(1) A pen-shaped instrument that is used to "draw" images or select from menus. Styli (the plural of stylus, pronounced "sty-lye") come with handheld devices that have touch screens, such as PDAs and video games. Some desktop computers also offer touch screens and styli.
In some cases, the stylus must be used. In others, both stylus and fingertip serve equally well as long as the user's hands are not too large. See light pen and digitizer tablet.
PDA Styli
PDAs and other handheld devices with touch screens typically come with a stylus. These two styli came with Palm organizers.
(2) The needle part of a phonograph cartridge, which typically contains a diamond tip. The stylus rides in the grooves of the phonograph record, picking up the vibrations carved into the vinyl, and is attached to a cantilever arm with a magnet or coils at the other end (see phono cartridge). A wide variety of cartridge styles has been used over the years, and there is a huge number of replacement styli available on the market. For more information, visit Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor at www.needledoctor.com.
When Needles Were Needles
The steel needles at the top were used in old Victrola 78 record players like the unit underneath. They were later replaced with sapphire tips to last longer. The "needle" name obviously came from the long shape of the first styli. (Top image courtesy of Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor, www.needledoctor.com)
A Modern Stylus
The stylus on this Grado magnetic phono cartridge is diamond tipped. Vibrating in the vinyl record's groove, the stylus transfers the oscillations to the cantilever and magnets. (Image courtesy of Grado Laboratories, www.gradolabs.com)
In some cases, the stylus must be used. In others, both stylus and fingertip serve equally well as long as the user's hands are not too large. See light pen and digitizer tablet.
PDA Styli
PDAs and other handheld devices with touch screens typically come with a stylus. These two styli came with Palm organizers.
(2) The needle part of a phonograph cartridge, which typically contains a diamond tip. The stylus rides in the grooves of the phonograph record, picking up the vibrations carved into the vinyl, and is attached to a cantilever arm with a magnet or coils at the other end (see phono cartridge). A wide variety of cartridge styles has been used over the years, and there is a huge number of replacement styli available on the market. For more information, visit Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor at www.needledoctor.com.
When Needles Were Needles
The steel needles at the top were used in old Victrola 78 record players like the unit underneath. They were later replaced with sapphire tips to last longer. The "needle" name obviously came from the long shape of the first styli. (Top image courtesy of Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor, www.needledoctor.com)
A Modern Stylus
The stylus on this Grado magnetic phono cartridge is diamond tipped. Vibrating in the vinyl record's groove, the stylus transfers the oscillations to the cantilever and magnets. (Image courtesy of Grado Laboratories, www.gradolabs.com)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- What is the best method for picking up an iPhone 3G on July 11th?
- What is the best method for picking up an iPhone 3G on July 11th?Going EarlyI have a pretty decent sized AT&T Wireless store a quick walk down the street from my place. I'm guessing since it isn't in the busier parts of town it won't have a ton of traffic...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-02
- Why Microsoft might win in mobile
- Why Microsoft might win in mobileInterface BreathroughI would say that the new HTC Touch is a breakthrough in mobile interfaces. I actually like it better than the iPhone. To me, it makes the iPhone/iPod Touch interfaces look boring.its called Opera Mobile 9.5Have you tried using Opera Mobile 9.5 on any...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-01
- HTC Touch Diamond
- We don't envy the HTC Touch Diamond. There's a lot of pressure on this little smartphone; HTC executive Cheng Hui-ming has called it "the most important product for HTC this year," and of course, the Touch Diamond has been compared to the Apple iPhone. Now, we're still a few months...
- Product reviews 2008-06-27
- Playing a video game? No, it's health therapy
- Video games are known to improve hand-eye coordination but now they're being used to help someone quit smoking or lose weight. Raleigh, North Carolina--Video games are known to improve hand-eye coordination but can they help someone quit smoking or lose weight? Hot on the heels...
- News items 2008-06-26
- Bill GatesÂ’ greatest hits and misses
- Bill GatesÂ’ greatest hits and missesWhat is it with tablets?I sketch, I rush to the whiteboard to draw boxes and arrows, yet I've never owned a Tablet PC and I have only the mildest curiosity toward trying them. Why is that? There's just something missing from the experience -- I...
- Discussion threads 2008-06-25
- AT&T may pay Apple $325 for each iPhone 3G sold
- AT&T may pay Apple $325 for each iPhone 3G soldIs The IPhone REALLY Worth It?Let's see...I have an AT&T Tilt with Opera Mobile on it...I have a pop-out keyboard that I can type relatively fast on it, or I can opt to use the touch keyboard with the stylus.I can...
- Discussion threads 2008-06-23
- Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium
- Once full of promise and impressive feats of engineering, the ultramobile PC category has fallen on hard times, outmaneuvered by a cheaper, more capable class of systems known as Netbooks or mininotebooks. Best exemplified by the popular Asus Eee PC, these laptops use the same small screens and low-power CPUs...
- Product reviews 2008-06-10
- The CIO ledger: Pondering iPhone plusses and minuses
- The CIO ledger: Pondering iPhone plusses and minusesNegatives!!!What negatives!?RE: The CIO ledger: Pondering iPhone plusses and minusesWho gives a shit what cio's think? aren't these the very same jerks whose stocks are plunging, without the iPhone? How many ford execs have Blackberries? enough said.RE: The CIO ledger: Pondering iPhone plusses...
