Why I like the Targus/Griffin stylus

[chowdown]

Targus = Griffin as far as I am aware.

I think it's important to practise (read: too poor for extensive stylus experimentation ) I've used a Targus stylus (two actually, one for home and one for work) for nine months. I do a lot of writing, drawing and mathematics with it every day. Using it has become easier and easier and (imo) I can get very good results. Sure, it has a fat tip, but somehow my eyes and fingers have learnt to deal with it.

Some people have complained that this brand of stylus drags too much on the screen. I never had this problem until about two weeks ago when the nib started to intermittently get sticky. As this was only happening on my much more heavily used work stylus I concluded that it must be wearing out. (Some people suggested I should clean the stylus, but I never did).

Lo and behold, the problem has vanished as mysteriously as it appeared.

The Jot stylus looks very appealing but I'm put off by the lack of a clip. The Targus I use at work is either in my hand or between my teeth (!) or clipped very securely to my shirt pocket, with no lid to screw on or off 50 times a day.

If I ever have to buy another stylus it will probably be another Targus.

I use Note Taker HD, neu.Notes +, IDraw and ArtStudio.

 

[jsh1120]

Targus = Griffin as far as I am aware.

I think it's important to practice (read: too poor for extensive stylus experimentation )...

I think your first sentence says it all. Many of those who purchase styluses expect the tool, itself, to duplicate the experience of using a pen on paper, a task they've been "practicing" since they were about six years old. The closer a stylus comes to that experience on first use the better.

Unfortunately, no matter which stylus one uses, the experience is not identical to using a pen on paper. And the use of any stylus (or one's finger) for a few hours simply doesn't suffice.

It took me several styluses to learn this lesson. Once I committed to practicing I found that whichever stylus I used, the performance improved.

In short, using a stylus successfully on an iPad is a lot like getting to Carnegie hall.

 

[Asharp]

Targus = Griffin as far as I am aware.

I think it's important to practise (read: too poor for extensive stylus experimentation )

I use Note Taker HD, neu.Notes +, IDraw and ArtStudio.

I was seduced by the rave reviews in other threads about the iFaraday and it should be arriving any day now, but I have to say that I am very happy with my Griffin Stylus. I have small hands and the length and weight of it are so comfortable that besides using it for taking notes I'm also using it for scrolling, etc.

If I'd simply been a bit more patient, I probably wouldn't have gotten the iFaraday although it will be nice to have a backup in case I lose the Griffin.

Like others, I've discovered that ease of use and legibility are due to practice and also to the quality of the note taking app and the thickness of the line I select within a note taking app as well.

 

[Heaviside]

Chowdown,

I agree with each and every point you made. Were I at your stage of the game, I would follow your advice unreservedly.

I am at the other end of the road, though. Being retired, I can afford to experiment a bit---and I have chosen tospend a bit trying to find the best stylus.

I thought my Targus performed quite well, but was unhappy with the fat tip. Though I learned to compensate fairly well, it seemed to me that I needed just a bit more accuracy. And a big drawback of the Targus (for me) was its length: a bit too short for comfort.

The iFaraday seems to me to be something like a super Targus. It is long enough, and the fabric tip provides a better feel.

The Jot is top of the line for me because of its accuracy and length, though the hard "clickety" tip takes some getting used to. The lack of a clip is also a shortcoming, as you noted.

All that said, you are probably right. The Targus/Griffin stylus is probably the most effective around from a cost-effectiveness tradeoff point of view.

Like you, I think Note Taker HD is a very effective app.

 

[Pinkpoison]

i have the griffin stylus,i like it.

 

[sandy1]

I've used the Targus/Griffen stylus since the first gen ipad. I am very well practiced and use my ipad like its a spiral notebook. I have not touched a pen or paper in over a year. With that said.....I am freaking out! Since the ios5 update using my iPad to note is not working out very well. I use NoteTaker HD and UPad and Notes Plus. They are all responding the same way. When I use the wrist guard in either app the screen jumps and it unresponsive. I restored my iPad, and also did a fresh factory restore and I am having the same problem. I called Apple and they said the iPad was not made to use a stylus only your finger. No support is available for noting on the iPad with a third party tool. They suggested I contact the maker of the stylus. I wish I could revert back to 4.3 ios on my iPad. Any input from anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated. Test this issue for yourself and post your results please.

