Stylus

[SlvrFalcon007]

Hey all,

I've been hearing people describe how horrible the stylus is. If anyone has a picture of it, or can describe it to me vividly, that would be most appreciated. I am in a toss up between the 35 or a Tungsten E. I am hearing great review for the Tungsten, however in the past I have loved Sony products whether it is their headphones, stereos, walkmans, or anything else for that matter. Thanks

[alsa]

If I had to choose between a Sony TJ25 and Palm TE my choice would depend on whether I already have memory sticks or SD cards. Also, if you want more than twice as much RAM, you should choose a TE. But frankly, shell out some more money and get a T3 :D

[SlvrFalcon007]

still doesnt answer my question, how about the stylus

[riversen]

I have seen the stylus and can tell you that it is horrible. I really like the design of the case, but the little too dim screen (I could live with it, though), the horrible speaker that you can hardly hear (this is a deal breaker), and the stylus (this is also a deal breaker) make the TJ's just not an adequate enough PDA.

The stylus... it is much, much smaller than the stylus on the T665C or TG50 (both have the same design). It expands much like an old antenna). It will not even double in size to that of the T665 stylus. The back part that did expand is very, very thin and does not feel very solid. I think they were trying to save space, but they sacrificed too much and made it more unreliable.

[daggerlee]

Fortunately for people like me, who prefer to use pen sized styli, this is not an issue ;) However the speaker is an issue, hopefully the Sonystyle person who e-mailed you was just plain flat out wrong. It seems counterintuitive to me to release a Sony Clie with an mp3 player that can't even play mp3's decently.

[riversen]

Originally posted by daggerlee
Fortunately for people like me, who prefer to use pen sized styli, this is not an issue ;) However the speaker is an issue, hopefully the Sonystyle person who e-mailed you was just plain flat out wrong. It seems counterintuitive to me to release a Sony Clie with an mp3 player that can't even play mp3's decently.

If the speaker on the TJ35 is better and the Sony Rep is wrong, then I think I will have to look into finding a high quality stylus/pen combo to avoid having to use the horrible little Sony stylus. I hope something good comes out from Sony that is the quality of the T665 with the VG, faster processor, and more RAM.

[kjbad]

Try the BiC e.3 stylus/pen/pencil combo. It's padded, comes in a few colors, and costs less than $3 US. I paid $2.69 in my school's bookstore, not the cheapest place in the world for office supplies.

I have never used the stylus that came with my SJ33...too tiny. It's an ergonomic issue waiting to happen.

[wldc]

i actually went to the jandr store to check out the stylus...and truth to tell, even for a female user the stylus seems pretty weak...like many ppl mentioned here, the stylus that comes with the TJ25/35 is an expandable type. But i think they fail in the sense that you should probably make it expand downward instead of upward. this will add a slight more thicker feel to the top of the stylus so that the user can get a good hold on the stylus.

seriously though...i started off in the PDA world with a Handspring model and then moved into my Clie SJ30. And I must say that the clie won in every aspect EXCEPT stylus! Sony for some reason produces the worst stylus that can ever be found and it gets worst and worst as the year past...

1) expandability option was bad
2) the point on the sony stylus is very scratchy. between my bro and i we have used our handspring pda for about 2.5yrs and not once did we need to use a screen protector. the stylus that handspring uses doesnt scratch up the screen like the sony stylus
3) weight of the sony stylus is horrible...i cant get a real good grip hold on the sony stylus and have already lost 2 sony stylus in the past year. and trust me if you thought the SJ30's stylus was horrible, wait till u try out the TJ25/35...its only worst!

if it wasnt for the fact that i change purses often and misplaces my pen alot i would have gotten an outside vendor type of stylus that had a better grip.

[Quantumduck]

Have to agree that Sony stylus' leave something to be desired, but that is why I use a Rotring quad pen. Blue, Red, Pencil and Stylus all in one, looks professional in the pocket, and means I only have to pull the stylus out when I am on a day off. 2 out of seven is not too bad to use the stylus.

[joejoe]

Went to a BB today to see the stylus for myself. They only had TJ25s on display but I assume the stylus is the same for the TJ35.

In one word: awful. In two words: deal breaker.

It's all well and good to pull out a secondary stylus from one's pocket or purse but c'mon, the primary stylus should be usable! It's not. It feels like writing with the stub of a pencil which is less than 1/3 the diameter of a #2 pencil. I think it'd be tiny and inefficient in the smallest of hands.

I love Sony but I'll pass on these models...

[Athradon]

Since everything but the stylus looked pretty good about the TJ35, I decided to borrow one of the retractible ones and try using it. I still think it's a terrible design, but I was really suprised how quickly I got used to it. It does start to feel weird after writing more than a few sentences, but since I'm planning on getting another foldable keyboard for my next device (my stowaway for my N760 uses the old connector), it's not too large of an issue. For just navigating through apps/records, the stylus is ok...not great, but not a complete deal breaker.

[joejoe]

I write extensively with graffiti so the size & usability of the stylus is of primary importance.

[Rant mode on]

The best one I've ever seen/used has been the one which came with the very first Sony, the 300. It was thick & metal & no matter how many times you pulled it out of the silo it never loosened to the point of falling out. In fact, one could pull it half way out of the silo & turn it upside down & it *still* didn't fall out.

No sure how Sony went so far in the opposite direction vis a vis the stylus. The 710/760's always fell out (but at least it was solid!) & the 615/665's were tiny &, after time, tended to fall out if the unit was tilted or turned upside down. Now the TJ's have a smaller, lighter, collapsible, barely useful stylus (at least it probably won't fall out!)

