Need advice picking out a stylus. Which do you use?

[wyndslash]

I've been thinking of getting one since I have thoughts to use my KF as a notebook for my classes. So I thought to get a stylus and started sifting through the many products and reviews over the net. I just end up getting confused, and figured asking for advice here might probably be best.

Price is not a problem; I would like something durable and long-lasting, as I take notes voraciously in class. Responsiveness is key, though I have read somewhere that a good app makes all the difference.

Electronics here are very, very expensive so I have no intention of wasting my time in the local shops. I may end up buying from Amazon too.

Thanks for your responses!

[Jessica Lares]

I have the Bamboo Stylus. Very, very durable. Pure metal and very nicely built. Glides smoothly too. Worth the less than $30 price tag.

I also have a rocket fish which is thinner/cheaper and lets me patch up small spots in drawings, but I use it less. The Bamboo just feels a lot better in your hands.

[Hope]

I use the Boxwave from Amazon. It's been pretty good. I like the string because I let it stick out my Marware Jurni zippered compartment and it's easy to grab.
Boxwave Stylus $8

[stanleystarrh]

I was curious if there is a noticeable difference in stylus pens? Has anyone had the chance to use two different ones?

[Jessica Lares]

Originally Posted by stanleystarrh

I was curious if there is a noticeable difference in stylus pens? Has anyone had the chance to use two different ones?

Yes. the smaller the nib is, the more on target the movement is. It makes no difference in navigation, but for drawing, yes.

[jsh1120]

Originally Posted by stanleystarrh

I was curious if there is a noticeable difference in stylus pens? Has anyone had the chance to use two different ones?

Two? Try about a dozen. Went through fairly extensive testing with the iPad and found that the findings there hold up fairly well for the Kindle Fire. Jessica is correct that the biggest differences show up in drawing and handwriting. Otherwise, it's more a matter of what "feels right" in you hand.

For drawing/writing, the best styluses I've found are from a small internet company (iFaraday.com). They come from a guy in Ohio, I believe, and he has an excellent reputation for standing behind his products and his 100% satisfaction guarantee.

The iFaraday styluses use a conductive fabric tip that has virtually no "drag" when writing. And the "SALT" model is especially good for writing at an acute angle. The tips are relatively small compared to most other styluses and you can choose among a variety of models to suit your preferences.

The only stylus I'd recommend against is the Jot Pro from Adonit. It has a very fine "point" that contacts the screen and a transparent plastic "collar" that makes the broader contact point required by a capacitive screen. Unfortunately, it suffers from "missed strokes" so often that it's almost useless on the Kindle Fire.

[sirmaru]

I use the Fisher Bullet Space Pen with Stylus available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Bullet-...7089683&sr=8-2

[RainingLemur]

I'm going to have to try one of the iFaraday styli. Those look like they may fit the bill.

[booklover6]

I've got these on the way, but in the meantime I use this one.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I'm going to have to try one of the iFaraday styli. Those look like they may fit the bill.

But according to the website there is only one type available -- and it's $26! Not good.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I've got these on the way, but in the meantime I use this one.

How's the amazon basics one working out? I'm tempted to get those cheapo packs too. The ifaraday is tempting though

[booklover6]

The Amazon Basics stylus works great!

[jsh1120]

Originally Posted by Skydog

But according to the website there is only one type available -- and it's $26! Not good.

Rustle, the guy who makes these styli, runs a very small shop and is pretty fanatical about satisfying customers. Early on, in fact, a customer complained about a problem with one of his early models on an iPad forum. He not only found and corrected the problem with a particular batch he'd made, he posted the fact on the same forum and sent emails to all those who had purchased the styli from that batch asking if they had experienced the problem and offered to replace them free of charge.

I mention this only because, as his note on the site indicates, he's trying to keep up with demand for the product and doesn't want to promise immediate shipment when he can't deliver it. (I've ordered several models from iFaraday and they've all arrived within three days.)

If you're interested in the product I'd recommend checking the website again in a week or so or sending an email asking when he expects other models to begin shipping again. I suspect it will be shortly.

By the way, you may find the $26 price for the model he's shipping to be extravagant but imo it's worth every penny for writing and drawing. Almost any capacitive stylus will work for button pushing but if you want to write on a capacitive screen it requires considerable practice and a good tool. Cheaper styli typically fail on that score.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by jsh1120

Rustle, the guy who makes these styli, runs a very small shop and is pretty fanatical about satisfying customers. Early on, in fact, a customer complained about a problem with one of his early models on an iPad forum. He not only found and corrected the problem with a particular batch he'd made, he posted the fact on the same forum and sent emails to all those who had purchased the styli from that batch asking if they had experienced the problem and offered to replace them free of charge.

I mention this only because, as his note on the site indicates, he's trying to keep up with demand for the product and doesn't want to promise immediate shipment when he can't deliver it. (I've ordered several models from iFaraday and they've all arrived within three days.)

If you're interested in the product I'd recommend checking the website again in a week or so or sending an email asking when he expects other models to begin shipping again. I suspect it will be shortly.

By the way, you may find the $26 price for the model he's shipping to be extravagant but imo it's worth every penny for writing and drawing. Almost any capacitive stylus will work for button pushing but if you want to write on a capacitive screen it requires considerable practice and a good tool. Cheaper styli typically fail on that score.

Personally, I do not consider $26, or more, to be at all extravagant for a well-designed, well-made stylus -- I am happy to pay it. The only point of my comment was that, from a consumer standpoint, availability limited to only one of his various models is not ideal. It is good to know, however, that he has a continuous flow of orders and the shortage is temporary.

I have just about given up trying to find the ultimate stylus for note-taking on my Xoom and Fire. And then there is the problem with decent software.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by Skydog

But according to the website there is only one type available -- and it's $26! Not good.

Everything I've seen/read about it from customers on various other forums says that it's more than worth it. I'm more than willing to pay a few extra bucks for something that A. Works good, and B. The creator stands behind and will fix/rectify if/when they are DOA. I've placed an order, and now I'm waiting for it.