Portronics Handmate Windows 8 Pen is one of those nifty little devices
that seem too good to be true when you first read about them. It
promises to turn any Windows 8 laptop into a touchscreen device, letting
you experience the joys of owning one of those 'hybrid' devices at
fraction of the cost. But does it work? Let's find out. Setting up the
Handmate Windows 8 Pen is simple - just connect it to any available USB
port on your Windows 8 laptop and fix the receiving unit on one of the
edges of the screen, about halfway from the top. Go to Control Panel to
calibrate the screen (the device comes with instructions on where
exactly to go) and a barely a minute later, you are good to go. We
hooked up the device to a HP Windows 8 laptop, but any standard Windows 8
machine should do.
Put
in the batteries into the pen-shaped stylus and start operating your
Windows 8 device by touching your laptop screen - swipe around the
Windows 8 home screen, touch to start applications, swipe from edge to
bring up the system menu and more, just like your device always had
touch. The device really comes into its own when playing games like Cut
The Rope or when you want to put finishing touches to your masterpiece
in Paint.
However, there's more to touch than just fun and games -
combine the Handmate Windows 8 Pen with Microsoft Office's Inking
capabilities (found under the Review tab) and you have perhaps the
fastest way to give feedback on Office documents while on the move.
A
word of caution though, if you're used to super sensitive touch
experience of the iPad and the likes, the Handmate Windows 8 Pen will
take some getting used to. The stylus requires slightly heavier pressing
than you'd probably expect, but not the kind that'll wear you down.
It's a small adjustment to make, and one you'll likely make swiftly.
The
Handmate Windows 8 Pen comes bundled with spare stylus and batteries
that power the stylus. Portronics claims 500 hours of battery life given
working/ standby ratio of 1:9. The sensors on the Handmate Windows 8
Pen use a combination of infrared and ultrasound technologies and work
on screens sized 16-inches and below, which means it is good to use with
laptops and even desktop monitors of that size. A newer generation
product that will work with screen sizes of up to 25-inches is expected
soon.
All in all, Handmate Windows 8 Pen offers a decent option
for those looking to add a dash of touch to their Windows 8 experience.
At Rs. 4,999 it's a not-so-expensive option to see if touch fits in your
workflow before you take the plunge and buy an expensive native
touchscreen device.
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