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A Handwriting Stylus...

B

Brandrune

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 22, 2011
46
0
Hello all,

My request is perhaps a little unusual, yet most of the Stylus threads I have seen posted are usually due to cold weather (therefore needing to wear gloves) or for drawing. I would really like to start using my iPad 2 as a notepad therefore doing away with sheets of paper yet this is cannot be done with a finger whatsoever. Therefore over the past two weeks I have started to research.

The best two products I have found from reviews are:

- Wacom's Bamboo Stylus
- e.stylo

Does anyone have any experience with these products? Does anyone else have a stylus they use for writing with and works reasonably close to a normal pad and paper? I hope to be writing daily and up to 5 hours a day.

Thanks
 
I have used neither of those products, but I can offer you some advice because I'm using my iPad for note taking myself. The most important thing when looking for a stylus for handwriting is that it has hard rubber tip, not one of those foam ones, like pogo sketch. The quality of writing also heavily relies on the app you use. I tried couple of them until I found the one that suits me best, and I didn't get the same handwriting result twice, although I used the same stylus for all of them.
 
Hi,

I use a boxwave stylus but I had to tweak it a little (found the tip in this forum) with nylon stretched around the top.
Now it works really (unexpectedly) well. I'm using Upad, the zoom function is amazing.


https://files.me.com/florian.g/y5dbjz

A pdf file from one of my lecture notes if you want to check out how small you can write using the zoom.
 
@Diveflo: That is exactly what I want! Would you say it is just as easy to write on your iPad now than a piece of paper and a pen?

@TheCheapGeek: Does it handwrite nice and fine?
 
Tobster3 said:
See the below link. Kensington Virtuoso gets a good review for handwriting.

http://www.macworld.com/article/156560/2010/05/touchscreen_stylus_roundup.html

I currently have the Boxwave and have recently ordered the Kensington Virtuoso to see if it is better for handwriting notes. I will post a comparison when I receive the Kensington.
Click to expand...

I just ordered a pair of the SGP Kuel H10's based on this article. I'd been wanting to pick up the Wacom but every time I look it's back ordered.
 
I bought the e.Stylo and I end up a bit disappointed. While the concept is interesting I find it very hard to use. You have to have it to only at a certain degree in order to make it work. That's pretty annoying.

I have the Alupen and it's great BUT I want to buy the Bamboo because of the reputation of Wacom and all the great reviews so far.
 
Sears carries a targus for $10 in many local stores, which is a rebranded version of (forgetting the name) sold at best buy for $20. It's very very good.
 
h00ligan said:
Sears carries a targus for $10 in many local stores, which is a rebranded version of (forgetting the name) sold at best buy for $20. It's very very good.
Click to expand...

The BoxWave and Targus are identical.

Edit: Actually the BoxWave, Targus and Griffin are identical.
 
I received my Kensington Virtuoso yesterday.

Although I have yet to do any serious handwriting with a stylus, my initial thoughts are that the Kensington is only slightly better than the Boxwave, IMO. They writing is very similar using both stylus but I believe the writing with the Kensington is slightly neater. This is due to the Kensington being longer in length which gives more control than the Boxwave.

Having said that, I don't feel that I have found a Stylus yet that I am happy to start taking hand written notes.
 
xraytech said:
The BoxWave and Targus are identical.

Edit: Actually the BoxWave, Targus and Griffin are identical.
Click to expand...

Yah boxwave was what I wAs thinking of. I don't use it all that much (still don't think there's a great app) but it works well when I do. And for $10 hard to beat I think.
 
Brandrune said:
@Diveflo: That is exactly what I want! Would you say it is just as easy to write on your iPad now than a piece of paper and a pen?

@TheCheapGeek: Does it handwrite nice and fine?
Click to expand...

Not exactly the same because of the already mentioned zoom-mode. Without it your handwriting will be pretty large. But I think this is as good as it get's with a capacitive touch screen.


https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12047553/

I used this guy's advice to make the stylus work for me.
 
Got my Bamboo yesterday, ordered from Wacom directly, and this thing feels so much better to use to me :)
 
Just Mobile Alum Stylus-My Favorite so Far!

While waiting for the Wacom I ordered I've been using a few other stylus's to see the differences and try and decide which one I would eventually settle with.

My favorite was The Just Mobile Alum Stylus primarily because of the great grip.

