Will 2010 Mark the End of the Stylus?

Since the days of gray scale LCD screens on PDAs, the stylus has been the invaluable tool which allowed you to precisely navigate the small screen. With killer applications like the venerable PhatWare Calligrapher, which converts hand writing to text, you can use the stylus to mimic the analog world of pen and paper. Along, with integration of cell phone technology, the hope of a converged hand held device for your mobile life was starting to become a reality. As cellular data and push email where implemented, the world was starting to be at one's stylus tip. Microsoft along with Palm were visionaries in understanding that the success of this new world was tied to the innovation of third party applications and there again the stylus played a key role in providing an easy way to access application functionality. Although, Research In Motion has proved, with its thumb keyboard, that not everyone was or is a stylus devotee. However without the stylus the BlackBerry never became an multi faceted application device. The Windows Mobile vendors adjusted quickly to that fact and offer the best of both worlds with physical keyboards and/or styli support.

Four years ago, Apple through a monkey wrench into the device design paradigm by introducing the iPhone, a device with no stylus or physical keyboard. Google Android has followed suit by providing a finger friendly OS which does not require a stylus but does allow for form factors with physical keyboards like the Motorola Droid. On the Windows Mobile front the HTC HD2 is the first device that I know of, that does not ship with a stylus. As we slowly move towards Windows Mobile 7, will the stylus become extinct? With the talk of capacitive styli (HTC HD2 stylus) for the new breed of touch sensitive screens, designers seem to be on the fence and if a majority of users are not clamoring for a stylus, over the next couple of years the stylus could become instinct.

What are your thoughts, do you use a stylus or do you prefer your finger?

Comments

[Chris Beard]

I used to prefer a stylus with Windows Mobile, but with my iPhone I much rather prefer using fingers only. Although that makes me less accurate, not having to use another device and allowing one-hand typing (vs. holding the device in one hand and stylus in another) has become preferential to me. However, before you declare the end of the stylus I'm awaiting the input method of the new Apple Tablet that is rumored to be announced at the end of the month. In fact, Macworld just wrote an article about the stylus question the other day: http://tinyurl.com/ycbmb8t

[Stephen Skarlatos]

Thanks for the link good article. I think Apple is committed not to resurrect the Stylus, but we will have to wait until the 27th to see what they have up their sleeve.