Latest Wacom Feeldriver release restores Surface Pro 2 volume buttons

As many readers discovered last month, Wacom's recent Feeldriver update introduced a bug which disabled the Surface Pro 1 and 2's volume buttons.

The company has now posted a new version, ISD_7.2.1-24, which corrects the issue as well as several others. You can download it here.

According to Mike Bagdanoff at Wacom, "The 7.2.1.21 uses too much CPU. We tracked the problem to an expensive API call that someone slipped in (the culprit has been punished). On slow units it can cause a delay in the cursor movement in some apps."

The Feeldriver should work with any Wacom-equipped tablet PC. As the Wacom website states, "note that Surface Pro 3 is not a tablet with Wacom feel IT technologies and the driver should not be installed on Surface Pro 3." If you have any doubts about compatibility, download and run the WacomHardwareCheck utility found on the same page.

I haven't had a chance to test this new version yet, but please post your findings below. 

Surface Pro 2: What Runs, What Doesn't

So you're dying to max out your credit card on a new Surface Pro 2 but are worried your favorite won't run. Or you've got the Microsoft wonder tablet but don't want to plunk down a bunch of cash on a graphics app that will blow up your new machine. 

Fear not. You've come to the right place. "What Run, What Doesn't V1" was the raison d'etre for this blog and we're proud to present the Surface Pro 2/Windows 8.1 version. Rather than update the original, we'll keep that one in place for anyone who chooses not to update to Windows 8.1. (Don't know why any of you would do that, but we know there are paranoid folks out there who fear change). 

Important note: the list below contains only versions I've personally tested on my Surface Pro 2. It's very likely that older versions listed in the original feature will still operate, but we won't be able to re-test those older apps for Windows 8.1 compatibility.

Recommendations are based on UI suitability to pen and touch navigation. 

The list below will grow as we install more software. Since most graphics apps limit the number of installations, we're have to be somewhat deliberate in how much we migrate at a time. 

As always, if you've got a specific tool you'd like us to test, please let us know in the comments section below. 

Adobe

• Photoshop CC - runs, requires Wacom feel driver, recommend UI scaling hack
• Illustrator CC - runs, requires Wacom feel driver, recommend UI scaling hack

Allegorithmic

• Substance Painter 0.3.0 (beta) - runs

Ambient Design

• ArtRage 4.0.6 - runs, recommended

Autodesk 

• 3DS Max 2015, 2014 - runs, mouse strongly recommended
• Maya 2015, 2014  - runs, mouse strongly recommended
• Maya LT 2014 - runs
• Mudbox 2015 SP1 - runs, multi-touch rotation unresponsive. Requires May 21, 2014 Intel HD graphics driver or higher.
• Mudbox 2015*, 2014.5, 2014** - runs, *requires Intel HD display driver update, **crashes on several primitive objects
• Mudbox 2013, 2012  - incompatible, require discrete graphics
• Mudbox 2011 x64 - runs
• Sketchbook Pro 6.2.5, 6.2.4, 6.2.3  - runs, recommended
• Softimage 2015, 2014  - runs, three-button mouse required

Blender

• Blender 2.7, 2.69 - runs, mouse recommended

Celsys

• Clip Studio Paint 1.2.8 (Japanese)  - runs
• Clip Studio Paint 1.3.1, 1.2.7 (English) - runs, recommended 

Corel

• Corel Painter X3 - runs

DAZ

• DAZ Studio 4.6 - runs

eFrontier

• Shade 3D Professional 14 - runs 

Foundry/Luxology

• Modo 801 SP1, 801, 701 SP5 - runs

Inkscape

• Inkscape 0.48.4 - runs

The Krita Foundation

• Krita Desktop 2.8.1.1 - runs

Nevercenter

• Silo 2.3, 2.2 - runs

Pixarra

• TwistedBrush Pro Studio 20.06 - runs

Pixologic

• Sculptris Alpha 6 - runs, recommended
• ZBrush 4R6 - runs, not recommended due to small UI

plasq

• Comic Life 3.0b1 - runs

Serif

• DrawPlus X6 - runs

61 Solutions

• Mischief 1.11, 1.10, 1.09 - runs, no multi-touch support

Smith Micro

• Manga Studio 5.0.4, 5.0.3 - runs, recommended 

Systemax

• Paint Tool SAI 2 (beta), 1.1 - runs, pressure sensitivity works, but there is limited touch rejection. Very easy to leave stray marks. No touch pan, rotate or zoom.

