It's the perfect product. I pick it up, I use it, it functions perfectly without thought.
It's a lifelong mission to find any such tech product.
How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
21–30 of 135 posts
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#22Two articles on it (which probably were part of the source for this one):
- https://www.penaddict.com/blog/2016/1/17/bic-cristal-ballpoi...
- https://www.jetpens.com/blog/How-the-Ballpoint-Pen-Changed-t...
a book which has a bit on the usage of this and similar Bic models is:
https://www.paulshawletterdesign.com/2012/12/blue-pencil-no-...
(ob. discl., I received a copy (which I gave to my daughter) to write the review: http://ftp.tug.org/TUGboat/tb34-2/tb107reviews-zapfhallmark....) which has the line:
> Some such details are very humbling, such as the exquisitely beautiful design study for Zapfino-like capitals intended for use with Firenze shown with the 49 cent Deluxe Fine Point Bic ballpoint pen used to render the letters (pg. 43).
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#23It's the perfect product. I pick it up, I use it, it functions perfectly without thought. It's a lifelong mission to find any such tech product.
My Newton MessagePad was like that --- just the friction of charging/replacing the batteries and the physical friction of the resistive stylus got to be too much for me --- I'd give a lot for its functionality on my (stylus-equipped) phone.
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#24It's the perfect product. I pick it up, I use it, it functions perfectly without thought. It's a lifelong mission to find any such tech product.
Ever tried writing a few pages with it?
It requires too much pressure compared with gel pens, rollerball pens, let alone fountain pens (although the latter are not for everyone). It soon creates fatigue. And at least in my case I also make uglier handwriting with them that with gel pens, rollerball pens, let alone fountain pens.
It's an extremely reliable product to do what it does, as well as extremely cheap, but far from perfect IMO. I see it more as a last resort if nothing else is available.
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#25Also useful for picking some tubular locks https://postureinfohub.com/how-to-pick-a-tubular-lock-with-a...
and for disassembling the gamecube (in the days before easy access to non-standard screwdrivers)
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#26I bought a pack of 100 of them for super cheap a few years ago, and a pack of 200 or so pencils with erasers from amazon basics. They carried me through all my exams in university, I have some in every backpack, purse, everywhere. Never had to worry about not having a pen ready, or a replacement if I lost one the morning before the exam. That is truly a buy-it-for-life level investment.
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#27The bic clic (not cristal) is the iconic pen of my childhood.
It's hard to explain how popular they were in NZ, if you asked kids to draw a pen that's what they'd draw.
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#28Also useful for picking some tubular locks https://postureinfohub.com/how-to-pick-a-tubular-lock-with-a...
And for rewinding cassette tapes.
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#29It's such a versatile product. I bet everyone here who's older than 45/50 have at least once used a Bic pen to rewind a cassete tape.
I also used the plastic clip as a stapler remover.
There were many other uses for it, for sure.
Re: How the BIC Cristal ballpoint pen became ubiquitous
#30It's the perfect product. I pick it up, I use it, it functions perfectly without thought. It's a lifelong mission to find any such tech product.
My Newton MessagePad was like that --- just the friction of charging/replacing the batteries and the physical friction of the resistive stylus got to be too much for me --- I'd give a lot for its functionality on my (stylus-equipped) phone.
I used to have one of those - so so way ahead of its time.-
PS Also, the handwriting recognition was way ahead of the game.-