Pogo Sketch stylus turns your touchpad into a tablet

We never really knew anyone intrigued by Pogo's iPhone stylus, but the company's newest writin' stick puts that capacitive touch-compatible tech to a way more interesting use -- turning touchpads into large digitizer tablets. That'd be particularly useful for new MacBook owners who're rocking those gigantor buttonless trackpads, but we'll have to see this $15 accessory in action before we say Wacom's got anything to worry about.

[Mark @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:20PM]

Actually I would like to see software to use my ipod touch as a handheld wireless tablet for doing photoshop with my mac.

[TavisJohn @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:20PM]

But a Wacom tablet is cheaper. Why wear out your iPod Touch screen doing Photoshop?

Most touchpads (And iPhone/iPod Touch) are really too small tobe used as a tablet. If the drawing/work area is smaller than a mousepad, than you are really missing the point of a tablet.

I like my Wacom Graphire4. It is the perfect size @ 6x8 (Working Area) I have excellent control over the pen when I am working in Photoshop. Anything smaller would be really hard to work with. I would LOVE to have a larger tablet, but I do not have the space.

[Levi @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:43PM]

I want a Wacom tablet. I think it might actually rejuvenate my interest in drawing. I also think my girlfriend *might* have gotten me one for Christmas. The smaller active areas no the less expensive ones worries me though. Add a few square inches on the active areas, and they go up another $100.

Though, I have to point out, you can't "wear out" capacitive touch screens like the iPhone/touch's. Older style resistive touch screens are the ones that can wear out.

Also, creating a technology that is useful for drawing and painting on capacitive touch screens would be tricky. First off, you'd have to have a very fine stylus that is compatible with capacitive screens, which I believe Engadget has reported someone is working on. Second, the pen should have a pressure sensitive tip, and the ability to process and send the pressure sensitive information to other devices. Third, it would be most useful if the pen was linked wirelessly with the device, probably via Bluetooth. This is all very possible, but I doubt it will ever happen, because they would be expensive, and 3 people would buy them... Including myself :(

[Nipponese @ Dec 24th 2008 2:59AM]

You kind of can, if you have Jaadu running on your iPhone or the iPod touch. With their stylus pen, you could get similar results.

[roach @ Dec 24th 2008 9:36AM]

I have this thing called Tablet PC (with wacom technology) that does what you described except my gadget draws where the pen touches.

[Newone @ Dec 24th 2008 11:38AM]

Yippee, aluminium stick that's end is dipped into low friction plastic. Waiting for the news of the high tech wood stick.

[Derek @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:28PM]

Innnnteresting. Hmmm.

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:32PM]

Well, that's a lot of dildos in my office.

[STINK @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:32PM]

I'd like to see a pen like that with the ability to turn the table surface into WacomLand.

[Drew @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:19PM]

Actually, they have them. They're called digital pens, and can be picked up virtually anywhere -- I saw them at Sam's club a few weeks back. They're actually pretty cheap, too; usually less than $100.
Here's one for $30 from newegg. I haven't used it, myself, but I've known people who have used similar ones, and they love them.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823176006&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Input+Devices+-+Tablets-_-IOGEAR-_-23176006

Cheers!

[STINK @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:38PM]

I need to try that out. Thanks!

[Ethan @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:38PM]

Can't think this'll be useful for drawing, I need to see where I'm drawing. Text input should be good though.

[Boards of Canada @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:47PM]

You see where your drawing on the screen.

[mark @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:51PM]

It takes a while to get used to using a tablet but after you do the accuracy and control is much greater than a mouse. I hope (but doubt) this will have the same accuracy.

[Ethan @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:03PM]

You know what I mean boards. You can't get it exact spatially, sure you can see a cursor, but if you're trying to line up some lines you're drawing you can't just do it naturally because it's not 1:1.

[Nytrojen @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:11PM]

Yeah, I'm with Ethan. I've had my Intuos for a while now, and I still can't get used to the idea of not looking at your hand while sketching. It tends to be a lot more trial and error in getting the correct angles. I'm just hoping that the jolly fat man in red decided I was good enough this year to see fit to shimmy into my chimneyless house and scooch a Cintiq underneath my abortion of a Crhistmas tree.

Merry Christmas to all!

[balls @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:22PM]

Dunno, probably useful for drawing cocks over people pics.

[Levi @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:45PM]

Professional artist use tablets all the time. I'm sure it's just something you have to get used to. The only difference here is that there isn't 1024 levels of pressure being sent to Photoshop with the trackpad.

[Jon Acheson @ Dec 24th 2008 9:18AM]

The trick for me is to tilt the Wacom tablet at just the right angle.

