If Ink comes to Mobile 10...Microsoft has a Galaxy Note killer....and they don't even know it yet.

[Greywolf1967]

Microsoft could without even knowing they have done so, tripped a land mine for the Samsung Galaxy Note line....and before you scoff and call me crazy, hear me out.

Microsoft is working on Inking Center for Windows 10 ( as per WC News Item ), and if even a subset of that comes to mobile The Note line will see some unintended competition, which if it catches on as a trend could damage the line or outright kill it.

The secret is an Active Stylus already works on All Windows Phones now....from Low End to High End. The need for a digitizer layer for a pen to work is now only a myth!!!! If you are an Artist doing sketches/drawing then yes super accurate control requires the digitizer, but for basic notes, doodles, and ink work an active stylus fits the bill.

There are 20 or more Active Stylus on the market that range from $40 - $100, that have and don't have bluetooth/extra buttons but are marketed for iPad and iOS, Like my Adonit Jot Script Evernote Edition.....made for iOS but surprise it works awesome with my Acer W3 and ok with my Lumia 640 XL ( with Fresh Paint and Squid a hand written note app). Another I looked at but didn't buy yet is the DotPen $70 on Amazon.

Now add just basic Pen and Ink support into Windows 10 Mobile and the only 3 things the Galaxy Note has that the 640XL does not is Split Screen, Hover, and fine point control for sketching.

My 640 XL was $349 outright from Microsoft, my Jot Script $90 and without Ink and Pen support I can keep rough hand written notes and doodles, plus move my Pen over to my Tablet for use in One Note, Evernote any number of sketch apps and I am well Under the cost of a Galaxy Note. ( For the Record....Galaxy Note 5 $860 off contract Telus Website..........Acer W3 Tablet $199 (Staples on sale) Microsoft Lumia 640 XL $349 ( Microsoft Store ) Adonit Jot Script Evernote Edition $90 ( Best Buy) so all in 2 devices and a Pen for under a Galaxy Note cost....$638 all in )

Add in Pen and Ink into Windows Mobile 10 and All Lumia XL devices with an Active Stylus become almost as good as a Note..........without Microsoft knowing it.......

 

[Chintan Gohel]

That's an interesting observation. The windows phone are a bit better for business sectors and the pen input can help out. I tried using the surface pen and it worked on my 1020 surprisingly.

 

[Greywolf1967]

That's an interesting observation. The windows phone are a bit better for business sectors and the pen input can help out. I tried using the surface pen and it worked on my 1020 surprisingly.

The most interesting is you can take a low end budget tablet ( one not designed for Pen like the W3 ), bring it up to Windows 10 add the Active Stylus and again do most things a Galaxy Note Tablet can do. Palm reject is a nice feature of the higher price Tablets, but you can get used to not having it.

Without a doubt the most useful feature built into Windows 10 is the Hand Written Input keyboard. Something that has been baked into the OS for a long time, but is not put forth as an awesome feature.

In the many many reviews of Pen based Windows Tablets, almost all of the reviews skip over how easy it is to switch the on screen keyboard over to Pen input.

I have to ask...what Gen Surface Pen did you try? As I was under the impression they were not active stylus.

An Active Stylus uses a battery in the Pen to provide static charge in the tip that is a mimic of your finger. Plus an active stylus has a fine point tip that gives you much better control over the old style mush tip.

We need to get WC on this so a list can be made of What Budget Tablets work well with which Active Stylus, so you can have Surface Features for a smaller price. In time maybe Microsoft will notice what they have sitting right under their noses, but seem unaware of.

 

[TechFreak1]

This is why I like this forum, you learn something new every day :excited:.

I might grab me a an active stylus and try doodling on my L920 now that it's slowly being relegated to a music player. I put my L930 on charge and just use the L920 on Wifi the only downside is that whatsapp doesn't work as it's now tied to my L930 lol. Phone calls obviously won't work as it has no sim in it :evil:.

 

[anthonyng]

...Phone calls obviously won't work as it has no sim in it :evil:.

You have office 365 home? You get 60mins of calling with Skype!

 

[Greywolf1967]

This is why I like this forum, you learn something new every day :excited:.

I might grab me a an active stylus and try doodling on my L920 now that it's slowly being relegated to a music player. I put my L930 on charge and just use the L920 on Wifi the only downside is that whatsapp doesn't work as it's now tied to my L930 lol. Phone calls obviously won't work as it has no sim in it :evil:.

With the active stylus one big tip, don't have a screen protector....also look around and watch a few youtube vids so you can inform yourself before you buy. I went with the Adonit Jot Script Evernote edition, but Adonit has lower price ones also.

As to wifi chat and calls on your 920 look at viber as you can run on phone and PC, but there are others also......yes whatsapp is among the best, but you can find other options for IM with no cell if 930 on charge.

 

[TechFreak1]

You have office 365 home? You get 60mins of calling with Skype!

Nope, don't have 365 home.

