FIGURE A


The PalmPoint Dual Action Stylus is pricey (or spendy, as my Oregon friend would say), but worth it. Roll over picture for a larger image.

If you totally balk at spending $39.95 for a stylus, check out the more affordable PenCap Stylus product from Concept Kitchen (at http://www.conceptkitchen.com/products/pdas03476.shtml), shown in Figure B. For $9.95, you get four plastic stylus tips you can put over the tip of a disposable pen to turn it into a stylus. I haven't used these myself, but I do like the rest of the products from Concept Kitchen, and these tips look like a really cool, well thought-out product.

FIGURE B


What could be cheaper or more convenient than converting your disposable pen into a stylus? Roll over picture for a larger image.

For even more information about styli, check out Claire Pieterek's article entitled "Stylin' with the right stylus" from the September 1998 issue of PalmPower magazine. You can find the article at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue199809/stylus001.html. Take an especially good look at the Throttle stylus from ttools, LLC. It's another example of a cool stylus that clips onto the side of your Palm unit.

Use WriteRights from Concept Kitchen
WriteRights from Concept Kitchen (at http://www.conceptkitchen.com/products/), are more than just little films of plastic that protect the screen of your Palm device, as you can see in Figure C. They're also excellent tools for improving your Graffiti recognition and speed. These little plastic sheets, which go for around $27.95 for twelve, not only protect the screen but also improve your Graffiti recognition by making it feel more like you're writing on paper than on a naked, slippery glass screen. They also do a good job of reducing glare. Also, with the screen properly protected, you probably won't be afraid to be just a little rougher when entering text into your Palm device.

FIGURE C


WriteRights from Concept Kitchen are well worth the investment. Share them with friends! Roll over picture for a larger image.

You can read more about WriteRights in a previous article entitled "Keep your screen pristine" by Claire Pieterek, which is about protecting your Palm device's screen. The article is located at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue199803/pristine001.html.

For Palm III series users, you can find more information about WriteRights at http://www.conceptkitchen.com/products/pdas00671.shtml. Palm V users can find out more about WriteRights designed specifically for the slightly smaller screens of their devices at http://www.conceptkitchen.com/products/pdas02789.shtml.

Using TealEcho helps you identify and correct errors
TealEcho, as shown in Figure D, is a very simple application that will go a long way to helping you to improve your Graffiti recognition. It shows you graphically on the screen what you're writing as you're writing it. This way, you can get the feedback you need to see why your Palm device isn't recognizing your Vs or Ys or whatever characters are giving you trouble. To make this even more effective, have your little Graffiti cheat sheet at hand so you can re-check the proper way to write a difficult character.