Can I get a Surface 2 Pro Stylus to use with a laptop (no touch screen) ?

[Nicolas Lykke Iversen]

Having used a Stylus with Surface 2 Pro, I want a stylus with the same precision and capabilities for my laptop (no touch screen).

Is this possible ? Where can I buy a stylus and writing surface with the same precision and capabilities like the Surface 2 Pro ? Could someone point me in the right direction ?

I've enjoyed taking notes in OneNote using the Surface 2 Pro and I want to do the same with my laptop ...

Thanks,

 

[Joe Acerbic]

"writing surface"? Do you mean add a digitizer to a plain laptop? You'd do most likely cheaper and absolutely certainly a million times easier just buying a convertible laptop with a Wacom digitizer.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Some years back I was going to do this with a Samsung N150, adding a pen and touch.

I first heard of it via JKKmobile in europe as he was doing this to eeepc's. His were off ebay seller named fido dido, which became Fidohub ( site gone).

It is a touch overlay, but this was mainly a netbook hack.

Video of the overlay Installed.

 

[Nicolas Lykke Iversen]

By writing surface I mean the "pad" that follows a stylus when you buy one. I want a stylus and pad as precise as the Surface 2 Pro Stylus (where the screen is the pad). Is this possible ?
I have tried to write on other tablets like Android, but that experience has been terrible. For the first time my handwriting seems nice on a mechanical device like the Surface 2 Pro.

Could you link me a setup with a Wacom digitizer ?

Can I buy a stylus and pad (USB connection) with a Wacom digitizer ?

 

[Nicolas Lykke Iversen]

Is WACOM INTUOS PEN & TOUCH MEDIUM USB | Dustinhome.dk the same technology as Surface 2 Pro ? Can I make as clean handwriting using this as using the Surface 2 Pro (using OneNote) or are there differences in precision etc ?

Can I see what I write on this pad ?

 

[Greywolf1967]

Is WACOM INTUOS PEN & TOUCH MEDIUM USB | Dustinhome.dk the same technology as Surface 2 Pro ? Can I make as clean handwriting using this as using the Surface 2 Pro (using OneNote) or are there differences in precision etc ?

Can I see what I write on this pad ?

From a review after a quick search, I am not sure it will give you good hand writing input....it may but I am no expert. The review was saying it was good to learn photo touch ups and basic drawing, but more advanced users would want to go a model up.

What I would say is search YouTube for a review or two, if you can find a store that has one on display try it then buy if it fits your needs.

I would say get this or something like it if your going to work graphics at some point.

My feeling is your wanting a BMW but at the same price as a VW......... good luck, I hope you can find a pad that will give you the same feeling for hand writing input !!

 

[cndspec]

I have a Wacom Bamboo pen and touch. You can absolutely get the same style of handwriting as you would on your surface pro which uses the same Wacom technology. In fact the pen for the Bamboo is almost exactly the same as on your Pro. You would have more or less the same functionality that you do in One Note on your Pro. The only thing that you will have to get used to is that you will be writing in one place and having to look at another area to keep track of what you are writing. This does take some getting used to.

Have to ask though, why, if you have all the writing functionality that you need with your Pro, that you would want to go to a more cumbersome system.

 

[Nicolas Lykke Iversen]

I have a Wacom Bamboo pen and touch. You can absolutely get the same style of handwriting as you would on your surface pro which uses the same Wacom technology. In fact the pen for the Bamboo is almost exactly the same as on your Pro. You would have more or less the same functionality that you do in One Note on your Pro. The only thing that you will have to get used to is that you will be writing in one place and having to look at another area to keep track of what you are writing. This does take some getting used to.

Have to ask though, why, if you have all the writing functionality that you need with your Pro, that you would want to go to a more cumbersome system.

I'm sharing my pro with my family and sometimes when I do homework, I don't have it along.

I'm glad you are saying that I can get the same precision from this Wacom Bamboo pen and touch. Also I'm skeptical, because so many say the opposite (or think so), but you have tried it, so I'm confident in your opinion.

However, is it a big problem to write in one place and look at another place ? Have your handwriting every got "as good" doing it this way compared to Surface Pro (or your ordinary handwriting etc.) ? Have you done math this way ?

Does the Wacom pen has an eraser at the top ?

Also, do you know what kind of technology Khanacademy is using ? He is doing lots of tutorials writing on his "computer".

Thanks for your time and help.

 

[csd_images]

Wacom are the industry standard when it comes to pen interfaces, pretty much all retouchers, digital artists and photographers use them.

You have three main lines, and a couple of small ones .

Intuous both entry and Pro markets
Cintiq is aimed purely at pro markets
Bamboo entry markets
Inkling is a device aimed at note takers and artists.
Plus other devices.

If you want a true Surface type experience you're looking at one of the Cintiq displays however those are prohibitively expensive. Prior to me getting a Surface I used to carry a small A5 version of the Cintiq 3. The differences between the lines is mostly down to features and pen sensitivity.

So to answer your question you'll need to buy a Wacom Tablet of your choice. They are small, lightweight and reasonably portable. All Wacom pens feature eraser and Cintiq also offer changeable pen types (Airbrush, Art, Pro) and many nib types to suit your needs.

As to my own needs I use a medium Cintiq 4 for editing images, note taking and other work. I've been using these tablets for over a decade. However if you're not going to use it for drawing the smaller tablets are better especially if you want to carry it around.

 

[cndspec]

Nicolas, csd_images is spot on with their comments.

With respect to your question of whether or not it is difficult to be looking in one place and writing in another, that all depends. I would think that some people would not find it difficult and others would really have a problem with it. It would depend a lot on how good their eye hand coordination is. I would liken the experience to when you are copying down something from a text book where you are following along with a finger on the text and trying to write that on a pad of paper beside you. What usually ends up happening is that while you do get all of the text there, it is not going to be in your neatest writing. Most often you will end up with your lines slanting in one direction or the other and your spacing will be off as well. Having said that though, certainly not impossible. With practice you become very proficient with using the Wacom tablet and can become very precise with it, as is evidenced by all the photographers who use it for touching up photos and artists who use them for drawing, both of which require extreme precision. As noted though they would be likely be using the more expensive Clintiq tablets on which you can actually draw, just like you do on your Pro.

For what you are wanting to do you may find that placing it directly under your display on your laptop might work just fine because it would then be within your field of view while you are writing. You quickly become used to the field of the Wacom tablet and how it relates to the screen space.

I would think that you shouldn't have any problems with writing math using this system.

As csd_images indicated all of the Wacom pens are set up just like the one that you have for the pro - on one end sits the replaceable nibs and the other end acts as an eraser.

Hope you can work something out - either that or you are going to have to just let the family use the laptop and you steal the Pro all for yourself!