- Discussion threads 2008-06-10
- HTC Touch Dual (Unlocked)
- When it comes to touch-screen phones, there are those who dig them and those who want to bury them. And when we say touch-screen phones, we mean the models that largely lack physical buttons, more specifically tactile dialpads and keyboards a la Apple iPhone, LG Prada, and Samsung Instinct. The...
- Product reviews 2008-06-09
- TouchFLO 3D, FM radio, YouTube and text input methods on the HTC Touch Diamond
- I have now spent 2 full days using the HTC Touch Diamond and the more I use it the more impressed I am with what HTC was able to do with this device. It is amazing to hold it in my hand and think of all that they were able...
- Blog posts 2008-06-09
- HTC's Teeter shows off how physical feedback can immerse you in a game
- I spent a few hours with the HTC Touch Diamond and while I work on my more detailed thoughts, I just had to post about the accelerometer and haptic physical feedback technology that just blew me away on the device. (I don't think it really can be considered haptics because...
- Blog posts 2008-06-07
- Unboxing and first look at the HTC Touch Diamond
- The devices just keep rolling in here at the ZDNet Mobile Gadgeteer headquarters and this time we have the HTC Touch Diamond device that was announced at a major kick-off event last month. I didn't attend the event where each attendee is getting a Diamond, but HTC came to Mobius...
- Blog posts 2008-06-07
- Microsoft is hellbent on bringing touch to you
- Microsoft is hellbent on bringing touch to youMicrosoft's thinking:"Well, touch is used on the iPhone and iPod, and they're selling like crazy, so let's put it in Windows, and it will sell like crazy, too."Does anyone really believe that Microsoft's implementation of the touch interface will equal or exceed Apple's...
- Discussion threads 2008-05-27
- How does the new Pentax Optio W60 stack up against Olympus waterproof digital cameras?
- So now that Pentax has finally upgraded its waterproof camera line with yesterday's Optio W60 announcement, my big question is how does it compare to Olympus' latest compact, point-and-shoot waterproofs, the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW and 850 SW. With pricing to be set at $329.95 when...
- Blog posts 2008-05-23
- Review: HTC Advantage X7510 with 16GB flash drive, haptics keyboard and Windows Mobile 6.1
- The most powerful Windows Mobile device I ever evaluated was the HTC Advantage X7501 that was released back in August of 2007 and I wrote quite an extensive review that was my most viewed blog post of 2007. The successor to the Advantage X7501, the X7510, was announced at Mobile...
- Blog posts 2008-05-22
- RIM officially announces the BlackBerry Bold and a $150 million development fund
- RIM officially announces the BlackBerry Bold and a $150 million development fundI guess in one fashion or another the iPhone hasmade an impact on the entire industry. Still kind of a small screen.Pagan jimRE: RIM officially announces the BlackBerry Bold and a $150 million developThe only thing missing on...
- Discussion threads 2008-05-12
- HTC announces the Diamond with 3D TouchFLO
- It seems to be tough for Windows Mobile OEMs to keep the lid on new products and HTC has as much trouble as everyone else since all the details on the HTC Diamond were revealed online last week. That didn't stop HTC from holding a special event in London to...
- Blog posts 2008-05-06
- Top Five Digital Cameras to Get for Mom
- Still scrambling to figure out what to get your favorite mom for Sunday? A little help: Here are my top picks for the perfect Mother's Day gift (hint, hint). Best Budget Camera: Canon PowerShotA470 This 7.1-megapixel camera is a steal, especially if you snap it up...
- Blog posts 2008-05-06
- Stylus Studio 2008 XML Enterprise Suite Release 2 (exe)
- Stylus Studio 2008 XML Enterprise Suite is comprised of a multitude of XML tools all in one feature packed XML editor. Build XML-enabled Java applications using Stylus Studio 2007 XML Enterprise Suite's JSP Editor, XML-Java debugger, and other Java XML applications. Stylus Studio's XML Editor also provides in depth XSLT...
- Software downloads 2008-05-04
- Stylus Studio 2008 XML Home Edition Release 2 (exe)
- Stylus Studio 2008 XML Home Edition is an XML tool for experts to new comers who work with XML in a non-commercial setting. It's a must-have XML tool for anyone trying to learn XML for the first time. View and load large XML files with ease, generate XML schema from...
- Software downloads 2008-05-04
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Learn how collaboration fuels success with this FREE Economist report
-
According to a new study from the Economist, future success belongs to those who collaborate effectively. Learn how successful collaboration can improve profits, problem-solving, and competitive differentiation.
- Visit Cisco's Collaboration Resource Center today!
The Green Enterprise
-
- A look into the enterprise to explore eco-friendly practices and innovations. In this ZDNet video series learn about what's motivating green tech, and how green technologies are impacting IT. 0:42
-
Harnessing the power of waves
3:13
-
Planting solar gardens
5:06
-
Fill your car for $1.10 a gallon?
1:43
- All series videos »