 

[NYHorsewoman]

I've used the Targus/Griffen stylus since the first gen ipad. I am very well practiced and use my ipad like its a spiral notebook. I have not touched a pen or paper in over a year. With that said.....I am freaking out! Since the ios5 update using my iPad to note is not working out very well. I use NoteTaker HD and UPad and Notes Plus. They are all responding the same way. When I use the wrist guard in either app the screen jumps and it unresponsive. I restored my iPad, and also did a fresh factory restore and I am having the same problem. I called Apple and they said the iPad was not made to use a stylus only your finger. No support is available for noting on the iPad with a third party tool. They suggested I contact the maker of the stylus. I wish I could revert back to 4.3 ios on my iPad. Any input from anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated. Test this issue for yourself and post your results please.

Hi, I use Penultimate and Noteshelf and have tried many stylus, but keep going back to the Boxwave. I have tried it with both of these programs and haven't had any problems. I took notes in a meeting the other day as well. I am sorry you are having such issues. Very weird. Perhaps try one of the apps I have mentioned here to see if you still have the problem.

 

[jsh1120]

I've used the Targus/Griffen stylus since the first gen ipad. I am very well practiced and use my ipad like its a spiral notebook. I have not touched a pen or paper in over a year. With that said.....I am freaking out! Since the ios5 update using my iPad to note is not working out very well. I use NoteTaker HD and UPad and Notes Plus. They are all responding the same way. When I use the wrist guard in either app the screen jumps and it unresponsive. I restored my iPad, and also did a fresh factory restore and I am having the same problem. I called Apple and they said the iPad was not made to use a stylus only your finger. No support is available for noting on the iPad with a third party tool. They suggested I contact the maker of the stylus. I wish I could revert back to 4.3 ios on my iPad. Any input from anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated. Test this issue for yourself and post your results please.

Tried using both Note Taker HD and Notes Plus. I'm not used to using the wrist guard because as a "lefty" it's almost useless for me. (If you're familiar with the way many southpaws write, you'll know what I mean.) I tried the wrist guard on both apps though and I can't see any difference in the behavior after the iOS 5 update. Sorry. If you haven't tried uninstalling and reinstalling the apps, you might try that but since you're experiencing it with multiple apps I doubt that is the problem. Apple, of course, is ducking the problem. (Not unusual in the tech world. Always blame the other guy.) Rather than contacting the maker of the stylus, though, I'd suggest getting in touch with the app developers. I know the fellow who developed Notes Plus is very responsive (You might try accessing his website) and Dan Bricklin (author of Note Taker HD) is also very responsive.

 

[Asharp]

I've used the Targus/Griffen stylus since the first gen ipad. I am very well practiced and use my ipad like its a spiral notebook. I have not touched a pen or paper in over a year. With that said.....I am freaking out! Since the ios5 update using my iPad to note is not working out very well. I use NoteTaker HD and UPad and Notes Plus. They are all responding the same way. When I use the wrist guard in either app the screen jumps and it unresponsive. I restored my iPad, and also did a fresh factory restore and I am having the same problem. I called Apple and they said the iPad was not made to use a stylus only your finger. No support is available for noting on the iPad with a third party tool. They suggested I contact the maker of the stylus. I wish I could revert back to 4.3 ios on my iPad. Any input from anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated. Test this issue for yourself and post your results please.

I use an iPad 2 and have experienced no problems with using UPad with the wristguard with either a Griffin or iFaraday stylus.

 

[DJStarbux]

I'm having the same problem with uPad. The problem didn't start right away after the iOS 5 update. So, I thought it was the (cheap) stylus I was using (3 for $2). I spent $12 on a Targus today & I still have the same issues. I couldn't find anything on the uPad support site. I hope this gets resolved because it is extremely difficult to take notes in class.