tetraface

• Metasequoia 4.1.2 (64-bit) - runs

Trimble

• SketchUp Make 14.0.4900 - runs

Triple Squid Software Design

• Moments of Inspiration (MoI3D) 3.0 beta, 2.0 - runs, recommended

TVPaint Developpement 

• TVPaint Animation 10 Pro - runs

Unity Pro 4.3.0b6 - runs, requires mouse

Web Technology Corp.

• Comipo! 1.81.00 - runs

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Microsoft discounts Surface Pro 2

If you're not sold by the Surface Pro 3 or just in the mood for a nice discount, check out Microsoft Store online, where discounts of up to $200 have finally appeared for the Surface Pro 2 in the U.S.

The 4GB RAM/64GB SSD model has been reduced $100 to $799. The price on the 128GB model has also been cut $100 to $899. The next models have both been discounted $200 to $1099 for 256GB and $1599 for 512GB. (As I was typing this, the 256GB model was listed as out of stock, but you may be able to find them at other retailers).

Finding the Surface Pro 2 on the Microsoft Store site wasn't easy. They're buried in the bundles section. But type covers are discounted there too ($20 off), so you might as well add one to your order.

Here's the link: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/DisplayProductPickerPage/offerID.42158491809/productID.292265900

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New Surface Pro pricing revealed?

Big changes on the horizon for Microsoft's Surface line, as both a new Surface Mini and larger Surface Pro are expected to be announced Tuesday, May 20.

Because I love rumor-mongering as much as the next guy, here's some tantalizing new info from Windows Phone Central:

For the Surface Pro 3, which is now confirmed as being a real device, there will be five versions offered with varying pricing and configurations:

• i3-4GB RAM-64GB - $799
• i5-4GB RAM-128GB - $999
• i5-8GB RAM-256GB - $1299
• i7-8GB RAM-256GB - $1549
• i7-8GB RAM-512GB - $1949

If this pricing is correct, there is a lot to mull over. First off, we should see prices on existing Surface Pro 2 models should drop by $100 or more.

The $799 i3 model sounds really appealing for sketching and comics reading; but I've never run graphics apps with an i3 so it remains to be seen how well they perform on this processor. This model seems to compete directly with the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2.

It will be really interesting to see what Microsoft's plans are for its existing Core i5 Surface Pro 2 models. Will anyone want a 10.6 inch version if the price difference is only $100?

The i7 is obviously the model that I want but once again I don't understand the $400 premium for 256GB of additional storage.

Therefore, the "sweet spot" in the high end model is the 8GB/256GB model for $1549, this pricing and configuration is on par with the often discounted Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga.

Think it's finally time for that SurfaceProArtist Spring cleaning sale...

More artists weigh in on Surface Pro

I'm always on the lookout for talented artists' opinions about the Surface Pro and its pluses and minuses.

After using it for over a year and comparing it to many other tablet pc's and pen displays, I'm happy to say that Microsoft's expensive toy still holds up very well compared to the competition. But reading how other artists are coming along and understanding their concerns is very instructive for me as I look to review future products.

I've also come to appreciate how personal the drawing experience is and recognize that each artist prioritizes a different set of features. Hopefully this selection of reviews will be helpful if you're still sitting on the fence.

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Image by Ben Towle, inked on the Surface Pro 2 in Manga Studio.

First up is a review published today by Ben Towle (@ben_towle) a three time Eisner-nominated cartoonist whose current comics project is the webcomic Oyster War.

Find Ben's review here: http://www.benzilla.com/?p=5021

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Example panels from Infectious web comic, by Eric Merced

Eric Merced (@eric_merced) is a professional Illustrator who has worked for companies like Zondervan Publishing, Upper Deck, Marvel, Archie’s, IDW and DC Entertainment. He purchased his Surface Pro 2 last month. http://www.ericmerced.com/surfacepro2-review/index.html

A common dilemma facing potential buyers is whether to purchase a relatively expensive Wacom Cintiq device or "settle" for the Surface Pro. Below are two write-ups by artists who came to very different conclusions.

