Who needs a stylus, a digital pen, or a pen-like mouse? Since these devices are mass-produced, I guess there is a real demand for them. Or maybe people simply want to have an option? Maybe we have an option, but do not really understand how to use it? Let us find out!
The touch screen is for mobile
Somehow, for reasons I do not fully understand, I use the touch screens only in mobile devices. For years I had a very nice huge touch-sensitive display with multitouch capabilities attached to my PC. I was waiting for the right moment to use it. Yet the moment to use it came after I gave the screen away. So I used my iPad instead.
The perfect scenario for a touch screen is the multitouch gestures when working with 3d models. These models are very common in mechanical and medical applications, but rarely if ever in writing or programming.
I use a touch screen on mobile all the time. But I do not want my greasy fingers pressing menus on my screen. Moreover, my right hand is on the table near the mouse. It is easier to move the mouse than to reach out.
We are creatures of habit
QWERTY keyboards were developed so that the levers of the typing machine would not clash. These keyboards are extremely inefficient. There are significantly better stenotypes, but only the professionals use them. I did not yet buy a stenotype, simply because I will need a couple of weeks to get used to it, and then I will not be able to work well on any computer that is not my own.
A mouse is a similar story. I have a relatively ergonomic MX Master model at home. At work, I use a cheap Microsoft mouse. I could use a more ergonomic vertical mouse, or a more accurate trackpad. Yet I did not opt for those devices. I use a regular mouse because my hands are used to it.
I am slowly transitioning from ballpoint pens to bilateral use of fountain pens. I knew I could do that years ago. Only now I am doing this. Why? Because I do not use handwriting as much as I used to, and I do not have to break my habits. The logic should have been the opposite! Improve the habits you use a lot! Yet, the switch is hard, so we do it only if we have to.
Passive stylus
Using a passive stylus is very much like pressing the screen with your fingers. With fingers, we can do multitouch, but a passive stylus allows us to wear gloves and does not leave marks on the screen. Yet it is very cheap and works with every screen. So we are likely to get a pen with a passive stylus and never really use it. Yet we will likely opt for a passive stylus on a long pen.
Why did anyone think that a silicon cap imitating a human finger on a pen is useful? There are several answers. The first is simple: many people need gloves in winter, or performing some medical procedure, or simply cleaning. It is easier to use a stylus pen than to take the gloves off.
Another reason is equally boring. If we are writing a lot with a pen, it is easier to use its backside than to put the pen down and take it up again.
Finally, some people have dexterity issues. As we get older or tired we are likely to miss the buttons. A long weighted pen with a stylus is easier to control than a shaking finger.
These reasons can be important, but they are very boring.
Writing on paper while manipulating a device
Who will be writing a lot while manipulating a mobile device? Someone learning a foreign language or calligraphy might do that. Or a musician trying to pick the notes he hears. A child learning from zoom might do that. Or a psychiatrist providing remote therapy.
Do I imagine myself often in this scenario? Not often enough to buy a pen with a stylus. Or to use one instead of the fountain pens I adore. And to be honest I am dexterous enough to press what I need with a pinky when writing.
Using multiple screens, I am much more likely to use a keyboard and a second screen than a notepad and a pen, even when I have a perfectly good A6 Rhodia paper pad near my left hand like I keep the mouse near my right hand.
Using a stylus to write
While in theory, one can write with a passive stylus, writing with an active stylus is a significantly better experience. It is like writing with a sharp mechanical pencil vs trying to write with a used-up wooden pencil stub. We take a tablet like iPad Pro or Samsung Note, or a dedicated pen display. Then we take an active stylus, which unfortunately can work only with the device it was built for. The device may be very responsive to touch and pressure, and we will even see the stylus mark when the stylus is half an inch above the screen.
The experience of using an active stylus is very pleasant. It needs to be charged occasionally, and I find it more rewarding with a matte screen protector. An active stylus can be used for example for drawing mindmaps.
Stylus pen can be useful to write at night since most of our screens have backlighting. This is actually my best reason to use it. Do you have a better one?
An active stylus can be used with handwriting recognition, but in English, this is less natural than simply using a keyboard. Maybe if you use dedicated steno software it can be fast and comfortable. Do you know anyone who actually does that?
To be honest the most common use of an active stylus is collecting customer signatures. But it does not have to be this way.
The stylus in the hands of an artist
Artists draw entire paintings with a stylus, or add details to existing 3D objects, or retouch images and videos. In fact, a modern active stylus is predominantly used by artists and illustrators. The first use of a computer stylus in a computing device was the Styalator, demonstrated by Tom Dimond in 1957. It is a pity that the device is still looking for its users.
I and all of my kids generate videos. We sometimes need to annotate them. The stylus is a great way to leave unique and interesting annotations, only they do not look as professional as the stuff you pay video editor to do.
Artists even have special passive capacitance brushes for touch screens. You can use them to color within the outlines made by the active stylus.
Even if you are not a professional artist and want to doodle for fun or for brainstorming, or simply because your daughter asks you to, active stylus is incredibly handy.
Stylus grips
If you are an artist, do not forget two-fingers protective anti-touch glove. You do not want to smudge your creation.
Then you may want to change the grip for your stylus. You can add silicon grips like the one you buy for wooden pencils. There are tons of options, for all kinds of width, softness, and anti-sliding. There are also dedicated devices, like Kaweco Grip for Apple pencil.
If you are using the apple pencil occasionally, do not try to dress it up. However, of you need a fully ergonomic tool, you should definitely use something soft and substantial.
Pen mouse
A stylus is a pen-like pointing device. So why not use a pen as a mouse? Pen mouses definitely exist. Since we are more accurate performing gestures with a pen than with a mouse, a pen mouse can be a good alternative to a stylus. You will not need a touch screen. Some say that the grip is more ergonomic. And there is a definite novelty factor.
I think that it takes slightly longer to grab the pen mouse. Clicking it is less comfortable. And a tall object interferes with gestures we usually do above the keyboard.
For professionals, a touchpad with a stylus is a great alternative for that pen mouse. Yet, there are people who swear by their pen mice.
Digital pen
Another crazy creation of the modern world are digital pens. These pens often have a microphone to sync your written notes with a lecture. There are stories about digital pens revolutionizing healthcare, but I never saw that with my eyes.
Most digital pens need special paper. You write on it like on any paper, and a digital copy of your writing is created on a computer screen. The digital pens are less ergonomic than a regular pen or a stylus, bet they leave a physical and a digital mark simultaneously.
I kind of feel there is a great future for digital pens. Only the technology is not there yet, at least not for me. Once the digital pens will become comfortable, use common G2 refill and regular copy machine paper, I might get one.