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Not thrilled with my Jot Script and Penultimate solution


torgerson

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Well, I got my Jot Script today.  I was excited to hopefully FINALLY be happy taking notes on my iPad.   I am sorry to say, that is not the case.  

 

First off, don't get me wrong.  The Jot Script is the best stylus I have used.  It has a nice feel in my hand, feels well balanced and the writing surface is nice and smooth.  The problem is, it works better in other applications than it does in Penultimate.  I guess this is my Penultimate rant. I will try to stay factual.

 

Problem #1: 

I still have odd offset issues when I zoom in to write.  Sometimes I have to zoom out and back in to get the pen to align properly with the "ink".  This doesn't do well for me in situations I need to write quick. 

 

Problem #2: 

The panning effect when zoomed in would be the perfect solution if I wrote cursive.  I have not written in cursive for 20+ years.   I write with single letters, printing the old school way so it is nearly legible.  When I jump over to Good Notes, the zoom feature on that product does exactly what I would love to see in Penultimate.   Good Notes seems pretty good.. but notice it's not named Great notes.   I find the zoom feature nearly unusable with Penultimate with or without the Script.  I had a Jot Pro as well.  Same issues.

 

Problem #3:

Getting in and out of notebooks is a chore.  You can't quickly jump to your notebooks and into another without a lot of flicking and scrolling.  Maybe I like the "shelf" paradigm better, but it seems quicker to get to multiple books without having to know what order your books were in based on last edit.  

 

Problem #4:  

This is a nit.. but Notes Plus has a feature that I'd like to see Penultimate do as well.  Some sort of "smoothing" of my writing.  It's hard enough to write on a tablet with crappy handwriting, but it does make it look nicer with their feature.  On that note, Good Notes has the "shapes" feature.  This is very useful when doing quick diagrams.  I like to do quick interface designs.. and shapes (not stencils necessarily) would be a great help.  The auto-shape feature on Good Notes is the right mix of speed and accuracy.  

 

Problem #5

You can't sort your custom papers, or create custom folders.  I'd like folders custom for writing, scheduling, interface designs, etc

 

I am hoping the Penultimate team steps their game up.  The custom papers is a great feature.  Evernote sync is top notch.  There are just too many issues from keeping me using this product.  I am moving on for now and taking my Stylus with me.  Maybe I'll be back after some updates.

 

In my humble opinion, Penultimate is NOT at the standard level of Evernote's product.   BTW.. I have been a paying sub for Evernote from the beginning.  I was 2,194th paying user.   I LOVE Evernote.  

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My experiences have been very similar to torgerson's.  I have installed the 5.0.1 Penultimate update that came out tonight and can report that things are definitely better, but far from "great."  With 5.0, my plain old Bamboo battery-less $15 stylus performed much better than the Script - no matter how hard I tried.  With the 5.0.1 update, the constantly lost letters appears to be a thing of the past, but palm rejection now seems to come and go randomly.  I can tell when it's gone, because only my wrist is registering ink to the page and the pen has gone dormant.

 

I'm not sure what the return policy is for the Script stylus, but I'm going to hold out a bit longer to see if Evernote can address these remaining issues.  Otherwise, I'll go back to my "dumb" but consistent Bamboo with its 6.0mm nib.  Here's hoping I don't have to visit the USPS!

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I installed 5.0.1 and ran a whole series of tests. I found that strokes/letters were being dropped in both the zoom and non-zoom modes. Fewer in the zoom mode. The wrist guard does not work any better in this version than it did in the previous in either mode. I don't see any real improvement. For info, I am using the Jot Script stylus and I let it sync prior to starting the testing. It looks like I am going to stay with Notability. It works very well with the Jot Stylus.

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I would recommend to EN to not use such a dramatic zoomed approach, the zoom is so intense that its really distracting. I would much rather have like Notes + does and be able to adjust the zoom and have it auto enter to the next line. Right now its really kinda odd. I would also implore EN to come out with a full screen Mode for a tighter college rule page. Right now its wide margins galore. 

 

The new update really worked wonders as far as usability with the jot script. 

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I would recommend to EN to not use such a dramatic zoomed approach, the zoom is so intense that its really distracting. I would much rather have like Notes + does and be able to adjust the zoom and have it auto enter to the next line. Right now its really kinda odd. I would also implore EN to come out with a full screen Mode for a tighter college rule page. Right now its wide margins galore. 

 

The new update really worked wonders as far as usability with the jot script.

The full zoom thing is a nice experiment, and maybe it works for some people, but I much prefer the zoom box. It gives you a lot more control over all kinds of things, from the relative size of the text to automatic line creep / new lines.

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I agree with th adjustable zoom box, right now it's simply a very odd experience and it doesn't auto enter at the end of the page

Yep. The lack of an automatic carriage return at the end is too bad. That would help. For me, it is just not easy to use, and I much prefer the zoom box.

To be honest, though, I'd be surprised if the team reversed course after coming this far, and I am not sure if there is any room for my use case. I want to mark up PDFs, and if I can only see a massively zoomed view of a few letters at a time, or I have to try and write tiny letters in-between lines of typed text, it is pretty much impossible to see in practice. Would the consider the drift zoom OR a zoom box option? I don't know. Right now, it is pretty much limited to a certain kind of note-taking, and I don't see that limited functionality as a benefit in my particular use case.

