4 ms·

I found funny how much people are bashing the stylus. On the surface they're a downright goofy looking non-necessity, but as a dude that spends all day develop

by cbs 14y ago

I found funny how much people are bashing the stylus. On the surface they're a downright goofy looking non-necessity, but as a dude that spends all day developing a touch UI, with that much interaction I had to get one and now I can't go without one personally or professionally.

calinet6 14y ago
And you don't see any problems with the fact that you now require a short stick to get anything done on your mobile device?
- hythloday 14y ago
  We spent about five millennia not being able to write anything without short sticks. I daresay that it's not an insuperable problem to have.
- leoedin 14y ago
  This is akin to saying "And you don't see any problems with the fact you require a screwdriver to loosen a screw". The stylus is a tool which improves on your fingers in a number of ways (principally in diameter and greasiness). Your phrasing your comment like using a stylus is a mortal sin. What, in your opinion, are the problems with requiring a "short stick" to get anything done on a mobile device?
  - 2muchcoffeeman 14y ago
    You lose it. You need a short stick. Styluses are good when emulating a pen or pencil or paint brush is good. Painting and drawing apps on tablets are pretty awesome. I really wish Apple would integrate Wacom technology. But I don't want to pull out a stylus to browse a website or play a game or make a call, or type a message.
- wr1472 14y ago
  I don't get it; Why do styluses (plural?) get such a bad rep.? It's not like this is a new invention, they've been around for ages, and how is it dissimilar to a mouse for a PC? or a pen used to take notes in a notebook? It's not as though you can't use you finger for short tasks like making a phone call. I hate to say this as I will either get downvoted to hell or start a fanboi war, but I really do think that if Apple had produced a stylus device for the iphone/ipad, those that are complaining would be saying quite the opposite.
  - calinet6 14y ago
    But they didn't, did they? And why was that, exactly? I don't necessarily have a problem with styli, I just think they're a niche tool without much universal appeal, and for a good reason. It is not dissimilar at all to a mouse, or a pen, or a screwdriver, or any of those things. It's just that those are older tools compared to the touch interfaces we currently have and use to great effect, without styli. And that is awesome. That is a great thing, a beautiful simplification, and it works, and that's amazing. You're of course welcome to use them if you prefer, but what Apple did (hey, you started it) was create a device which was simple enough and useful enough without a short stick to make that short stick as antiquated as a mouse or a pen. They made the short stick obsolete, because it adds unneeded additional complexity. I resent your assertion that people believe this is a better method just because Apple made it that way; as though all logic and truth comes from the Great Jobs in the sky and is as He said it, amen. Quite simply, screw that. It's better because it's a simpler basic design, that's all. The irony is that people are buying those little rubber iPhone/iPad styli like hotcakes these days. I really wish I were the person who came up with that, because the royalties must be rolling in. And damn they're good for Draw Something; you should see my girlfriend's mom's drawings, they're incredible. I admit that styli are excellent for those specialized purposes. But for the basic use of a touch-sensitive device? As an integral part of the UI experience? No thanks. Keep it simple, stupid.
    - wr1472 14y ago
      I still don't get it, the first half of your post backs up your original stance, whilst the second half agrees with what I said that it's not a necessity (for basic things you can use your finger). Doesn't the irony you highlight in your post regarding people buying "those little rubber iPhone/iPad styli like hotcakes these days", indicate that people find it easier to use a stylus for certain things? A stylus is certainly a part of the UX, but not an integral part. Using your finger is not the best option for all scenarios, if that was the case we would have been dipping our finger in the ink pot instead of a quill.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- Ygg2 14y ago
  Usually the problem is simply having a device be tightly coupled to your stylus (i.e. lose stylus and it's a near worthless piece of plastics or touching is rather clunky), so you need to take care of two things - phone and stylus.
  - redblacktree 14y ago
    Is that actually the case with any modern device?
- cbs 14y ago
  And you don't see any problems with the fact that you now require a short stick to get anything done on your mobile device? ? I didn't say that. Mobile device have been and continue to be a bit shit on the "get anything done" front for a bucketful of reasons anyway, so I tend not to care all that much if I carry around a stick in the same jacket pocket as my bluetooth mini-keyboard. Unless you count dicking around on twitter and facebook as getting things done, its a fight to do anything with a mobile interface, I'll take whatever advantage I can get.

