"The Cyclops" Stylus Review

It's Christmas day, and everyone else in the house is asleep, which leaves me able to write a review of the latest addition to my Palm arsenal- a stainless steel stylus, the "Cyclops", from StylusCentral.com.

 My first impression was good- although it was a Christmas present, I had placed the order myself, and thus new the price- it was reduced from $25 to $9, which certainly appealed to me. I was ordering a steel stylus, in an ultra-modern design, comprising stylus, ballpoint pen and laser pointer. The latter is not something I envisage using much, if ever, but, for $9, including two sets of batteries, I am not complaining!

 My second impression was also good- postage from the States cost as much as the actual stylus itself, but, all things considered, that was not unreasonable. Even more reasonable was the delivery time- I placed the order late on Friday evening, and received the neat package on Thursday morning. I wasn't allowed to open the package, but, as the contents were in perfect condition when I received it today, I can only assume any protective packaging did its job.

 The stylus came in a smart aluminium box, wil.h a foam insert, with a cardboard outer box containing everything. As a gift for a PDA user, it was certainly well presented. Included in the set were instructions on changing batteries for the laser pointer, 6 cells (enough for one change) and a.small (very small!) piece of paper on laser safety.

 The actual look of the stylus is best conveyed by the picture below, but I will comment on the feel of it. I don't need to spend too many words on this, however, as "classy" sums it up well. The action required to deploy the stylus or the pen is strong- there is no chance of it working in your pocket. With the pen held in a writing position, a twist of the grip to the left (clockwise) engages the ballpoint, to the right (counter-clockwise) the stylus nib. The grip itself is very nicely made, with a dimpled surface to aid grip, and it is narrower than the rest of the body to make holding it more comfortable. At the other end is the button for the laser pointer (which "fires" out of the non-writing end), which rattles slightly, and a firm clip- this isn't going to slide out of your pocket. Overall, the design and construction are of a very high standard. In addition to this, four letters can be engraved on suitable items at no extra charge- perfect for adding that personal touch, whether for you or for someone else.

 To conclude, I can heartily recommend this stylus if you are looking for something modern and functional. My only slight quibble would be a rattling button, which, in the grand scale of things, is little more than a slight niggle. Certainly, it should not put you off, especially when you consider the price- a nasty plastic stylus from Maplin cost more than this, and certainly does not have the quality feel You would be well advised to pay Stylus Central a visit, and see what they have on special offer, as these are where the best deals are to be found.