Retro 1951 Tornado Stylus/Pen Review

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Product Requirements:
Device:
Any touch screen PDA

Retro 1951 Tornado Duo Pen Stylus from StylusCentral.com is my current favorite stylus/pen combo. This is a small
all metal pen (except for the stylus tip) that comes in a variety of colors: Stainless Steel, Red, Black, Green, or Blue.
The stylus also comes packaged in an aluminum cylinder that creates a cool suction noise when you open
it (not that that makes for a great stylus…).

tornado1
tornado6

The pen is 4.15in (10.54cm) long which may be too small for some people but it feels comfortable to me. The pen has a nice balance to it and weighs in at
.96oz. (27.22 gm.). The pen has a very strong pocket clip which will keep a good grip on anything you clip it on.

tornado2
tornado3
A serrated twist top switches tips from stylus to black ball point pen. You turn
the top one way for the stylus and the other way for the pen. Turning the top to the middle (half way between a left or right twist) will retract either tip. The only bad thing about the twist top is that you pretty much have to use two hands to select a tip. It is possible to turn the top with just one hand, but it takes
practice and dexterity 🙂 You can anchor the pen in your hand with your ring and pinky fingers while twisting the top with your thumb and index finger. See picture below.

tornado5

The stylus is bright yellow and has a nice pointy tip. I am beginning to prefer this type of stylus tip to the orange PDA Panache stylus tips. The ball point pen
tip writes as well or better than most pens.

tornado4

I guess what I like best about the Retro 1951 Tornado is that it is different than other styli. It’s nice and small
but at the same time has a nice heft to it that suggests quality. It’s made really well and for $19.95, I think you get a great combo stylus.

Price: $19.95

Pros:
Nice stylus tip
Balanced
Great price

Cons:
Takes two hands to select a tip

 

Product Information

Price:$19.95
Manufacturer:Stylus Central
Pros:
  • Nice stylus tip
  • Balanced
  • Great price
Cons:
  • Takes two hands to select a tip

2 thoughts on “Retro 1951 Tornado Stylus/Pen Review”




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  2. In the 2/4/2003 diary entry, Judie teases us all by saying that there is a program on the Palm that she MUST have and that is the reasons she would pick the Palm as it is unavailable on the Pocket PC. What is that program?

    With the recent cost reduction in Pocket PCs (after I already bought a Clie, of course), cost is no longer a strong reason to pick a Palm or Clie over a Pocket PC, as you can get a Pocket PC for under $200 now. The choice is now based on software. I have already chosen the Clie and will probably stick to it because of programs like Bug Me and Avant Go and DateBK5. But if there were equivalents available for the Pocket PC, I would probably switch because of the better multi-media capabilities of the Pocket PC.

  3. DATEBK5 is my killer indispensible app. Of course, having spent the money on the Zaurus, I’d be in deep hot water with the spousal unit if I *DIDN’T* start using it for everything, so I make do with the OpieCalendar and curse its limitations. Mind you, everything ELSE about the Z is worlds nicer than my old Visor, but calendering and to-do-lists are still the killer PDA apps, and nothing yet available on the Z is entirely baked to my satisfaction.

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