This is Adobe’s first, rather shy attempt at diving into the hardware world, by bringing forward a sleek tool, mainly addressed to designers and artists.
The Ink & Slide set includes a creative cloud pen and a digital ruler, which are said to provide a smooth experience, due to the fine, pressure-sensitive tip and magnetic parts that simulate a human’s capacitive touch. Although the stylus (Ink) looks great, very simple and dynamic, working with it on the iPad can prove to be a bit frustrating, since it has a slight delay. It uses Adonit Pixelpoint technology, enhancing precision and control.
The Slide is actually a digital ruler that allows you to draw straight lines and perfect shapes, but while it supposedly works as great on the iPad mini, in some cases it may be too large to draw the shapes you want.
[adsense300gray]In addition to these basic functions, you can also personalize your pen by choosing from one of the hundreds of LED colors at the top of the Ink. Plus, probably the most interesting features is the fact that you can plop the drawing from one tablet to another, making the whole thing work great in an office environment where ideas have to be continuously improved. You can share your creation via e-mail, AirDrop, Behance and others.
The hardware should be paired with Adobe Line or Adobe Sketch, for a full-on experience, including Creative Cloud connection, pen-pressure support, or palm rejection.
All in all, Ink & Slide looks and works good enough for a first dive into the gadget world, but the price is not at all competitive for an entry level set that at this point doesn’t quite compare to the products designed for laptops or desktop computers.
