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I use the stylus for writing notes on the iPad. I've used styli from Kensington, Boxwave and AYL. In all cases, after a short time, like maybe a month, the resistance is too much and dragging on the screen that I stop using it.

I now am using the Bamboo stylus. It feels nice and it writes smoothly on the screen. What is so great about this stylus is that for $4.95 I can buy a 3 pack of replacement nibs. This is the right direction to go, just like pens when out of ink, get a refill - no need to toss the pen and in this case stylus.

I've become a fan of your articles and illustrations on these subjects. I appreciate your candor in expressing opinions and your use of charts for clarity. Thanks for another excellent article.
I am anticipating getting a stylus shortly and this has helped to decide on the Bamboo stylus.
*@mrhonl*- Thanks for your insight on the replacement nibs. This has cemented my decision to go with the Bamboo

The zoom box for nib sizes doesn't really give us a larger photo -- it just darkens the background and zooms in on a very similarly (exactly?) sized image.

One of my primary uses of the iPad is for note taking. I have two nib-style pens. One is from Boxwave, and the other is a generic pen from Microcenter that cost about $6 and behaves identically to the Boxwave pen.

I've been very unsatisfied with the writing experience. The rubber tip seems to give too much resistance and requires quite a bit of pressure to make the "ink" appear. I've had the same experience in three different writing applications. I still seem have to write at about half the speed of using a pen (such as the Pilot G2) on paper, and at much lower fidelity.

Are these tips just wearing out? I've been taking daily notes (probably about 200 pages or so) since I bought the pens.

Is the Wacom Bamboo noticeably better?

How about something like the iFaraday stylus? http://ifaraday.com/ Based on the descriptions, the RxII sounds good for writing.

Thanks for the write-up.

John

JohnnyO, on 30 December 2011 - 11:54 AM, said:

John,
I believe the rubber wears out. All my stylus start out with a smooth feel when writing and then they gradually start dragging more on the screen. One particular dragged so much it was unusable. Try spinning the stylus so that the contact point of the nub and the screen are not the normal spot and I suspect the writing will be smoother. I've had the Bamboo for more than a month and have used it more than some of the others. It is wearing well, but when it does start to drag, I'll be able to replace the nub.

EXCELLENT walk through!

Personally I've got a frog stuffed with styli (long story) and my personal favourites are the short haired Nomad, the Stylus Sock from Amazing Family Material and the Dagi. The Jot is growing on me and I'm looking forward to playing with the ePlai in a big way.

Anyhow: brilliant article

mrhoni, on 30 December 2011 - 12:47 PM, said:

Thanks for the info. I did try to rotate the stylus and I could definitely tell a difference if I held it at a hear 90 degree angle. I'll have to try a new pen. I also think the Bamboo might have the smaller diameter than the Boxwave which should help avoid the mushy "I'm writing with my finger" feeling.

John

My personal fave so far: The simple Targus nib stylus. It has a nice velvety nib texture, is more sensitive than many nib styli and is long enough to feel like a comfortable round pencil in my hand. I didn't like the Pogo or the Boxwave nibs.

We have a Pogo Stick which has held up rather well. We got it before the profusion of styli hit the market and when the time comes for another one I'm definitely going with Wacom. I have 2 Bamboo tablets which I love and the ability to replace the nibs when worn out is indispensable and I'm glad to see that they went this direction for their stylus. If worth it I tend to be rather brand loyal and Wacom's products are, for me, quite worth it.

WTF? I have 5 styli attached to each hand. They were standard equipment on my body, and they never wear out.

ColinHFD, on 01 January 2012 - 04:35 AM, said:

Good idea unless, like me, you wear a size 16 ring, and my "fat fingers" cannot be delicate, especially on my iPhone.

This post has been edited by swanie: 02 January 2012 - 04:46 AM

Here's a question from someone who has never used a stylus on iPad but owns a Wacom Intuos tablet -

Do they make a nib end for iPad that can fit into my existing Wacom Intuos Tablet stylus?

I had a Boxwave for a few months and did not like the wide nib. Then the Bamboo came out and I rushed to it. I think it is great for the most part, although it is a little "mushy" sometimes, which makes it hard to write fast when taking notes.
One facet that the article does not mention is whether the stylus comes with a "dongle" (not sure what else to call it) to plug into the headphone jack to carry with you. The Boxwave has it; the Bamboo does not. I took the Boxwave off and slid the ring onto the Bamboo's clip, but it slides up and down and is not ideal.
The other thing to consider is the weight, and metal content, of the stylus. A light, metallic stylus can stick magnetically to the outside of the smart cover, so it stays put, and won't slide off when you carry it around. However, I don't recommend relying on that as a means of transporting the stylus, since it can easily fall off completely.
IN ANY CASE, I am GREATLY appreciative of this article, and the one in May. It galvanized my decision to buy the Bamboo. And I, too, am thankful to mrhoni for the tip about replacement nibs. Thanks!

JohnnyO, on 30 December 2011 - 11:54 AM, said:

John,

Good point on the nib comparison. I took that photo way back in May, before our zoom system was implemented, so once I return to the office I'll take and upload a better one.

Honestly, the writing experience all comes down to the balance of the stylus, and the friction of the nib. Even though many of these styluses look differently, their weight balance and rubber friction is all over the board. I've found (with a few exceptions) that you get what you pay for--the cheaper the stylus, the more frustrating it is to use. The iFaraday definitely looks intriguing, though it has the same nib as the Aponyo Click, and I really disliked the resistance from that pen.

golfintosh, on 02 January 2012 - 06:31 AM, said:

Sadly, no. There was a Kickstarter going on that floated the idea of sticking a nib tip onto a Sharpie (http://more-real.com/), but they aren't available yet.

kfoag, on 02 January 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

This is a good point, and I'll update the charts accordingly under Extras with that information.