 

[chowdown]

I've used the Targus/Griffen stylus since the first gen ipad. I am very well practiced and use my ipad like its a spiral notebook. I have not touched a pen or paper in over a year. With that said.....I am freaking out! Since the ios5 update using my iPad to note is not working out very well. I use NoteTaker HD and UPad and Notes Plus. They are all responding the same way. When I use the wrist guard in either app the screen jumps and it unresponsive. I restored my iPad, and also did a fresh factory restore and I am having the same problem. I called Apple and they said the iPad was not made to use a stylus only your finger. No support is available for noting on the iPad with a third party tool. They suggested I contact the maker of the stylus. I wish I could revert back to 4.3 ios on my iPad. Any input from anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated. Test this issue for yourself and post your results please.

Hmm. Interesting and a bit alarming. I haven't updated to iOS5 yet, and now I'm even in less of a hurry to do so...

I use NTHD a lot, but pretty much exclusively in zoom mode, so no need for the wrist-guard. However, I often use the wrist-guard in neu.Notes+ and would be in trouble if it stopped working as beautifully as it always does.

 

[Heaviside]

Hi, I use Penultimate and Noteshelf and have tried many stylus, but keep going back to the Boxwave. I have tried it with both of these programs and haven't had any problems. I took notes in a meeting the other day as well. I am sorry you are having such issues. Very weird. Perhaps try one of the apps I have mentioned here to see if you still have the problem.

On the strength of your comment, I bought Noteshelf---and really must say: it's great!

I have been, and still am, proponent of Note Taker HD. It is much more versatile than Noteshelf, but for pure handwriting it is the best (of five or six) that I have tried. I particularly like the precision with which the zoom window moves, and the notebook vovers are attractive.

 

[IpadGeekTron]

I've used the Targus/Griffen stylus since the first gen ipad. I am very well practiced and use my ipad like its a spiral notebook. I have not touched a pen or paper in over a year. With that said.....I am freaking out! Since the ios5 update using my iPad to note is not working out very well. I use NoteTaker HD and UPad and Notes Plus. They are all responding the same way. When I use the wrist guard in either app the screen jumps and it unresponsive. I restored my iPad, and also did a fresh factory restore and I am having the same problem. I called Apple and they said the iPad was not made to use a stylus only your finger. No support is available for noting on the iPad with a third party tool. They suggested I contact the maker of the stylus. I wish I could revert back to 4.3 ios on my iPad. Any input from anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated. Test this issue for yourself and post your results please.

Hello, i also use Targus stylus with noteShelf on my IPAD2, i0s5 and have had no issues so far. I just actually ordered a new stylus with more of a pointed tip for drawing. I hope i dont have any issues with it.

 

[sandy1]

Update to my post...

I found a way to fix the wrist guard issues!!! In the new IOS5 there is a new feature "Multitasking Gestures." You have to disable that in setting>general>multitasking gestures, than slide the button to off. So, it comes down to a choice between being able to take advantage of this new feature or being able to rest your hand on the screen to write comfortably. I guess you could turn it on and off when you weren't writing, but I mostly use my iPad to write, so its staying off on my iPad. I think that the note taking apps should have a separate setting to turn that off just when your using their particular app, so you don't have to turn it off for the whole system. Maybe someday.

The "Multitasking Gestures" feature is only available on iPad 2, so those who are running IOS5 on iPad 1 should not have this same problem with the wrist guard when taking notes. Maybe that is why some of you haven't noticed the problem.

 

[NYHorsewoman]

I found a way to fix the wrist guard issues!!! In the new IOS5 there is a new feature "Multitasking Gestures." You have to disable that in setting>general>multitasking gestures, than slide the button to off. So, it comes down to a choice between being able to take advantage of this new feature or being able to rest your hand on the screen to write comfortably. I guess you could turn it on and off when you weren't writing, but I mostly use my iPad to write, so its staying off on my iPad. I think that the note taking apps should have a separate setting to turn that off just when your using their particular app, so you don't have to turn it off for the whole system. Maybe someday.

The "Multitasking Gestures" feature is only available on iPad 2, so those who are running IOS5 on iPad 1 should not have this same problem with the wrist guard when taking notes. Maybe that is why some of you haven't noticed the problem.

You should email the app developer. Great discovery!