Wacom, pioneers in the digital tablet market (and recent interactive displays) for creatives, also carries a range of Bamboo tablets and stylus pens for the iPad. There’s two stylus versions available: the Solo and the Duo. The $10 price difference between the two includes the Duo’s additional built-in ink tip on the opposite end of the stylus. I was sent the Stylus Duo for review (currently only available in black).
As a comparison point, the Solo is only slightly longer at 120 mm than Griffin’s stylus at 110 mm. The Duo is 131 mm (I chose not to include a photo with the Griffin, as I’m only comparing the Solo’s length with their model).
From a design perspective, the Bamboo is both sleek and modern, with a minimalistic thin Bamboo logo emblazoned on the pen cap. The tip is more pointed than others I’ve seen, and on the iPad, very responsive to movement. The cap can be placed on either end depending on your needs. The ink is black (my personal preference over blue), with a fine point.
It would be great to see the Duo offered in a few colours, perhaps in a more refined colour palette than the Solo’s current range.
Overall, I preferred this slightly longer stylus for added control when using the iPad. The stylus also responds well to pressure, perfect for drawing and adding textured lines to your work. It’s also easy to jot down notes using SketchPad Pro HD.
Speaking of sketch apps, I’ve also been playing with the Bamboo Paper iPad app (free limited version; $1.99 full version includes 20 notebooks as well as cloud archiving and notebook sharing). The app’s a fun way to create journals with doodles, photos (from your iPad’s camera rolls), and text.
I’m not sure what the full version offers in the way of colour choices, however the free app has a limited range of brush and pen colours to choose from. Wacom is also working on a future version of the app for Android devices.
The Stylus Duo weighs 20 grams and its nibs are both replaceable and compatible with the Bamboo Stylus solo (the version without a built-in pen).
The Bamboo Stylus Duo retails for US $39.95. London Drugs sells the Solo for $29.99, as does Staples. In Canada, the Stylus Duo is available online; local retailers will be added in the near future.
Disclosure note: I was sent the Bamboo Stylus Duo for the purpose of writing this review: cmply.2
