E-Pad with DuoPen Reviewed by Ang Chi Hoe (18/07/99)
<Introduction><The Good><The Bad><Conclusion><Rating> IntroductionImagine writing on a special pad using a special pen while the cursor on your monitor moves accordingly. This idea of "writing on the computer" is not a new. Neither is the hardware. The more formal term for such a 'pen' is stylus, and the 'pad', a (digitizing) tablet. The uses for such input systems are restricted mostly to graphics design, CAD/CAM and to a lesser extent, handwritten input. The biggest barrier being a hefty price tag. A good stylus/tablet system can cost above S$200 while the good old mouse usually comes free with a new PC.
The GoodThe E-Pad (below) is about 6mm thick. This translates to a comfortable writing level on most tabletops. It is also gently beveled along all 4 edges so you can ease nicely from table to pad. Four rubber studs at the bottom of the pad provided a firm grip on the table.The E-Pad also has some useful functions. On the left edge, there are tablet keys to allow quick change of cursor speed and absolute/relative modes. On the right edge, there are 5 programmable (via the driver software) function keys that you can set to perform common functions like delete, copy, paste and undo. The DuoPen has the thickness of a large fountain pen (picture). It is easy and intuitive to hold, and most importantly, weighs like a normal pen. In terms of precision and accuracy, the tracking of the DuoPen is good. There is a reliable feel to it. Like any good stylus/tablet system, the DuoPen can function in 2 distinct modes - relative and absolute. Relative mode means the movement is exactly like that of a mouse. You can lift up the stylus, reposition it, and the cursor carry on moving from the previous position, ie. relative movement. Absolute mode is a different concept. Simply imagine the E-Pad as your monitor. The four corners of the pad correspond to the 4 corners of your monitor. Where you place the stylus tip on the E-Pad will correspond exactly to the cursor position on your monitor. Under relative mode, the speed of the cursor can be adjusted via the software driver, just like a mouse. This of course, is not applicable in absolute mode. Personally, I always use absolute mode. Although I have to run the stylus across the entire pad, it is more precise and predictable for graphics work, and besides, I still use a mouse as the general pointing device. At a glance, the stylus tip behaves just like a left mouse click. The cool part is that you can switch between Pressure Tip and Click Tip modes by pressing a button at the other end of the stylus. In Pressure Tip mode, that the harder you press down on the stylus tip, the greater the effect. There are 256 pressure levels according to the packaging. With that, you can do things that are not possible with a mouse. For example in paint programs, you can vary the density of the airbrush as you spray along. The second mode is the Click Tip mode. Here, the stylus tip acts exactly like a mouse button. There is a good tactile feedback just like a mouse click. Personally, I think this is a great feature not found in the Wacom Pen Partner. You can rest the tip on the E-Pad and move around without worry of accidentally clicking on anything. Other then the tip, there are 2 buttons at the index finger position (picture). One behaves like a right mouse button while the other behaves like a double mouse click. The double click button is really useful if you are using the stylus as a mouse. It dispenses with the need to actually jerk up the tip twice in order to simulate a double mouse click. The TestPhotoshop 5.0. The DuoPen works best in Pressure Tip mode in Photoshop. Airbrushing, painting, erasing, and precise lasso selection is a breeze. The pressure sensitivity is pretty good, although the variation is not as much as the Wacom UltraPen (which has 4 times the pressure levels). The screenshots below showed that for general graphics work, the DuoPen is as good as the Wacom UltraPen.
Although I have tried to keep my strokes as similar as possible for both stylus, I am only human. Hence the screenshots should only serve as a simple "at a glance" comparison and not clinching prove of the actual quality of the products. Corel Draw 6.0 Corel Draw was used to test the DuoPen in vector based drawing programs. Since there is not much use for pressure sensitivity, Click Tip mode was used. I must say DuoPen is a tad better then the Wacom UltraPen in terms of usability here. The tactile feedback of the stylus tip reduces the possibility of dropping objects when you drag them around. It feels good to know that you have definitely picked up an object after a firm "click" and it isn't going to drop until the next firm "click" during release. You will also know that you have definitely chosen a particular color without further visual confirmation. Microsoft Word 97 with the supplied JustWrite software The bundled JustWrite utility sits as a regular toolbar in Microsoft Word 97 after installation, as shown below.
It provides 3 simple functionality under Word 97 - JustSignDocu, JustTag and JustWrite, as shown below.
Personally, I find the these utilies redundant. Most of us don't need these functionality. Worse still, it messes up your documents easily, not to mention the increased amount of resources (disk space, memory) required to keep track of the tags and handwriting. Installation blues. The usual way of installing hardware is to physically connect up the hardware first, let Windows auto-detect, then install the driver, right ? For the DuoPen system, it is actually better to do it the other way round. When I tried installing the usual way, the mouse buttons suddenly lost response while tracking was still present. This happened to both PS/2 and serial mice. Although the keyboard is always still there, for novice users, losing mouse response can effect a panic attack. With adjustable routing of
the stylus wire, the system tried to cater for both left and right-handed
users. However, the fact that the pen holder is fixed at the top right
hand corner seem to suggest a less intuitive position for left-handers.
Practical issues aside, the pen holder could have been better looking
than the current big obtrusive blob with a hole. A simple hole in
the tablet would suffice, as in the Wacom PenParter.
In all fairness, cordless, batteryless stylus are features of higher end stylus/tablet systems. But still, it would be great if the DuoPen is wireless. This does not simply imply a longer wire is good. Currently, the length is just nice for normal maneuvering about the E-Pad while preventing coil ups. But I am already used to stuff like holding the stylus while typing or while using the mouse, like a real pen !
ConclusionThe E-Pad with DuoPen is definitely an above average stylus/tablet input system. It has all the important features for practical uses, like a good tracking system with absolute and relative modes, pressure sensitive tip and a big tablet size. It is sufficient for general graphics work, handwritten input and taking over some of the mouse functions. The price tag of S$138 is very attractive for budding graphics designers but still too high to convince typical PC users that it is a good compliment to the mouse. As a final remark, I would say this product is a diamond in the rough. Polish up some of the existing features and it will be a great product.
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