by cbs 14y ago

calinet6 14y ago

And you don't see any problems with the fact that you now require a short stick to get anything done on your mobile device?

hythloday 14y ago
We spent about five millennia not being able to write anything without short sticks. I daresay that it's not an insuperable problem to have.
leoedin 14y ago
This is akin to saying "And you don't see any problems with the fact you require a screwdriver to loosen a screw". The stylus is a tool which improves on your fingers in a number of ways (principally in diameter and greasiness). Your phrasing your comment like using a stylus is a mortal sin. What, in your opinion, are the problems with requiring a "short stick" to get anything done on a mobile device?
- 2muchcoffeeman 14y ago
  You lose it. You need a short stick. Styluses are good when emulating a pen or pencil or paint brush is good. Painting and drawing apps on tablets are pretty awesome. I really wish Apple would integrate Wacom technology. But I don't want to pull out a stylus to browse a website or play a game or make a call, or type a message.
wr1472 14y ago
I don't get it; Why do styluses (plural?) get such a bad rep.? It's not like this is a new invention, they've been around for ages, and how is it dissimilar to a mouse for a PC? or a pen used to take notes in a notebook? It's not as though you can't use you finger for short tasks like making a phone call. I hate to say this as I will either get downvoted to hell or start a fanboi war, but I really do think that if Apple had produced a stylus device for the iphone/ipad, those that are complaining would be saying quite the opposite.
- calinet6 14y ago
  But they didn't, did they? And why was that, exactly? I don't necessarily have a problem with styli, I just think they're a niche tool without much universal appeal, and for a good reason. It is not dissimilar at all to a mouse, or a pen, or a screwdriver, or any of those things. It's just that those are older tools compared to the touch interfaces we currently have and use to great effect, without styli. And that is awesome. That is a great thing, a beautiful simplification, and it works, and that's amazing. You're of course welcome to use them if you prefer, but what Apple did (hey, you started it) was create a device which was simple enough and useful enough without a short stick to make that short stick as antiquated as a mouse or a pen. They made the short stick obsolete, because it adds unneeded additional complexity. I resent your assertion that people believe this is a better method just because Apple made it that way; as though all logic and truth comes from the Great Jobs in the sky and is as He said it, amen. Quite simply, screw that. It's better because it's a simpler basic design, that's all. The irony is that people are buying those little rubber iPhone/iPad styli like hotcakes these days. I really wish I were the person who came up with that, because the royalties must be rolling in. And damn they're good for Draw Something; you should see my girlfriend's mom's drawings, they're incredible. I admit that styli are excellent for those specialized purposes. But for the basic use of a touch-sensitive device? As an integral part of the UI experience? No thanks. Keep it simple, stupid.
  - wr1472 14y ago
    I still don't get it, the first half of your post backs up your original stance, whilst the second half agrees with what I said that it's not a necessity (for basic things you can use your finger). Doesn't the irony you highlight in your post regarding people buying "those little rubber iPhone/iPad styli like hotcakes these days", indicate that people find it easier to use a stylus for certain things? A stylus is certainly a part of the UX, but not an integral part. Using your finger is not the best option for all scenarios, if that was the case we would have been dipping our finger in the ink pot instead of a quill.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
Ygg2 14y ago
Usually the problem is simply having a device be tightly coupled to your stylus (i.e. lose stylus and it's a near worthless piece of plastics or touching is rather clunky), so you need to take care of two things - phone and stylus.
- redblacktree 14y ago
  Is that actually the case with any modern device?
cbs 14y ago
And you don't see any problems with the fact that you now require a short stick to get anything done on your mobile device? ? I didn't say that. Mobile device have been and continue to be a bit shit on the "get anything done" front for a bucketful of reasons anyway, so I tend not to care all that much if I carry around a stick in the same jacket pocket as my bluetooth mini-keyboard. Unless you count dicking around on twitter and facebook as getting things done, its a fight to do anything with a mobile interface, I'll take whatever advantage I can get.