be found cheaper if you shop around, adding to its potential
appeal. Our only quibble is a lack of originality. Several manufacturers are
producing similar-looking and feeling styluses, and this isn’t a particularly
innovative offering.
The Trust Stylus Pen is a
solid if unspectacular choice, and does a fair job as long as your needs aren’t
too demanding. Its solid design, backed by a three-year warranty, is good value
and won’t disappoint if you’re new to using a stylus.
|
The skinny
Likes: responsive
rubberized tip suit most tasks; compact, solid build; useful pocket clip;
three-year warrantee.
Dislikes: Similar to
other styluses available in a busy marketplace, football-themed selection may
have limited self life.
Rating 4 stars
|
Wacorn
Barnboo Stylus
Company
Wacom URL www.wacom.eu
Price $34.99
The Bamboo Stylus Prom
Wacom extends the graphics tablet brand to the iPad with some success.
Looking not unlike the
stylus bundled with Wacom’s range of pressure-sensitive tablets for creative
endeavours, the Bamboo Stylus is well designed and attractive. Available in a
sleek black and silver with a satin textured metal body and balanced weighting,
the Bamboo feels good in the hand. The makers insist that the rubberised tip of
the stylus is 25 per cent slimmer than many rivals, and in practice should mean
more precise, controlled mark-marking.
That said, the tip is still
on the soft side, which can mean interaction between stylus and iPad is less
than ideal. While the tip is replaceable (at a price) user feedback on the
Wacom website suggests wear and tear can accumulate quite quickly, especially
if you use your iPad to design, draw and paint —Wacom’s specialist areas. That
said, during the test period the Bamboo Stylus excelled, and helped create iPad
images rich in detail.
Despite concerns about pen
nib durability, the Bamboo still appears to be a great choice
for creative iPad users.
Stylish and beautifully weighted, the stylus also offers more precise,
controlled mark-making thanks to Wacom’s slimmer tip design.
|
The skinny
Likes Excellent feel and weight;
attractive; overall solid build
Dislikes Not the cheapest stylus on offer;
replacement tips also expensive; rubber tip a little on the soft side and
vulnerable to wear and tear
Rating 4 stars
|
Try
out iPad styluses
We are pleased to say all
the iPad styluses on test did a lair job of Improving on basic Finger and thumb
when working for any length of time with your Apple IOS device. The Incipio
Inscribe Stylus. MediaDevil Magicwand and Trust Stylus
Pen are all good, solid
all-rounders that do everything pretty well without ever being truly
outstanding. These are safe and affordable solutions that have a similar look
and feel and should appeal to many.
The iChic Gear Calligrapher
and Just Mobile AluPen Pro are hybrids: a traditional pen and an iPad stylus
combined. While a potentially useful combination, this may only attract the
niche end of the market. The iChic Gear Phantomus is Pun and should appeal to
both the young and the young at heart, while Functioning as a decent and simple
stylus. The Wacom Bamboo Stylus doesn’t quite live up to the high standards set
by Wacoms graphics tablets, but still comes highly recommended.
Finally, the
similar-looking Just Mobile AluPen and Studio Neat Cosmonaut are both excellent
choices, but the Cosmonaut is our clear winner, thanks to its comfortable feel
and weight. precision and control. It feels like a real evolution, rather than
just a substitute bra traditional pen.
Out ol this world The Cosmonaut From Studio
Neat wins for being a great stylus — not just a pen for the iPad
