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Using new surface pen with Surface 3?

souldier

Active Member
Has anyone here tested the new digitizers that come with the Surface Book/SP4 on a Surface 3? Does it work and is there any difference or benefit?
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Works well, just like the S3 Pen with the same 256 levels of pressure. The new tips make writing more natural.
 
It writes, but: a) does not magnetically attach to the screen, b) I haven't been able to get the button to call up OneNote or Cortana. On the plus side, it does have that natural "pencil on paper" feel to it that you've probably read about, and the eraser end does actually erase. So I'd say for the Surface Pro user, the new pen is a HUGE UPGRADE, and for the Surface 3 user, it's a pretty good improvement.
 
OP
souldier

souldier

Active Member
Thanks guys. Did you guys notice any difference at all in the actual writing quality? I've felt that the pen doesn't capture my writing as well as a Wacom pen like the one one the original surface pro.
 

SRVwannab

Member
I thought the flat side of the pen felt really weird- but I haven't seen anybody else mention it. I'm guessing it's just me. ;)
 

bronsky

Member
I thought the flat side of the pen felt really weird- but I haven't seen anybody else mention it. I'm guessing it's just me. ;)

I had the same problem with the flat part at first, but got used to it. I like the new pen a lot. The new tip makes writing more natural. The pen is better balanced with the added length. The bayonette connection on the cap, the elimination of the extra fitting at the tip and the new tip socket seem to make for a more solid connection and requires less writing effort.
 

LibbyLA

Member
Darn y'all :D. After reading this thread and a couple of others about the new pen and SP4 keyboard, I just HAD to go to the nearby MS store and try them. Didn't take me more than a minute or two of testing to decide I wanted them. I walked out with new pens for both my S3 and SP3 and a new dark green keyboard for my SP3, which means I had to order the Stickerboy skins for the keyboard.

The pen really does feel nicer in the hand. The writing is more pen- or pencil-like and I love, love, love the eraser. Much easier to use and more natural than trying to remember which darned button is click and which is erase, or having to choose the eraser tool from the roundabout menu.

The original SP3 keyboard was pretty good, but the new one with the island-style keys is even better. I did not get the fingerprint scanner version.
 

stufried

New Member
I'm looking for a steel sticker of some sort that I can stick to the side of my Surface so that the pen will stick. I'm guessing that if such a creature does exist, it won't be a rare earth magnet and it won't be a great stick.
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
I'm looking for a steel sticker of some sort that I can stick to the side of my Surface so that the pen will stick. I'm guessing that if such a creature does exist, it won't be a rare earth magnet and it won't be a great stick.
Ha, you would be better off putting a Velcro pad on your Surface and a band on the pen :D
 
Darn y'all :D. After reading this thread and a couple of others about the new pen and SP4 keyboard, I just HAD to go to the nearby MS store and try them. Didn't take me more than a minute or two of testing to decide I wanted them. I walked out with new pens for both my S3 and SP3 and a new dark green keyboard for my SP3, which means I had to order the Stickerboy skins for the keyboard.

The pen really does feel nicer in the hand. The writing is more pen- or pencil-like and I love, love, love the eraser. Much easier to use and more natural than trying to remember which darned button is click and which is erase, or having to choose the eraser tool from the roundabout menu.

The original SP3 keyboard was pretty good, but the new one with the island-style keys is even better. I did not get the fingerprint scanner version.

think ill be doing the same to at least try it out...
 

Telstar1948

Active Member
I'm looking for a steel sticker of some sort that I can stick to the side of my Surface so that the pen will stick. I'm guessing that if such a creature does exist, it won't be a rare earth magnet and it won't be a great stick.

I just ordered a couple of pen loops from the Microsoft Store online (the pen loops that came with the SP3). I the one that came with my SP3 (my wife has the SP3 now but the pen loop is still attached), and I had no problems with it at all. I stuck it on the left side back just above the kickstand. I'll put it in the same place on my S3 because there's nothing in the way there.
 
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