Pencil: First Impressions

Today, I received my Pencil. For those who don't know, the Pencil is a new product by FiftyThree, the same people who brought us the Paper app [Direct Link; iPad only; Free]. The Pencil is a stylus made to complement the popular drawing app. Pencil has a very clean and sleek look. From the packaging and to the product, the Pencil lives up to its name. It's simple and easy. If you need to erase, don't tap a special erase button on the iPad. Just flip the Pencil upside down and use it like an actual pencil. The battery is easy to charge with no cables or wires to fool with and the pairing is even simpler. It's called "Kiss to Pair." There are no menus to go through, nor any Bluetooth pins. Just touch the Pencil to the special button on the Paper app and it's done. A helpful video pops up the first time a Pencil is connected and gives some helpful hints. FiftyThree calls the method, "As easy as falling in love." Of course, the real test is how well the stylus works. I can tell you now that the palm protection is perfection and the erasing function is really nice. If you want some drawing examples, there are some below and be sure to check out my Twitter (@alexsmbaratti) for new pictures drawn by me and my Pencil. Be sure to follow my Twitter as well. You'll get a tweet whenever there's a new post on my blog. The Pencil has special introductory pricing at $49.99 for the graphite color and $59.99 for the walnut color.