Comments on: Treo 755p, 750, 680 Stylus Pen Shootout

Whether a weight-saving or a cost-cutting measure, the flimsy plastic stylus included on most recent Palm smartphones is undoubtedly a sore spot amongst line-time Palm fans used to decently-sized metal styli. While I thought that the regression from my Palm TX to 700p to 755p was bad enough, Centro users really get the, ahem, thin end of the stick when it comes to cheap, thin, uncomfortable stock styli. Fortunately for me, I have a Treo 755p and that device's larger form factor (shared with the older Treo 680 and 750) permits a thicker, slightly more comfortable stylus as well as a wider variety of available replacement. Read on for a roundup of some of the more popular pen/stylus replacements available on the market.

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The Disappearing Palm Stylus

Quickster @ 3/26/2008 8:47:11 AM #

I must say that I whole-heartedly agree with you about the deterioating Palm styluses. I have about 11 different Palm devices all the back to my original Palm Pilot. And after reading this article I pulled them and gazed at how Palm has just been getting cheaper and cheaper in so many different departments.

Losing the reset button has been the worst thing Palm has done as far as I am concerned. But the cheapening of the stylus is a close second.

Carl

RE: The Disappearing Palm Stylus

hkklife @ 3/26/2008 9:47:31 AM #

IMO, unceremoniously dumping Graffiti 1, Palm's tried & true input method for 6+ years, was the worst thing they've done product-wise. But losing the reset button is right up there, as is the endless carousel of bottom connectors, styli shapes/sizes, expansion card formats and for their smartphones, battery types.

I mean, in some ways the 755p is a step above the 700p (rubberized exterior coating, improved performance/stability, louder speakerphone volume, sleeker formfactor).

But on the same token I can spot at least a half-dozen cost-cutting measures
(thinner plastic stylus, no reset button, no backlit d-pad or space bar, smaller 2-piece application buttons with weak backlighting, smaller battery capacity, smaller/less compatible memory card format, no screen protector included in the box)
If the device's MSRP was being noticably reduced as well, that'd be acceptable. But when you're looking at $500+ full retail price, those missing little details really start to annoy, especially when Palm is still supposedly trying to "delight the customer".

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon 755p

Pen or not

Doo @ 3/26/2008 1:19:05 PM #

"This model was by far the worst of the three candidates. It's not only flimsy but it lacks any visual pizzazz or a built-in pen. In typical Palm fashion, I found myself several times unscrewing the plastic body from the metal tip when I was actually trying to separate the metal part in the middle to reveal the ballpoint pen tip."

So does it have a pen or not?

RE: Pen or not

dsevil @ 3/26/2008 1:24:09 PM #

Did you read the paragraph after it?

"Of course, the absence of an integrated pen is just an extra kick in the groin from Palm."

RE: Pen or not

Sartre @ 3/27/2008 4:53:18 PM #

Heck, did you read the paragraph you quoted?

"...but it lacks ... a built-in pen."

Smartphone Experts also makes pen styli.

dsevil @ 3/26/2008 1:28:41 PM #

http://tinyurl.com/2e69yv (store.treocentral.com)

As styli, they are perfectly good.

As pens, they are also perfectly good, assuming you don't need to actually put ink on paper.

Centro stylus

rpa @ 3/26/2008 3:27:22 PM #

I could not agree more about the downgrade in stylii...the Centro plastic toothpick is a joke. Anyone know of a decent replacement?

rpa
Palm Pilot >> Palm Vx >> Tungsten E >> GSM Centro

RE: Centro stylus

rpa @ 3/26/2008 3:29:24 PM #

Sorry, just found one:

http://store.treocentral.com/seidio-2-in-1-pen-stylus-3-pack/16A44A3365.htm

rpa
Palm Pilot >> Palm Vx >> Tungsten E >> GSM Centro

The best part about the LifeDrive...

Poopie @ 3/26/2008 6:04:19 PM #

... was the stylus

RE: The best part about the LifeDrive...

hkklife @ 3/26/2008 8:08:28 PM #

The ONLY good part about the LD was its stylus...and since that was a carryover from the earlier Tungsten T sliders, that pretty much makes the LifeDrive a total dud!

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon 755p

RE: The best part about the LifeDrive...

mikecane @ 3/26/2008 8:44:39 PM #

The best part about the LifeDrive is it's gone.

The worst part is I own one.

RE: The best part about the LifeDrive...

Gekko @ 3/26/2008 8:47:50 PM #

check your PM

RE: The best part about the LifeDrive...

BaalthazaaR @ 3/27/2008 10:41:02 AM #

Hey Mike, feel like giving the lifedrive another go? http://www.palmpowerups.com/readarticle.php?article_id=10

The end of the world as we knew it

thomaslb @ 3/26/2008 9:03:56 PM #

Well this is an interesting news piece. A good litmus to how dead the palm world is. A 'stylus shoot out.' Wow. The only only other story I can remember that was more interesting was the one about the pink Centro a few weeks back. Settle-down, Martha; you know the doctor told you not to get to excited.

What a shame.

TI Avigo -> Palm IIIx -> TRGpro -> HE330-> TRGpro -> AlphaSmart Dana -> TRGpro -> Palm M515

Seido product is decent

hgoldner @ 4/5/2008 2:43:27 PM #

Having read this review, I purchased the Seido pen/stylus combination. It's quite good, and admittedly flexible when used as a pen, but it accomplishes the task for which it is designed, when I don't happen to have a pen on me (and I almost always have a pen on me), at least I've got one tucked away in my stylus.

After all, there's only so much tensile strength you can get the narrower the stylus barrels get.

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