Reviews by The Church of Apple

Tag: stylus

  • Hammerhead Ballpoint Pen Stylus

    The Hammerhead Ballpoint Stylus isn’t the BEST stylus that I have reviewed but it is cheaper than other styli I have reviewed. It is the best cheap stylus I have reviewed. Let’s see if price will make up for lost features. The stylus is available for $14.99 direct from Hammerhead. The stylus features a stylus tip at one end for touch screen devices or a pen for writing the old-fashioned way. Let’s find out if this stylus is for you.

    Form

    While many styli have a reputation for being made out of cheap plastic, this stylus breaks that rule. This stylus is made out of a smooth chrome material. It isn’t a great Apple design look, but it doesn’t have to be to look nice and it certainly looks nice. The stylus is light-weight, a lot lighter than the Wacom Bamboo stylus a little while ago. There are four colors to choose from with the stylus and they are as follows: dark red, silver, dark blue and black, all of which look really nice with silver lining added to them. The top of the stylus has a silver chrome color as well as the shirt clip and the thing that holds both the pen and the stylus tip in and it adds to the overall design of the stylus. Even the brand name on the stylus looks cool! Personally, I have not found any cosmetic problems from this stylus.

    Function

    There are a lot of things that I like about this stylus. First, the stylus is thin and light and won’t break anything if it falls but yet if it falls it won’t get scratched either. The stylus is doubled as a pen, which I have found to be very useful. The stylus tip itself is very responsive on the iPad and the iPad picks it up every time it touched the screen. One thing that I really like about this stylus that I have not found on another stylus yet is an attachment that goes into the headphone jack so it attaches to your iPad and you won’t be able to lose it. So if you want to attach it to your shirt, you can through the clip or you can attach it to your iPad into the headphone jack. Another thing, you can replace the ink in the stylus should you need to. There is one problem with the stylus, however. The stylus tip does not come out. I learned that the hard way. I took it out, thinking you can it put right back in. It went back in but only after an hour of forcing it back in. This is not the best thing to do since should the tip need to be replaced, you can’t replace it and you have to buy another $15 stylus. To me, that is not what I would want do. However, should that ever happen to me where I need to replace it, I would buy another one because the stylus is brilliantly done at a relatively low cost.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Great form factor, light, durable, great colors
    -Very responsive on the iPad etc.
    -Pen clip to attach to your shirt or a headphone jack clip to attach to your device
    -A stylus and a pen
    -Pen ink replaceable
    -Low cost for what you get

    Cons

    -Stylus tip not replaceable (don’t find that out the hard way)
    -Styli are not for everybody

    This stylus definitely ranks among the top of low-cost styli. Despite it’s sole flaw of not being able to replace the tip, everything else about this stylus would make you want to replace it if and when the stylus tip is worn out. This happens to all styli, eventually this stylus will become worn out but don’t worry about it too much, you’ll get a lot of use out of it before that happens. It is to note as well that styli are not for everyone, as I talked about in my last stylus review. I believe that styli are only for people who would use them such as teachers, artists, note takers among others. Of course, that flaw applies to every stylus so if you want a stylus that is stylish, functional and cheap in price only, then this stylus is for you. With that I give this stylus a five star rating. Great job Hammerhead for delivering a great stylus.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

  • Bamboo Stylus Duo Review

    The Wacom Bamboo Stylus Duo ($39.95) is a stylus available for any touch screen device. It features a stylus on one end for writing on an electronic device and it features a pen at the other end. Itis $39.95 direct from Wacom so it is a bit of an investment but if you’re looking for a stylus, this may be your winner. It has a nice silver and black finish that makes it look and feel like an Apple product. That is hard to do but they did accomplish the sleekness of Apple’s devices.  The stylus is favored over the use of a finger when looking for more detailed, fine touches on the screen rather than your digits. It does its job very well and the iPad picks it up every time, so it is very responsive. Many students, artists and designers use styli every day.

     

    Steve Jobs was right. Everyday people do not need a stylus to operate their devices. I have gone days using the stylus with everyday things on my iPad and I always find myself going back to my finger since it’s just better. Unless you are someone who takes notes on their iPad (no stylus should be used on phones), drawing, sketching, designing, or anything that requires a fine point, you do not need a stylus of any brand.

     

    With the previous paragraph in effect, it is not fair to review the specific stylus based on personal preference of stylus vs. finger. Therefore, I will review the stylus as if I were one of the aforementioned persons.

