Just a suggestion for future videos. Have a little watermark in the corner telling us which penyou're talking about at the time. I missed the name, and then you said good stuff, and had to go back and check which pen you were talking about.
I have the Bamboo Ink, and while I do love it, it has a few issues. Battery life isn't great, it can't be turned off and "sleep" mode doesn't cut it. To remedy this I would just twist the cap, essentially disconnecting the battery, when not in use. However, this caused wear and tear on the contacts and lock tabs in the cap. After one semester of daily use for note taking, the cap became a little lose, had trouble staying on and staying connected; in the roughly two years since that hasn't become any worse. The other issue was the top button, it fell off after about a year. The design makes it really easy to press without needing to be perfectly head-on, but that also gives it a little play. Eventually one of the two plastic retaining tabs failed.
Great video. Never really thought about pens for Surface by anyone other than Microsoft. With both of my pens faulty (eraser at top doesn't work), without this video I would have been looking at a hefty cost to replace them. Great to see there are options. Who knew! Keep up the good work :)
Thanks For this comparison I have both the surface pen for the surface pro 3 (the one I have got) and surface pen 4 ... both give me the unpleasant impression that the tip is moving into the pen ... maybe the one you showed do not have the same feeling. To be honest the writing experience on the iPad with the pencil is much more confortable - sorry for that Microsoft ... but the surface is a very good computer .... so I carry both the surface and the iPad :-) Erick From France (the one down under)
my setting gone crazy , i can write in my white board, how can i fix this ? my pen is active stylus with no top button , just 2 click on side, and surface pro 7 .
Hi! I am not sure if you would know, which pen is the best for pressure? I am a calligrapher and I want an iPad Pro on Procreate and the pen that they use. Which pen for Surface Pro is most similar to the pen that they use on iPad Pro on Procreate for pressure?
Thanks for the review of so many different options. It would be good if you can test the pen as an actual user would, ie with your palm on the screen and not floating above it. It's more natural to be writing or drawing with the palm on the screen. This would bring out the palm rejection sensitivity.
Great vid mate. The Wacom Bamboo Ink... Be wary. I went through 3 pens because once you break the nibs you cannot get the nib out of the pen. I used mine daily, and each model only lasted 2-3 months before snapping off. Super frustrating.
I know it is too early to ask but how comfortable is the new Microsoft Pro X slim pen to.use over an extended note taking session. I am a dental student.
I have a question, do these pens work with any touchscreen device with Windows 8+? I have a touchscreen laptop with Windows 10 and am interested in these pens. All responses appreciated, thanks! =D
Thank you for this video. I got my Microsoft pen in february and when I replaced the battery it started acting up a lot. I bought three different kinds of batteries (the last pair I bought being the brand it originally came with) and it still wouldn't work properly! It'll select dropper randomly while I'm drawing, it'll stop inking while I'm doing strokes, and now for the THIRD time the tip doesn't work at all!!! I've spent literal DAYS fighting against this thing by reinstalling drivers, updating everything, rebooting, repairing with Bluetooth, replacing pen tips, doing every single thing I could possibly find on the internet and repeating all of those tasks because Microsoft customer service sent me instructions from their website that I already looked at like 80 times. If Microsoft can't make a pen that can survive doing something extraordinarily simple such as changing a little battery, then I don't want anything to do with it. So frustrated with them right now >: [
Thanks for the info man! I have a surface book 2 and the surface pen is freaking aggravating for when I illustrate with it. Feel like I have to recalibrate the pen just to stop the cursor from changing spots when I touch the stylus tip to the screen. I have a Wacom Cintiq and I don't think I've ever had to calibrate the pen, I just turn on the monitor and it reacts instinctively with my pen and I get the strokes I need. It's a hard tip but I LOVE how it just easily glides across the screen, the noise it makes doesn't even bother me XD I'll definitely scrape some money together and try the Bamboo Ink pen :)
@@Analucia-qw1wc Glad I could help! I'm not an apple fan either so lemme know how you like the ipad pro. I ended up returning my Surface Book 2 after a week. I still was having issue with the stylus not coordinating well and I wasn't going to spend money trying out different styluses. I always recommend Wacom but I know the products can be pretty expensive :D
Which, if any, of these pens could be used as an input pen only. For example, on my Surface Go without the keyboard attached I find that the MS Surface Pen does not actuate well as input selector tool. Without keyboard attached I generally have to use my trackball to actuate input selections. Thanks.
