“Development studio FiftyThree takes a bold step into the hardware game with its Bluetooth-enabled stylus designed to be a companion tool for the company’s popular drawing app Paper,” Mikey Campbell writes for AppleInsider. “Pencil is being sold exclusively through FiftyThree’s online store and comes in at $50 for the Graphite version and $60 for Walnut. Every Pencil also unlocks all of Paper’s optional brushes and color mixer tool, which are normally sold as in-app purchases priced at $1.99 each or $6.99 for the entire set.”
“In designing Pencil, FiftyThree chose to mimic a carpenter pencil, a writing tool that many potential customers have either used or are familiar with. Until now, most styli have taken on thin form factors dating back to some of the first examples designed to fit into PDA bodies. Even current models like Wacom’s Bamboo Stylus or the Pogo Connect have shapes that may feel foreign to someone picking one up for the first time,” Campbell writes. “Anyone who has used a carpenter pencil and found its shape comfortable will be pleased with Pencil. The opposite is also true, however, as we know a few people who simply can’t use a squared-off writing utensil without cramping up.”
“Carpenter pencils don’t usually come with an eraser, but FiftyThree opted to build one in to its version of the tool. The feature is one of Pencil’s major selling points and one that sets it apart from other standalone iPad accessories,” Campbell writes. “After a few sessions, we started using the Paper and Pencil combo as if it were a real paper and pencil; quickly moving between draw, erase and blend modes. There is something to be said for a digital tool that so closely mimics the functionality of its “real world” counterpart that it can simply be picked up and used… It comes highly recommended, though we do point out issues in the ‘Pros and Cons’ section that are applicable to general consumers.”
Much more, including photos, in the full article here.