With the active stylus one big tip, don't have a screen protector....also look around and watch a few youtube vids so you can inform yourself before you buy. I went with the Adonit Jot Script Evernote edition, but Adonit has lower price ones also.

As to wifi chat and calls on your 920 look at viber as you can run on phone and PC, but there are others also......yes whatsapp is among the best, but you can find other options for IM with no cell if 930 on charge.

I see, I presume you tried with a screen protector on?

What was the difference?

I got a new sim for my L920, was much easier than getting everyone else on Viber too :winktongue:.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Nope, don't have 365 home.



I see, I presume you tried with a screen protector on?

What was the difference?

I got a new sim for my L920, was much easier than getting everyone else on Viber too :winktongue:.

In another post someone had a tempered glass screen protector and it caused dead spots and the pen was almost not usable, once removed everything worked fine.

 

[HeyCori]

Personally my Note killer = Surface Mini with built in LTE.

:winktongue:

 

[Greywolf1967]

Personally my Note killer = Surface Mini with built in LTE.

:winktongue:

If only the Surface Mini got released, rather then held back and put in a warehouse somewhere. I wonder if they will ever see the light of day.

However for less then the price of a Note I have 2 devices a Pen and now a keyboard for phone and tablet.......and I am still under the off contract price.

 

[osWes Open Space]

Can we get an update on the active stylus usage with Win 10 Mobile. Moving from Galaxy Note 2 that has been able to handle hand writing recognition and interface directly with MS OneNote. This has been a useful productivity tool. The Galaxy will probably be used for pen input via USB but a Lumia 950 will be the mobile device. Had a Pocket PC from MS years ago so I am not surprised that Win 10 Mobile will handle stylus input, but there is no stylus with the 950 and MS definitely doesn't claim this as a key feature. Further advice on the stylus choices would be appreciated.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Can we get an update on the active stylus usage with Win 10 Mobile. Moving from Galaxy Note 2 that has been able to handle hand writing recognition and interface directly with MS OneNote. This has been a useful productivity tool. The Galaxy will probably be used for pen input via USB but a Lumia 950 will be the mobile device. Had a Pocket PC from MS years ago so I am not surprised that Win 10 Mobile will handle stylus input, but there is no stylus with the 950 and MS definitely doesn't claim this as a key feature. Further advice on the stylus choices would be appreciated.

Right now All Active Stylus that I am aware of ( The ones marketed for iPad/iPhone ), work the same. No extra features as no makers have added Windows support as of yet.

Of the 2 updates I have:
#1 http://forums.windowscentral.com/general-windows-phone-discussion-lounge/435153-3.htm#post3545334

#2http://forums.windowscentral.com/general-windows-phone-discussion-lounge/437039-just-fyi-people-interested-pen-mobile-tablet.html

 

[cactuspete23]

Do some types of screen protectors "harm" the touch/pen features more than others? Or is it more on an installation issue?

 

[Greywolf1967]

Do some types of screen protectors "harm" the touch/pen features more than others? Or is it more on an installation issue?

There was a topic that tis was talked about... however I forget where..... someone had a tempered glass screen protector, with it on the pen was far less useful, once the protector was removed all was better.

I myself have never used a screen protector, and after 6 months of everyday Pen use on my W3 ( a screen I would say was not as good as todays gorilla glass phones), not a single scratch or micro scratch......the pen glides as smooth as butter.

 

[RustyU]

To kill the Note, there needs to be the user base for it...

 

[Greywolf1967]

To kill the Note, there needs to be the user base for it...

In the title is the key word, If. Ink in mobile right now is not even a whisper of a rumor. So right now you are right.

Should that become a feature a lower cost phone that can do almost as much as a Note becomes a selling feature.

In truth it may be a bold claim but I know in my case if I can buy a Pen and Phone that is under half the price of a Note, I would be ok with no Hover, Peak, Split Screen.
My mobile outfit mismatched as it is, all in ( 5 items ), still came up well shy of a Note 5. However it is not the latest and greatest, but fit all my needs and more.

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

Just bought the Cube WP10. I'm guessing an active stylus would work on this, as well. If the phone performs better than my current expectations, this combination could be very useful for me. Thanks for pointing it at.

 

[Greywolf1967]

Just bought the Cube WP10. I'm guessing an active stylus would work on this, as well. If the phone performs better than my current expectations, this combination could be very useful for me. Thanks for pointing it at.

There is no reason for it to not work. I am guessing the phone your refer to is the almost 7" Cube ?

2 very good apps are Notebook Pro (ad supported but free), and Squid.

With Notebook Pro when creating a new notebook or page, remember to dismiss the task bar in mobile as the "Create" button hides under it.

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

That's the one. Should be here within a week or so. I'll check out those apps. Thanks for the info.

 

[Greywolf1967]

That's the one. Should be here within a week or so. I'll check out those apps. Thanks for the info.

Awesome !!!! Please dig in and do up review of the unit when you get it !!!! I was waiting on the Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 ( Now 4 months past when it was said to be available), but if you end up happy after a play about with it, I will drop Alcatel.