It's not hard to find that angle, though: just try to draw horizontal lines freehand, and adjust the angle of the tablet until the lines are actually horizontal on the screen. Once I'm there, everything just clicks.

[Boards of Canada @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:50PM]

This could be great for navigate on the screen... I feel mac and pc touchpad really cant compete against a mouse for real computer usage. But I guess its not pressure sensitive and resolution will suck... Wacom indeed have nothing to worry! (except maybe being unable to come with such idea first.)

[electron @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:54PM]

what about the MBP touchpads that have multitouch, but still have a button?

[Alan @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:56PM]

Ya. I'm wondering the same thing.

[Levi @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:50PM]

multitouch is more like having two mouse cursors on the screen at the same time, and the software interprets more than one cursorand does neat things as a result. For an example, with "pinch zooming" in a picture app, the application won't do anything with just one cursor on the screen, but when it recognizes two, it uses them in a different way. Multitouch is something separate from normal buttons, and software has to be written specifically to use it.

All this multitouching is turning me on... ^_^

[Nick @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:41PM]

wouldnt the trackpad think that the pen is your finger, and then move the mouse way more than you actually move the pen?
get it?

[CleverEndeavor @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:47PM]

I'm sure they have some software to take care of that

[Chris @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:30PM]

There's mouse acceleration turned on,where thefaster you move your fingers, the more distance is moved

[Levi @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:51PM]

Yes, it would act the same as your finger. You could also use the stylus to point at things, pick your nose, or turn the toaster on.

:P

[sybgtwy @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:56PM]

They suck. I bought one to evaluate, and besides being more or less unusable, the tip doesn't look like it will survive a few month's of use. You'll get frustrated with it way before you kill it, though. If you need a tablet PC, buy a true tablet. The accuracy and sensitivity is unmatched by what I would consider gimmicky capacitive screens. Yes, the multi-touch is cool, but it's coarse and not ready for real use.

--#

[Sophie @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:20PM]

You know what would be great? IF apple would just come out with a tablet-style imac, for the love of science.

They've got such great touch software for the iphone, and I love my HP tablet pc, but I would pay big bucks for a mac tablet...

[Sophie @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:25PM]

Hm. Modbook. I'm a dumbass, sorry guys.

[balls @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:27PM]

You're sooo right, Apple should waste their time and effort to go after such a profitable market.

After they corner the tablet notebook market, they should go after the underwater laptop market!

Send Steve Jobs your resume; Apple should totally hire you as VP of Product Development.

FFS, if you're willing to pay "big bucks" for a mac tablet, just fucking buy one of these: http://axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

[Mike10010100 @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:42PM]

Wow, balls, felling a little bit of a temper?

[Sophie @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:49PM]

I know, right? "I'm a firm believer in calming the f#@% down..." Besides, as someone who works with design programs constantly, a melding of 1) the mac interface and 2) a tablet screen (vs a tablet and pen situation like the one mentioned here) would actually be very useful to me...and I know I'm not alone on this one :)

[balls @ Dec 23rd 2008 11:52PM]

Calmer than you are.

[Flubzy @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:24PM]

It would be wonderful if it actually worked (and better yet if somebody combined it with a regular pen) since I take all my college notes on my xps 1330 and I don't want to want to invest into a digital pen that requires special notebooks or a pen with a dongle. Having a stylus to scribble some graphs or chemical compound structures would make a big difference to me because I'm not good drawing with my finger on the tiny touchpad I have on my laptop.

[Sporkinum @ Dec 24th 2008 1:36AM]

I must be too freaking old. My first thought was the comic strip Pogo. "I go Pogo!" My second thought was Doing the pogo... Oi!

[Jere Hakala @ Dec 24th 2008 6:19AM]

I have owned 2 Pogo styluses..

[conor @ Dec 24th 2008 3:22PM]

I actually might get one of these.

[Ina @ Dec 24th 2008 7:57PM]

I have the original Pogo Stylus pen and use it w/ my iPhone. I just loaded up Photoshop CS4 and tried it on my MacBook Pro (early 2008). It works like a charm. Just hold down the the trackpad button as you draw. Much more control than using your fingers to draw on the trackpad. i own both a Wacom Cintiq and a Wacom Graphire tablet. I never take them on the road. Now I have a great deal more control, taking the instrument I already have with me all the time, as I go nowhere w/o my iPhone!!!!

[Justin @ Dec 25th 2008 11:52PM]

Until it can do high-level pressure sensitivity and at a high DPI, Wacom have nothing to worry about.

[jay @ Feb 14th 2009 10:53AM]

I am looking for a pen that can write on the Ipod. I have the pogo sketch pen, but i would like it with a point like a pen. Is this out there? I need for software we have developed. Please email me at [e-mail]

Thank you