I'm not quite sure I understand what is going on there. It does behave differently in many programs. What programs are you using where it doesn't work well?
@@oztabletpc (Surface Go without the keyboard attached) In Chrome Browser wherein I wish to select a bookmark from pull down list, I have more success selecting a link using trackball than using Surface Pen. How can I make the Surface Pen act more like my finger tip? When I bring Surface Pen tip close to Surface Go screen I have to tap my selection multiple times to select it. Frustrating. I do not want to ink, just select item. Thanks.
@@sharondslater2774 Sharon D Slater ok, I think Chrome is the problem. Google have not optimized it well for touch and pen input. You can use Microsoft Edge or soon, the new Microsoft Edge built on Chromium (the rendering engine of Chrome). It treats the pen like fingertip touch.
Do these pens work with any device that supports active stylus and has the feature of Windows Ink? Specifically, my device is the acer switch one 10/ acer S1002.
There are lots of digitiser systems out there and they are not compatible with each other. If your device uses the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP) then it will work with these pens. The Wacom Ink Bamboo smart pen, works with both MPP and Wacom AES systems. You need to find out what pen digitzer is in your device.
This page here tells you the tech used by model number. N-Trig is MPP BTW. But as you will see across the top of the table, Acer use an assortment of pen tech.
I'd really like to understand why my surface pen doesn't seem to work, switches on, eraser button works but nothing does.. updated the surface pro 3 (on w10) pen driver, replaced the batteries on the pen, i reset it a few times, i also changed the tips with 6 different ones and nothing.. I wonder if another third party stylus would work, or maybe i'll have to buy a passive stylus but i dunno if it's compatible..
All of the pens in this video would work. I had a number of Pro 3 pens that just stopped working. Some are still working perfectly after years... I have seen that the antenna wires in the pens can break. That seems to be a common cause of failure...
@@oztabletpc oh thanks a lot for the explaination, a lot of people said it was from the tablet's software/firmware itself but i found it weird (already did 2 clean windows 10 install and same pb). Btw the pen i have is an official one and it's new (at least it has never been used, just stored). I'll buy a cheap 20 bucks pen on Aliexpress just to test it (the one that ressembles a pencil). Thanks again for your help !
Good question! Personally I like the Surface Pen for it's pen tip selection, magnetic attach and general ergonomics. But everyone is different, and I can see the appeal of all of the pens for different reasons - price, ergonomics, battery setup and features.
oztabletpc previous versions of HP Pen used wacom tech but newer generations pen (may 2016 onwards) are base on N-Trig. So they are compatible with windows ink platforms. I was wondering if u have any HP Pen, could u please try it on surface and share ur experience.
@@docdj4065 oh, sorry. Thought you meant the current pen. I'm pretty sure HP released the very first N-Trig pen on the TM2 back in '06 or '07! If they are N-Trig they would work, but I haven't tried them.
@@docdj4065The HP pen for the Dragonfly, Elitebook X360 and Elite X2 is Wacom AES. Not sure if there are other models with N-Trig.. Do you have a model type thinking of?
@@daniellujan2840 when we say pen, we mean an active digitzer pen, in this case that supports the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP). All MPP pens will give palm rejection regardless of price. We're not discussing passive stylus here.
@@oztabletpc If there is no difference on the user interface, then I'll just pick up a simple Wacom $15 pen instead of the $99 surface pen. I only care about drawing and where I can attach it
Palm rejection is not controlled by the pen at all in this system. And pressure is not really a consideration for note taking. Listen carefully next time. Most people are not you (read the sarcasm there). It may not be what you need, that does not determine how useful it is.
Just a suggestion for future videos. Have a little watermark in the corner telling us which penyou're talking about at the time. I missed the name, and then you said good stuff, and had to go back and check which pen you were talking about.