Like I said, it is a great app, and kudos to the team for thinking outside the box (pun intended), but it just doesn't fit me at the moment.

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I agree with th adjustable zoom box, right now it's simply a very odd experience and it doesn't auto enter at the end of the page

Yep. The lack of an automatic carriage return at the end is too bad. That would help. For me, it is just not easy to use, and I much prefer the zoom box.

To be honest, though, I'd be surprised if the team reversed course after coming this far, and I am not sure if there is any room for my use case. I want to mark up PDFs, and if I can only see a massively zoomed view of a few letters at a time, or I have to try and write tiny letters in-between lines of typed text, it is pretty much impossible to see in practice. Would the consider the drift zoom OR a zoom box option? I don't know. Right now, it is pretty much limited to a certain kind of note-taking, and I don't see that limited functionality as a benefit in my particular use case.

Like I said, it is a great app, and kudos to the team for thinking outside the box (pun intended), but it just doesn't fit me at the moment.

 

I honestly hope EN adds more value to this app, the new update perfected the Jot script tech but we need PDF sign support and zoom box support. I applaud them for there efforts but its really a niche product. As i said i agree i want to use it but Notes+ seems to be my only option for total note taking supremacy . I want to use Penultimate as my one and only..but i wonder if more is doing to this app? I mean it would nice to even highlight stuff lol.  Its kinda of a very sterile experience now with amazing accuracy. 

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I agree with all points from the original post. I used my Jot Script stylus for the first time yesterday and found it to be just OK (iPad Air). I installed the update last night and actually think it got worse. I notice more dropped line/markings today and consistently see the problem where the physical contact and the on-screen markings move out of alignment. Sometimes by 1/2" or so. Closing the notebook and re-opening it seemed to help, but it's disappointing nonetheless. Penultimate's "ink" looks the best of all these apps, in my opinion, but the lack of other features (mentioned above) don't make it a standout and the benefits of this new stylus that I'd hoped to see inside Penultimate aren't really there over using another pen.

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OK.. so a follow up today on this.   Now my pen just started bilnking as if it needs pairing again.  It would intermittently write between blinks, but not consistent.   I went and re-paired it three times.. and still no luck.  Ugh.  What happened?   Anyone else see this?

 

Also.. Kudos to the designers and engineers who managed to make a power button so hidden.  The pen look isn't impacted..(why do I care my pen looks cool?)  my only complaint is sometimes I can't find that magic button  :)   

 

I guess I will be finding out about the return policy on the pen.  

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The new update made the Script literally perfect however, Im left wishing for penultimate to simply offer more features and a text box. Having a accurate pen is awesome , but ummmm, it would be nice to highlight annotate , full screen mode....smaller rules how about a auto enter action when I'm at the end....different color ink maybe I mean just more functionality to this app. Signing PDF would be a God send, I mean just something more comparable to the comp is what I'm saying...EN is much bigger the some of the the apps that have these features,hope we get some heads up if some of these things are coming :/

It's great at a basic note taker....but with such a backing and now the script....I simply want to do more with it...and am left kinda wanting more.

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The new update made the Script literally perfect however, Im left wishing for penultimate to simply offer more features and a text box. Having a accurate pen is awesome , but ummmm, it would be nice to highlight annotate , full screen mode....smaller rules how about a auto enter action when I'm at the end....different color ink maybe I mean just more functionality to this app. Signing PDF would be a God send, I mean just something more comparable to the comp is what I'm saying...EN is much bigger the some of the the apps that have these features,hope we get some heads up if some of these things are coming :/

It's great at a basic note taker....but with such a backing and now the script....I simply want to do more with it...and am left kinda wanting more.

 

Yes.. I think that is my larger frustration.  I had hoped with the script it would make Penultimate feel magical.. it now just makes me want more.  

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The new update made the Script literally perfect however, Im left wishing for penultimate to simply offer more features and a text box. Having a accurate pen is awesome , but ummmm, it would be nice to highlight annotate , full screen mode....smaller rules how about a auto enter action when I'm at the end....different color ink maybe I mean just more functionality to this app. Signing PDF would be a God send, I mean just something more comparable to the comp is what I'm saying...EN is much bigger the some of the the apps that have these features,hope we get some heads up if some of these things are coming :/

It's great at a basic note taker....but with such a backing and now the script....I simply want to do more with it...and am left kinda wanting more.

I think I am in general agreement. The Penultimate app does some fantastic things that no one else has yet even tried (syncing to a service like Evernote, the drift zoom, etc.), but some of the basic things that I need to get my work done (signing a PDF) are conspicuously absent.

It kind of reminds me of the new Pages -- I wrote the final draft of my dissertation in Pages, so it had a lot of power, and with Apple behind it, the app could be great, but for some reason they removed key functionality and replaced it with amazing things I don't necessarily need. I "need" styles control (in the case of Pages) and in Penultimate I "need" PDF support.

Anyhow, the stylus discussion has been really helpful, and I hope that by the time mine arrives (ordering from Adonit was definitely not the way to get this pen more quickly) things will be in better shape.

[EDIT] I just saw on my news feed that Apple is returning some features to its Pages app (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6049?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US). I could rant at length about the sorry state of iWorks, but that is a separate topic -- my point was that we need to get away from the less is more kind of thinking (I am a minimalist, by the way, but not when it comes to my apps!), and I am glad to see Apple is retreating from its goal of stripping productivity out of its "productivity" suite. I'd like to see Penultimate add some muscle to the app as well!

