The ipad 2 stylus is rubberized and soft, so you don't feel like you're scratching your iPad. I do not have a screen protector on my ipad, so I can not comment if it is smooth on that surface as well. I have not yet used it for handwriting recognition, but could annotate PDFs easily. Length is good - fits comfortably in the hand. If you need a stylus, I would recommend this.
