Review: Dell Active Pen – PN350M

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Back in March I reviewed a Dell 2-in-1 Computer and mentioned how well using a stylus worked and it sped up productivity in some areas. There are several different stylus options to choose from. For me, when it comes to computer accessories I prefer aftermarket products. Generally speaking, aftermarket accessories from reputable companies work as good or better, cheaper, and can be more reliable than OEM products. But in the case a computer stylus, I recommended to my client using the Dell Active Pen – PN350M  because it was designed to be used with his computer,  the reviews from Dell.com were ok (3 stars would have recommend something else if the reviews were lower) and he wasn’t interested in me doing any research on aftermarket products. Today, I want to share my thoughts on the stylus.

Dell Active Pen – PN350M – Features

According to Dell the Dell Active Pen – PN350M is compatible with the following systems:

• • Latitude 3390 2-in-1
  • Latitude 11 (3190)
  • Inspiron 13 7000 (7386) 2-in-1
  • Inspiron 15 7000 (7586) 2-in-1
  • Inspiron 14 5000 Series (5482)
  • Inspiron 15 5000 Series (5582)
  • Inspiron 13 7000 Series (7390) 2-in-1
  • Inspiron 15 7000 Series (7590) 2-in-1

Dell Active Pen – PN350M – Review

I used the Dell Active Pen – PN350M for about a week to do basic tablet functions and surf the web. I’m not all that familiar with using a stylus and prefer my finger when using a tablet. But I did find it more useful for doing quick notes while watching a TV. After talking with my client the other day, he said he’s now mostly using it for updating schematics, diagrams, editing documents and when he wants to add hand written notes.

This stylus is battery operated and NOT Rechargeable. It uses AAAA battery. But after a few minutes of inactivity it goes into standby mode. Its weird that they didn’t add a power button. I guess there wasn’t much room to add one. To preserve life try to avoid holding down the buttons and remove the battery for long term storage. The client also told me he’s still on the original battery and that battery was activated back in 2019.

Using the Buttons

There are two buttons on the pen and they are referred to as bottom button 1 and top button 2. Button 1 is the button closest to the tip and the 2nd buttons sits right next to it. Button 1 will erase created content. To erase, press and hold button, then drag on the screen to erase content. Button 2 is Right-Click and Select. To Right-Click press and hold button. Then touch the screen with the pen tip. Then release button to show a context menu. To select, press and hold button, then drag pen tip on the screen to select content.

Using the buttons work as designed. It works just like using a mouse or track pad. Once I got use to the operations, I found it useful. My client is use to using a stylus and said they work as well as any stylus he has used in the past.

Final Thoughts

Between his experience and mine with the Dell Active Pen – PN350M we decided its a great pen. Both of us agree that its on the more expensive side. If you need a stylus for your Dell 2-in-1 laptop and want to stick with Dell then this is the one I would recommend. Just make sure that it works with your computer. I believe some of the issues people may had were a mix of operator’s errors or using the wrong the pen for their setup. My client did say that once he looses this pen (he said he will at some point) he will look at aftermarket options before he orders another one from Dell.