So I read more about styluses and asked Andrew to pick me up a Pogo stylus at the Apple store. He brought me home a Pogo Sketch and it works very, very well. I'd recommend it to anyone who prefers to use a commercial stylus and especially for anyone who uses their iPhone or iPad for drawing. The tip, made of conductive foam, doesn't deform and it's very gentle on the iPhone screen.
This is not to say that the Blackbox isn't a good stylus; it just isn't the best for someone who uses a stylus for everything on the iPhone. Minor usage would not be an issue and I loved the way the iPhone responded to the slightest touch with it. The Pogo requires a little more pressure and sometimes I do have to repeat a gesture which I never had to do with the Blackbox until the tip got worn out.
In the end, however, the best stylus I've used is the one I made myself! No one was more surprised than I was. I had researched lots of DIY stylus tutorials and finally got together the materials to make one on my own. I didn't follow a specific tutorial; just put together two ideas that made sense and frankly it's the simplest stylus to make out there. I've made a tutorial for it which you can find in the links above. Or just click here: DIY Stylus Tutorial.
February 6, 2012
Since writing the above I've tried a few more styluses. My mother bought me a Targus Stylus for Christmas this year and it's very good. It has a smooth rubber tip and has a nice weight. I've also used a couple of dollar store styluses that also have a rubber tip but they're lighter in weight and definitely have a cheaper feel. They work perfectly well, though, so make sure you check your dollar store if you're a stylus addict like I am and like to have lots of spares around.
