Since the popularization of the Personal Computers, numbers of people able to write neatly has started to decrease dramatically. Computer here, computer there – and today, everyone who’s life involves a computer in some way frowns with disgust when asked to use such an archaic way of communication as writing. Only old-school people are still able to sit and draw legible letters on paper for extended periods of time. Using a computer for homework assignments has become a requirement in schools now.

    Sometimes, it gets so bad it becomes pathetic. When, after a long break, the most technologically advanced part of our society – PDA users – tries to write something with a pen, they realize to their surprise that they are writing graffiti input symbols on paper: instead of an A they put a little house, instead of a Q – some totally weird symbol. I am sure that predominant part of our readers cannot sit down, and neatly hand-write a page of text from any book without making a ton of errors. …I can’t do it neither though.

    Anyway, lets get to the point. While people lose whatever little useful skills they aquired in school, the pen industry hopes for the best and creates new products. New concepts get born and old ones get refined. Check this thing out for example:

    This is PenAgain, which, supposedly, makes writing a lot easier. Unlike a classic pen, this one is held down with a relaxed hand, instead of bending your fingers. As a result, any sort of pain after long writing sessions will become history. Obviously, it will take some training to fully master the new pen “holding” style, but after that, as they say, you will be able to write pages upon pages without resting. By the way, PenAgain is not just any random name. The corporate legend states that the creator of this pen, Colin Roche, while bearing the idea in his mind, was once awaken by a phone call from his co-worker and said: “I just had a dream about the pen again”.

    PenAgain costs $10 US dollars, and, I think, sells quite well – some colors are already fully sold out [I’m waiting for chrome version myself ;)]. Pressurized ink cartridges are sold separately. The only bad thing about this pen is that it doesn’t have a clip to carry it a pocket. Remember the story about one African country ordered caps for Parker pens for all its ministers so that they could look like they’re carrying Parker pens in their pockets? Well, that trick, unfortunately, wont work with PenAgain.