     

    Structure and Design

     

    While styli have a reputation for being cheap and made of plastic, the Bamboo Stylus Duo has a great Apple-like design. With a heavy frame, it doesn’t exactly fit Apple’s lighter is better philosophy but the weight is not wasted. The weight of the stylus puts weight on what your writing, which I have found is better to use than a pen for say. The weight provides a sturdiness that I have not seen of any other stylus. The weight also provides protection from drops. The finish on the stylus does not easily scratch, protecting its value for a long time. The ink part of the stylus, as with all pens, is covered with a heavy frame cap that will not easily break nor bend. You don’t have to set the cap aside either as you can put it on the top where the stylus tip is. One great feature of the stylus, as simple as it is, is it’s ability to clip onto something like some pens. Whether it be your shirt pocket or your iPad case (where I have it now), you can clip it on to something so you always know where it is. In terms of holding the stylus, it has a smooth texture that is easy on the hand and more comfortable than most styli, if not all of them. The stylus has little caps that hold either the pen or the stylus tip in and they are can easily twist off so you can replace the stylus tip or the pen’s ink, which is a great thing because, when I first started using it I didn’t think you could replace it and a question on my mind was “What if the pen runs out of ink?”. Problem solved. They are easy to replace, adding to the Apple-like simplicity to the product. The structure and design of the stylus deserve a lot kudos, they did a really great job with it.

     

    Practicality

     

    The stylus is useless if it isn’t practical or if it doesn’t work on the screen. As aforementioned, it works very well on the screen. It has smooth movement on the screen and glides seamlessly on it. So it does fit number two. Number one is kind of a different story. It really depends on what you use it for. It is not for the common man, however for it’s intended audience, it is absolutely great. Using several applications for which the stylus should be used, I come to realize that there is a market for these things whether Jobs saw it or not. Unfortunately for Wacom, it’s not a huge one, but they are still here and making money. Anyways, I used the stylus first for taking notes. Personally, it was an okay experience, I felt that writing on a paper with a pencil was a better experience and faster too. I also noticed my handwriting was sloppy using the stylus while taking notes. That may just be due to the fact that the iPad is not paper and it is smaller than paper. However, I have met people with better handwriting than me on the iPad so I have reason to believe it’s just me. There are some apps that will take your handwriting and convert it into text however and that is what the stylus is for! Taking notes that way is great! The popularity of apps like Notes Plus really drive the market for styli. Teachers can use the Apple TV and a projector and you have a smart board right there! The right app will make it great! Drawing and sketching with the stylus is an even better story. I absolutely loved drawing with the stylus on the iPad. I felt like a master artist at his easel, even though probably more than 95% of people are better artists than me. Using Sketchbook with the stylus was a great experience and my more-than-an-artist-than-me relative absolutely loved it. There are many apps that take advantage of the iPad’s large display and artists will love it. Interestingly enough, it is easier to use the iPad for art than it is to handwrite something due to the iPad’s size but if you find the right apps, handwriting is great too. Apps that don’t convert handwrite to text aren’t worth it, those apps get me agitated but the apps that work, work.

     

    Pros

    -Offers a seamless experience with the apps it should be used for

    -Smooth to the touch, and smooth to use

    -Replaceable pen ink and stylus tip

    -Clip to clip it to your shirt or case

    -Provides a great handwriting experience (if you can convert the text) and provides the most seamless sketching and drawing experience

    Cons

    -Not seamless with the entire device, I may use it for some games like Draw Something but I wouldn’t use it for all apps and throughout the OS

    -Don’t write on the iPad with the wrong end, iPad screen and ink don’t mix

    -If dropped from a high enough distance by accident, it could damage your iPad’s screen due to it’s weight

    The first con I think could be the deal-breaker with most people, since it will dampen the user-interface FOR MOST PEOPLE-especially with a price of $40. However, it is a con of ALL styli.  It is my belief that you get what you pay for and for $40 you get the best stylus money can buy. Would I, the average Joe (no pun intended), spend $40 for it? Nope. But would a teacher who desires a smart board, an artists with ambitions or a student with millions of notes to write buy it? Absolutely. And of course, you might just be one of those people who prefer styli and if you are any of these people this is THE Stylus. It’s sleekness, smoothness, ease of use and the cleverness of an added pen to it make it the ideal stylus. For me, despite the fact that I would not buy it nor use it everyday, those who will will appreciate the fact that I give it 5 stars. Excellent job Wacom for an outstanding stylus!

     

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe