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Anitramane

macrumors 6502
Dec 23, 2013
430
1
Steve Jobs has been wrong about a lot of things. I think there's a video of all of Apples biggest contradictions somewhere.
 

Saturn1217

macrumors 65816
Apr 28, 2008
1,360
1,048
I'm not an expert on this matter, so i may be wrong. But isn't the pressure sensitivity done on the Stylus itself and not the screen? I believe this is how Samsung is doing it. Which is why I ask, how are the other offerings much different than just buying a 3rd party Stylus such as the Wacom intuos?

Actually Samsung has built a special digitizer into the screen of their note line which allows for accurate stylus input. It is note handled by the stylus alone.
 

Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
Actually Samsung has built a special digitizer into the screen of their note line which allows for accurate stylus input. It is note handled by the stylus alone.

img-2409441-3-what-you-did-there-i-see-it.jpg
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Which is why I ask, how are the other offerings much different than just buying a 3rd party Stylus such as the Wacom intuos?

  • Built-in.
  • Doesn't cost an extra $60 to $100.
  • Doesn't rely on sometimes flaky connections.
  • Usually includes a slot to hold the pen.
  • Slot often intelligent enough to launch a notetaking app or special mode when pulled out.

No that's exactly what people who are claiming Jobs was wrong are saying. Jobs wasn't saying that the stylus should die and never come back. He was merely stating that as the primary input method, the stylus isn't the way.

Yep, that's what we're all saying about primary input.

Well... unless the user has to wear gloves or has some other reason to use a stylus. (Many of our field apps are used on Samsung tablets because the field managers demand that the tablets include a built-in stylus for use in winter and in situations that require gloves. I think an iPad with blunt stylus would work as well, though.)

If we were from a region with a graphic based language, a pen might be seen as extra useful, too.

He was right and the fact that the only device that comes with one ...

Phones with pens include the Samsung Note series, Micromax Canvas Doodle, and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra (which allows using anything including a regular pencil).

Plus of course tablets (I loved my HTC Flyer and its pen).

...makes up a VERY small percentage of the overall smartphone base.

How many have been sold with TouchID? Maybe 130 million out of billions?

Using the percentage of the smartphone base is not the best indicator. Heck, many Apple features would count as a small percentage.

I guess it can all come back to the argument used for everything around here though - "Why not provide it, you don't have to use it".

Sure. Same goes for stuff like TouchID, Apple Pay, front cameras, barometric pressure sensors, heartbeat monitors, etc.

Not everyone uses everything their phone comes with, but the features are still nice to have for those who do.

In fact, I'd say including extra features is especially important for a device like the iPhone, which doesn't come in a lot of model choices.

--

PS. I shouldn't have said the debate was boring, but it certainly has a lot of deja vu about it :)
 
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LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,877
10,987
What? As a person who actually had an iPaq before the iPhone came out, I can tell you the stylus was the primary input method. The buttons on the bottom were just menu and navigation buttons like those you find on the bottom of Android or Windows phones.

But yes, I agree that Jobs was right about finger-based touchscreens being the future.

You had a PDA ipaq or a smartphone ipaq? Most ipaqs smartphone had a keyboard, while most HP PDAs did not. I owned a 6945 for about 6 months, it was the first smartphone I had with actual GPS, but the phone was buggy as hell.

hp-ipaq-hw6945-smartphone-gsm-3-tft.jpg
 

Markyboy81

macrumors 6502a
Oct 30, 2011
514
0
For those of you saying that the s pen may get lost, firstly, the phone notifies you if the s pen is out of range of the phone and secondly, they cost around £7 on ebay (genuine samsung spen)
 

mrex

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,458
1,527
europe
Do you consider the Styli from companies like Wacom and Adonit to be crappy styli? They have pressure sensitivity, zero lag etc.

Products are not bad, but how they work with a device is another story. I had few of them for differend purposes. They are laggy, you "feel" it when writing notes, inaccuracy and there is no palm-rejection or it isnt working as it should. From time to time you loose the connection between the device and the pen. Sometimes they and some of them works better and some apps works fine... But you definitely see that they are just accessories and they are expensives..
 

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
"No one is going to buy a big phone." - Steve Jobs

He was wrong. Tens, hundreds of millions of people are going to buy big iPhones.

