Avatron has just introduced a competitor to Adobe's mobile apps: Air Stylus.
Air Stylus costs $19.99 versus Adobe offering their mobile apps free of charge. On the plus side, it is compatible with most pressure-sensitive graphics applications. This means you aren't limited to Adobe products.
There is a list of incompatible programs on the Apple Store page. The list:
- Autodesk Sketchbook (Express and Pro)
- Corel Painter X3
- Escape Motions FlamePainter
- Mapdiva Artboard
- Synthetik Software Studio Artist 4.0
- Toon Boom Studio, Harmony, Animate, and Pencil Check
It is also compatible with multiple pressure-sensitive pens. Currently three pens are supported: the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus, the Adonit Jot Touch 4, and the Ten One Designs Pogo Connect. These pens are currently half the price of Adobe's Ink and Slide combo.
(Technical note: you don't have to use Adobe's hardware with their mobile software. It will work with fingertip or plain stylus. Pressure sensitive pens just help produce better results. The app store page suggests Adonit Jot Touch Pixelpoint pens in addition to Adobe's Ink and Slide.)
Technically, Air Stylus isn't an alternative to the Adobe mobile apps/hardware combination.
Adobe's apps allow an iPad to be used as a drawing device without having it connected to a computer. Avatron's Air Stylus app turns the iPad into a drawing tablet, which requires it to be connected to a computer running image editing software.
On the other hand, Adobe's mobile apps require an Internet connection and a Creative Cloud subscription to use them fully. There is a free subscription option, but the Internet connection requirement may be a deal breaker for some people.
It is possible to install both apps on an iPad, using one for editing images when in a studio and the second away from it. The pressure-sensitive pen used needs to be compatible with both apps, though. (It looks like the Adonit Jot Touch 4 might be the best choice if using both apps.)
Hat Tip: DP Connect
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