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| The Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom out of the box. |
Last night I had an opportunity to preview the
Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom almost a month before it hits the stores on October 7th. Being obsessed with finding the best styluses on the market I have compared a wide range products, but the Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom is in a class by itself.
For me the only thing that was missing from most styluses is the ability to adjust the pressure and relative thickness of my mark without having to go back and forth constantly making subtle changes to the settings in the whichever app I was currently using. After extensive research I discovered pressure sensitive styluses that used Bluetooth 4.0 technology that gives the user more control over his or her marks. So I picked up the Pogo Connect and used it pretty rigorously for a few months and found that it has some connection problems forcing me to take the battery out in an attempt to re-connect the stylus with the iPad. The Pogo Connect also has a programmable button that allows you to execute a command, usually undo, but I found myself constantly hitting the button and undoing my work.
The Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom connects to the iPad instantly and works without any problem what so ever. The Intuos comes with its own protective case, two additional nibs and a AAAA batter that I have never used before. The Intuos is weighted towards the tip and feels more like a pen or a marker rather than the Pogo Connect that felt like a very light hollow tube even with the AAA battery inside. The tip of the Intuos Creative Stylus is much finer than the Pogo Connect so I have a better idea where the stylus is hitting the surface of the iPad. The Intuos' tip is denser and does not flex as much as the Pogo Connect making the connection to the iPad stronger and my marks more direct.
The Intuos has two-buttons that come standard with most of the Wacom styluses (dating all the way back to my first Wacom Tablet in 1999). The first button is lower and closer to the head, but with enough of a lip to stop your finger from running over it. The second button further back on the stylus raised up significantly and takes a conscious effort to push keeping you from bumping into it on accident. You can go into the settings of most of the drawing apps mentioned above and change the button's settings as needed (I set the low button to redo and the raised one to undo).
The only issue I had with the Intuos Stylus Connect was a clicking noise that would happen when I picked the stylus off the iPad and pressed back down the make dots rather than straight lines. If you keep the Intuos Creative Stylus connected to the iPad as you draw you will not notice any noise or tapping sensation.
Pros and Cons for the
Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom.
Pros
- Nice weight to the stylus making it feel more line a real pen. The weight of the stylus is also distributed more to the point then the back end making it easier to use than other styluses I have run across.
- Instant connectivity! I have only really used it with Procreate, but it connected instantly and never disconnected from the device like the other Bluetooth 4.0 styluses I have used in the past.
- The two buttons setup allows you to program each with a number of different options allowing for greater persionalization.
- A solid carrying case and two additional nibs which is great if you use your stylus a lot and worry once the nib wares out you will have to wait for another one to be shipped to you.
Cons
- The clicking noise created by lifting your stylus and tapping it on the screen is a little distracting, but I am sure I will become used to it in time.
- The price tag. I feel that $99.95 is a little high for a stylus, but other styluses like Pogo Connect go for $79.99 and with the case and the additional nips I would pay the extra $20 and get the Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom.
Over all the Intuos Creative Stylus from Wacom is the best stylus I have used to date and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys sketching on the iPad. If you are going to fork over $70+ for a Bluetooth 4.0 stylus anyway I would fork over the extra $20 for the Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom, you will be happy that you did.
Update: I have used the Intuos Creative Stylus by Wacom for a few weeks now and I love it. The stylus seems to be much more sensitive then the Pogo Connect and it connects instantly to Procreate and it hasn't disconnected once while using it! The only problem is the AAAA Alkaline battery that Wacom uses to power its device. After only two weeks of use (spearing used) the battery is already dead. Doing a little research not every store carries AAAA batteries and there are no rechargeable batteries so the cost can get pretty high over time . The Pogo Connects for example lasted over a month on a single AAA battery giving you some confidence that you can use it for a while before it begins to run down.
The Intuos comes with a slot to hold your AAAA battery so you can either take the battery out when it is not in use or keep a second one with you if you worry about it dying on you. Because of the issues with battery life I am going to have to lower my rating from 5 stars to 4.
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| 4 out of 5 stars |
