Stylus compatible android tablet/reader

[nookowner4]

i had the same problem and tried several stylus but they didnt work. i recently purchased the DAGI Capacitive Stylus P501, and it works great! the only thing it doesnt do well is swipe b/c of the sticky screen. i have long nails and found it very hard to type or even search the web on the nook. i highly recommend this stylus. worked much better than the Targus stylus.

[loyukfai]

I face a similar problem, only that I would like to jot down notes in the margins while reading, instead of just selecting text, which means an active digitizer is needed since, AFAIK, even the best capacitive screen and stylus cannot handle this well without a lot of zooming in and out.

Not sure about the other platforms, but for Android, there are only a handful of them with an active digitizer... Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet (10.1"), HTC's Flyer (7"), Samsung's Galaxy Note (5.3"). So it's rather easy to choose between them if the screen size is the dictating factor.

And then you need the software, all of the above use their own hacks to utilize the stylus, which is rather useless if one wants to keep the notes down the path. Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is supposed to have native support for stylus. Suppose the above models will be upgraded to 4.0, it would probably around mid-2012.

A standardized way to store handwritten notes into the ebooks is also needed, EPUB is still currently without one as of writing. PDF fares better.

I think it's at least two years away from having this kind of capability to (start to) mature and become affordable.

P.S. I use a Tablet PC which can do PDF annotation. However, it's too heavy, too large and not instant-on. By the time Windows 8 arrives and is adapted to 7" ARM devices (if ever, and I think 7" is the proper size for an ebook reader except for technical documents and textbooks), Android and other platforms are likely to have caught up with regard to stylus support by then.

And I don't think I want to run the same Windows interface on the tablet and the PC. The Courier concept was probably a better idea but well, they killed it off.

Edit: Stumbled upon something called Jot from Adonit. Judging by the videos on YouTube, the accuracy is rather impressive (compared to other capacitive stylus). It still looks kind of weird but, if it works as advertised, I wouldn't complain about it.

Not cheap though, the normal version costs $20 and the high-end version costs $30.

Some links:
http://adonit.net/product/jot/
http://adonit.net/product/jot-pro/ (the difference between the Jot and Jot Pro seems to be an inclusion of a magnetic cling for attaching to iPad2, a rubber grip, and $10 in the price)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYp8yzkRRQA

[Drumm]

I was on a short holiday over the weekend and picked up a couple of things that have helped with this problem. One is a Blue Tooth keyboard, Cygnett is the brand. It's pretty close to the same size as the Nook Color and works better than I expected with CM7.1. I didn;t have to install any software to make it work and it has a good 2 to 3 ft range and rechargable battery.

I also picked up a samsung stylus, because it was the only one I found that was under 20 Euro, and it cost way too much for what it is. I think it's interesting that there are a lot of very durable looking Styli out there with a non replacable and apparently very fragile soft foam rubber tip. I don;t expect it to last long, but I am also not too concerned because while it does work, it does not work very well.

I am also a little dissapointed to see the recently announced Nook Tablet has the same screen. I don;t think they have figured out the smaller tablets really need a good stylus to be very usefull. I have yet to find anything that compares to the digitizer on the Dell Axim PPCs, which I still use every day. They may be out there, but not in my price range from what I have seen. I can wait, the nook should last me a while.

[loyukfai]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like picking up a pencil, jot down notes, and highlight phrases during reading.

As someone has mentioned, the current tablet market is geared towards media consumption instead of creation. That may explain why there are very few tablets with a dedicated stylus.

Cheers.

[loyukfai]

CES 2012 came and gone, lots of new tablets have been announced, none of those have a proper stylus.

The Asus MeMO 171 comes closest, but the stylus is still a capacitive one.

Keep looking forward...

[loyukfai]

BTW, got hold of a Adonit Jot, but it didn't work out - It seems that the touchscreen of the Nook Color is not good enough.

Besides, the problem of a lack of a well thought out interface for annotation, particular on EPUB, remains.

Cheers.

Edit: Found something interestings...

http://www.gizmag.com/atmel-maxstylus/20470/
http://www.atmel.com/microsite/stylus/?source=redirect

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Because even that is too large. And I don't have large hands. I want a point.

Synergi, that's a good second. But only if you can store the stylus inside the device itself. I was looking at the HTC Flyer. Saw that there was also a pen for it. But the fact that there isn't a slot for the pen defeats it again.

Samsung Galaxy Note allows for storing the stylus in the housing. It's only a 5" unit, though.
I second all you said/wrote. I've tried the (high quality) Samsung Stylus for capacitive screens. It's more convenient than using your finger. But I can't imagine, writing or drawing with that thing - simply not accurate enough.
You don't have that issue with Galaxy Note and I actually sometimes jot down notes. But mainly I use the stylus for interacting with the screen, more convenient than a finger.
I've seen this kind of stylus only for HTC Flyer and Samsung Galaxy Note so far.

[loyukfai]

A 7" Galaxy Note would be a good idea IMO.

Cheers.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by loyukfai

A 7" Galaxy Note would be a good idea IMO.

Cheers.

Since my last post here, I got the Flyer. With a cover to hold the pen. I must say, I love it, especially since HC allows you to use the pen everywhere. I really like the 7" size for general use, but would love the Samsung Note for its 5". But I don't want a phone device...

[loyukfai]

Neither do I want an extra phone, but some people think otherwise.

Anyway, have you tried annotating PDF on the HTC Flyer with the stylus...? If so, with which app and how it turns out...?

There was a sale for the Sprint version a few days ago back then, 230USD IIRC, no contract and stylus not included.

The Note uses Wacom technology which is battery-free. The Flyer uses N-Trig technology which requires a battery.

BTW, after being spoiled by community builds like CyanogenMod, I do value community support too... : )

Cheers.

[Sweetpea]

The basic PDF app on the Flyer supports handwriting by default (it already supported it on GB) and since the HC update, I can use it in any app that supports free writing (using ezPDF for PDF's mostly).

And the Flyer has a good community, if I look at the amount of mods out there. There's already a group working on ICS (and got a pre-version out already!)

[loyukfai]

You're talking about the guys over at XDA...? The CM9 stuff...?

I see there are lots of mods for the HTC Flyer, but, IMO, none seems to be in the class of CyanogenMod, if you understand me... Anyway, a significant advancement will enhance my interest in the HTC Flyer but, at the moment I'm taking a wait-and-see approach.

BTW, this Samsung exec (http://blog.laptopmag.com/samsung-we...tv-integration) seemed to imply that there will be more S Pen devices, with larger form factors.

The hardware is going to be there, I suppose. It's the lack of an annotation standard and apps for EPUB that's more troublesome.

Cheers.

[jehane]

Hi Sweetpea

How do you find the size of the Flyer for reading pdfs? And do you use handwriting recognition on it? I am looking for a tablet with stylus that is suitable for reading pdfs in full size (scientific and technical papers mainly), web browsing and handwriting. I'll probably wait until the Win8 products come out, because I've heard good things about the HWR and I know that the older Win tablets had excellent HWR but I'm open to alternatives. I used to have a Palm and was quite proficient with Graffiti, and also love my Nokia 5800 for short notes and lists but want something bigger for more extended writing.

[Drumm]

I want to replace my Dell Axim, but have no desire to pay for a data plan, and I want something that will handle ICS. I know demanding.

Any thoughts on a good smartphone that will work with WiFi, no sim and a stylus?

[Filark]

Galaxy Note has wi-fi, stylus and can be purchased without a data plan. It does take a sim card, but does not require one. Or so I believe! Kind of expensive, though . . .