"Nobody wants a stylus."
"If you see a stylus, they blew it."
"As soon as you have a stylus, you're dead."

Well, a few days ago I tried Note 4 in Best Buy. It just blew me away. Using a true fountain pen-like stylus, with digital ink instantly flowing and with thousands of pressure levels, on a big, bright, ultra-res screen felt like the future, NOW. I instantly felt that I'm holding not just a consumption device, but real PRODUCTIVITY device, a mini computer that can inspire to create. I don't have this feeling when I'm using my iPhone or iPad. They feel dead, merely viewports into the world of premade content.

I almost always carry my trusted Moleskine with me because of this, I feel that only it gives me the opportunity to pour my thoughts and ideas, be creative. Typing on a touch keyboard or drawing with a finger does not give me that feeling. And using Note 4 I had this feeling of fresh air. I think it can replace my Moleskine.

So, Steve/Apple... I used a stylus, and I'm not dead. I feel way more alive with a stylus than with you dumb finger devices. You're dead wrong. At least somebody does want a stylus out there. I proved you wrong, Steve! :D

Can't wait to get my Note 4... My iDevices are going to serve as occasional consumption-only dumb terminals.

I lost all of my faith in :apple:.

You really think Steve was this miracle man called "god" that could predict everything even past his own death ?

yea right... If Steve was *That* good, than i'm sold :)

Users make mistakes at least once in their life........ Unfortunately, it also seems that Apple fans praise his something like a "walk on water" when in fact he's nothing like that.

Steve was good at what he did, and i would say there is one thing that to this day still sticks: When Steve wrote the thought on Flash, and Adobe bantered, Steve said at D

"We don't run to the press"

That is true today too.

When all hail lets loose and a big story arises that's, look at all the Apple fans scatter like chickens.


Steve was right about stylus too..

But who ever listens to anyone know days... That's why 3rd party manufacturers came out with them, because Apple didn't, and users wanted some new toy to play with,
 
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appleii.c

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2013
531
40
  • Built-in.
  • Doesn't cost an extra $60 to $100.
  • Doesn't rely on sometimes flaky connections.
  • Usually includes a slot to hold the pen.
  • Slot often intelligent enough to launch a notetaking app or special mode when pulled out.

Products are not bad, but how they work with a device is another story. I had few of them for differend purposes. They are laggy, you "feel" it when writing notes, inaccuracy and there is no palm-rejection or it isnt working as it should. From time to time you loose the connection between the device and the pen. Sometimes they and some of them works better and some apps works fine... But you definitely see that they are just accessories and they are expensives..

I appreciate the responses but I'm still unclear about the big advantage of having it included in the phone. Not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just genuinely trying to see the value other than a permanent spot for it with the ability to launch a desired app when you pull out the pen. I just don't see a $7 stylus being better than an $80 3rd party offering. No personal attacks like "I'm wearing koolaid glasses" and all that, I'm being serious. Just trying to understand the Stylus feature on the samsung phones.

I completely see a benefit when you are drawing or painting. But not sure of the advantage over a regular external $7 stylus (or my finger) if I'm selecting an app, clicking a spot on the screen, jotting a handwritten note. And if I'm using an app like ArtRage or Paper 53, wouldn't the App itself determine the quality of input?

I'm definitely going to swing by Best Buy in the next couple of days and give the Note 4 a look. I'm obviously missing something with the stylus.
 

Dontazemebro

macrumors 68020
Jul 23, 2010
2,173
0
I dunno, somewhere in West Texas
I appreciate the responses but I'm still unclear about the big advantage of having it included in the phone. Not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just genuinely trying to see the value other than a permanent spot for it with the ability to launch a desired app when you pull out the pen. I just don't see a $7 stylus being better than an $80 3rd party offering. No personal attacks like "I'm wearing koolaid glasses" and all that, I'm being serious. Just trying to understand the Stylus feature on the samsung phones.

I completely see a benefit when you are drawing or painting. But not sure of the advantage over a regular external $7 stylus (or my finger) if I'm selecting an app, clicking a spot on the screen, jotting a handwritten note. And if I'm using an app like ArtRage or Paper 53, wouldn't the App itself determine the quality of input?

I'm definitely going to swing by Best Buy in the next couple of days and give the Note 4 a look. I'm obviously missing something with the stylus.

