One cool thing about PDA's is that many can be used in dark areas
because of the backlit screens. Some older devices do not have
extremely powerful backlights, Palm OS based products without virtual
graffiti have unlit graffiti input areas, and often PDA's do not
have lit buttons, making them difficult to use in the dark. Pacific Rim Technologies is aware of these
things and that many people use their PDA's in dark areas. They
have devised a stylus featuring a white light in the tip. No more
holding the flashlight in one hand while trying to use your PDA, the StyleLite puts the flashlight right where it needs to be.
The StyleLite is basically a revised version of a
standard device stylus. I do not mean that in a bad way,
because I find it rather amazing they were able to fit a switch,
battery, and light all into a three and a half inch plastic cylinder. The stylus
is built to fit in various devices including the Handspring Treo devices
and Palm's m125 and m130. The StyleLite has the standard weight
and feel of a manufactures stylus, though its tip is slightly different
then most as it has to be for the included light. Even with the
light off, it looks rather cool because it is a clear tip.
Writing with this stylus is fluid and soft. The
size of the stylus makes it hard for me to use as I have rather large
hands, and it is a little short to fit well in my hand. But what
is of course the coolest thing about this stylus is the light in the
tip. When I first heard about this product I thought it would be a
rather dim light, but I was amazed at the brightness when I turned it
on. I think it is evident in the pictures the different in
visibility with it on and off (in both cases the Axim's backlight is
turned off). I found the StyleLite to be most helpful in my mobile
computing when I needed to access my soft reset button or change SD
cards on my Axim. It was nice to have a light nearby and in a compact form.
I had not heard of Pacific Rim Technologies before they
contacted me about this product, but now I am interested to see what
else they offer. The StyleLite is a well built and inventive
product. I feel that its functions would be best used by PDA users
that have a device with an unlit input space (i.e. graffiti) or a
grayscale device that does not have a strong backlight. The
StyleLite is well within any users budget, with a price tag of $10.Dave's Score - 8.0
This means, this product is a very good product This product
embodies quality in its design and application, and is something I
would (or do) use, though its functions may not be of constant use to
me.
For more on Pacific Rim's
products
or to purchase a StyleLite Stylus, visit their website at:
www.pacrimtechnologies.com
-
April 2003 |
Click to enlarge |
