iPhone Stylus Shootout: Pogo Stylus vs. Touch Pen Stylus

[MacRumors]

Pogo Stylus

Macenstein took the time to review two iPhone styluses that are available for the iPhone: iPhone Japanese Touch Stylus ($14.99) and the Pogo iPhone Stylus ($19.99). For the purpose of the review, Macenstein used the styluses as an artists tool for iPhone apps like Flipbook [App Store] and Kineo (formerly Flickbook) [App Store].

While the Japanese Touch Stylus wins points for aesthetics, Macinestein found its unique flexible tip to be a difficult to use.

Drawing with this stylus was a definite chore, as the entire flat surface of the tip must be firmly pressed against the screen in order for the iPhone to register it. I had hoped the angled tip might provide enough contact when drawing to give more of a feel of a real pen, but unless you keep this stylus angled flat to the surface, it will not register.

Meanwhile, the Pogo iPhone stylus is described as "far batter" in overall usability and accuracy:

Despite the tip of the stylus being somewhat rounded and soft, I found I was able to get much more accurate line placement that I thought I would.

More details in the full review.

Article Link

[chr1s60]

Other than drawing and for use in cities where it gets cold enough to wear gloves outside, I find the stylus to be a waste of money.

[xix]

Anyone who has a stylus for their iPhone is <not cool>.

Present company not excluded.

[fleshman03]

Originally Posted by xix

Anyone who has a stylus for their iPhone is <not cool>.

Present company not excluded.

Lol. That is exactly how I feel. The whole point of multi-touch tech was to avoid the stylus. I guess for a new things it can be useful, but who wants to carry around another pen?

I don't. I don't even carry one. My MacBook Pro and iPod Touch is all I bring to class.

[gcmexico]

Originally Posted by chr1s60

Other than drawing and for use in cities where it gets cold enough to wear gloves outside, I find the stylus to be a waste of money.

*
exactly...they have to invite a glove you can wear to use with the iphone!

[slicecom]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

*
exactly...they have to invite a glove you can wear to use with the iphone!

That sounds like a much better invention than another stupid stylus. The whole point of the iPhone is that it DOESN'T need a stylus!

[TimothyB]

Originally Posted by slicecom

That sounds like a much better invention than another stupid stylus. The whole point of the iPhone is that it DOESN'T need a stylus!

Well duh, but what's wrong with getting one for better accuracy with all the cool art apps? Have you tried drawing with a finger. It's hard to get the line to start where you want, requiring a lot of undos and erasing. To compensate you have to constantly zoom in to be more accurate, but then you lose site of the whole drawing.

And the review mainly focused on that. I'm tempted to get it so I can casually doodle in Flipbook at home without struggling as much, but not like I'm going to take it around with me for normal use. I'll have to check if I upload something to Flipbook.tv if that 25% off the Pogo is available.

Why do you guys have to put down these stylus when they have their place? Anyone that gets an iPhone will use their fingers and have no problem, it works great, but if they go online to find a stylus, there's probably a good reason for doing so.

Also, in the mornings, I bet it would be handy for things like sudoku, especially when I'm eating breakfast or something greasy. Where the Pogo would get dirty and not your iPhone.

[tomashi]

far batter???

[MantaNZ]

Originally Posted by TimothyB

Well duh, but what's wrong with getting one for better accuracy with all the cool art apps?

Or you could try using a real computer - much more efficient for artists

[kdarling]

Originally Posted by slicecom

The whole point of the iPhone is that it DOESN'T need a stylus!

No touchscreen phone NEEDS a stylus.

The whole point of the iPhone is that its basic UI doesn't need one to be easily usable.

But it certainly doesn't mean that there aren't apps and owners who could use one.

[melgross]

It seems that some people here are so concerned with maintaining their coolness of just using their finger, that they aren't interested in even admitting that sometimes, a stylus is pretty much a requirement.

It bugs me too that the drawing programs are so difficult to use. I'm used to using one on my now old Treo 700p to make quick sketches, and annotating them, that I was really hoping that programs for the iPhone would be better. With just the finger, they are worse.

Sorry, but it's the truth! Finger input works well for most things, but for some, it's just not adequate.

Otherwise, I, my wife, and my daughter, all of whom now have a 3G iPhone, are delighted with them.

[iSee]

I wish he had compared them to "the finger" by running through the same exercises. For example, how easy was it for him to do his Sponge Bob picture with his finger?

I just wonder how the reviewer would score his own finger on his 10 point scale.

[TalkAboutApple]

I finally "get" why some people want or need these, but it just looks so wrong.

[kayno]

yet another invention to set iPhones back a couple of years!

[RumorHasIt....]

All of the posters that have to make such negative comments need to get a life. Fine, you don't either need or want one. For some of us, we like to draw and write notes. To take the time to read about and post on something that you already know you have no interest in is pretty sad. Oh, I forgot, Steve said that the iphone doesn't need a stylus. My bad...

[skeep5]

Seeing that stylus hanging off the side of the iPhone makes me wanna retch. Let's add a huge battery butt to it and an 2" thick squished antenna and OH WAIT here's a QWERTY keyboard you can plug into the bottom! Wait its a PALM!

[Juo100]

Im glad that Apple didn’t use a stylus and think this is a bit counter intuitive. Fingers FTW

[happydude]

Originally Posted by Juo100

Im glad that Apple didn’t use a stylus and think this is a bit counter intuitive. Fingers FTW

i'm glad apple didn't base the UI around a stylus, but am glad 3rd parties have stepped up and created one. if it makes the iphone more accessible to handicapped in anyway, why not? easier for artists? why not? free market, right? if people prefer the stylus, let them purchase it. if not, as you say "fingers FTW."

[Pigumon]

Originally Posted by RumorHasIt....

All of the posters that have to make such negative comments need to get a life. Fine, you don't either need or want one. For some of us, we like to draw and write notes. To take the time to read about and post on something that you already know you have no interest in is pretty sad. Oh, I forgot, Steve said that the iphone doesn't need a stylus. My bad...

SO true. Look at the amount of negative comments for every single thread on MacRumors.

Just shut up, we know you have to buy cool products to pretend you're cool, because you really are just horribly uncool. That doesn't mean that real people who are actually cool to begin with, don't have times they'd like to use a stylus.

I would definitely get one for drawing apps. For the rest, my fingers are fine.

The reviewer stated very specifically, from 1 - 10 a finger gets a 3, Jap gets 5, pogo gets 7.5. So yeah, sounds like a stylus IS needed.