I have added time stamps in the description box below the video. Hope this helps future viewers.
I have the Bamboo Ink, and while I do love it, it has a few issues. Battery life isn't great, it can't be turned off and "sleep" mode doesn't cut it. To remedy this I would just twist the cap, essentially disconnecting the battery, when not in use. However, this caused wear and tear on the contacts and lock tabs in the cap. After one semester of daily use for note taking, the cap became a little lose, had trouble staying on and staying connected; in the roughly two years since that hasn't become any worse. The other issue was the top button, it fell off after about a year. The design makes it really easy to press without needing to be perfectly head-on, but that also gives it a little play. Eventually one of the two plastic retaining tabs failed.
thanks for taking the time to do this review
Great video. Never really thought about pens for Surface by anyone other than Microsoft. With both of my pens faulty (eraser at top doesn't work), without this video I would have been looking at a hefty cost to replace them. Great to see there are options. Who knew! Keep up the good work :)
That is some really good review. It's so to the point and has useful information without clutter.
Thanks For this comparison
I have both the surface pen for the surface pro 3 (the one I have got) and surface pen 4 ... both give me the unpleasant impression that the tip is moving into the pen ... maybe the one you showed do not have the same feeling. To be honest the writing experience on the iPad with the pencil is much more confortable - sorry for that Microsoft ... but the surface is a very good computer .... so I carry both the surface and the iPad :-)
Erick From France (the one down under)
Can anyone tell me which cheapest pen should I use with Microsoft surface pro 1 ( 2013,oldest model) instead of Wacom?...
my setting gone crazy , i can write in my white board, how can i fix this ? my pen is active stylus with no top button , just 2 click on side, and surface pro 7 .
Which one to buy said it clearly please🙏
Hi! I am not sure if you would know, which pen is the best for pressure? I am a calligrapher and I want an iPad Pro on Procreate and the pen that they use. Which pen for Surface Pro is most similar to the pen that they use on iPad Pro on Procreate for pressure?
I'm not sure sorry. Might be best to ask an artist. Check out Brad Coblow, he seems to know all of the pen platforms quite well.
@@oztabletpc thanks for your feedback and video!
There are greater differences when used for drawing or writing more serious.
Excellent reviews. Thanks
You are very cool I don't want to buy a pen but I watch the video anyway 👍
Thanks for the review of so many different options. It would be good if you can test the pen as an actual user would, ie with your palm on the screen and not floating above it. It's more natural to be writing or drawing with the palm on the screen. This would bring out the palm rejection sensitivity.
Good point and question. However the pen does not have any influence on palm rejection. It's part of Windows 10.
You didn't mention Renaisser Raphael 520 and 530 surface pro pen😢
Didn't have it at the time. I reviewed it later. It is good.
@@oztabletpc There is also Metapen M2 they say its good but i dont have it😢
Might be time to revisit it.
Great vid mate. The Wacom Bamboo Ink... Be wary. I went through 3 pens because once you break the nibs you cannot get the nib out of the pen. I used mine daily, and each model only lasted 2-3 months before snapping off. Super frustrating.
I just broke one, not a real impressive product.
hi How can I tell which pen fits my computer other than lenovo active pen?
I bought the yoga c740
I know it is too early to ask but how comfortable is the new Microsoft Pro X slim pen to.use over an extended note taking session. I am a dental student.
I have a question, do these pens work with any touchscreen device with Windows 8+? I have a touchscreen laptop with Windows 10 and am interested in these pens. All responses appreciated, thanks! =D
No sorry. The hardware needs to be built into the screen.
@@oztabletpc Oh, that's a pity. Thanks for the help!
Is it hard to find tips for the alternative pens
Thank you for this video. I got my Microsoft pen in february and when I replaced the battery it started acting up a lot. I bought three different kinds of batteries (the last pair I bought being the brand it originally came with) and it still wouldn't work properly! It'll select dropper randomly while I'm drawing, it'll stop inking while I'm doing strokes, and now for the THIRD time the tip doesn't work at all!!! I've spent literal DAYS fighting against this thing by reinstalling drivers, updating everything, rebooting, repairing with Bluetooth, replacing pen tips, doing every single thing I could possibly find on the internet and repeating all of those tasks because Microsoft customer service sent me instructions from their website that I already looked at like 80 times. If Microsoft can't make a pen that can survive doing something extraordinarily simple such as changing a little battery, then I don't want anything to do with it. So frustrated with them right now >: [
Is your pen tip not working, but eraser end is working OK?
@@oztabletpc yeah, I fixed it for a little bit by putting tinfoil in the pen but now it's back to doing that regardless
YES, i have the first pen how do I connect it please tell me
did you figure it out? i also have the first pen and cant connect
@@yuvaldemayo0 no I didn't
Might I ask what drawing app u use?
I mostly use Concepts.
Thanks for the info man! I have a surface book 2 and the surface pen is freaking aggravating for when I illustrate with it. Feel like I have to recalibrate the pen just to stop the cursor from changing spots when I touch the stylus tip to the screen. I have a Wacom Cintiq and I don't think I've ever had to calibrate the pen, I just turn on the monitor and it reacts instinctively with my pen and I get the strokes I need. It's a hard tip but I LOVE how it just easily glides across the screen, the noise it makes doesn't even bother me XD I'll definitely scrape some money together and try the Bamboo Ink pen :)
I was going to buy surface book 2 or 3 but after your comment , I think I have to go for the iPad pro even I am not an apple fan.
Thanks a lot
@@Analucia-qw1wc Glad I could help! I'm not an apple fan either so lemme know how you like the ipad pro. I ended up returning my Surface Book 2 after a week. I still was having issue with the stylus not coordinating well and I wasn't going to spend money trying out different styluses. I always recommend Wacom but I know the products can be pretty expensive :D
Which, if any, of these pens could be used as an input pen only. For example, on my Surface Go without the keyboard attached I find that the MS Surface Pen does not actuate well as input selector tool. Without keyboard attached I generally have to use my trackball to actuate input selections. Thanks.
I'm not quite sure I understand what is going on there. It does behave differently in many programs. What programs are you using where it doesn't work well?
@@oztabletpc (Surface Go without the keyboard attached) In Chrome Browser wherein I wish to select a bookmark from pull down list, I have more success selecting a link using trackball than using Surface Pen. How can I make the Surface Pen act more like my finger tip? When I bring Surface Pen tip close to Surface Go screen I have to tap my selection multiple times to select it. Frustrating. I do not want to ink, just select item. Thanks.
@@sharondslater2774 Sharon D Slater ok, I think Chrome is the problem. Google have not optimized it well for touch and pen input. You can use Microsoft Edge or soon, the new Microsoft Edge built on Chromium (the rendering engine of Chrome). It treats the pen like fingertip touch.
@@oztabletpc Thank you so much. I'll practice again while using MS Edge Browser.
Thanks. Input seems smoother using MS Edge cursive writing
@@oztabletpc
Surface pen work on vaio flip 15?
Do these pens work with any device that supports active stylus and has the feature of Windows Ink?
Specifically, my device is the acer switch one 10/ acer S1002.
There are lots of digitiser systems out there and they are not compatible with each other. If your device uses the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP) then it will work with these pens. The Wacom Ink Bamboo smart pen, works with both MPP and Wacom AES systems. You need to find out what pen digitzer is in your device.
This page here tells you the tech used by model number. N-Trig is MPP BTW. But as you will see across the top of the table, Acer use an assortment of pen tech.
us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/42675
I read that the Surface Go is not compatible with pens other than the Surface pens. Is this true?
No, that's not true. Any Microsoft Pen Protocol (N-Trig) pens will work. Renaisser, Adonit and others make MPP pens.
what is the solution when my pen stop working, I'v tried everything battery Bluetooth , any advice plz?
ruclips.net/video/BgtPZ-9Hb6E/видео.html
My adonit ink draws dots not touching surface, do you know whats wrong with it?
