01-03-2005, 06:00 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,213
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Stylus Central 3-in-1 Stylus for iPAQ hx4700 Reviewed
Product Category: Stylus
Where to Buy: Stylus Central
Price: $9.99 USD (Sale price; regularly $15.99 USD)
System Requirements: Product reviewed requires a Hewlett-Packard iPAQ hx4700, rx3715, rx3115, or rz1715. Versions are available for other makes and models of PDAs.
Pros:- Stylish and attractive;
- Well-balanced and comfortable to use;
- Ink pen included;
- Very low price.
Cons:- Does not fit stylus slot of the hx4700 series;
- Advertised reset pin is not present.
Summary:
Looking for something to replace the stock plastic stylus that came with your shiny new iPAQ Pocket PC? Stylus Central may have just what you're looking for in their 3-in-1 Stylus. You get the convenience of an ink pen without the need to carry anything but your Pocket PC! iPAQ hx4700 users, however, should be aware of one important caveat.
Read on for the full review!
The Pen and Stylus is Mightier than Just a Stylus
I don't often write notes on paper anymore, but when I do, it's nice to not have to search for a pen or ask around until you find someone who's carrying one. Since my Pocket PC goes with me virtually everywhere, what better way to carry a pen than inside my stylus? I recently bought a "3-in-1" stylus replacement for my hx4700 from Stylus Central. (The stylus is actually made by another company and sold by a variety of vendors.) Since most of the new iPAQs use the same stylus, this one is advertised as being compatible with the hx4700, rz1715, rx3115, and rx3715. I've had stylus/pen combos before and really like the convenience of having a pen with me for writing the occasional paper note or signing a credit card receipt without having to carry a separate pen in my pocket.
The Good...
The stylus arrived very quickly, and was engraved with my initials as requested. (Engraving of up to four characters is a free service that Stylus Central provides for items which can be engraved.) The stylus came in plastic packaging such as would hang from a display rack in a store. The weight and balance are very nice and the stylus feels great in my hand. It's slightly heavier than the stock stylus, which I prefer; the extra weight just feels better to me. The pen cap is also very secure so it won't fall off accidentally. The silver aluminum barrel looks very nice and the engraved letters are gold in color -- a nice contrast.
The "3" in "3-in-1" means the stylus has a pen, stylus, and reset pin. Interestingly, I looked carefully and there is simply no reset pin to be found. "2-in-1" would be a more appropriate name for this product.  The stylus tip works just fine to press the reset button, however, so it's no great loss, though the name and product description on the Stylus Central Website is rather misleading. The ink is refillable using refills available at most office supply stores, so your investment is safe there.
Figure 1: A photo of the 3-in-1 Stylus disassembled. Note the lack of a reset pin, which is an advertised feature of this stylus.
... and the Bad
Unfortunately, I am forced to make use of Stylus Central's excellent return policy. Why? Well, the stylus simply doesn't fit my hx4700's stylus slot! It slides in about half way, then becomes very snug. (The aluminum barrel is probably a very tiny bit larger than the stock plastic stylus.) I can push it in a little more, but it finally stops with the top of the stylus protruding from the slot about half a centimeter. I had the opportunity to try the stylus in the other three iPAQ models that it's compatible with and it fits all of them properly, and just as easily as the stock plastic stylus. It's only the hx4700 that seems to have this problem.
Figure 2: A photo showing the 3-in-1 Stylus protruding about .5 cm from the stylus slot of an iPAQ hx4700.
Comparing the original stylus and the 3-in-1, there are very few differences. The length is identical, and the tip is almost exactly the same as the stock stylus. The problem stems from the pen cap on the top of the stylus. The original stylus' fingernail nub is tapered ever so slightly, allowing it to slip into the groove in the stylus slot. The 3-in-1's nub, however, is straight on both sides, so it can't slide into the tapered groove. The fix for this would be for the manufacturer to simply redesign the pen cap. I suppose one could gently file the nub's sides down so it would fit properly in the hx4700's groove, but this is not something consumers should have to do.
Figure 3: Comparing the 3-in-1 Stylus (top) side by side with the stock stylus from an iPAQ hx4700 (bottom).
Conclusions
While I love the idea of stylus/pen combos, be sure you buy this one from a vendor with a good return policy in case it doesn't fit as well as it should. Stylus Central is taking mine back with no hassle whatsoever, and this is an example of the excellent service I've received from them in the past. I hope the actual manufacturer of the stylus revises the design slightly, because I'd gladly give this one another try if they can get it right. Unfortunately, I cannot currently recommend this stylus to any hx4700 users, but would encourage users of other recent iPAQs to buy one of these as a nice and inexpensive upgrade to your Pocket PC. And keep in mind that versions of the 3-in-1 are available for many other PDAs, as well!
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01-03-2005, 06:22 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 717
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Perhaps this was just a design or manufacturing mistake, in any even it is pointless to have something that will not work properly. I too would return it.
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01-03-2005, 06:54 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Quote:
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Does not fit stylus slot of the hx4700 series
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Dang. I'm looking for a good replacement for my stylus. Note the word GOOD. In my book if it doesn't fit the silo, it doesn't fit into the good category. If I can get a better (read metal) stylus and a metal flip cover I could be a very happy and content PPC user.
__________________
PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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01-03-2005, 09:28 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 251
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Re: Stylus Central 3-in-1 Stylus for iPAQ hx4700 Reviewed
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dave Beauvais
Well, the stylus simply doesn't fit my hx4700's stylus slot!
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D'oh!
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01-03-2005, 09:40 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,725
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathan1
In my book if it doesn't fit the silo, it doesn't fit into the good category.
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Exactly. I was really considering this stylus until I read that it doesn't fit in the slot. :?
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01-03-2005, 10:50 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 24
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Doesn't the stylus tip fit in the reset hole on a 4700 like the rest of the IPAQs? If it does there is the 3 of 3 in 1. I know Palms need a small pin to reset, but I didn't think it was needed on an IPAQ.
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01-03-2005, 11:09 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 191
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Some Ipaqs need a reset pin... like the 1900... don't know bout the 4700 though
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01-03-2005, 11:11 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,725
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by bobmay
Doesn't the stylus tip fit in the reset hole on a 4700 like the rest of the IPAQs? If it does there is the 3 of 3 in 1. I know Palms need a small pin to reset, but I didn't think it was needed on an IPAQ.
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The hx4700's work fine with just the stylus.
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01-04-2005, 02:27 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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This isn't the first stylus that didn't fit right. I've bought some in the past from other companies that just didn't fit right. This seems to be a trend. How any company could get that wrong is beyond me. It's not like they need this huge, complex beta test on a stylus. If it fits in the hole and writes, it's good. Apparently, these guys missed this "bug" :roll:
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01-04-2005, 06:59 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3
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I have not tried the stylus myself, but I was just thinking that it is possible that the engraving slightly deformed it so that it no longer fits. It would not take much to deform it since it is a hollow metal (Aluminum?) tube. It appears that the company that did the engraving is not the company that designed the stylus so they may not be aware of the effects of engraving. The unintentional fault may lie with Stylus Central rather than the original manufacturer.
Has anyone tried it without the engraving?
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