I travel a great deal throughout the country and do my best to survey what the tech folks are using along the way. This is especially true in the airports, where people (young children to little old ladies and everything in between) are killing time on their various electronic devices. Over the past year or so, I have noticed an increase of stylus use on tablets. So, when asked if I would like to try the AluPen Pro from Just|Mobile, I accepted to see if a stylus really added to the modern-day tablet experience.
Remember back in the days of the Palm Vx, where you had to use the included stylus to input and control the device? For better or worse, when Apple released the first iPhone, that all changed. Manipulating our devices evolved from the stylus to touching, swiping, and tapping. According to Steve, anything else was just so 90’s. For the most part I agree. However, I have found the more I do with my slate devices, finger input is not always the best method especially when it come to drawing or illustrating finer detail.
Just Mobile’s AluPen Pro is a redesign of their original AluPen stylus that Bill reviewed a few years ago, adding 2-in-1 functionality (a retractable pen on one end and a rubber ball shaped stylus tip on the other) in a sleeker, slimmer package. It’s constructed of finely machined aircraft aluminum with a six-sided body that is easy and comfortable to hold. Just Mobile includes a quality leather sleeve/case for the stylus, a replacement tip, and a high-quality Pelikan ballpoint ink cartridge.
Features
- High-quality aluminum construction
- Soft rubber stylus for precise control
- Works with all capacitive touch screens
- Retractable ballpoint with twist mechanism
- Equipped with high-quality Pelikan ballpoint refill
- Replacement nib and carry case included
Dimension:
- 13.43 x 1 x 0.9 cm
- 5.23 x 0.4 x 0.35 in
The black tip is meant to substitute for your fingertip. Using it in conjunction with the pen-shaped form of the stylus makes drawing much easier and more precise. The nub is rounded, soft and a bit squishy….reminds me of an eraser. I use it 99% of the time when playing Draw Something. The Gadgeteer Kid and I pass the stylus back and forth when playing. According to Just Mobile, the tip works on all capacitive touch screens.
On the other end, the AluPen Pro has a retractable ballpoint pen that easily retracts with a twist of the barrel tip.
The Pro’s high-quality Pelikan ballpoint ink cartridge writes very well; smooth with great ink flow.
The AluPen Pro is available in the aluminum you see in my review and black as well.
The AluPen Pro is a nice update to the original design, doubling its functionality without losing any of the original’s craftsmanship or stylish, high-tech design. The Pro’s solid construction, beveled feel, balance, and moderate weight makes it an ideal stylus/writing instrument. However, adding the ability to write nearly doubles the cost ($40) from the original AluPen ($25).
Product Information
| Price: | $39.95 |
| Manufacturer: | Just|Mobile |
| Pros: |
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I have “fat” fingertips. Web surfing, reading ezines on a tablet is fine with fingertip navigation. For text entry (I use Graffiti on a ‘Driod tablet), a stylus is far superior.
There are no cons?
After ploughing through a zillion reviews for a zillion stylii, I bought two of these AluPens, about three months ago, to accompany a pair of new iPads for the missus and me. I wanted a stylus which was chunky, solid and not likely to fall apart after a couple of months –as seems to be a bit of an occupational hazard with these gadgets, judging by the reviews I read.
Well, up ’til a couple of weeks ago, I was delighted with my purchase. The AluPen feels solid, well-made and built to last. Appearances, however, can be deceptive and, I noticed lately that my AluPen was starting to feel like it was dragging slightly on my iPad screen and was becoming less responsive. I actually mistakenly blamed a few recent apps I had downloaded, when I found gaps in what I was writing or drawing were suddenly appearing. But on swapping my AluPen for the missus’s one, I found that it was in fact the stylus that was at fault, not the apps. I should point out that the AluPen has been well looked after: always kept in its pouch when not in use and there is no visible damage to the tip. It’s just not working properly any more.
Anyway, I sent the manufacturers a polite email, to the support address given on their website, asking if they could give me an address to send the stylus back for repair or replacement. A fortnight later, I hadn’t even received the courtesy of a reply. I sent a follow-up email, a week after that and that one was completely ignored also.
So, although I can’t say that the AluPen is complete rubbish –the missus’s one continues to work perfectly– I do think a failure rate of 50% is pretty poor for what is quite an expensive item, when you consider these things must cost pennies to manufacture [The AluPen was £18 when I bought mine]. My main gripe though is with their non-existent Customer Service. A company which completely ignores customers who have a problem with their product certainly will not be getting my repeat business. You’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the risk to give them your custom, in the first place.