Illustrations by Jonathan Hill, side by side on the Surface Pro 2 and the Wacom Cintiq Companion.

Jonathan Hill teaches comics and illustration classes at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and is a Writer in Residency through Literary Arts' Writers in the Schools program. His first graphic novel, Americus, which he illustrated and was written by MK Reed, was published by First Second Books. Late last year, he explained why he decided on the Surface Pro 2 after testing it alongside the Wacom Cintiq Companion. http://blog.oneofthejohns.com/2013/11/07/surface-pro-2-vs-cintiq-companion/

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Last Minute Shopping by Scott R. Kurtz

Scott Kurtz is an Eisner and Harvey award-winning cartoonist who helped pioneer webcomics with his daily feature, PvP which debuted in May of 1998. Since then Scott has co-authored a book on making webcomics, co-created and produced several animated web-series and launched a second ongoing webcomic, Table Titans. His most recent blog post details why he chose a Wacom Cintiq 13HD over the Surface Pro: http://www.pvponline.com/

Whether you agree or disagree with their conclusions, you'll definitely find food for thought.

Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga review: close, but not quite perfect

It’s taken me a while to get down to writing this review of the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga because I know a lot of you are hoping that this convertible laptop addresses all the shortcomings of the Surface Pro while answering all of your artistic mobility dreams.

So, to cut to the chase: the Thinkpad Yoga is a very capable device for creative users, but it isn’t perfect.

Instead of offering a lot of technical details, I’m going to focus on the Thinkpad Yoga drawing experience and how it compares to the Surface Pro and other Windows tablets I’ve acquired over the past year.

The Display

The 1.9-inch diagonal size advantage that the TPY offers over the Surface Pro makes a significant difference. Even at its default scale, crowded desktop apps like Photoshop CC are easier to use on the 12.5-inch display. And if you run the UI scaling hack we posted here, Photoshop is even easier to use.

However, if you’re not a Photoshop user, the additional real estate may not be worth the decrease in portability vs. the Surface Pro.

If you don’t like reflective displays or want to occasionally work outdoors or in brightly lit environments, you’ll appreciate the Thinkpad Yoga’s matte screen finish, which diffuses reflections.  But the coating also makes colors less vibrant to my eye and type appears somewhat fuzzy or muddy. I tried to capture the difference on camera, but my iPhone 4S is not up to the task. According to one reader, the Thinkpad is only able to display 75% of the sRGB color space. I don't know much about the subject, but it does appear that colors are muted compared to the glossy displays of the Surface Pro and Sony VAIO Flip 15A.

In the following screenshots I attempted to demonstrate the color, brightness and reflectivity differences in different lighting conditions. All shots were taken with the devices at maximum brightness.

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The matte coating on the Lenovo screen diffuses reflections vs. the sharp reflections on the Surface Pro 2 display.

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Laying flat in tablet mode, the reflections on the Surface Pro's bezel are even more distracting than on the screen itself.

The Digitizer

The drawing experience on the Thinkpad Yoga is comparable to any other Wacom-equipped tablet pc. Like many of you who’ve had troubles with Wacom tech on the Surface Pro and other tablets, I’ve encountered several annoyances along the way that I’m forced to work around.

I’ve been unable to get either the touch or pen calibration set up 100% perfectly despite running both the standard and Wacom calibration tools dozens of times. Installing Wacom’s feel drivers deletes the standard calibration settings, but I was able to confirm that the problem I describe below isn’t introduced by the Wacom drivers.

The problem I’ve encountered is that pen alignment and touch don’t match. If I tune the calibration for pen accuracy, the screen won’t respond to taps along the bottom edge of the display so I can’t unhide the desktop taskbar.

I’ve ended up compensating for this by purposely tapping just below the bottom points in the Wacom calibration tool. Now taps on the bottom edge are recognized but there is a one or two pixel drift in cursor accuracy as I move the pen up the screen.

If Wacom ever gets around to releasing a calibration tool with more than four points, it should be easier to limit that drift to the very bottom of the screen.

