FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When will my PressurePen arrive? The first batch of kits went out to Kickstarter backers beginning in October. The first fully assembled PressurePens shipped in December, 2012, to Kickstarter backers. Remaining US orders shipped in January and February, 2013. Remaining international orders are waiting on parts, and should ship within two weeks. [updated March 6, 2013].
Once all remaining pre-orders have shipped, new orders should ship in 1-2 business days.
What color(s) does PressurePen come in? Currently, any color you want, as long as you want white. If there is enough demand to do multiple production runs, the second color available will be black.
I already ordered a PressurePen through Kickstarter. What if I want another? Indicate that you are a Kickstarter backer in the comments for your order, and the extra piece(s) will ship at the same time as your Kickstarter reward.
How long does the battery last? The PressurePen is powered by one AAA battery. Depending on capacity, a battery should power 50 - 60 hours of continuous use.
Will PressurePen work with [device]? If your device has an audio-in port, and runs Android or iOS, PressurePen pressure sensitivity will probably work. If you can plug in a typical iPhone headset with a microphone and the microphone works, then the PressurePen will, too. Some phones and tablets may require an adapter to swap the microphone and ground pins (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S i9000). These are available online (look for an adapter to make iPhone headsets work with your phone).
Software support is required. A demo app for iOS is available here, and Infinite Painter, with PressurePen support is currently available for Android. More app support for both platforms is coming soon.
These are all "revision 2". What happened to "revision 1"? The first fully realized PressurePen (rev1) went through a major redesign to make it smaller and easier to use, as well as easier to manufacture. Most of the prototypes seen on Kickstarter are rev1. All of the images on this site are the redesigned rev2.
How do I add pressure sensitivity to my app? Source code for example apps for both Android and iOS are available on github here. Please contact me if you plan to incorporate PressurePen support, so I can add your app to the supported apps list.
How can I get a free PressurePen (to review, etc)? There are a few things you can do in exchange for a free PressurePen.
- Commit to writing an application that supports PressurePen, or add pressure sensitivity to your existing app. I'm currently looking for someone to build a demo application for Windows 8/RT to use on the Surface and other Windows 8 tablets.
- Commit to improving the hardware. Are you experienced with circuit board or injection molding design? Interested in building a Bluetooth version of the PressurePen? The hardware is open source, so you're free to make changes, as long as you release your changes as open source as well.
- Translate the build instructions into another language. If you're a native or fluent speaker of a language other than English, I need your help to localize the build instructions for the Hacker Edition kits.
Other questions? Email option8-stylus@option8.com.