Review: Adonit Jot Dash - Fine Point Precision Stylus

• November 14, 2015
• James Skemp
• review

Not what I was expecting

For the most part I'm not yet at the point in my life where I need to use a stylus pen for my electronic devices. My fingers are the right size, and with devices getting larger, I don't need the precision. I'm also not much of an artist, so it's not necessary to draw. However, with Windows 10 ending up on almost all my devices, and touch screens on all my laptops, I did want to try using a stylus for some creative outlets.

Before receiving this as part of the Amazon Vine program I was using, off and on, a pen with the nub on the eraser part that would be picked up by touch devices. However, since I had played with it, or because it was cheap, the nub wouldn't stay on. The opportunity to try a real stylus was something I was looking forward to.

Sadly, the Adonit Jot Dash - Fine Point Precision Stylus wasn't what I was looking for. I love how the stylus feels in my hand, and I like how it looks. The magnetic charging base is pretty nice, as it allowed me to hang it down from the USB drive on my primary PC during charging.

I tested it with a Samsung Galaxy S4, 2nd Gen Nexus 7, and two Asus tablets/laptops running Windows 10. On all devices it was recognized without issue, without having to install or enable anything. However, it didn't perform as well as I would like. On both my Android devices it seemed a little off. What may have been the cause is how I actually used it, since the tip isn't as soft as I would have liked. Instead, every time I used it I felt as though if I pressed down too hard I'd end up with a scratch in my screen or screen protector. While it hasn't caused any damage, I do wish it had a bit of give, or was more rounded than it is.

I did like the simple indicator when the device is powered on/off (green or red light). It's relatively simple to use, so it doesn't include any instructions in the box, just a few paragraphs on the back on how to power it on. It being rechargeable is also quite nice.

Ultimately, however, since it doesn't include any software, multi-touch devices may still register other input (such as palm) when this device is used. I also really wish the tip felt softer, so I wasn't afraid to use it. For these reasons I give the Adonit Jot Dash - Fine Point Precision Stylus a neutral 3 of 5 stars, which would have translated to a 3.5 if I could have. It definitely works with every device I tried it with, but I think my usage will be limited, and only with devices that have screen protection.

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