The real difference is the Wacom digitizer inside the Note, that's it. It makes for precise pin point accuracy. I was skeptical at first when I got the Note 3, but once I acclimated myself to using the S-pen, I can't imagine not having it.

Btw - I work out in the oil-field and use it to record diagrams, charts, straps and measurements of all sorts.
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,877
10,987
I appreciate the responses but I'm still unclear about the big advantage of having it included in the phone. Not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just genuinely trying to see the value other than a permanent spot for it with the ability to launch a desired app when you pull out the pen. I just don't see a $7 stylus being better than an $80 3rd party offering. No personal attacks like "I'm wearing koolaid glasses" and all that, I'm being serious. Just trying to understand the Stylus feature on the samsung phones.

I completely see a benefit when you are drawing or painting. But not sure of the advantage over a regular external $7 stylus (or my finger) if I'm selecting an app, clicking a spot on the screen, jotting a handwritten note. And if I'm using an app like ArtRage or Paper 53, wouldn't the App itself determine the quality of input?

I'm definitely going to swing by Best Buy in the next couple of days and give the Note 4 a look. I'm obviously missing something with the stylus.

I played around with the S-Pen on my mother's Note 2. It's so much better, accurate, and natural feeling than using your finger for jotting down notes, editing photos, and etc.
I can wait to see how much improved it is on the Note 4.

When I checked the Note 4 out at Best Buy, they didn't have the S-Pen attached with it, so I couldn't test the S-Pen out.
 

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
The fact is, you can't point the finger at Steve for an opinion he had many, many years ago. Times have changed, the market has changed. For what it's worth, Apple had the biggest display when they first released the iPhone.


No, they didn't, they were smartphones with more resolution than the iPhone and with bigger screens than the iPhone
 

mrex

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,458
1,527
europe
I appreciate the responses but I'm still unclear about the big advantage of having it included in the phone. Not saying it's a bad idea, I'm just genuinely trying to see the value other than a permanent spot for it with the ability to launch a desired app when you pull out the pen. I just don't see a $7 stylus being better than an $80 3rd party offering. No personal attacks like "I'm wearing koolaid glasses" and all that, I'm being serious. Just trying to understand the Stylus feature on the samsung phones.

I completely see a benefit when you are drawing or painting. But not sure of the advantage over a regular external $7 stylus (or my finger) if I'm selecting an app, clicking a spot on the screen, jotting a handwritten note. And if I'm using an app like ArtRage or Paper 53, wouldn't the App itself determine the quality of input?

I'm definitely going to swing by Best Buy in the next couple of days and give the Note 4 a look. I'm obviously missing something with the stylus.
because it isnt just a pen included in the phone. the screen tecnology is different. there is active digitizer in the device itself which work with the pen.

http://www.howtogeek.com/177376/not...ual-capacitive-wacom-and-bluetooth-explained/
 

appleii.c

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2013
531
40
The real difference is the Wacom digitizer inside the Note, that's it. It makes for precise pin point accuracy. I was skeptical at first when I got the Note 3, but once I acclimated myself to using the S-pen, I can't imagine not having it.

Btw - I work out in the oil-field and use it to record diagrams, charts, straps and measurements of all sorts.

Is the Wacom Digitizer something that is App specific or used across the entire OS? Such as the tech being used in the photos app for example.

The reason I'm a little confused is because I see this:

http://www.wacom.com/en/us/creative/intuos-creative-stylus-2

for the iPad it claims to do palm rejection, pressure sensitivity to 2,048 levels, works with different apps... I've never used it with my iPad so I can't comment on the quality.

Personally, I don't ever see myself using a stylus for every day OS things, but then again... I never thought people would buy a 5.5" iPhone.. and I was wrong. I just think for anything other that drawing, or other precision things like what you do, it's sort of going backwards in technology. Like going back to physical storage as opposed to cloud storage. Sure, physical will still have a need in some cases, but not the primary anymore.
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,877
10,987
No, they didn't, they were smartphones with more resolution than the iPhone and with bigger screens than the iPhone

I think it was one or the other. I don't remember any other phone having both higher resolution and a bigger screen at the time.

