# Are stylus pens worth it?



## ericofpendom (Dec 15, 2012)

Hi Folks,

I have seen the stylus equipped pens recently and was just wondering if they are really that useful. It seems that if you have a touchscreen device then you will probably be using your fingers rather than going to the trouble of getting a pen out of your pocket.  Could someone please point out the benefits (if any) of having a pen with a stylus.

Sorry if I have missed the point of them.:befuddled:

Thanks in advance.

Eric...


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## AceMrFixIt (Dec 15, 2012)

I have large hands and can type 2 words at once on my iphone. It is very handy for me, less errors when texting. I use the pen daily for documentation at work. It was worth the time and money for me.


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## Gary Beasley (Dec 15, 2012)

Many screens are smaller than what would be easy or comfortable using fingers on the smaller icons displayed on them. An occasional tap for many programs may suffice but you get into an app where theres a lot of small things to work with and it becomes worth the extra effort to dig out a stylus.


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## markspens (Dec 15, 2012)

I have many female customers with long nails and they need the stylus to sign for square payments on my phone.


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## monophoto (Dec 15, 2012)

I use an iPod Touch (essentially, an iPhone without the telephone function) to access the internet and e-mail while travaeling.  But the 'keyboard' on the iPod is tiny, and my fingers are fat.  So for me, having a stylus really does make a difference.  I keep my iPod in a leather case, with the stylus clipped on the side, and the combination slips into my pocket where it is convenient wherever I go.


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## ed4copies (Dec 15, 2012)

I can only tell you we SELL hundreds of them, so someone must be buying them!!!


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## OOPS (Dec 15, 2012)

I have found that getting older people "up to speed" on tablets can be daunting.  They aren't used to touching the key with the precision necessary to cause the tablet to read it as a push instead of a swipe.  Rocking your finger even slightly causes an unwanted result.  These problems are eliminated with a stylus.  As for me, I have large fingers, so a stylus is a must while attempting to type out something on an iPhone or iPod, for instance.


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## Chasper (Dec 15, 2012)

We have sold over 300 of them this month.  If sales are a part of the reason you make pens, then my experience is that they are worth the effort.


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## Lenny (Dec 19, 2012)

I had them for sale but had never used them myself .... Until I got an iPad. 

Now I can SELL them! They work so much better and more precise than your finger!


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## Proud2Turn (Dec 19, 2012)

I made one for myself and find it very handy.  However I have my phone in an OtterBox case, which has a protective screen, and the stylus doesn't so well on it.  Out of the case it does great on the phone.  Would recommend giving one a try.


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## Old Lar (Dec 19, 2012)

I have big fat fingers.  I really like them and use one all the time, both on my ipad and smart phone.


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## StephenM (Dec 19, 2012)

There was a discussion about teaching cursive on fark.com and one guy made a great point: as pads become more prevalent, people will be using them for taking notes and it's a lot faster to write and have the pad "translate" it back to a word processing format than to try and type it all out.

So yes, the stylus will become more used and cursive will probably end up being taught again making the pen/stylus combo the go-to instrument of the future.


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## Kretzky (Dec 19, 2012)

ericofpendom said:


> Hi Folks,
> 
> I have seen the stylus equipped pens recently and was just wondering if they are really that useful. It seems that if you have a touchscreen device then you will probably be using your fingers rather than going to the trouble of getting a pen out of your pocket. Could someone please point out the benefits (if any) of having a pen with a stylus.
> 
> ...


 
An additional point not mentioned... my wife accepts CC payments & people find it much easier to "sign" the screen on a pad etc with a stylus/ pen than with their fingers. Plus as has been said people with stubby fat fingers (like me) find them really useful. I loved the little stylus on my old Palm Pilot (remember those?)


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## panamag8or (Dec 19, 2012)

They are the most viewed items on my etsy site, and everyone that sees them, loves them. However, no one is buying them... not from me, anyway.


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## nava1uni (Dec 19, 2012)

Kretzky said:


> ericofpendom said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Folks,
> ...



I also love the Palm stylus.  The new stylus do make using an Ipad, especially with a Square, much easier.


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## Carl Fisher (Dec 20, 2012)

Yup.  Definitely worth it.


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## Sawdust46 (Dec 20, 2012)

I have sold them about as fast as I can make them just not a lot of margin.  I use the Square for credit card sales and I have found the customers like signing with a stylus much better than with their finger!  I've sold the stylus to other vendors because of it.


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## jzerger (Dec 21, 2012)

I've sold all of the 10 or so I've made. The one thing that is a concern is that when the stylus is used for swiping, drawing, etc.  the softer tips crack and break off (they are easy to replace but for those who are a bit aggressive with the stylus....).  I've found that college age and younger look at me like "why in the world would you need that"...kind of like a letter opener...they've been texting before they could write.


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## navycop (Dec 21, 2012)

This might be just the ticket for my boss at work. He checks his email on his iphone using his finger, then he has to pick up a pen to write the message down...


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## Glenn McCullough (Dec 21, 2012)

the soft cap stylus worth it, but the "cross refill" stylus hasnt worked on a dozen phones or ipads that tried it on.


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