Not too long ago I mentioned that Targus was introducing a unique Stylus that would allow just about any non-touch laptop to work as if they were touch-capable.
At the time, we didn’t have a very good up-close picture or any real solid information such as pricing. The good news is that in time for CES, Targus is now detailing their plans for the stylus further.
The Targus Touch Pen comes with a patented technology that Targus is claiming will work just as fast and fluid as finger-based touch using their special side-receiver and a pen. The product is designed with Windows 8 in mind, though is possible it might work with other versions of Windows and devices like Macs with some tweaking. Targus doesn’t say for sure.
As for the cost of the stylus? The pen will come in black and will set you back $99. There is no need to install software or drivers, instead you have to do a simple one-time calibration to give yourself a smooth Windows 8 touch experience, or so Targus claims.
We now know pricing, but we still don’t have exact release information. Hopefully they will reveal more at their CES demos over the next few days. Based on what we know, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it arrive within the next few months though (fingers crossed).
In theory, the Targus Pen sounds awesome. Although I’d rather use touch for things like Windows 8 gaming, $99 isn’t too much for those looking for an easy way to convert their existing laptop into a note-taking and drawing machine.
Ultimately it will come down to how responsive this thing is. We’ve yet to see actual hands-on demos provided, so we can’t officially speak on whether or not the pen is as good as Targus claims. Again, hopefully CES will shed more light.
IF response times are actually worth talking about, are you interested in the Targus Pen for $99 or would you rather just wait a year or so and get a new true-touch laptop or ultrabook instead?
All Comments
I would wait for more multi-touch screen tablets. This pen is just a single touch device and use a pen on a vertical screen is not as comfort as you see.