Illustration photo from Neowin.com
Neowin is reporting that Microsoft's long-rumored Surface Mini will include what the website calls "a proper pen."
The author of the post speculates that the 7- or 8-inch tablet's support for pen input will come from a Wacom digitizer, but I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft chose N-Trig or another manufacturer for this device, which will be powered by Windows RT.
The traditional advantage that Wacom has held over other digitizer technogies is compatibility with legacy software. The Windows RT operating system means that the only desktop program that will be available for pen users is OneNote 2013, available as part of Office 2013.
Any art applications hoping to run on the Surface Mini will have to be Windows Store apps like Fresh Paint, Sketchbook Express or Sketchable.
I've written before about my skepticism about the usefulness of Windows mini tablets, but if the release of the Surface Mini prompts more developers to create art-centric Windows Store apps, that can only be a good thing for all users.
