Read the review and see below to learn how to win one of four free iPad styli (or is it styluses?).

Penultimate, the handwritten note taking iPad app, is one of my favorites.  I use it  several times a day.  Like all iPad apps, it works with your finger, but with a note-taking app like this, a stylus comes in handy.  Early on (back in the iPad 1 days), I picked up a Pogo Sketch stylus.  It seemed to be one of the only ones available at the time.  It worked pretty well, but after the newer generation styli started making an appearance, I looked for something better.  So, I picked up four new models and had a cage match.

The contenders:

Acase, AYL, Boxwave, Kensington, and Pogo Sketch

The tale of the tape:

AYL, Acase, Kensington, Boxwave, Pogo Sketch (left to right)

Acase 2nd Generation Stylus
5.06 inches (13 cm) long
Fine rubber tip (5 mm diameter)
Detachable tether
$15.95

AYL Newest Generation Slim Capacitive iPad Stylus
5.06 inches (13 cm) long
Fine rubber tip (5 mm diameter)
Detachable tether
$12.95

Boxwave Capacitive iPad Stylus
4.13 inches (10.5 cm) long
Regular rubber tip (8 mm diameter)
Detachable tether
$15.00

Kensington Virtuoso Touchscreen Stylus and Pen
5.06 inches (13 cm) long
Regular rubber tip (8mm diameter)
Doubles as a ball point pen
$18.31

Ten One Design Pogo Sketch Stylus
4.8 inches (12.1 cm) long
Fine Foam tip (5 mm diameter)
My model has a broken clip
$6.99

Performance.

First, I will treat the AYL and Acase styli as one because, though I cannot confirm it, they appear to be identical in every way — including performance — except for their logos. References will be to “AYL/Acase.”

Second, all four of the new generation styli (AYL/Acase, Boxwave, and Kensington) have a soft rubber tip, while the older Pogo Sketch stylus has a capacitive foam tip. I did not opine or speculate about the durability of these materials, as I have only been using the new generation styli for a couple of weeks.

Third, I used Penultimate to test all of the styli.

And the winner is…

First place goes to the Kensington Virtuoso. Irrespective of the fact that this stylus also includes a ball point pen under a removable cap at the non-stylus end (icing on the cake), the Kensington out performed the competition in all areas. This stylus had the weightiest, most substantial feel. It is not too heavy, by any means, but some of the styli, by comparison (especially the Pogo Sketch), felt too light and almost cheap. The stylus is also well balanced, probably due to the weight of the ball point pen at the opposite end. The length of the Kensington (the same as the AYL/Acase) was just right — just a bit shorter than my go-to roller ball pen, the Uniball Signo.

The ultimate test, however, is how well the stylus writes. How difficult is it to make the virtual ink appear on the virtual paper of the iPad? Since capacitive touch screens need an electrical charge to work, your finger is usually the best device to use. Conducting the electrical charge from your skin through a stylus can be a challenge. For me, the Kensington stylus far outperformed the AYL/Acase and was noticeably better than the Boxwave and Pogo Sketch. In plain terms, it simply took less effort for the Kensington to make a mark on the screen. There was no skipping or trailing on the screen. The digital ink mark was smooth and steady most of the time.

Second place goes to the Boxwave. While it didn’t bother me, the Boxwave is shorter than the Kensington, which may be a bit uncomfortable for some users. Also, while not bad, the balance and feel was just not as good as the Kensington. As for writing quality, the Boxwave was a close second. It did not take much effort to make the ink appear on the screen, but it was just not as effortless as the number one competitor.

Third place goes to the Pogo Sketch. Based on design and materials, the Pogo Sketch is unique. The barrel is much narrower than the others, and as mentioned above, it uses a foam, rather than rubber, tip. The tip is also narrower than the Boxwave or Kensington. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that a narrower tip will produce a finer line on the iPad screen. It’s just a bit longer than the Boxwave and writing quality is quite good. It’s about as good, if not the same as, the Boxwave.

Finally, The AYL/Acase models came in last place. The length is good – equivalent to the Kensington, and the feel is acceptable, just not as substantial. Despite the narrow tip (and perhaps because of it), the writing performance is poor. Don’t get me wrong, the AYL/Acase work, they just don’t work as well as the others. It takes more effort and more pressure to make a consistent mark on the screen. These styli are acceptable in a pinch, but with the amount of time I spend using Penultimate, I need a better stylus.

There you have it… my two cents. Now, here’s how you can get it:

The great stylus give-away.

First, I’m giving away the used AL, Acase, and Pogo Sketch test styli mentioned above.  I’m keeping my used Kensington and Boxwaves, but I’m going to buy the grand prize winner a brand new Kensington or Boxwave stylus (or the stylus of their choice – up to a $20 value).  That’s four chances to win an iPad stylus.

How to win: Each person can get a maximum of 3 chances to win.  You get one chance to win with each of the following activities:

• Tweet a link to this post, including Read: iPad Stylus Cage Match by @iPad4Legal – Win an iPad stylus #styluscagematch
• Follow @iPad4Legal on Twitter (if you already follow us, let us know in the comments)
• “Like” our Facebook Page and comment on our wall (say something nice, please).

Winners will be chosen at random on May 31, 2011 and contacted directly.  A list of the winners will be posted in a subsequent blog post.