If you are veteran PDA user, you will most likely already own an extra stylus. The styluses bundled with most PDAs are usually unsatisfactory to use. They are either too thin, too flimsy or too small for comfortable writing.

It's not that PDA manufacturers don't want to create better styluses for their PDAs. The size and weight of a PDA limit the design of the stylus it comes with. This is because the stylus must be small enough to be inserted into the PDA for storage. That prevents manufacturers from designing styli that are more comfortable.

The solution? Get a full-sized stylus. Unrestricted by size and weight, such a stylus will have better fit and balance. In fact, if you get one of those multifunction styluses with several different tips, it will enable you to easily input information into your PDA as well as normal paper. Otherwise, you will have to switch back and forth between your stylus and your pen, which is really inconvenient.

Getting another stylus is also a good way to guard against being incapacitated in the event you lose the stylus that came with your PDA. It's not unheard of for a stylus to fall out of its silo or left on a table, forgotten till you need to use it. That's okay if you can easily get a replacement stylus. But if you can't easily get a replacement stylus, well, your PDA becomes more like an expensive paper weight, than a useful tool until the day you get another stylus.

Take it from me. I'm currently living in India where the nearest shop selling Casio Pocket PCs is in a city 8-10 hours away. So, it's completely impossible for me to get a replacement stylus quickly if I happen to lose my Casio E-125's stylus. Even then, I can't even be sure they have replacement styluses for the E-125. After all, the last time I visited them, they only sold the E-105 Pocket PC. Wow!

So, if you are in a similar situation, I suggest you get an extra stylus. It only takes a lost stylus to render your PDA unusable for most purposes. All in all, an extra stylus is a worthwhile buy for serious PDA users.

Today, I will be examining PDA Panache's latest multifunction stylus - the new Quad-40. Boasting four different gravity selectable tips with a unique "Dot Matrix" grip design, the Quad-40 stylus appears to have it all. But let's dig deeper and see what turns up...