Flyer pen, I guess I don't need it

[kat3k]

I got my pre-ordered Flyer yesterday, and think it's wonderful. Have to say I was Really Annoyed the pen was not included, but bought it anyway. (I think HTC and/or Best Buy really took advantage of over anxious buyers.)

After trying it, the pen is really fun and works well, with good pressure and response. There are several options for pen stroke width and color. If you have a need to make annotations, take notes in class, want to sketch or doodle (although there are apps for that which don't require the magic pen), or like to draw mustaches on photos, the pen would be great for that.

But I don't have those needs, and prefer typing to my own handwriting. Also, it seems (unfounded, I'm sure) that the firm pen tip might mark the glass over time.

The biggest drawback for me is that the pen is ONLY for writing and cannot be used as a stylus, which I sometimes like to use for selecting tiny links, etc. So when you have the pen in hand and try to select, nothing happens.

So, for me, if the pen were included, it would be fun to have and use sometimes, but I can't justify the $80 for a toy for my toy.

 

[Renegade360]

I can see that. For taking notes, I can positively take faster ones with the pen than typing on the onscreen keyboard. A bluetooth keyboard would be another story, but then you have to haul around that stupid keyboard. If I needed to do that, I'd just take my netbook with me.

 

[JSchu22]

I got my pre-ordered Flyer yesterday, and think it's wonderful. Have to say I was Really Annoyed the pen was not included, but bought it anyway. (I think HTC and/or Best Buy really took advantage of over anxious buyers.)

After trying it, the pen is really fun and works well, with good pressure and response. There are several options for pen stroke width and color. If you have a need to make annotations, take notes in class, want to sketch or doodle (although there are apps for that which don't require the magic pen), or like to draw mustaches on photos, the pen would be great for that.

But I don't have those needs, and prefer typing to my own handwriting. Also, it seems (unfounded, I'm sure) that the firm pen tip might mark the glass over time.

The biggest drawback for me is that the pen is ONLY for writing and cannot be used as a stylus, which I sometimes like to use for selecting tiny links, etc. So when you have the pen in hand and try to select, nothing happens.

So, for me, if the pen were included, it would be fun to have and use sometimes, but I can't justify the $80 for a toy for my toy.

For the record, the opposite end of the styus can be used to scroll or select.

 

[kat3k]

For the record, the opposite end of the styus can be used to scroll or select.

Now that would have been a really great idea. But have you looked at the other end? Mine is hard, slightly rounded metal.

 

[JSchu22]

Now that would have been a really great idea. But have you looked at the other end? Mine is hard, slightly rounded metal.

So is mine. I'm surprised metal works on a capacitive screen. If you're worried that its metal, I wouldn't be. Shouldn't be a scratching hazard as glass is much harder than metal.

 

[FlyerCryer]

Does anyone hit the Home Settings Back buttons on accident with their hand while they are trying to write with the pen?

 

[LadyX]

Does anyone hit the Home Settings Back buttons on accident with their hand while they are trying to write with the pen?

Not the back button, but the keyboard is popping up everytime I write with the pen because my hand is leaning on the screen, giving me the option to type. That was bothering me a bit today.

 

[SciJohnDroid]

Not the back button, but the keyboard is popping up everytime I write with the pen because my hand is leaning on the screen, giving me the option to type. That was bothering me a bit today.

I think it is a question of timing. If the pen touches the screen before your hand, the keyboard doesn't pop up.
It takes a little getting used to.

 

[leaddawg]

Now that would have been a really great idea. But have you looked at the other end? Mine is hard, slightly rounded metal.

I took the rubber capacitive tip off another stylus and stretched it over the battery cap of my Magic Pen, works great and secures the battery cap as well! I added a pocket clip and fashioned a finger grip to keep a tight grip on this $80 luxury!

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KwYDFVUF6h--w0ouAydNYA?feat=directlink

 

[kat3k]

I took the rubber capacitive tip off another stylus and stretched it over the battery cap of my Magic Pen, works great and secures the battery cap as well! I added a pocket clip and fashioned a finger grip to keep a tight grip on this $80 luxury!

Perfect! I thought about doing that but wasn't sure about what is inside the cap. stylus to make it work. How did you remove the rubber tip and refasten it to the HTC one? A picture would be great. I'm sure someone will think of selling something like this, or HTC will think to add it on.

 

[Renegade360]

Well after having the Flyer for almost 2 weeks, I returned the pen. $80 is just too much to spend on a pen that has no tether or dock on a tablet. It will surely be lost. I picked up a Boxwave Stylus for $15 on Amazon. It actually works better for my use than the pen. My Software App for work has a touch enabled notepad that the pen didn't work with. Since HTC Still hasen't released the Development platform, the pen was useless for work. It's fine for note taking in general with the notes app, but not $80 fine. Especially since there are $30 pens by fujitsu available that will work on our tablets. So until HTC drops the price of those pens, and releases the APK for devs to develop new apps that it will work with, I'm looking somewhere else. Right now that's with a basic stylus and Sketchbook. Does everything I needed the pen to do for $65 less.

 

[sealite]

Yes, I do too!
I love the HTC flyer and the possibility to take notes, now my notes will be used again instead of ending up in the trash after meetings!
Any good apps to lock these buttons while writing?

Does anyone hit the Home Settings Back buttons on accident with their hand while they are trying to write with the pen?

 

[dstrauss]

I took the rubber capacitive tip off another stylus and stretched it over the battery cap of my Magic Pen, works great and secures the battery cap as well! I added a pocket clip and fashioned a finger grip to keep a tight grip on this $80 luxury!

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KwYDFVUF6h--w0ouAydNYA?feat=directlink

That is awesome - care to share your parts list (the fit looks like it is an original).

 

[leaddawg]

That is awesome - care to share your parts list (the fit looks like it is an original).

Thanks! I scavenged the blue grip from a rollerball ink pen and carefully cut out the button hole. It actually keeps me from accidentally pressing the highlight button! The capacitive tip came from a pogo stylus that I dissected, it works great but I rarely use that end. The pocket clip is off a Streamlight flashlight that also uses AAAA batteries, so the fit was perfect!

 

[TomXP411]

Well after having the Flyer for almost 2 weeks, I returned the pen. $80 is just too much to spend on a pen that has no tether or dock on a tablet.

Agreed...

my two biggest complaints:
1. The pen doesn't work as a stylus. It would be handy for web browsing, since most links are smaller than my finger.
2. THERE IS NO WAY TO DOCK THE PEN to the tablet. Back in the Palm/WinCE days, devices had a hole or a slot where you could stick the stylus to keep it safe. No such luck on the Flyer.

So about all the pen does for me is let me take screen shots. I've actually used that a couple times now, once to report a bug to a software developer (several programs don't work right on the Flyer, even though they work fine on smaller Gingerbread phones), and to edit a custom background for LauncherPro... I used the launcher screen as a template for building my own background; the desktop icons mesh with my background to make it look like the background is part of the UI, not just a static picture.