Ever since playing Draw Something, I was on the hunt for a stylus that can give me a precise way to draw that’s better than my stubby fingertips. The problem with most, if not all stylus (stylii?) available for the iPad (or other capacitive screens) is that they have a thick rounded nub so it’s difficult to be precise on where the tip will touch. Not that different much from a fingertip really.
The Adonit Jot is something that’s unlike any other stylii out there. It was a successful product from crowd-sourcing site for inventions, Kickstarter.
A pointed tipped stylus is required for precision-use but it doesn’t really work with capacitive touchscreen displays. What Adonit did was use a removable transparent-disc that is attached to its ball-point tip. With this setup, you will know where your point is touching in whatever angle you’re using it. It’s the closest you can get to a pointed stylus.
Adonit has three stylii available, the plain Classic, the shorter Mini which has a built-in clip, and the Pro which has a rubber grip and magnetically clings to the iPad.
So how does it fare?
First of all, the aluminum body gives it a really nice,professional look while adding heft for a more natural handling. It feels like you’re using one of those expensive pens with the right weight and grip. I also like the cap which you have to screw to cover the tip, or on its tail when in use, as it prevents you from accidentally uncapping and losing it. Love the available colors as well.
Now onto its performance. Right off its case it works perfectly. Strokes are not missed and you can stop, lift and continue on a stroke without guessing where to touch the stylus. I used it on an unprotected screen, a screen with a matte protector, and an iPad screen with a matte protector and additional layer of screen from the case and it performed superbly in all accounts.
It really is a nice companion for those who jot notes (Penultimate app for the iPad rocks by the way) or does a lot of sketching. I tried it on Draw Something and it really improved my drawing skills. =P
However, Adonit cautions us that it won’t work well on screen protectors that provide extra grip such as: Zagg Glossy Invisible Shield, Ghost Armor, Bodyguardz, Skinomi, and Wrapsol.
Then there’s also the degrading performance over long usage. After a whole day’s use, I am now experiencing skipping on my notes and unresponsiveness with strokes when using it at an angle. I made sure that the disc and the screen are free from dirt and smudge but it’s not the case. Not good at all. It looked like the connection between the disc and the ball-tip becomes loose over time.
You can buy replacement discs but they’re not available here yet and it’s expensive. Fortunately, other people found an inexpensive solution that really works (although I have yet to try). What you can do is put some thermal grease or a wad of aluminum foil where the tip meets its slot on the disc. Both solutions will increase the conductive power of the tip across the disc for a more responsive performance although the aluminum foil solution will make angling the pen a bit stiff.
When it works, the Adonit Jot looks like the best solution right now for a capacitive screen stylus. However, it’s not yet perfect until Adonit found a way to prolong its superb performance without having to result to McGyverisms.
The Adonit Jot is available in Digital Hub and Beyond the Box stores with the following pricing:
- Jot Classic ““ Php950
- Jot Mini ““ Php1,050
- Jot Pro ““ Php1,350
The price is a bit expensive but it’s really a unique stylus that just plain works far better than other stylus out in the market today if you’re after precision. And if you’re thinking of buying it online, the price at our local store is almost the same. Oh if you’re a Philmug user, you’ll get the customary 10% discount.