I barely remember, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Blackjack 1 or 2 had better resolution with a smaller screen, and probably the HTC Tytn 2 had a bigger screen with lower resolution.
 

appleii.c

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2013
531
40
because it isnt just a pen included in the phone. the screen tecnology is different. there is active digitizer in the device itself which work with the pen.

http://www.howtogeek.com/177376/not...ual-capacitive-wacom-and-bluetooth-explained/

Ahhh, ok. So there is screen technology in the device itself, not just software. OK, this makes a little more sense. I would welcome that, and then just allow the user to purchase a stylus if they choose to. Or even a separate phone model with a stylus in case some don't want it, they aren't stuck with it. iPhone 6S? (S for Stylus?).
 

SusanK

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2012
1,676
2,655
I still have a fondness for the stylus input on the old Message Pad. Wish Apple would let us write on the screen of anything except the Mac.
 

appleii.c

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2013
531
40
because it isnt just a pen included in the phone. the screen tecnology is different. there is active digitizer in the device itself which work with the pen.

http://www.howtogeek.com/177376/not...ual-capacitive-wacom-and-bluetooth-explained/

Thanks for the link... that definitely cleared things up. See, all along I thought it was just a stupid stick attached to the phone!

I'm sure if the Note 4 does well, Apple will look to incorporate the tech into future devices. I could definitely see it being a good thing on the iPads. As far as the permanent stylus being on the iPad... I don't see that flying. but it will definitely be an accessory. Maybe magnetically attachable (I think I've seen some like that already). But the screen digitizer, I can see that coming.
 

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
I think it was one or the other. I don't remember any other phone having both higher resolution and a bigger screen at the time.

I barely remember, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Blackjack 1 or 2 had better resolution with a smaller screen, and probably the HTC Tytn 2 had a bigger screen with lower resolution.

XDA Flame, 3.7" 640x480
 

Dontazemebro

macrumors 68020
Jul 23, 2010
2,173
0
I dunno, somewhere in West Texas
Thanks for the link... that definitely cleared things up. See, all along I thought it was just a stupid stick attached to the phone!

I'm sure if the Note 4 does well, Apple will look to incorporate the tech into future devices. I could definitely see it being a good thing on the iPads. As far as the permanent stylus being on the iPad... I don't see that flying. but it will definitely be an accessory. Maybe magnetically attachable (I think I've seen some like that already). But the screen digitizer, I can see that coming.

Yep, you got it. The OP is only asking for Apple to include that technology. Not really the pen itself per se.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Yep, you got it. The OP is only asking for Apple to include that technology. Not really the pen itself per se.

Arrrrrrrrrrgh :)

The pen hardly takes up any room in a phablet or tablet. Leave it in.

Making someone pay extra for an item that should be included, is something Apple does, and should not be encouraged! lol

--

Interestingly, back when Samsung first started doing this, the license fee for including Wacom technology on a tablet was around $100 per device.

No idea what kind of deal Samsung made for their phablets, but it was amazing that they went ahead and included it as standard.

PS to appleiic -- another cool thing about having the Wacom digitizer built into the device, is that the pen requires no batteries. It draws its power from the digitizer grid itself. That's quite different from the Bluetooth addon pens.
 

Kendo

macrumors 68020
Apr 4, 2011
2,339
858
No, they didn't, they were smartphones with more resolution than the iPhone and with bigger screens than the iPhone

Can you link a few? I'm afraid to ask though...if these models are ones that maybe a total of 5 people bought and were manufactured and released only in Japan.
 

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
Can you link a few? I'm afraid to ask though...if these models are ones that maybe a total of 5 people bought and were manufactured and released only in Japan.

What has to do if they were sold more o less to be available when the iPhone was released?


Or it is that i9f you ddidn't kenw abvout them means that they didn't existed?
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,488
5,413
I just don't see a $7 stylus being better than an $80 3rd party offering. No personal attacks like "I'm wearing koolaid glasses" and all that, I'm being serious. Just trying to understand the Stylus feature on the samsung phones.

That's the thing, it IS better, much better. Just because the Note 4 stylus is cheapie feeling doesn't mean the technology is cheap, or that the digitizer Wacom provides is cheap, or that you couldn't buy an aftermarket Wacom stylus. All the "features" are just that features that are great but not the main selling point. The main selling point are the accuracy and experience writing/drawing with it.
 
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