How does one use the Surface Pen on the Surface Laptop?

[Rainar Angelo]

The Surface Laptop does NOT come with a pen:

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Only sensor you're getting is a light sensor:

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Again, if you're thinking of buying the Surface Laptop, simply go for the Surface Pro 4 and grab yourself this keyboard attachment that makes it appear and function like a traditional Laptop. The Surface Laptop is an overpriced joke compared to the Surface Pro 4.

Well so much for that. Great info mate. Thanks.

 

[Kaustubh Jondhalekar]

Surface pen provides good feature and compatibility to use with, but when i have keypad attached its quite uncomfortable. Its quite good when i can detach screen, it provide very good angle to scribble with.

 

[SEB2014]

Yes this would work pretty well for those who really have to, too bad the screen cannot lay flat on a surface but those who use pen more frequently will opt for a Surface Pro

 

[kaktus1389]

As I said I think that if they would add a kickstand it would be a lot easier to use the pen. Also they made Surface Laptop because their customers wanted to see one - just a traditional laptop, not a 2-in-1 so they made one. For the ports yes, it's shame they didn't put Thunderbolt 3 in there but a large part of the population probably has no idea about Thunderbolt 3's existence nor what it is capable of and will be happy with USB-A port so they can use their external hard drives and USB sticks with it.

If you look at the majority of OEM 2-in-1s that are made to be what Surface Pro 4 is, to my knowledge only Eve V and Asus devices have Thunderbolt 3 ports.

 

[MrElectrifyer]

As I said I think that if they would add a kickstand it would be a lot easier to use the pen. Also they made Surface Laptop because their customers wanted to see one - just a traditional laptop, not a 2-in-1 so they made one. For the ports yes, it's shame they didn't put Thunderbolt 3 in there but a large part of the population probably has no idea about Thunderbolt 3's existence nor what it is capable of and will be happy with USB-A port so they can use their external hard drives and USB sticks with it.

If you look at the majority of OEM 2-in-1s that are made to be what Surface Pro 4 is, to my knowledge only Eve V and Asus devices have Thunderbolt 3 ports.

HP (Elite X2), DELL (Latitude 7275 2-in-1), and many other OEMs already have devices with Thunderbolt 3. Just 'cause not everyone knows of the benefit isn't an excuse for it to be missing in a device priced this high in 2017...

 

[Durahl]

I'd guess the Panel could already be used in another Surface Product that DOES benefit greatly from having Inking available to it and for simplicity they just reused it for the Surface Laptop as well and then went like: "Still has Inking"

 

[Ezhik]

I'm thinking how one could draw with this thing

The best I came up with is flipping it around so that the keyboard is away from you lol.

 

[kashgohel]

It's surprising but its true. I've had the chance to use a touch screen tablet to sketch and there are just sometimes where using a mouse is more accurate and less tiring than a super sensitive stylus.

 

[kashgohel]

Speaking as an artist, curves that are difficult to do with a mouse come easy using a stylus. Or many short strokes like when hatching a portrait or shading a render. Especially when you are sketching out an idea, a surface pen does wonders without slowing your workflow.

But things like tiny rotations of images, enlarging/reducing layers etc on photoshop are done more accurately with a mouse and depending on the user, even a touchpad. When using a surface pen on the screen sometimes your hand blocks the view of the artwork you are working on, hence a mouse cursor is better as it occupies less real estate space of the screen.

Therefore imho, the surface laptop is still a great device for artists.

 

[DenDeMello]

It's easy. Just rest the screen in your lap and start inking like you normally would !!

 

[Althie]

As part of the surface family the Laptop can handle pen input.
Does a laptop need Touch Screen....?
I don't think so, I would have preferred a dedicated slot for smart pen holder.
Instead of using the screen having the option to jot things down on a surface (not the device:wink
and the writing should transfer to the Laptop through BT.
It is nice to capture screenshots with a pen on touch screen or to annotate documents (you can use in Edge also), but it is not a necessity.
If you think the use of the pen problematic, think about an holder for it, I have SP4 and use a loop on the case to hold the pen, the magnet won't hold good enough when in the bag. Just too carry the pen around you will need a good solution, I like it handy, not somewhere in the bag.

 

[falcon304]

There's no way you could do it for long periods of time. Unlike the Surface Book, the Laptop wasn't designed to be used with the Pen. It just supports it because "it has to".

