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ipad 3 and stylus

LaunchpadBS said:
U want a stylus, go buy a samsung and return to your clay hut!
Click to expand...

That's funny cause when we were in clay huts we used our fingers to eat.
Now we have forks and spoons.
I wouldn't be without a stylus.
BTW I've been lucky enough to come across the cheap-o's (3 packs on amazon) that now actually work well.
The originals had a grippy rubber (rounded) point, and they seem to be making them out of something that slides well. I'm a happy camper.
Won't post a link cause you can google, and actually with these chinese sellers there's no telling exactly what you will get.
Oh well, here's where I stocked up from.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AUPWA6/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details

No way should a good stylus cost much.
 
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Not everybody needs a stylus. Electronics like the iPad are made to encompass as large a crowd as possible. Why? More revenue for the company. Additionally, many companies exist that make superb styluses; hence, Apple has no reason to compete.
 
erawsd said:
I think he was referring to a tablet whose primary input is based on the stylus. However, a Stylus as a complimentary accessory that allowed the iPad to better handle things like handwriting, sketching, and other tasks that require fine motor skills would really cement its place in the business/education markets.

Yes, there are plenty of Stylus out there for the iPad, but as others have said its like trying to write notes with a marker. Even the best of them are cumbersome and often require more effort than its worth to use.
Click to expand...

What he actually said was:

"God gave us ten styluses, let's not invent another one".
 
I don't get the stylus nay-sayers.

The iPad/tablet form factor is about the size of a note pad. We gather information, plan our days and much, much more using these devices already but note taking is horrible.

Why *wouldn't* we want to solve that and incorporate the technology into a device that we supposedly carry with us most of the day?

Or is it that some have missed the point of technology completely?

Apart from those Anoto powered pens and similar products (some need special paper, others a sensor clipped to the note pad), no electronic note taking device holds a candle to a pen and a paper.

When it comes to flexible note taking the "pen and paper" interface concept makes sense; keyboard is for text input only and switching between input methods to insert a quick figure is a step backwards from pen and paper. That's not better at all. It's just a compromise that's effectively bad interface design.

So...

What if this new stylus concept was as fast as pen and paper?

What if you added an excellent interpreter that OCR'd the text in the background for later proof reading, while being out of the way while still taking notes?

What if this interpreter could distinguish between text and figures and learn?

What if it could contextualize the text (Siri?) to choose the appropriate syntax/word + automatically insert and hyperlink relevant info for cross reference across the document or even the entire device (e.g. data selector + voodoo pad style)?

Old stylus interfaces were bad and often slow yes, but how is that relevant to future devices? It was the implementation that wasn't good, not necessarily the input concept.

I'd love for Apple to solve note taking but current interfaces just don't cut it.

I only take Steve Jobs' opinion to mean that it'd be a step backwards if the interface in general would need a stylus (e.g. general tasks), not necessarily flexible information input. Also it could be a stop gap lie until Apple solve it themselves.
 
I find it interesting how the iPad is being used in different ways. Some people see a need for a stylus but Jobs didn't. If it was not needed, I can't see why 3rd party developers are stepping up to that plate not only with stylus but also with brushes. Just speculating but I don't see iPad 3 coming out with a stylus, just a better display, faster processor and perhaps more memory. Perhaps the 4 will include things like a stylus and an SD card.
 
I could see Apple releasing a $50-$100 pressure-sensitive bluetooth stylus for the iPad. It wouldn't be included in the box with the iPad, it would be specifically for people who take a lot of handwritten notes or who want to do art work on an iPad. Maybe even an official partnership with Wacom?
 
blipmusic said:
I don't get the stylus nay-sayers.

The iPad/tablet form factor is about the size of a note pad. We gather information, plan our days and much, much more using these devices already but note taking is horrible.

Why *wouldn't* we want to solve that and incorporate the technology into a device that we supposedly carry with us most of the day?

Or is it that some have missed the point of technology completely?

Apart from those Anoto powered pens and similar products (some need special paper, others a sensor clipped to the note pad), no electronic note taking device holds a candle to a pen and a paper.

When it comes to flexible note taking the "pen and paper" interface concept makes sense; keyboard is for text input only and switching between input methods to insert a quick figure is a step backwards from pen and paper. That's not better at all. It's just a compromise that's effectively bad interface design.

So...

What if this new stylus concept was as fast as pen and paper?

What if you added an excellent interpreter that OCR'd the text in the background for later proof reading, while being out of the way while still taking notes?

What if this interpreter could distinguish between text and figures and learn?

What if it could contextualize the text (Siri?) to choose the appropriate syntax/word + automatically insert and hyperlink relevant info for cross reference across the document or even the entire device (e.g. data selector + voodoo pad style)?

Old stylus interfaces were bad and often slow yes, but how is that relevant to future devices? It was the implementation that wasn't good, not necessarily the input concept.

I'd love for Apple to solve note taking but current interfaces just don't cut it.

