Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Touch Screen Stylus - pogo stylus, ipad stylus
I was skeptical before ordering this. My main goal was to find a stylus with enough precision to use with a painting app for the iPhone called "Brushes". If you happen to be looking for the same, look no further.
The problem with most stylus-like devices for capacitive touch devices such as the iPhone is that the minimum diameter required to register a "touch" is actually quite large. I suspect this was done to lessen the frequency of accidental touches. So, the trick here is to find a stylus that meets the minimum diameter requirements while still delivering the precision needed.
This is where the Pogo Sketch really shines. The barrel of the device is incredibly slim but still comfortable in the hand. The length is also perfect-- just barely longer than the length of an iPhone, it's sure to fit wherever your iphone is stored. The contact point of the device is a small fuzzy head. I'm not sure what the material is but it's slightly squishy. The great part is that the head is small enough that it doesn't obscure the view of what you're touching.
In practice:
Wow. Absolutely smooth. In use, the Pogo Sketch glides across the glass of an iPhone. There is just the tiniest bit of drag, but it feels very natural. Next, pressure: This is very important. Little pressure is needed to register a touch on the device. The original Pogo Stylus really lacked in this area, you have to press quite hard which can be uncomfortable for long periods of use.
Conclusion:
If you're looking for a stylus for any of the painting/drawing apps for the IPhone/iPod Touch, this is really top notch. If you're looking for a stylus for day-to-day use of your iPhone/iPod Touch, IMHO, you should really just use the best natural stylus available- your index finger.
Pros:
Super slim form, precise
Little pressure needed
Glides easily
Cons:
I can't really think of any. This exceeded my expectations. I suppose I could say something about the price being a little high, but it's a niche market. Ten One Design Pogo Sketch Stylus for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch (Silver)
I purchased 2 of these to use on my iPad with the handwriting application Penultimate. At first I was very impressed with the stylus. After only a few moments I was able to adapt to the "feel" of it, and while it didn't feel as natural as writing with a traditional pen it was more than adequate for jotting down thoughts, ideas, lists, and other quick notes.
My good first impression wore off quickly, however. After the first day the foam tip on the first stylus had worn down to about half its original size. It was also felt "squishy," having lost a lot of the firmness that it had when I first took it out of the package. The more I used the stylus, the less accurate it became. I started to notice little black flecks from the foam actually rubbing off the tip like pencil eraser shavings.
I'm now 3 days into using this product and I've reduced both of my Pogos to squishy nubs. Needless to say I have already ordered another stylus (I won't mention it in this review so that I won't be accused of being a plant for another proct) and will be returning the Pogo for a refund.
****EDIT 01/25/2011****
See the comments, I have discussed the other styli I have tried and I make a recommendation there.
***********************
I'd also like to point out that I was not sketching with the stylus, just writing notes. I was also using the absolute minimum amount of pressure required to create a stroke.
If you are just going to use the stylus to tap the screen and virtual keyboard I think it would be great for your needs, but if you plan on writing onto the screen you're wasting your time and money with this product. I suspect that most of the 5-star reviews were from people who used the stylus only lightly before posting, or were using it to just tap on icons and the keyboard. Either that or I managed to get 2 defective ones in the same order!
Yes, it's a bit spendy for what you get, but what you get is a tool that makes your iPod Touch experience significantly more comfortable -- and precise.
Typing: Let's face it -- thumbs were not meant for precision work, like typing on a tiny little QWERTY keyboard. If you know your way around a standard keyboard, you'll double your speed and accuracy with this device. Yes, you have to use a bit more pressure than a finger to get the same results, but it's negligible, and that's a sacrifice I'm more than willing to make for increased accuracy and speed.
Internet: If you need to click inside a tiny little box to enter a user name or password, it's quick and precise with this little tool. (I still "pinch" to increase and decrease screen size, and use my fingers or thumb to perform other functions that don't require a lot of precision.) Clicking on links or articles within web pages is much easier with this tool than a finger.
Games: Some of the games I like to play require a lot of clicking, or clicking and dragging (Bejeweled, BrainThaw, Chicktionary, TapTap Revenge) and the stylus works much better for these than a finger -- and causes less muscle cramping and fatigue. The stylus length is about 1/2 inch longer than the iPod device, which makes it more comfortable to use than the shorter Pogo stylus (or the short stylus devices that come with Nintendo DS). A full size pen would be even better.
Overall, this little device does exactly what I had hoped for: it makes my iPod Touch experience easier and more comfortable. (Oh yeah -- it's also a very classy looking tool, and ultra lightweight.)
I have the older version of this stylus and I finally got fed up when I lost it for the millionth time so I ordered this one and I couldn't be happier!
This stylus' earlier version worked but it was short and had no real way to keep it near by without putting it in your pocket, the clip it came with was made to fit an iphone as opposed to an ipod touch.
This one how ever features a pen clip and a hole at the very top to string a lanyard to, which i have done.
I absolutely love this stylus and i would recommend it to anyone. - Stylus - Ipad Stylus - Touch Screen Stylus - Pogo Stylus'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information