There has long been the claim that we would soon be getting even closer to pen/paper writing and drawing on our iPads. The introduction of the iPad stylus introduced a natural way of drawing than with our finger. Fingers still work but a stylus was more in line with a world of paper we were coming from. Some apps, like , even gave us the width and graduation of the pen stroke on the screen through the speed we moved the stylus across the screen.
A stylus we first got involved with when they introduced their ‘pen’ through Kickstarter, Anodit, has a interesting tip over the usual rubber. The writing end is a much smaller metal ball that floats on the iPad screen on a thin see through plastic disc. The end allows for more precision and a solid feel of the stylus tapping on the screen. Some folks in the office are lost without their Anodit Pro Jot, others still prefer the squish of the rubber tipped stylus offering.
When the rubber stylus touches the screen, a person half expects the line on the screen the be a bit wider when they press harder. Since the rubber squeezes a bit, it adds to the impression that something should happen.
To the keen eyed folks on our team, they noticed a picture in a pre-CES email from Anodit showed a Jot with a button and green light. Now, from the show floor (with the help of the folks at Macworld) we learn that the button is to turn the stylus on so it communicated with the iPad through Bluetooth. Between the stylus action on the screen, and the Bluetooth feedback telling the iPad that the stylus has different level of pressure on it, we will have our real ‘pressure sensitive’ pen interaction with our iPad drawing apps!
As you would expect, we have our name on the list to get our hands on a few in March when they become more than a beta and will let you see some of our more gifted folk’s creations.