Based on reading the community’s experience with the Surface Pro, it’s clear that digitizer accuracy varies from machine to machine, so please don’t assume that all Thinkpad Yogas will display this same behavior.

The Stylus

Not much to say here. It’s a tiny pointer that will do in a pinch, but will otherwise stay in its silo forever.

The screen’s matte coating interacts with your pen’s nib very differently than the Surface Pro’s glass. The soft felt nibs I prefer on the SP offer a little too much resistance and feel slightly waxy. Hard plastic nibs don’t feel quite as slippery as they do on glass.

Thanks to the TabletPCReview forum reader who first suggested I try the Fujitsu stylus, I also purchased a set of flex nibs to try. These are black with a white rubberized tip and to paraphrase Goldilocks feel “just right” when sliding along the Thinkpad Yoga’s screen.

All the Surface Pro compatible pens I’ve tested work equally well on the TPY, although they also may require recalibration for best results. This shouldn’t be a problem for most of you who may have one or two at your disposal. I’m sure I’m unique in having 10(!) pens to choose from.

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The weakest aspects of the Thinkpad Yoga are its clickable touchpad and the stylus which makes a very poor drawing instrument compared to full size pens.

The Form Factor

I expected not to like the feel of the keyboard behind the screen while in tablet mode. And, while it’s not ideal, I find it’s not as distracting in practice as I thought it might be.

I think this is because the size and weight of the Thinkpad Yoga forces you to either cradle it on your forearm or rest it on your lap. It would be very taxing to hold the convertible for long with the keyboard resting on your hand. My average sized hand covers the entire back of the Surface Pro, but it only extends to about two thirds of the Thinkpad.

The clickable touchpad doesn’t lock when in tablet mode, but I find that’s only distracting when I try to draw in portrait orientation. Then either my fingers or palm are certain to come in contact with it, causing the occasional errant click. The system doesn’t recognize the click, so it’s not really a problem, but it just feels wrong.

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Though not as distracting as I'd feared, the keys can still be depressed slightly while in tablet mode. As seen here in portrait orientation, your fingers or palm are more likely to accidentally press the clickable touchpad which doesn't lock in place.

While in tablet mode, you’ll also need a bluetooth keyboard around, at least until someone develops a Thinkpad Yoga-specific ArtDock. With the Acer and Sony convertibles I’ve used, you can always lift up the screen to access the keyboard in a pinch, but the Yoga design makes it all or nothing.

The biggest design flaw of Thinkpad Yoga is the location of its fan vents.

The vents are located at the back of the keyboard, which theoretically blows the hot air away from you while in laptop mode. In practice, this is not always the case. For instance if you’re in bed and like to prop the keyboard up on your knees, the fans will blow right into your legs. Or worse, ventilation will be obstructed by your bed covers.

In tablet mode, the vents blow into you unless you rotate the tablet upside down: with the home button up and the camera lens down.

And the vents can get hot. Not scalding like the bottom of my 2008 MacBook Pro, but uncomfortably warm.

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Pictured side by side with the Surface Pro. The Thinkpad Yoga is too large to hold in one hand. In this orientation, the fans point downward and will blow hot air into your body as you hold it.

Despite moving a lot of hot air, the fans are very quiet and seldom noticeable. When compared to the Surface Pro, however, the fans are definitely louder. To stress the CPUs, disks and graphics hardware, I ran Passmark’s Performance Test 8 and while the Yoga’s fans were audible throughout half the tests, the Surface Pro 2 remained silent.

Fit & Finish

Like most Lenovo products, the Thinkpad Yoga won’t win any design awards. It’s a utilitarian device that feels solid and built for durability.

It avoids some of the sharp edges of the Surface Pro and the magnesium alloy finish resists fingerprints and smudges.

The keyboard feels great and is certainly one of the most popular features for road warriors. I really don’t like the clickable touchpad which feels cheap and flimsy. I don’t know what Lenovo’s reliability record is for this touchpad design, but I worry that it will be the first thing to go.

The keyboard also features the signature red Lenovo TrackPoint touching stick which is fairly redundant on a touch screen, but can be mapped as a middle mouse button. I haven’t tried this but that is a nice feature if you need it.