I only take Steve Jobs' opinion to mean that it'd be a step backwards if the interface in general would need a stylus (e.g. general tasks), not necessarily flexible information input. Also it could be a stop gap lie until Apple solve it themselves.
Click to expand...

Some interesting suggestion and ideas...

Also for those who still holding onto "steve jobs didn't want stylus".. Please get over it.. SJ will be the first in line to overturn his own decision/statement he made several years ago if he sees the trends/benefit going other direction. He's that smart.. and good.

Stylus is no brainer if technology is there.. Apple need to push it.. Two huge market, business and education needs it.
 
Apple must continue to be a leader in innovation. For them to come out w/ break through stylus pen which is extremely accurate would blow LOT of people away.
 
blipmusic said:
I don't get the stylus nay-sayers.

The iPad/tablet form factor is about the size of a note pad. We gather information, plan our days and much, much more using these devices already but note taking is horrible.

Why *wouldn't* we want to solve that and incorporate the technology into a device that we supposedly carry with us most of the day?

Or is it that some have missed the point of technology completely?

Apart from those Anoto powered pens and similar products (some need special paper, others a sensor clipped to the note pad), no electronic note taking device holds a candle to a pen and a paper.

When it comes to flexible note taking the "pen and paper" interface concept makes sense; keyboard is for text input only and switching between input methods to insert a quick figure is a step backwards from pen and paper. That's not better at all. It's just a compromise that's effectively bad interface design.

So...

What if this new stylus concept was as fast as pen and paper?

What if you added an excellent interpreter that OCR'd the text in the background for later proof reading, while being out of the way while still taking notes?

What if this interpreter could distinguish between text and figures and learn?

What if it could contextualize the text (Siri?) to choose the appropriate syntax/word + automatically insert and hyperlink relevant info for cross reference across the document or even the entire device (e.g. data selector + voodoo pad style)?

Old stylus interfaces were bad and often slow yes, but how is that relevant to future devices? It was the implementation that wasn't good, not necessarily the input concept.

I'd love for Apple to solve note taking but current interfaces just don't cut it.

I only take Steve Jobs' opinion to mean that it'd be a step backwards if the interface in general would need a stylus (e.g. general tasks), not necessarily flexible information input. Also it could be a stop gap lie until Apple solve it themselves.
Click to expand...
Very well said. There's a ton of room for innovation here and there's no doubt in my mind that what you're describing is where things are going. For now I believe capacitive touch technology is the roadblock but it's hard to imagine this not getting solved at some point.
 
A stylus would be cool a la Samsung Galaxy Note - slickly tucked away should I not wish to use it
 
touchmonkey said:
That's funny cause when we were in clay huts we used our fingers to eat.
Now we have forks and spoons.
I wouldn't be without a stylus.
BTW I've been lucky enough to come across the cheap-o's (3 packs on amazon) that now actually work well.
The originals had a grippy rubber (rounded) point, and they seem to be making them out of something that slides well. I'm a happy camper.
Won't post a link cause you can google, and actually with these chinese sellers there's no telling exactly what you will get.
Oh well, here's where I stocked up from.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AUPWA6/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details

No way should a good stylus cost much.
Click to expand...

I bought the 3-pack stylus. Tried it out. Hated it and sold them for a profit. The rubber nib kept falling off and the stylus is super small.
 
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Apple is missing a huge opportunity in terms of drawing. You can ignore the other benefits of a stylus, but drawing is a pretty strong benefit IMO. I've drawn quite a bit in sketchbook pro on my ipad and am quite impressed with the results, but the things that hold it back are the ipads low resolution, the large contact surface of the ipads screen/stylus (although it's not that bad at all) and the lack of pressure sensitivity.

I just think there are a lot of people who like to dabble with drawing, painting, sketching, etc. The ipad is incredibly mobile, even that $2500 cintiq still needs to be connected to a computer running photoshop, but the ipad you can totally take with you anywhere to draw.

There was a company out there, I think it was ten one but I can be totally wrong, that demonstrated that the existing ipad already had the technology to run a pressure sensitive pen and to have a much smaller contact area. I can't believe it would take Apple much work at all to add this functionality to the ipad 3 with its purported higher resolution. Then they can sell the drawing stylus separately for $80 or whatever Apple-ish price.

edit: these are the guys who were able to add pressure sensitivity to the ipad: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/07/developer-adds-pressure-sensitive-drawing-to-ipad/
 
I got a Kuel H10 stylus a few days after getting my iPad 2. Never thought I'd want a stylus until I started drawing on some apps... it really is more accurate than using your finger.

No matter what Steve Jobs said or the tech industry comes up with in future they can re-engineer your stubby finger :D
 
andiwm2003 said:
this is your best bet if it actually works well and if it will be supported by many apps.

i'll wait till the reviews are out and if people like it and there is no lag than I get one.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1225098940/ipen-the-first-active-stylus-for-ipad
Click to expand...