 

[wataru1]

Of course you can use the pen. Just lay the screen down (the pic was taken from my trip to the MS Store). I always ink this way on my detachable 2in1s. I never detach the tablet from the keyboard, including the Book. It's more nature and easier to simply lay down the screen.

 

[savagelizards]

Okay, so I have a surface book and not the surface laptop, but it's not that dissimilar. When I want to use the pen for detailed masking or other work in photoshop, I don't want to flip the screen over because that hides the keyboard and I am constantly using keyboard shortcuts for brush sizing, toggling between foreground and background colors, etc.

I have no problem working on the screen at a desk, but if I am at home I also love being able to sit on the couch with my knees bent and work with the screen back up against my thighs. I have gotten very used to this posture and it feels natural. Using the pen to work directly on an image is so much easier than working with a Wacom tablet. I get great results and I save time over my old workflow.

My daughters have Macs, and I am forever trying to tap the screen with a finger when I am trying to help them with something. I never seem to remember that they don't have touchscreens. My conclusion? I use my surface book's touchscreen a lot more than I am conscious of. I really believe Apple is wrong about touch and Microsoft is on the right track.

 

[k1s23]

There's no way you could do it for long periods of time. Unlike the Surface Book, the Laptop wasn't designed to be used with the Pen. It just supports it because "it has to".

falcon i agree with you. its not ergonomic and not comfortable, although it can be done in short time periods. i tried leaning my laptop screen all the way back then getting a pencil and waving my pencil over just to see how things would be. i can write on it but i dont like having to lean over farther. its nice that the surface laptop has touch (after all, whats a surface product without touch?) but like you said it kinda "has to" or else it wouldnt be a surface product.

 

[k1s23]

Of course you can use the pen. Just lay the screen down (the pic was taken from my trip to the MS Store). I always ink this way on my detachable 2in1s. I never detach the tablet from the keyboard, including the Book. It's more nature and easier to simply lay down the screen.

https://ztznow-sn3301.files.1drv.co...-IMuoF6g?width=3024&height=4032&cropmode=none

wataru, although it is possible i cant see myself using a surface laptop like that even if i were at home by myself. :shocked: the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop are what protects the bottom of the laptop shell from getting scratches, so not having any rubber feet on the underside of the monitor = high risk of scratches.

 

[k1s23]

Okay, so I have a surface book and not the surface laptop, but it's not that dissimilar. When I want to use the pen for detailed masking or other work in photoshop, I don't want to flip the screen over because that hides the keyboard and I am constantly using keyboard shortcuts for brush sizing, toggling between foreground and background colors, etc.

hey savagelizards, interesting input about using photoshop on the surface book. i know its buying another accessory, but how about using the surface dial? the surface dial was built to work with the hand not using the pen, which is great for you since you do a lot of keyboard shortcuts i assume with the hand not using the pen. that way you can leave the screen flipped over giving you the battery life while keeping the productivity going.

 

[savagelizards]

hey savagelizards, interesting input about using photoshop on the surface book. i know its buying another accessory, but how about using the surface dial? the surface dial was built to work with the hand not using the pen, which is great for you since you do a lot of keyboard shortcuts i assume with the hand not using the pen. that way you can leave the screen flipped over giving you the battery life while keeping the productivity going.

I will have to experiment with the dial. I got one for Christmas. I use it as a jog/shuttle when video editing, and for s rolling mostly. I know there is some ability to program functions, but I don't know if it will give me everything I need. The keyboard shortcuts are so ingrained that I just use them without really thinking most of the time. But that's a great idea and worth a try.

 

[k1s23]

I will have to experiment with the dial. I got one for Christmas. I use it as a jog/shuttle when video editing, and for s rolling mostly. I know there is some ability to program functions, but I don't know if it will give me everything I need. The keyboard shortcuts are so ingrained that I just use them without really thinking most of the time. But that's a great idea and worth a try.

cool! yeah i understand about things being ingrained; thats why for a while i preferred a feature phone with a physical number pad over a smart phone (in order to type messages in class without looking :grin: ). it seems really versatile with all of the options, you can use the surface dial at your desk and when youre sitting at the couch go back to keystrokes.

 

[ajcletus500]

I think the best intermittent usage for the touch screen in clamshell form factor is when you're reading an article and need to scroll up. Me thinks.

But obviously as artist mode would just flip it on the screen and paint away for hours.

I really don't think the surface laptop will be the first choice from someone who needs to draw on the screen.
Not really worth buying the pen with this one