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OK, I just read Evernote's "5 Tips for the Best Digital Handwriting Experience with Penultimate" blog post. I turned off Bluetooth as recommended and now Penultimate is working perfectly. I'm getting used to the zoom feature and the resulting output looks great. I think I'll be keeping (and enjoying) my Jot Script stylus!

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Just received the Script yesterday. Was excited to try this new device. Using it on iPad air, with penultimate and Goodnotes. No screen cover.

Unfortunately, of all the different styluses I have used (all considerable cheaper), the script performs quite poorly. I am having significant issues with it suddenly not working, in mid word, requiring several reattempts before writing resumes, I have tried toggling off multigestures, no luck. This can occur even when not resting palm on device. Also, the tapping noise is a no go for me, way to loud for use during meetings. Finally, I often need to jump between apps (like mail, messages, etc...) while taking notes, and the tip recognition is horrible outside of the two note taking apps.

I really jumped the gun on this device, which I will not be using. Doesn't seem to be quite ready for prime time, certainly not worth the $80 I spent for it!

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Having struggled with the new stylus and Penultimate, i went to Notabilty. Great app and just what i wanted.

Each capture is automatically dated, with option to include time. Easy to send notes as PDF to evernote.

Folder organization is great

Writing is clear, easy and much more natural than Penultimate

Evernote, take notice

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Read this entire post and must say I'm having very little of these issues. I'm thrilled with the Script after two days of extensive testing. The main thing I have found seems to be how each app appears to behave differently. I get pretty good accuracy with Penultimate. I get superior accuracy with Noteshelf. The difference seems to me to have something to do with the palm rejection. Something happens there to cause Penultimate to miss the mark. Noteshelf is almost always dead on down to the single dot. But then Penultimate seems to be the same as I switch back and forth. I don't fully understand it, but it isn't a deal breaker by any means. I know all will improve as we work together. Thanks.

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I was very disappointed with the jot script in Penultimate on iPad Air.  Actually felt quite ripped off and embarrassed I bought it.  Many of the same problems others have mentioned I experienced.  Missing writing, palm marks, offset ink writing about 2mm from stylus point.

 

Some solutions:

 

Offset writing:  I rebooted the iPad and the program seemed to correct the offset.

 

Missing Marks:  As another poster wrote, I stretched the spring out on the battery cap and the writing now is significantly improved!

 

I wish the stylus had a pen clip attached.

 

It feels a bit cheaply made for 80 dollars as well.

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My first impressions of the stylus:

1. Palm rejection: I don't see this working in any way on GoodNotes or Penultimate. I'll continue to test it, but so far the experience has not been what I expected. On GoodNotes, in particular, it disconnects from the stylus whenever my palm rests on the screen! I don't know if this is a bug or if I have some kind of dysfunctional palm.

2. Writing: It is working wonderfully in both apps. There are some marks missing, but nothing major, and certainly far better than styluses I have used in the past.

3. Noise: To my ears, it makes a terrible racket, but I want to try it out in a real life meeting tomorrow to see if it is a distraction to other people. I'll report back here. Adonit says no one in their months of testing mentioned noise -- I'd recommend they rethink how they do their testing, because it is one of the first things I noticed.

4. Pairing: I am kind of dense and tried to pair it with the iPad. The "Blackberry 9350" failed to work. Obviously (as everyone else seems to have immediately figured out) you have to pair the pen with the note-taking apps. It works fine (with the exception of GoodNotes, as mentioned above).

5. Quality: It seems fine to me, though people I have showed it to guess that I must have paid 15 or 20 dollars for it, so maybe there is something to that "cheap" impression that people have. It feels well-designed, but I am really more interested in the practical usage (that is where the value is for me) than whatever it looks like. I do think it needs a clip of some kind (this seems like a terrible oversight for the design team). Styluses are so easy to lose, after all. My Bamboo Sketch Pro has no clip, but it does have a tiny "bag" it goes into, which at least makes it appear "special," though it does nothing to keep it from disappearing (I have forgotten it behind in a meeting once, but thankfully someone who recognized what it was picked it up and contacted me later to get it to me).

I fear I am going to end up like Gollum, constantly patting my pockets to make sure "my precious" is with me.

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@GrumpyMonkey I like your Gollum reference. :-)

Everything sounds better with a Gollum reference!

I've tried the JotNot with the Multitasking Gestures turned off (iPad General > Settings), and palm rejection for both Penultimate and GoodNotes works fine. However, I value my Multitasking Gestures more than my palm rejection, and I consider this an unacceptable compromise (for me), so I won't be doing that. However, other users should be aware that this option is out there.

For those of you who need to annotate PDFs (Penultimate is, therefore, not a solution), GoodNotes works great! I used the stylus + zoom box for a few hours and it is many times better than any other stylus I have used int he past. There were a few missed lines (a period here or the end of a circle there), but overall it performed up to my expectations. I'll review it in detail later tonight after i have used it longer.

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About the lack of a clip on the Script. A perfect solution would be this. Adonit or Evernote could make replacement ***** on top caps that contain the clip. Also make one with a lanyard connector. And one with a regular stylus rubber or mesh nub for us artist types. Or even a set of brushes that the software could be amended for use. Offer them as multiple packs. Would be great. The new cap needs a very small rubber o ring so it locks in place. Good idea. I should get a cut from sales. Seriously.

