MousePen 8x6

The Genius MousePen tablet poses something of a contradiction from a reviewer’s point of view. On first impressions, a quick glance at the plastic build of the pen and mouse makes for disappointing viewing – a reminder of other potential Wacom challengers that are ultimately let down by poor manufacturing standards.

Looking specifically at the specs, the MousePen certainly looks attractive, and the 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity offered seem impressive, perhaps challenging Wacom’s Intuos range in terms of dexterity. But this is not really carried through in other aspects of the build.

The A5 8x6-inch active area has a relatively large footprint of 12x11 inches, making it slightly larger than its Wacom equivalent. This is of little concern when you consider the average desk size, and the large borders make the unit easy and comfortable to use. However, if you’ve ever used a Wacom Intuos before, you’ll soon start to notice those features that have been left out.

The MousePen doesn’t offer the transparent overlay for tracing and the innovative ExpressKeys that have proved popular with Wacom’s range. Instead, users must rely on integrated HotKeys, which are accessed by the pen – a method wisely jettisoned by Wacom, who eventually realised this was a distraction for designers needing to keep their eyes on their monitors.

Instead of ExpressKeys, Genius has included PenCommander, an interesting application of its own that essentially lets you create shortcuts and customise commands through handwriting recognition and the use of letters on the pad. Simply draw a W and Word will open, then draw an X and you’ll close it down.

PenCommander provides a novel approach to application management and is fully customisable, so it’s possible to create a host of commands for your preferred applications. However, we still prefer Wacom’s Express Keys for ease of use.

So, software aside, what about the build? It’s important to note here that in the world of computer hardware, costs can be shaved off every single component – from chips, to silicon, to casing. But the effects are always noticeable, and the first thing you notice about the MousePen is that there are some serious limitations in terms of look, feel and build.

On paper, the tablet should perform comparably with the Wacom Intuos range, given its size and specifics, but in practise this is simply not the case. The poor balance of the pen is a problem, as is the fact that it is powered by an AAA battery. Secondly, the cheap build of the micro mouse is a let-down. In all, the key tools included as standard with the Genius MousePen will leave designers a little disappointed.

The MousePen is competitively priced, but the tablet is more of a mouse replacement in an office environment than in a creative one. However, for a designer on a budget, the savings to be made may prove tempting enough.