[Rant mode off]

[Unregistered]

I saw the TJ 35 at Circit City. It was actually kind of cool. When you take it out it automatically extends. Yes the top of the stylus is thin, but the writing area or holding area is thick enough. It was easy to use/hold and use. I have bought the metal stylus for other Clie's and to be honest, I wouldn't replace this one. That is my review.

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I saw the TJ 35 at Circit City. It was actually kind of cool. When you take it out it automatically extends. Yes the top of the stylus is thin, but the writing area or holding area is thick enough. It was easy to use/hold and use. I have bought the metal stylus for other Clie's and to be honest, I wouldn't replace this one. That is my review.

Let me ask you... do you have really small hands? I cannot see how this stylus fits in your hands so well.

[Unregistered]

it works with me.

[schmitt]

Here's a comparison pic:

http://schmittweb.tripod.com/images/stylus.jpg

Michael

[riversen]

schmidt or anyone,

I just posted this in another thread and am wondering if any of you can answer this question. I want to know if I need to return my PDA or not.


"schmidt, I have a question for you. I just bought my TJ35 and am wondering if this is true for you. My little stylus does not seem to work the way I think it is suppose to. When I pull it out, it does not lock in place like the demo TJ25 model did in the fully extended way. I have to pull on both ends to get it to do so. I did not have to do this with any of the demos at Circuit City, Fry's, or any other electronic store. Did you have this problem, too? Am I just smoking something I shouldn't or isn't this the way it is suppose to work? Thanks for your thoughts."

[ricleo]

the stylus is the same "toothpick" stylus as the NX80 stylus.... initially, my stylus did lock in place on pulling it out....however, it became like yours, I had to pull on both ends to get it to lock after about a month's use. Think it's due to the stylus slot becoming slightly looser due to normal usage... some new units may have the stylus slot to be not tight enough to make the stylus lock on release from the beginning....

it shouldn't be a defect with the stylus unless it can't even lock when you pull both ends.

[riversen]

Thanks for the info. That is a real help! I will reconsider returning it then.

[ricleo]

no probs :) you can still try though if you can make the sales person believe that it's a manufacturing flaw, but the problem will come back after some usage

[riversen]

I bought this $10 version of a pen and a stylus combo, but it really is not that great. Any ideas for a quality pen/stylus combo? I need something nice.

[Quantumduck]

Riversen,
Look around for the Rotring Quad or Tri point pens. Very solid pens, German engineering, Japanese construction and all around very useful. I carry mine with me every day. They are the same size as a regular pen, but they have a .5mm pencil, red, black and stylus for the Quad or pencil, black and stylus for the Tri.
If you find a pen you like, but it does not have the stylus, don't worry, just purchase a cheapy Yaffa pen and swap out the stylus for the ink you do not use. I actually prefer the style of the Rotring that does not come with a stylus and I modify it to suit me.
Seriously, I carry it 7 days a week, and when I forget it at home I am irritated at not having it. It ruins a perfectly good day off, I tell you.

[Ni+Mh]

I agree.Sony stylus ain't too good.I bet these Japs have got tiny fingers

[kjbad]

Maybe tiny fingers, but definitely tiny storage space and tinier stylus budgets. It's like buying a car or a house...you pay extra for all the comfort items. A good stylus is a comfort item, and one I would never be without, but Sony has no need to design a better stylus (or one with a built in pen, pencil, laser, whatever)when you can go buy one for $3.

[wldc]

actually i totally disagree with that last concept. for guys who like to stick pens in their shirt pocket thats all nice for you to use a pen stylus. but for other ppl who dont like to stick pens in shirt pockets or for females who switch purses alot, we kindda rely heavily on the stylus that sits nice and snug in that little pda silo. always within reach when we need it. if the stylus is totally unusable then theres no need to even include it. :)

[RushSignals2]

WOW, after reading this, i am not sure a TJ series model is right for me. I mean, i have tiny hands and all, but just to look at the pic makes me sick to think that they could do that to the styluses. I think my brothers NX60's stylus is great but and expandable opening piece of thin crap that i can't hold isn't worth it. Im sorry about the language, but I strongly belive that they should make another model with the NX60's silo and stylus. It wouldnt cost more, but just have a different type of thing to fit more hands. Do you all agree with me? I hope you do, but then again, a lot of people don't like the NX60.

[hotpaw4]

I consider it similar to carrying a small paper notepad, where you've also got to carry a pen or pencil if you plan on doing some writing. For just PIM viewing on the TJ35, most of the basic functions can be operated with just a finger or fingernail. For writing longer notes, I prefer to find a full size pen.

[SlvrFalcon007]

Thanks for all the replies guys

[nigeljedi]

The new Sony Clie stylus perplexes me. Why on earth would they make a writing instrument (which a stylus basically is) that is so small? I mean, I don't have the largest of hands, but it's still pretty small, and I have to adjust my hand constantly to get it positioned right.
I think it's a cool idea, but I think Palm beat 'em to the punch with the spring loaded one. I've heard others who's Sony stylii have ceased the "locking" function when opened.
???

[Unregistered]

Hi all,

Just an amusing slant on this issue... I'd love to have a nice pen-style stylus in my shirt pocket, but unfortunately my 13-month old daughter grabs my pen whenever I pick her up, so I end up without it for days at a time!

So, I'm planning to buy a TJ35 tonight; but I'll be using the stylus from my just-recently-dead N610C. My DataSuit case has a little thingy for holding the stylus, so I should be all set.

Dan