Check power first. Make sure the pen is fully charged. Then check the pen tip. It could be jammed or compressed, though I think unlikely for that pen.
I'd really like to understand why my surface pen doesn't seem to work, switches on, eraser button works but nothing does.. updated the surface pro 3 (on w10) pen driver, replaced the batteries on the pen, i reset it a few times, i also changed the tips with 6 different ones and nothing..
I wonder if another third party stylus would work, or maybe i'll have to buy a passive stylus but i dunno if it's compatible..
All of the pens in this video would work. I had a number of Pro 3 pens that just stopped working. Some are still working perfectly after years... I have seen that the antenna wires in the pens can break. That seems to be a common cause of failure...
@@oztabletpc oh thanks a lot for the explaination, a lot of people said it was from the tablet's software/firmware itself but i found it weird (already did 2 clean windows 10 install and same pb). Btw the pen i have is an official one and it's new (at least it has never been used, just stored). I'll buy a cheap 20 bucks pen on Aliexpress just to test it (the one that ressembles a pencil). Thanks again for your help !
is it support Microsoft surface pro 10?
Thanks appreciate new at it
How do they compared to the surface pen though ?
Good question! Personally I like the Surface Pen for it's pen tip selection, magnetic attach and general ergonomics. But everyone is different, and I can see the appeal of all of the pens for different reasons - price, ergonomics, battery setup and features.
Is it possible to run citrix secure hub an citrix mail on Microsoft surface pro 6?
Hi
Have u tested hp pen on surface series?
I would appreciate if u reply.
I hv pro3
HP pen uses Wacom tech, so it does not work on Surface sorry.
oztabletpc previous versions of HP Pen used wacom tech but newer generations pen (may 2016 onwards) are base on N-Trig.
So they are compatible with windows ink platforms.
I was wondering if u have any HP Pen, could u please try it on surface and share ur experience.
@@docdj4065 oh, sorry. Thought you meant the current pen. I'm pretty sure HP released the very first N-Trig pen on the TM2 back in '06 or '07! If they are N-Trig they would work, but I haven't tried them.
oztabletpc so far i know, latest hp pens based on are ntrig.
@@docdj4065The HP pen for the Dragonfly, Elitebook X360 and Elite X2 is Wacom AES. Not sure if there are other models with N-Trig.. Do you have a model type thinking of?
When you actually write, palm rejection is the most important feature. Before buy it, check it is palm rejection capable or not
Palm rejection is a combination of screen hardware and software on these devices. The pen itself will not have a bearing on its function.
@@oztabletpc Palm rejection is also a feature on the pen, for example you can't use a cheap $15 stylus pen since it won't have palm rejection
@@daniellujan2840 when we say pen, we mean an active digitzer pen, in this case that supports the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP). All MPP pens will give palm rejection regardless of price. We're not discussing passive stylus here.
Work on pro x?
Yes, they all work. But check out our newer video on the Raphael 520.
No writing test?
Good point.
thank you for this video, it's very helpful
Do these work with surface pro 6?
Yes
@@oztabletpc I guess it will work on the new Surface Pro 7? Still waiting on the specs but the 799USD is looking really good.
Another awesome amazing video! Have a wonderful weekend:)
what about the palm rejection?
Palm rejection is a function of the software and is not affected by the pen. So it works the same on all pens.
@@oztabletpc Thank you
Is there anything unique to the Microsoft pen that other pens cannot do?
The pens on this video do not have tilt, or a magnetic attachment. Check out our recent review on the Raphael 520 for a better option.
@@oztabletpc If there is no difference on the user interface, then I'll just pick up a simple Wacom $15 pen instead of the $99 surface pen. I only care about drawing and where I can attach it
What about the zodiac pen
I'm not familiar with it, but as long as the pen you're referring to is compatible with the Microsoft Pen Protocol it would work.
You are reviewing cheap styluses but not talking about alm rejection or pressure sensivity. It's a useless video because of that
Palm rejection is not controlled by the pen at all in this system. And pressure is not really a consideration for note taking. Listen carefully next time. Most people are not you (read the sarcasm there). It may not be what you need, that does not determine how useful it is.