Review: Responsive Stylus Works Well With iPad2, Even Better With Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Tablet
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2013
Update 9/1/13:This MARWARE CAPACITIVE STYLUS is still performing well after six months of daily use.  The tip has begun to soften a little, but this is still the stylus that both my husband and I reach for, when using our Kindle Fire HD 8.9" tablet.Original review:Capacitive styluses are not all alike.  Besides color, there are subtle differences in sensitivity, length, barrel size, weight, and attachment clips or lanyards.  Sensitivity depends on two things:  (1) whether the rubber capacitive tip is soft or stiff, and (2) what device you are using.  I find that a stiffer tip works well with an iPad, and a softer tip works well with a Kindle tablet. This MARWARE CAPACITIVE STYLUS FOR KINDLE FIRE, which is 4-1/4" long (exclusive of the capacitive tip) is an excellent, responsive stylus.  It works well with my iPad2, and it's probably the best that I've found yet for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Tablet.Compared to other styluses that I tested, this Marware stylus is average length, has a wide barrel (wider than a pencil but narrower than a pen), and is a little heavier than most styluses.  (It weighs 0.4 oz.; the Amazon Basics and Boxwave styluses weigh 0.3 oz.; the generic capacitive styluses weigh 0.2 oz.)  Because of the wider barrel, the tip is wider, and not as accurate as some others for selecting small targets (e.g., links displayed in web browsers in tiny fonts).  However, pinpoint accuracy isn't important if you can enlarge the display on your touchscreen device, and this stylus performs very well overall.This stylus has a pocket clip with a stylish diamond-shaped point.  It lacks any kind of hole or ring for a lanyard, so it cannot be attached to anything (e.g., your tablet case), except with the pocket clip.  Besides this stylus, I tested theMiniSuit Universal Capacitive Stylus Pen, theBoxWave Slimline Kindle Fire Stylus, theTargus Stylus for Apple iPad, theAmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices, the3 pcs Aqua Blue/Black/Red Capacitive Styluses, and the10 Pcs Stylus Set Aqua Blue/Black/Red/Pink/Purple.  My favorite is the AmazonBasics Stylus, because of its 4-1/4" length, slim barrel, light weight, and excellent sensitivity.  However,  I also rate this stylus at 5 stars ("I love it"), because I like it even better than the AmazonBasics stylus for use with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" tablet.It isn't necessary to pay a lot for a stylus.  Some inexpensive ones (e.g.,3 pcs Aqua Blue/Black/Red Capacitive Styluses) work as well or better with my iPad than more expensive styluses like this one.  Also, though you're never quite sure what you'll get when you order generic styluses (even when you reorder from the same seller), you can easily afford to replace them when the tips inevitably wear out with use.In case you're wondering, as I was, what a "capacitive" stylus is, it is a human interface device (e.g., a mouse) that uses "capacitive sensing" to measure changes of position on a touchscreen.  It works just like a human finger on a touchscreen device, and you can often get more accurate navigation using a stylus.  Wikipedia has good articles on capacitive sensing and capacitive devices.