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Apple Still Considering Offering a Stylus?

Thursday January 14, 2010 4:04 am PST by Arnold Kim

Tablet-like device depicted with stylus

Given Steve Jobs' distaste for styluses, it comes as a surprise that Apple has recently applied for a patent application exploring the use of a stylus for the capacitive touch sensors found on the iPhone. Unlike the recently revived Newton patent, this new patent was actually filed with today's technology in mind.

The document explores the use of a stylus on modern devices such as the iPhone which are typically tuned for finger detection. Unlike older resistive screens, the new capacitive screens require styluses to have special conductive tips in order to be recognized. While we don't expect Apple to offer a stylus for the iPhone, the input methods for the upcoming tablet has remained up for debate.

The patent application is authored by John Elias, one of the co-founders of Fingerworks.
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djpic
27 months ago
Please No!!!

That is all I have to say about that....
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Snowcat001
27 months ago
Obviously you need a stylus for applications like photomanipulation, you don't want to play around with photo's using "fat" fingers...


A stylus is the ideal tool for some apps wether Jobs likes it or not!
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sushi
27 months ago

Obviously you need a stylus for applications like photomanipulation, you don't want to play around with photo's using "fat" fingers...

Yes, this is good news. There are times that a stylus would come in handy.
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deckwalker
27 months ago
I hope this is a red herring. I hate the thought of always losing a stylus.
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homsar
27 months ago
Prior art, anyone?
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bobbleheadbob
27 months ago
I would like a stylus. I mean, when I'm taking notes or drawing, I don't write with my fingers! :rolleyes:
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cjbryce
27 months ago
Given that at least one sector (medics) of the target market for tablets will habitually be wearing gloves, optional input via a stylus would probably be a quite sensible and worthwhile idea.

As an aside, yesterday it was so cold where I currently am that I bought and wore a pair of gloves for the first time in 20 years. Tehn I tried to use my iPhone. Doh!:rolleyes:
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Lesser Evets
27 months ago
It would be nice if anything could be used as a stylus instead of needing some specific thing. If you have a work station like a Wacom, it's ok, but on the road, styluses just go flinging into nether worlds by the dozens.

My old Palm devices were always in need of a stylus, and it was best to have a pack of 6 around at any time.
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Snowcat001
27 months ago

Please No!!!

That is all I have to say about that....


You don't need to use it but it should just be one of multiple input methods.
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Akzel
27 months ago

Given that at least one sector (medics) of the target market for tablets will habitually be wearing gloves, optional input via a stylus would probably be a quite sensible and worthwhile idea.

As an aside, yesterday it was so cold where I currently am that I bought and wore a pair of gloves for the first time in 20 years. Tehn I tried to use my iPhone. Doh!:rolleyes:


You can buy "iPhone friendly" gloves... :-)

For a comparative review, see: http://gizmodo.com/5156625/iphone-glove-battlemodo
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