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I think this may be the 1st time I have ever replied to a post anywhere on the Internet.  I had tried Penultimate several years ago and it was just okay at that point.  I have been a paid EN premium subscriber for several years now.  When I learned about Penultimate, the new Jot Script stylus and the ability to sync with EN, I decided to give Penultimate another try.  Like others on here that have posted their comments, Penultimate is not a perfect solution.  I am hoping the EN team will make great strides to incorporate many of the comments that have been listed here.  Like many others on here is well, I too have had problems with the Jot Script and I do believe that it is not ready for prime time yet.  I went through the first couple of batteries fairly quickly and the "tethering" with my iPad would cut out frequently and usually at the wrong time.  Also, it would skip and miss some of the letters I was writing.  Not to mention that the tapping sound was very annoying.  I take notes almost all day long and of course the issue always becomes retrieving the notes.  I love the fact that Penultimate syncs automatically with EN.  I have started a system where I create a separate notebook for each client and plan on setting up a new notebook for each year.  My plan is to then archive the prior year notebook into a PDF.  Really wanting to see this solution work, I went on a search to see if finding another stylus might make this a better solution.  I experimented with the Logiix Diamond, Adonit Jot Pro and my older "felt" tip stylus.   The hands-down winner for me is the Logiix Diamond stylus.  it is quiet, there are no tapping sounds, it feels like a regular pen, and does not skip like the Adonit Jot Script.  The Logiix also has a spring in the tip which makes it more comfortable and quieter than the Adonit Jot Pro.

 

I would agree with many other users that have posted suggestions on ways to improve Penultimate.  This would be my wish list:

 

  • Build in the ability to easily move from one notebook to another.  This could be as simple as a drop-down box to shift from one notebook to the other.
  • Allow for a list mode when at the Penultimate home page rather than a graphic of a notebook.
  • I really like the feature where you can pick your own writing paper.  The one issue is that you have to keep re-selecting the paper for each new notebook you set up if there is one style of paper that is preferred.  I would hope there would have been something in the general settings that would have allowed for this.
  • I tend to share my notes with my staff or clients.  It would be really nice to be able to share one or multiple pages in one email as a PDF rather than only having the option to send a PDF of the whole notebook for a JPEG of one page.  The PDF format tends to be more commonly accepted in the business that ideal in.  Also, I have to send multiple emails if I only want to share more than one page and it only sends as a JPEG.
  • Another thought, would be to add a feature that would allow the user to add or post a sticky note on a given page that can be used as a reminder or a follow-up/to do item.  The use of the sticky note could also be included as a brief note added when you go to share the page or pages.
  • Allow for the highlighting feature of text.

With EN's purchase of Penultimate, I am hopeful that the EN team will begin to focus on enhancements and improvements.  

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Just received the Script yesterday. Was excited to try this new device. Using it on iPad air, with penultimate and Goodnotes. No screen cover.

Unfortunately, of all the different styluses I have used (all considerable cheaper), the script performs quite poorly. I am having significant issues with it suddenly not working, in mid word, requiring several reattempts before writing resumes, I have tried toggling off multigestures, no luck. This can occur even when not resting palm on device. Also, the tapping noise is a no go for me, way to loud for use during meetings. Finally, I often need to jump between apps (like mail, messages, etc...) while taking notes, and the tip recognition is horrible outside of the two note taking apps.

I really jumped the gun on this device, which I will not be using. Doesn't seem to be quite ready for prime time, certainly not worth the $80 I spent for it!

I was able to return my Script to Adonit for a full refund.

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Just received the Script yesterday. Was excited to try this new device. Using it on iPad air, with penultimate and Goodnotes. No screen cover.

Unfortunately, of all the different styluses I have used (all considerable cheaper), the script performs quite poorly. I am having significant issues with it suddenly not working, in mid word, requiring several reattempts before writing resumes, I have tried toggling off multigestures, no luck. This can occur even when not resting palm on device. Also, the tapping noise is a no go for me, way to loud for use during meetings. Finally, I often need to jump between apps (like mail, messages, etc...) while taking notes, and the tip recognition is horrible outside of the two note taking apps.

I really jumped the gun on this device, which I will not be using. Doesn't seem to be quite ready for prime time, certainly not worth the $80 I spent for it!

I was able to return my Script to Adonit for a full refund.

 

How were you able to do that?  I read no refunds.. but I have my box,etc and would love to send it back.  

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About the lack of a clip on the Script. A perfect solution would be this. Adonit or Evernote could make replacement ***** on top caps that contain the clip. Also make one with a lanyard connector. And one with a regular stylus rubber or mesh nub for us artist types. Or even a set of brushes that the software could be amended for use. Offer them as multiple packs. Would be great. The new cap needs a very small rubber o ring so it locks in place. Good idea. I should get a cut from sales. Seriously.

The TenOne Pogo Connect clip works well enough<

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My older Adonit stylus is magnetic. Just stick it on any edge of the iPad or directly on the Smart Cover. Not sure why they didn't do the same for the newer stylus.

About the lack of a clip on the Script. A perfect solution would be this. Adonit or Evernote could make replacement ***** on top caps that contain the clip. Also make one with a lanyard connector. And one with a regular stylus rubber or mesh nub for us artist types. Or even a set of brushes that the software could be amended for use. Offer them as multiple packs. Would be great. The new cap needs a very small rubber o ring so it locks in place. Good idea. I should get a cut from sales. Seriously.