As I mentioned in my unboxing, my Thinkpad Yoga has a small defect in the upper right corner of the screen. There is a bit of tape or something sticking out between the display and the matte coating. It’s no big deal and I’m not going to risk cutting it off, but a $1735 retail device shouldn’t have such an obvious manufacturing flaw.

In laptop mode, the screen is quite springy. The slightest tap will start it wobbling.

The power button on the right side of the keyboard is very small and hard to find without looking.

Performance & Battery Life

 Several of you requested that I run extensive benchmarks and software tests on the Thinkpad Yoga, but I’ve been unable to do so. There are a lot of hardware dedicated sites that do that sort of thing all the time and you’re likely to find more reliable results there anyway.

Using the aforementioned Passmark benchmarks, the Thinkpad Yoga scored 1944 vs. the Surface Pro 2’s 1975. Clearly the Core i7 in the TPY doesn’t make a huge amount of difference in the overall rating.

In practice I found the Yoga to be equal to the Surface Pro 2 in all respects, except for occasional stutters while using Clip Studio Paint 1.27. I’m not certain what to attribute those hiccups to; there may have been background activity going on that I was unaware of, but these delays only lasted a second or so. I did have one freeze that cost me an hour’s worth of work on CSP that may have been caused by a loss of network connectivity.

Some users have complained of weak wi-fi signal, but I can’t confirm that. Running a couple of speedtests side by side didn’t show any difference between the two systems.

I haven’t run the Thinkpad Yoga all the way down to zero battery, but it took about five hours to go from 100% to 10% remaining, all while working in Clip Studio Paint.

Conclusion

So is the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga perfect? Far from it. Is it better than the Surface Pro 2? Not really, given the price difference.

But if your top priority is screen size in a Wacom penabled device, the Thinkpad Yoga is your best option for the moment. We’ll see what manufacturers have up their sleeves in a few weeks at CES 2014.

Surface Pro 2 vs. Thinkpad Yoga Smackdown Video

Don't ask me which one's better, because I'll advise you to buy them both. 

Lisa Gade of Mobile Tech Review compares the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga.

Introducing Surface Pro Artist ArtDock 2.0!

It's only been a week since we introduced the first Surface Pro Artist ArtDock, but time waits for no one.

It's my pleasure to present to you the Surface Pro Artist ArtDock 2.0, courtesy of talented film effects artist Alex Cheparev.

For the uninitiated, ArtDock uses a utility called AutoHotkey to create on-screen triggers for a variety of commonly used inputs including keyboard shortcuts and mouse clicks. With an ArtDock enabled, you can confidently use your Surface Pro in tablet mode without constantly reaching for your keyboard or mouse.

Alex redesigned all the ArtDock icons we published to a much cleaner, flatter monochrome and he added a Mudbox dock for good measure. He also restored the Windows dock that I had hidden.

If you dig into the archive's img folder, you'll find the original PSD files so you can use these icons to create your own ArtDocks for your favorite programs. All I ask is that you share your creations with the rest of the Surface Pro art community.

Click this link to download. For instructions on how to install the Surface Pro Artist ArtDock 2.0, please read this post.

Enjoy!

Surface Pro 2 vs. Sony VAIO Flip 13A Smackdown

I know I've got to get over my camera shyness to do the subject of Windows tablet art justice and remain competitive in this tech review space. But in the meantime, I hope you won't mind when I link to videos that do a great job for me.

That's the case with this excellent comparison of the Surface Pro 2 and the Sony VAIO Flip 13 by Lisa Gade, Editor in Chief at MobileTechReview.

In just under 17 minutes, she exhaustively reviews the pros and cons of each device and reaches much the same conclusions I did: if portability and Photoshop are a must, go with the Surface Pro 2 and if you need an ultrabook with art capabilities, go with the VAIO Flip.

Like Lisa, my first observation about the Flip 15 was the excessive noise coming from the overtaxed fan, but I recently turned off indexing and now the fan rarely turns on. I also was having problems with frequent loss of pen and touch control which appears to have been resolved with a BIOS update from Sony's Japanese support site.

I've cued the video up to begin with the pen technology comparison, but by all means watch the entire thing when you have time to spare.

Lisa Gade compares the Sony Vaio Flip 13 and Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Windows 8 convertible tablets.