Different strokes for different folks. As I said, I'm all for Apple releasing various sizes for the Pencil, but the size is pretty perfect for me as it stands - be it drawing or writing. I agree the battery life could be better though. Personally, I would prefer a AAAA battery, but there was another poster in another thread that explained why this would be impractical.
Isn't the Dash about the same size as the Apple Pencil?
Looking at my Adonit Pixel (which is a terrible stylus, BTW) and the Apple Pencil is actually thinner and only slightly taller. The Dash looks comparable to the Pixel (though lacking the clip).
Thickness was never really the issue, but even there the Dash is slightly thinner than the Pencil (0.35 inches for the Pencil vs 0.33 inches for the Dash 2, which looks to be pretty similar to the original Dash that I've been using). If anything, the Dash could have done with being a bit thicker.
The dimension I take issue with is the length. The Pencil is 6.92 inches long, while the Dash is 5.5 inches. Your standard pen is about 4-5 inches. The Dash is essentially a digital pen, from the size and clip to the mode of operation ("clicking" the top to turn it on and off, just as you would with a pen with a retractable tip), while the Pencil is clearly something different.
None of this is meant as criticism of the Apple Pencil. It seems to have been designed primarily as an artist's tool, and is adaptable to a number of other writing uses. It's comfortable to hold and it writes and draws spectacularly. The battery life is really quite good if you're not carrying it or moving around too much, either, as it reportedly goes to "sleep" if it senses that it's immobile. Again, all perfect for someone who is using it in a stationary environment, or who moves around only a bit during the day. However, the form is not optimal for someone who wants a stylus more specialized toward writing and frequently moving about. Something smaller that can easily fit and clip to a pocket and something that can be powered off and on would seem to be ideal. Remove some of the fancy artist features (all of the pressure gradation sensing, and the extreme angle sensing) and lower the price a bit to make it a bit easier to replace in case it were lost/stolen, and it'd be even better.
It'd be a separate product and my guess is that Apple wouldn't do such a thing because - like the iPad Mini - they would worry that people might buy the cheaper product even if they'd be better-served by the more expensive one, and would just try to use it as if it were the more expensive and feature-filled product.
It's a shame, though, because it could do a lot toward making people go digital instead of using paper. When I started using iPads instead of paper about four or so years ago a lot of people liked the idea and wanted to try, but there were two major hurdles to overcome: establishing a digital workflow, and actually writing on the iPad. Styluses back then were the soft, fat-tipped, rubber type, and they were admittedly unpleasant to write with. Devices like the Jot Dash were a revelation, and despite not being particularly cheap, a few people have followed my lead and bought the Jot Dash to try and go digital with their own devices. The Apple Pencil is by the far the most natural-feeling writing experience so far, easily beating the Jot Dash (which was the best of the styluses, up until the Pencil). But the price, the size (and lack of a built-in clip), the need to recharge it pretty much every day... those are still barriers. I'm willing to put up with them, but I can't imagine anyone trying to copy my current setup.
