In Praise of the Psion Stylus

If there is one thing that marks me out as very old school it’s the stylus that I carry when out and about. For all the resistive touch screens (ie almost everything but the iPhone) on a multitude of devices i tend to use the built in stylus for about five minutes before reaching into my drawer of spare parts for one of the many pointers I have for the Psion 5mx (and similar machines).

Two main reasons I still use it. First of all is the shape – with a triangular barrel as the main part gives your hand something to grip onto, and also means it won’t roll away when you put it down on a table.

The second is the length. At almost six inches long, it sits comfortably in the hand,just like a physical pen or pencil. This reduces the strain on your hand in prolonged use, makes it easier to navigate around a large touch screen, and it can easily sit in your hand while typing two handed on devices like the Nokia N97.

Sp yes, thank you to all the manufacturers there when they design small styli to fit in tiny spaces that are comfy for about five minutes – I’ll stick with a tried and tested British solution.