The TenOne Pogo Connect clip works well enough<
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Well, I don't see a lot of optimism here! But everybody is free to love or hate the Script; and there are a lot of stylus to choose from out there. For me, the Script is still very satisfying. In my last video, I try to focus on handwriting, in different apps.

 

Something that might interest you: at 4:00 in the video, I talk about and show the offset some people tried to describe here. As I say, it's not a problem, at least not for handwriting, but I still wanted to be honest and show it in this review because there is defenetly room for improvement here.

 

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After several days of use, I am successfully using it to take my notes. I have been at start also a little bit disappointed, I was hoping a lot better precision, but the offset seems to me a big issue. 

 

I you have xcode, go to https://github.com/Adonit/JotTouchSDK and get their code and the application sample, you will see that the offset is not so big than in GoodNotes for exemple which is not compiled with the SDK supporting the Script stylus. Hence in December when the new version will be out, the experience will be a lot better I think.

 

And be able to guess what your hand is going to write at the right position help to make a better handwriting.

 

I agree that writing with the Zoom mode in GoodNotes is a very nice experience and the result is satisfying. But today I can write very good notes ;-) without the zoom mode, the trick not confortable is to look at the pen with the correct angle to fix the offset by compensating with the parallax error ;-) Just to show that if they are successful fixing the offset, the Script will be a lot better to use.

 

I have been in touch with the Adonit support and sent them my experience of the issue.

 

Penultimate is not my cup of tea though, this software has a not good enough digital ink engine...

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That's the biggest issue I have the the script, the placement of the tip ( offset ) is no better then a jot pro. I tried again to use it in penultimate and was very disappointed because it simply does not execute well, I also have a lot of palm rejection issues. Penultimate really needs to pay attention here and address this community. The accuracy of my script is certainly not dead on all the time it seems to be off. Will there be updates, or will we all have to use Goodnotes for a decent experience?

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I have to be honest, GoodNotes has the functionality needed to take notes seriously... Especially the zoom mode well executed, selection and resizing are a must stuffs, the ink engine is very good. The dev is working very hard to improve its application.

 

Sole stuff that I miss is a search in manuscript notes, like we can found in Livescribe software, maybe with the new powerful CPU in the Air we will see this kind of functionality implemented locally.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Having tried to use my new Jot Script for several days now with both Penultimate and Noteshelf, I have to say that there's a couple of "features" of the pen that are driving me crazy. The first is the design of the pen itself--I find the power switch very difficult to find--there's little or no tactile feedback when trying to find the off/on switch. I also find that the switch is difficult to locate even visually and I usually have to roll the pen back and forth in my hand before I can find the it. I've been tempted to take a red Sharpie and color the switch to make it easier to find.

 

I could probably live with this small hard-to-find switch if only I didn't have to turn the darn thing on so often--I'm assuming the auto-shutoff is supposed to conserve battery life. I don't know about everyone else, but my pen seems to shut itself off every couple of minutes--so if I'm not taking notes continuously, the pen shuts off and then I have to try to find the switch again--which can be very difficult if the room lights are dimmed.

 

So my suggestions for improvements to the pen would include a better, possibly larger switch that's easier to find and turn on. Make the delay before the pen shuts off to conserve power user definable or put some sort of switch in the spring-loaded tip so that it turns on as soon as you press the pen tip down on the surface of the iPad.

 

In summary, so far I've found the writing experience when using the Jot Script to be extremely frustating and I've gone back to using my Bamboo stylus--which has a larger tip--but still seems to provide an overall better experience, particularly when used with Noteshelf.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well...put in a new battery (third) and it works fine. Not on Penultimate...Good Notes and Note Shelf best. On Penultimate I would start to write and it would stop every two letters. So..won't use Penultimate... Unless someone could tell me how to fix it. Thanks.

This is strange behaviour. I have taken notes in Penultimate for extended periods of time without experiencing a loss of connection. Have you contact support or opened a support ticket? 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I bought this stylus and it just doesn't work as advertised, it's not that accurate, in fact, the Estylo stylus that I now use is a lot better in terms of accuracy and works better with Penultimate. I really didn't like the feel of the stylus, the mental tip makes a tapping sound with every character that you write, which is disturbing. For the price, I expected big things from the Jot Script Evernote Edition -- the fact that the $20 Estylus outperforms the Jot Script both in terms of feel and accuracy is ridiculous given the differences in price. I was very disappointed to be suckered by this product. I ended up selling my Jot Script Evernote Edition on Ebay at a loss as I couldn't get any response from Evernote Market when I wrote to them. I even wrote to Adonis, who did respond, but basically said that it wasn't their problem. Don't waste your time with this, it's just marketing hype.

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@Scott. I've had contact with both Adonit and Evernote. I love the Jot Writer but not happy with using up battery juice. I basically use GoodNotes and Noteshelf. I have no problems until my battery starts to die. Scott, when you say extended periods of time, what does that mean? I stopped using the Penultimate because it's not really suited for lefties.....I also just purchased rechargeable batteries. I'm interested to find out how long you go w/out having to change batteries. @bozlogjam...sorry you've had such a negative experience with Evernote. I persevered, so I have been in contact with customer support "many"times. I could send back the pen but I like it. I just don't understand why the battery doesn't last long.