This is cool, thanks for sharing! Here's another stylus with potential, it has hardware pressure sensitivity and requires no attachments (still battery powered unfortunately): http://adonit.net/product/jot-touch/, 200 points of pressure sensitivity and it hopefully comes out in April! =D

It's really too bad theres only 200 points but I guess the added accuracy makes up for it and is completely fine for quick on-the-road sketching.
 
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Oh my gosh

It's a stylus we had this for years, there is a reason apple doesn't make them it's because only about 1%-5% of people want them if even that much. If people wanted stylus there would be a lot more stylus for the iPad to choose from and maybe one of them would be good. I'm still good with my pen and paper, I feel like a d***** carrying my iPad around in public...
 
LaazyEye said:
.............................

This is cool, thanks for sharing! Here's another stylus with potential, it has hardware pressure sensitivity and requires no attachments (still battery powered unfortunately): http://adonit.net/product/jot-touch/, 200 points of pressure sensitivity and it hopefully comes out in April! =D

It's really too bad theres only 200 points but I guess the added accuracy makes up for it and is completely fine for quick on-the-road sketching.
Click to expand...

I have seen that before however I do not like the little tranparent disk at the tip. That may be ok for drawing a line and slowly drawing in general but it looks quite distracting for taking notes with quick handwriting.

I ordered the Cregle and it should ship by end of Feb.

I also heard that PaperDesk (a note taking app) will release their own fine tipped stylus for their App this spring. I'm not sure if it is the Stylus you linked to.

At least it is quite clear now that there is a larger number of people who need/want a real stylus and that should quiet down those useless replys "you don't need a stylus" that you get in every thread inquiring about styluses.
 
andiwm2003 said:
At least it is quite clear now that there is a larger number of people who need/want a real stylus and that should quiet down those useless replys "you don't need a stylus" that you get in every thread inquiring about styluses.
Click to expand...

I think that what is missed is the differentiation in usage.

For the user to navigate the UI and interact with apps? Then you shouldn't need a stylus and the Steve Jobs quote is on point.

For the user to input handwriting, highlight/annotate documents & PDFS, or otherwise create/modify content in a manner where a precise / fine-point works better than your finger? That's where a stylus works well.

In other words; for general usage and media consumption, if the device requires a stylus the designers blew it. This doesn't mean there aren't use cases where a stylus is a good tool.
 
Luckybobby said:
It's a stylus we had this for years, there is a reason apple doesn't make them it's because only about 1%-5% of people want them if even that much. If people wanted stylus there would be a lot more stylus for the iPad to choose from and maybe one of them would be good. I'm still good with my pen and paper, I feel like a d***** carrying my iPad around in public...
Click to expand...

i don't know about numbers. everyone i know who owns an ipad owns one or more styli. i used to prefer pen and paper, scanning to pdf later. now, i don't even carry a pen with me. it's all on the ipad.

to each his own. i don't know why apple and steve don't like styli. it's probably the same reason they don't like having more than twelve apps in a folder--idiosyncrasy. i'm not letting steve's quirks dictate my life. thankfully, there are some incredible writing apps that have found innovative ways to get around the ipad's weaknesses :)
 
AppleDApp said:
I bought the 3-pack stylus. Tried it out. Hated it and sold them for a profit. The rubber nib kept falling off and the stylus is super small.
Click to expand...

You probably bought cheap ones. I have the rubber tip one by Targus since last yr and have yet to run into any problems. It sells for $25 on Amazon I believe.
 
What most people seem to be missing is that the problem with the current design is in the digitizer, not the stylus.

The capacitive touch sensor used in the iPad has low resolution and requires a wide conductive pointer (i.e. a finger).

To work with the iPad's digitizer, the available styli have to be large tipped and made of the right material to emulate a finger.

Wacom tablets, their Cintiq display, and other high end tablet PCs use a different technology that works with a coupled stylus to give much, much higher resolution, pressure sensitivity, and single point sensing. By virtue of their active stylus, they also avoid the 'wrist rest' problem of the capacitive digitizer -- the iPad registers every contact from your hand, and apps have to do some clever processing to distinguish the stylus or finger from your wrist or palm resting on the screen.

It is technically possible to make a screen with both types of digitizer. As a university instructor, I use an Asus tablet PC which has both. It responds to finger presses and swipes, and can use a digitizer pen for precision drawing and writing. I use it instead of a blackboard so students can participate on-line.

I would love to see this on the iPad 3. It would double the utility for me.
 
Why is everyone referring to Steve Jobs in present tense? I actually had to double check the post dates in this thread as I thought I was reading stuff from the past. Anyway, without Jobs at the helm, there will definitely be products that come out in the future that were not part of his vision. I personally would not be surprised if we see an Apple stylus at some point.
 
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Falkowski83 said:
Personally I need a stylus with the ipad. Better for highlighting pdfs, and to make annotations on a pdf/textbook. The keyboard just doesn't feel natural on those tasks.

If apple doesn't release one of its own, I'll buy it from a 3rd party.
Click to expand...

the exact same reasons why i'd like the 3 to come with a stylus
 
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