All good things come to an end. Like my stock Zodiac stylus before it, my Metal Styli Zodiac Bolt Stylus has departed for the great beyond. The poorly designed Zodiac stylus clips, and not-cosy-enough fit of the Bolt Stylus were the failings here; the complete lack of a tether or anywhere to attach a tether meant there was nothing to compensate for them. And thus, my beautiful chrome Zodiac companion is lost.
However, not all is lost. Following the disappearance of my Bolt Stylus, I immediately contacted PDA Panache, gave them my situation and offered a review which would be made all the more sincere by my genuine and pressing need for a screen poking device. With the recent price drops of the Zodiac there is all the more reason to get such a solid replacement into the limelight, and so here is the review.
The Zodiac Stylus Upgrade, whilst not a very impressive name, is extremely apt. It addresses several issues with the stock Zodiac stylus one of which, for me, is rather an irritation.
First and foremost, like the Bolt Stylus the Stylus upgrade is adequately weighted and beautifully shaped from a hunk of brass – unlike the dodgy stock stylus that is a stark contrast to the quality metal finish of the Zodiac itself. Like many frequent stylus users I prefer a good weight to my pointing devices, it makes them somehow more comfortable to work with, not to mention the gains in the 'feel of quality' department.
Second, or perhaps joint first, is the tether. The Bolt Stylus comes with neither tether nor tether hole which, for me, was it's major failing – no tether + appalling stylus clips = stylus lost on bus for all eternity (incidentally, if any Norwich residents find a long, thin, metal thing with a black tip on a bus, give me a shout!). The tether is supplied in a plastic bag attached to the back of the stylus packaging, includes installation instructions, and can either be used or tossed in a drawer according to user preference. My preference, obviously, was to immediately unscrew the end cap of my stylus upgrade, thread the bungee cord through, return the end cap to its original position, and tie the other end of the cord through the little hole in the plastic end of the Zodiac wrist-strap. The little hole in the end of the wrist strap seems almost perfectly suited to accepting the tether, not to mention that all of my attempts to feed both the tether and wrist strap through the hole on the back of the Zodiac were patently in vain.
Third, and least evident to most, I swear to the heavens that the Zodiac Stylus Upgrade is somehow – magically and mysteriously – a better fit for the clips on the back of the Zodiac. This might be my imagination, or the stylus upgrade is simply slightly thicker than the stock and bolt stylus options making it a better fit and less loss prone. I imagine, however, that over time those blasted clips will bend and become too loose to accept even a BIC Biro. Only time will tell, though.
Fourth, the Zodiac Stylus Upgrade comes with a reset pin- not that I have ever had any reservations over jamming my stylus tips into the reset hole to quickly get the Zodiac working again. For anyone who wants to maintain a pristine stylus tip this is a clear bonus, but the time taken to unscrew the stylus to use the bespoke reset pin is just too much for me. PDA Panache offer a, and I quote, "Lifetime tip repair and satisfaction guarantee" anyway... not that I advocate abusing this by frequently using your stylus as a toothpick, nail cleaner, mini crowbar or projectile. Ahem.
Finally, the Upgrade comes with an EasyView tip. This basically means that the tip of your gorgeous black or chrome stylus is a nasty, neon orange which, whilst easy to see, is not "to my taste". The EasyView tips very reason for existence is clear by it's name, but I find myself wondering why I really need to see the business end of my stylus that clearly when the other end is firmly tethered to the Zodiac. In case you have not guessed, this point is the irritating. Thankfully, PDA Panache offers a black-tipped chrome option (but not a white or black tipped black option?) for anyone who cannot stand the sight of neon orange anywhere near their devices- this is adequate to redeem them from the pits of damnation.
Being a solid chunk of brass the Zodiac Stylus Upgrade is as robust as they come, the tether is elastic which means your Zodiac will simply do an elegant bungee jump back into your hands if you ever drop it whilst holding tightly onto the stylus. Impromptu Zodiac Bungee jumping sessions are, however, firmly not recommended. The usefulness of the cord depends somewhat on your knot tying ability, but threading it through the hole in the Zodiac wrist strap and tying a reasonably tight knot right at the end works for me.
Overall, and aside from the orange tip, the PDA Panache Zodiac Stylus Upgrade is the best and most suitable option I have come across yet. For someone like me who loses the things like clockwork this stylus will endure into the ages and may find itself alongside my pocket-sized friend on a pedestal in a computer history museum in the distant future.
The PDA Panache Zodiac Stylus Upgrade is available in Black or Chrome with a neon orange tip, a black-tipped Chrome version is also available. Instead of buying a stock three-pack of appalling loss-prone Zodiac stylus – invest in this!
Additionally, if you require a quick access stylus in your car, by your phone, and at work you could invest a couple of pounds into the PDA Panache 3-pack Stick Stylus. They are perfectly at home in a pencil case or pen-holder and give you an easy-to-grab writing implement you can use with any touch-screen device for some quick note taking.
Philip Howard