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@bozlogjam... Is. The estylus the one with fat tip at the end? I have a lot of those but they don't feel like a pen. Are you talking about something different? Where did you purchase yours?

It's the Estylo 1.1, here's a review: http://graphicssoft.about.com/u/reviews/iphoneandipodtouchapps/Stylus-Reviews/Estylo-stylus---accuracy-and-precision.htm

I own several different styluses and this is the only one that I still use and really like.

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Looking to buy a stylus to use with Evernote and Penultimate. Do you think that the current problems with the Jot Script, now chiefly the offset, are hardware or software related? If it's software then the problems could be fixed in future updates. If it's hardware it will be expensive buying new models.

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@Scott. I've had contact with both Adonit and Evernote. I love the Jot Writer but not happy with using up battery juice. I basically use GoodNotes and Noteshelf. I have no problems until my battery starts to die. Scott, when you say extended periods of time, what does that mean? I stopped using the Penultimate because it's not really suited for lefties.....I also just purchased rechargeable batteries. I'm interested to find out how long you go w/out having to change batteries. @bozlogjam...sorry you've had such a negative experience with Evernote. I persevered, so I have been in contact with customer support "many"times. I could send back the pen but I like it. I just don't understand why the battery doesn't last long.

By extended period of time, I mean, about a 6-12 penultimate pages over 1-2 hours on numerous occasions, along with many, much shorter "jottings" of a minute or two. Right handed, so no leftie insight unfortunately.

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FamilyMan, the Jot Writer is great except for using up batteries. I bought rechargeable batteries so I always have a spare. I'm told that Penultimate is having software problems with "lag time" when writing. I'm left-handed and Penultimate only has portrait now...If you want to spend $79 and plan on using it a lot...I guess it's a good thing. Still waiting for someone to give me the real scoop on battery issues. Goo luck!

Linda

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  • Level 5*

I guess I have to be okay with replacing batteries, often.

I think that is probably the best solution. I've got a brief review of the Jot Script on my site. One thing to note (as I mention there) is that the ZoomNotes app will tell you the amount of power left in your battery. It looks pretty cool, though I haven't tested it extensively enough to see how accurate it is.

http://www.christopher-mayo.com/?p=1400

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Grumpy...just downloaded ZoomNotes and don't like it with my Jot Writer. I have to pay $4.99 for the app. I don't know if NYU get free pen choices when you pay for the app. My GoodNotes is just fine. I'm interested in knowing if you have the paid version or the Lite. Linda

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Grumpy...just downloaded ZoomNotes and don't like it with my Jot Writer. I have to pay $4.99 for the app. I don't know if NYU get free pen choices when you pay for the app. My GoodNotes is just fine. I'm interested in knowing if you have the paid version or the Lite. Linda

 

I have the paid version of both apps. However, as I mentioned in my blog post, I haven't paid for the newest version of GoodNotes (4.0). If ZoomNotes isn't to your liking (you have access to all of the pens with the paid version), I'd recommend GoodNotes. It has been good so far (up to 3.10) and I am confident that the developer will continue doing well with it. 

 

By the way, what didn't you like with it and the Jot Script? It seems perfectly suited for the stylus in my experience. 

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@Grumpy, I checked out the ZoomNotes and with the paid version, you stil have to pay for the different pens. I didn't see anything better on ZoomNotes than I get on the GoodNotes app. When the red light goes on in my pen...I've tried taking out the battery and put it back in. It's still red so I gather the battery needs to be charged. As I said, I have 4 backup batteries....I went back and tried Penultimate again and to my surprise...I was liking it. The best part is that I wanted to write something quickly and I grabbed my generic stylus/pen and it wrote well. Go figure...lol

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@Grumpy, I checked out the ZoomNotes and with the paid version, you stil have to pay for the different pens. I didn't see anything better on ZoomNotes than I get on the GoodNotes app. When the red light goes on in my pen...I've tried taking out the battery and put it back in. It's still red so I gather the battery needs to be charged. As I said, I have 4 backup batteries....I went back and tried Penultimate again and to my surprise...I was liking it. The best part is that I wanted to write something quickly and I grabbed my generic stylus/pen and it wrote well. Go figure...lol

That's weird. I'm using different pens with the paid version of ZoomNotes... You do mean the pens on the left-hand side of the screen, right? For the stylus, when the red light comes on (I think when it starts blinking) then you need to change the battery. What battery percentage does ZoomNotes say you have? All three are good apps, and if Penultimate works well for you, that's even better, because it'll sync with Evernote.

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@Grumpy..I just purchased the ZoomNotes. Question... does it have a landscape mode? The paper is quite small and I'm sure I'm missing something... There is a lot more choices than GoodNotes. GoodNotes however, seems easier to use. Any suggestions? Linda

Hi. It works in landscape. I don't know if there is anything in particular you are looking for in landscape, though. I mainly use portrait. I think they are both easier to use. The user interface isn't going to win any awards, I guess, but it is usable if you spend some time with it.

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Try GoodNotes. Solves all your issues and does what Penultimate is supposed to do.

Who are you responding to? As mentioned before here, and also in my post below, there are different needs being addressed by different apps, so it is actually a little more complicated (in my opinion). Penultimate works fine, if you follow the suggestions made by others in this thread for using it.

http://www.christopher-mayo.com/?p=1400

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Sorry, @Grumpy. Willem asked me a question.... I find it quite informative all the different reasons you all like the writing apps, and why. So, in answer to your question, Grumpy...guess I was responding to Willem.