I ordered this Monday and received it Friday from GleeMobile.com, and with very decent price of $19.51 using this coupon code: ALUPEN15 and free shipping!

I believe that was cheaper than Amazon.

The week before I ordered and received the SGP Stylus Pen Kuel H10 and the Targus both from Amazon.com for about $14.00 each with free Prime shipping.

These two just felt totally different, very thin, and while they both worked fine, I did like the Alum in the end. This worries me just a little now because from what I can tell the Wacom is thin as well.

I liked the thinner ones for surfing and just swiping pages, but for writing in the long run my hand was aching. Also the SGP stylus collapse's which is a nice feature if your looking for something small. Both attach to the ipad with a handy little headphone plug.

If you have stubby hands fingers, or tend to clutch your pen or are just uncomfortable using some of these thinner stylus's made for the Ipad, this is the thing your looking for!

You get a really great grip with this thick stylus. You feel like you have an actual writing instrument in your hand. When I was doing a lot of writing, back in the day, remember writing with real paper, I used always Mont Blanc thick roller ball pen, and this kind of mimics that kind of feel when writing.

Unlike some of the other smaller stylus's I used and found too thin and awkward after a long period of taking notes, I seemed to come back to the Alum because of the thickness, balance and weight.

It just feels better to write with for long periods of time. It also has been designed to have a good overall weight and balance. It makes the writing experience on the Ipad for me, a much more pleasant experience.

The instrument works perfectly on the screen of the Ipad. Very few mistakes were made while I was using it. Seemed to make very good contact with the screen and was able to interpret to the screen the natural motion of my hand and writing style.

I used a few different programs to test it out, Penultimate, Upad to name a few, they all worked quite well with this nicely crafted all aluminum product by Just Mobile.

Just Mobile did a great job with the overall design, the only thing I would have like was a way to attach it to the ipad.

Probably because it has some weight to it the headphone plug attachment like the Targus and SGP was probably out of the question. It does come with a very decent lesther pouch though. A really great product from these folks, highly recommend it!

So now I will wait for the Wacom and see how it fairs against this!

Will update hopefully next week!
 
You might see if the note taking App of your choice recommends a specific one. The dev of Notes Plus, for instance, recommends a targus/boxwave style stylus (with the tip like a hollow dome of rubber) with that app. I use this type for handwriting in a few different apps and like it quite a lot.
 
Brandrune said:
@Diveflo: That is exactly what I want! Would you say it is just as easy to write on your iPad now than a piece of paper and a pen?

@TheCheapGeek: Does it handwrite nice and fine?
Click to expand...

Just a note - how fine and smooth the writing is often has more to do with which app you use than which stylus.
 
Got the Wacom today. Perfectly marvelous writing instrument. So worth every single cent. Writes like an actual pen should write on a tablet, een with a screen protector.

Great balance and feel to it, definitely thick enough barrel for my puny hands Was worried about if it would be too thin as I liked the feel of the Alum so much. Totally different, its not that thick mont blanc feeling but its certainly comfortable for long periods of writing.

I was surprised how great the tip is, very very precise, unlike all the others I have tried, no kidding, really amazing!

This is a real joy to use, it really and truly is. You will not be sorry if you pick this up. For me the search for a stylus over!

On another note would like to know what is the simplest quick note pad program people recommend, like the look of a yellow legal pad, but really want simple, no confusing little boxes, or areas to write in, something that has a good palm protection, and that is not penultimate! Just really sick of Brown!
 
3goldens said:
Got the Wacom today. Perfectly marvelous writing instrument. So worth every single cent. Writes like an actual pen should write on a tablet, een with a screen protector.

Great balance and feel to it, definitely thick enough barrel for my puny hands Was worried about if it would be too thin as I liked the feel of the Alum so much. Totally different, its not that thick mont blanc feeling but its certainly comfortable for long periods of writing.

I was surprised how great the tip is, very very precise, unlike all the others I have tried, no kidding, really amazing!

This is a real joy to use, it really and truly is. You will not be sorry if you pick this up. For me the search for a stylus over!

On another note would like to know what is the simplest quick note pad program people recommend, like the look of a yellow legal pad, but really want simple, no confusing little boxes, or areas to write in, something that has a good palm protection, and that is not penultimate! Just really sick of Brown!
Click to expand...

It the tip squishy or ridged?
 
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