The Adonit Note is a decent if flawed Apple Pencil alternative for folks who wish Apple’s stylus didn’t look like a big, white drumstick. Instead, the $50 Note looks more like a ballpoint pen you might have swiped from a swanky hotel. Better yet, it even writes like one, and I’d be eager to recommend it for anything apart from artwork were it not for the boggling and frustrating placement of its power button. It even pairs easily: Just tap the point on any modern iPad screen and you can use it within seconds.
The Note’s chief draw is that both the black and gold models look a lot like regular metal-barreled pens. Were it not for the unsightly Micro USB port for charging on the top, I’d have a hard time picking it out from its inky cousins in a crowded pen holder. (It’s also a shame that you can’t use the iPad’s Lightning or USB-C cable.) Both models come with a copper-colored power button and pocket clip, and I like how the latter feature lets me tote it around the office in my shirt without looking like a total dork.