Great to hear that you have it figured out. I was clear about your responses, but didn't know who Willem was addressing.

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I agree with all points from the original post. I used my Jot Script stylus for the first time yesterday and found it to be just OK (iPad Air). I installed the update last night and actually think it got worse. I notice more dropped line/markings today and consistently see the problem where the physical contact and the on-screen markings move out of alignment. Sometimes by 1/2" or so. Closing the notebook and re-opening it seemed to help, but it's disappointing nonetheless. Penultimate's "ink" looks the best of all these apps, in my opinion, but the lack of other features (mentioned above) don't make it a standout and the benefits of this new stylus that I'd hoped to see inside Penultimate aren't really there over using another pen.

 

I'm having similar issues with oneleftfoot and it's very consistent. At this point, my stylus is unusable. What a shame. http://youtu.be/gkELuSl9kLc

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@Alui.... Try the stylus on either GoodNotes or Noteshelf. I do not like Penultimate. Yes, it is clearly for the Jot Writer...but at this point, I don't think the Jot Writer is for Penultimate. My battery lasted all day long yesterday and I was quite surprised. I use to write and as a tool when I play my online games...... Penultimate is have software problems as I mentioned in one of my posts a few days ago. Good luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I agree with all points from the original post. I used my Jot Script stylus for the first time yesterday and found it to be just OK (iPad Air). I installed the update last night and actually think it got worse. I notice more dropped line/markings today and consistently see the problem where the physical contact and the on-screen markings move out of alignment. Sometimes by 1/2" or so. Closing the notebook and re-opening it seemed to help, but it's disappointing nonetheless. Penultimate's "ink" looks the best of all these apps, in my opinion, but the lack of other features (mentioned above) don't make it a standout and the benefits of this new stylus that I'd hoped to see inside Penultimate aren't really there over using another pen.

 

I'm having similar issues with oneleftfoot and it's very consistent. At this point, my stylus is unusable. What a shame.

Had the same problem, after just one day of usage. But in my case it stopped writing completely. Using new lithium battery doesnt fix anything. Its hardware problem and neirher Adonit nor Evernote wants to admit they screwed up. Instead they want clients to get tired by their support and give up. I feel treated like moron by them. So shameeful for companies like them.

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I've had to replace the battery every week. And that's with very light usage. WTF is going on? 

 

When I use it regularly I have to replace it every day or two. Your experience doesn't sound like it is outside the "normal" battery life. I'd like it to be longer, of course, but with rechargeable batteries, it hasn't been a big deal for me. I keep a spare on hand.

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@GrumpyMonkey.... I also let DanielS know that he is lucky. One week....wow! I am giving Penultimate another try. I just love the way the jot writer writes on the GoodNotes and Noteshelf so much better. You have a tutorial for Penultimate, yes? I think I saw it in the Forum somewhere. L

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  • 2 months later...

I could probably live with this small hard-to-find switch if only I didn't have to turn the darn thing on so often--I'm assuming the auto-shutoff is supposed to conserve battery life. I don't know about everyone else, but my pen seems to shut itself off every couple of minutes--so if I'm not taking notes continuously, the pen shuts off and then I have to try to find the switch again--which can be very difficult if the room lights are dimmed

.

I'm with member and his/her challenges. Very disappointed in design and usage.

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JCubed.... the JS turns off after 3 ms when it's idol. Sounds like a connection issue....as we have all had. I'm my second one and it's a dream...not without fault...but no big deal. Here's something to try. Unscrew the cap an tug the spring... not a lot...but enough so you can see a difference. Now, ***** the top back on and turn it on.... Easiest way to find the switch is to look for the ONE WORK: ADONIT

with a triangle in front of it. The other side says Jot Script. Also, make sure that the top is on tight as well as the nib. Pain in the a**... but it works. Let me know. I've been through this since December and now I've got things under control. Also, you must use a Lithium Battery. The Energizer Ultimate is the best. Good luck

Linda G.

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Yoiks.  All this tugging, s c r e w ing, getting *****ed, and then putting tops back on...

I was expecting the Mumbai Escorts posts had started a little earlier in the day, and was getting geared up hit that "Report" button... ;-)

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How would you all describe taking off the cap of the Jot Script.... pulling the coil out a bit and placing the cap back on the JS??? How about--- TAKE THE CAP OFF BY TURNING IT COUNTER CLOCK WISE UNTIL IT POPS OFF... AND THEN... WHEN YOU SEE THE LITTLE SPRING INSIDE THE CAP... PULL IT OUT JUST A BIT. NOW....PLACE THE CAP ON THE JOT SCRIPT AND TURN IT CLOCK WISE. Bottom line, you are unscrewing the cap and tugging the spring and then ***** the cap back on the stylus. And, it works every time!

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  • Level 5

So close... till the last line when you were s c r e w ed again by the forum nanny.

On the productive side...

Anything compressed past solid contact once is likely to do so again, especially after being stretched.

If it reoccurs you might instead try taking up the extra space with a little bit of doubled up aluminum foil as a spacer.

Also rub off any manufacturing residue or oxidization with a pencil eraser or similar.

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Okay...who is the forum nanny and why is the word ***** bleeped? BTW, I put a tiny washer in between the coil and battery. The red light came on again and I took the battery out and checked the meter. It is now at about 1.2v so I know I don't a lot of time left. Using the JS 3 hours a day...sometimes less. for ten days isn't bad. There is definitely a connection problem. I would love to from customers who don't have any of these issues.

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Okay...who is the forum nanny and why is the word ***** bleeped? BTW, I put a tiny washer in between the coil and battery. The red light came on again and I took the battery out and checked the meter. It is now at about 1.2v so I know I don't a lot of time left. Using the JS 3 hours a day...sometimes less. for ten days isn't bad. There is definitely a connection problem. I would love to from customers who don't have any of these issues.

This is a family-friendly forum and the software automatically puts asterisks in place of words that match those in its list. It isn't intelligent, so it cannot understand context. Use the word "tighten" instead of "s-c-r-e-w." As for me, I get a few hours of use with rechargeable batteries. I always have spares on hand.

This post by an Evernote employee might answer some questions.

http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/48298-jot-script-problems/?p=266334

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GrumpyMonkey... thanks for the heads up. I will take this under consideration. I find this humorous. We are talking about a pen/stylus... Oh well. Ya learn something new everyday.

LG

 

A lot of things come to mind here, but I will restrain myself, avoid being explicit, and just say -- think of flowers and the etymology of the word. The capacity for innuendo is boundless! But, the software is a little more literal than all of that and cannot distinguish between "just" speaking about a pen/stylus and inappropriate discussions.

 

Anyhow, getting back to the topic at hand, I've found that I need to regularly tighten the cap to retain the connection. Honestly, I'd say this is a design defect. However, even so, it is still the best stylus I have ever used and I recommend it. From my perspective, the fact that even a flawed product is so much better than the competitors says a lot about how innovative the stylus is.

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  • 1 month later...

someone commented that the Jot Script really needs a clip, and this could be integrated into a replacement cap.  I think this is a great suggestion.  I'd buy a jot script, and the replacement cap with a clip in a heartbeat.  Right now, I'm hesitating since I hate pens that can roll away.  

 

has anyone found a compatible clip, or another clever solution?  

 

-lj

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  • 1 month later...

@Lutz in NYC (and others looking for a compatible pen clip for Jot Script) -- I don't take credit for this at all (I saw it in the Get Satisfaction post about the lack of a pen clip on Adonit's forum) but it works perfectly...buy this mechanical pencil: Pentel® Twist-Erase® III Automatic Pencil, 0.5 mm, Black (I got mine for <$4 at Amazon), then take the pen clip off and slide it from the tip of your Jot Script upwards.  It fits perfectly and looks like it was made for this stylus!  I am very pleased with this simple solution for what was a very vexing problem for me; hope it helps someone else.  Trying to attach a photo...

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I'm a complete newby to the iPad and world of Evernote and Penultimate but so far I'm liking what I see and attributing most of my problems to me being a bit slow on learning new tricks.

I do have one issue however which I don't think is entirely down to me.  I'm using the Jot Script stylus and every so often it stops writing and I find I'm "writing" with my wrist on the iPad instead.  To get it back on track I have to lift my hand from the surface and tap the stylus on the pen icon before it will behave.  I've even tried writing with my hand unsupported but this isn't good for comfort or readability.  Does anyone out there have a trick to fix this?  I have disabled the multigesture thingy as suggested by the app.  Incidentally the MyScript Memo app has a useful "cover" which you can use to stop your hand registering a signal and it moves down as you write.  Could Penultimate have something similar please?

Any ideas gratefully received, thanks.

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Tried the Jot Script at the local stationery shop the other day, and didn't feel like it gave me a better result than my current Artline Flow stylus (which has a slightly smaller point than most).  It felt like I was still using a large, rubber stylus.  Maybe its the way the touch works on an iPad (I think it probably is) but I want at least 0.4mm or 0.6mm rollerball-like accuracy if I'm going to pay A$120 for the stylus, nothing less

 

My other feedback is that the JS point felt too slippery - personal preference I know, but rollerball on paper is the 'holy grail' feel for me.  Maybe some experimentation with the materials used for the tip could assist this.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

My dear Wife knowing my great respect for Evernote and for writing, decided to surprise me with an Evernote Adonit Jot Script Stylus two days ago.

To put it politely, it has been a frustrating and infuriating experience.

I have tested it with Penultimate, NotesPlus and with NoteShelf and the result is the same...It cuts out after writing a few words !

I have had it replaced and it makes no difference.

From the overwhelming negative commentary that I have now discovered on the subject, I cannot understand why this product continues to be supported by Evernote? and why Adonit have not come out to strongly explain what is going on with this Product ?

I will be returning the Jot Script and asking for my money back.

This is by far the worst piece of technology that I have ever encountered.

Adonit should recall this product and issue an apology.

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Not sure which post to add to but this seems as good as any. I too recently purchased a JS and have to say it is the most disappointing piece of kit I have ever purchased. I am disgusted with Evernote for promoting it. I agree with the previous poster that Adonit should apologise and recall the product.

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  • 3 months later...

Hello EN team! I ordered jot script from EN market. Just received it a few days back. Initial experience was not good but I kept on experimenting. Now I found that it does not work as smoothly on penultimate as it does on another app.

I am getting a problem since yesterday. It is not writing on any app. It sometimes make a few strokes. I first thought it could be a tip problem. That it only registers strokes when putting at a certain angle. But additionally it disconnects automatically just after connection.

Please advise, what could be the issue?

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