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. 

Microsoft working to correct N-Trig pen jitter?

Microsoft observer and tech blogger Barb Bowman spotted a very interesting exchange in this morning's Surface Reddit AMA session.

Reddit user JonBensonDesigns asked about the notorious pen jitter issue while drawing slow diagonal lines that plagues most penabled devices, but can be especially troublesome on N-Trig tablets like the Surface Pro 3. The response from the Surface team is by Steven Bathiche, a Distinguished Scientist in Microsoft Corp.'s Applied Sciences Group.

So if we're to take Bathiche at his word, then Microsoft is working on a fix that may be applicable not only to future devices but also to current Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3 tablets. This is extremely encouraging news and I'll make sure to inform you here if and when that fix is issued!

Microsoft asks: What would you do with a Surface pen?

Long-time readers know my frustration with the depiction of the pen's role in Microsoft's advertising campaigns.

If you were to believe every Surface Pro video you've seen until now, pens are only good for circling stuff, crossing items out and maybe highlighting text. 

No wonder most folks seem to think pens are pointless.

Today, Microsoft released a video that takes a big step in the right direction: featuring three users who actually attest to and demonstrate the productivity gains of pen computing.

Let's hope some of this makes it onto the next wave of broadcast ads.

The Microsoft Surface Pen. Write as fast as you think. Get StaffPad for Windows: http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/ce714f58-1113-4c30-a9a3-f14a0fb5d7ed

Microsoft announces Surface 3 -- with pen sold separately

In a blog post this morning, Panos Panay, Corporate Vice President — Microsoft Surface has announced the new Surface 3 starting at only $499 with pen and type cover sold separately.

The new Surface pens are available for pre-order now in the MIcrosoft Store for $49.99.

Scheduled to ship May 5, the Surface 3 marks the end of the line for Windows RT, the ill-fated OS in the first two original Surfaces.

The Surface 3 claims up to 10 hours of battery life and features a 10.8" 3:2 display, 1920x1280 "Full HD Plus" resolution, Quad Core Intel® Atom™ x7-Z8700 processor, and two configurations: 2GB RAM with 64GB storage or 4GB RAM with 128GB storage for $599.

Additional models with 4G LTE are scheduled to be available in late June, but prices were not yet available.

The Surface 3 dimensions are 10.52" x 7.36" x 0.34" (267mm x 187mm x 8.7mm) and weight is 1.37 lbs (622g). Other features include: 

• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Full-size USB 3.0
• Mini DisplayPort
• microSD™ card reader
• Micro USB charging port
• Headset jack
• Cover port
• Windows 8.1
• 1-year of Office 365 Personal6 with OneDrive cloud storage7
• 3.5 megapixel front-facing camera
• 8.0 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus
• Microphone
• Stereo speakers with Dolby® audio

While extolling the significance of the Surface Pen, Panay's post announced the release of a new Windows App called StaffPad that recognizes handwritten music. "Since we first launched the pen, we’ve also seen some amazing app experiences created specifically for the pen that let you go far beyond the capabilities of a mouse and keyboard or touchscreen," Panay wrote. "Today we’re excited by the arrival of StaffPad in the Windows store — a music composition app designed specifically for Surface because of the power of the Surface Pen. It recognizes your handwritten music, and converts it into a beautifully typeset score and even lets you play it back, drawing from a full orchestral sample library. It’s an amazing use of the pen."

The Surface 3 will be available to check out in Microsoft Stores April 1.

HP Spectre X360 Supports Synaptics HP Active Pen

Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview has just published an excellent video walkthrough confirming that the very stylish HP Spectre X360 ships with a Synaptics digitizer and supports the HP Active Pen (sold separately).

The 13.3-inch convertible laptop starts as low as $899 for an Intel Core  i5-5200U with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage and tops out at $1370 for a Core i7-5500U with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD. All the models feature Intel HD Graphics 5500.

From the looks of Lisa's demo, Synaptics has come a long way in the last year. The biggest drawback for most will be the lack of Wintab drivers for older software.

Lisa Gade tests out the HP Active Stylus digital pen with the HP Spectre X360 Windows 8.1 convertible Ultrabook. The Spectre X360 is compatible with the same pen that HP offers as an optional accessory for the HP Split x2, though they don't publicize this feature.

Wacom acknowledges issues with latest Feel driver; fix coming soon

I've received confirmation from Wacom that they are aware of the issues introduced by version 7.2.1.21 of the Feel driver, released in mid-February.

As many of you noticed, the driver disables the volume buttons on the Surface Pro 1 and 2. Additionally, it uses too much CPU which can cause a delay in the cursor movement in some applications on less powerful devices. 

"We tracked the problem to an expensive API call that someone slipped in (the culprit has been punished)," writes my Wacom contact.

Some other minor bugs are being ironed out and a new build should be available within two weeks. For now, your best bet if you're affected by these issues is to uninstall version 7.2.1.21 and revert to one of the legacy Feel drivers located here.

Wacom announces Cintiq 13HD Touch, slashes non-touch price

High prices have traditionally kept Wacom's Cintiq line out of the reach of starving artists, but the company took a big step toward affordability today by slashing the price of its Cintiq 13HD to $800 and introducing the new 13HD Touch for $1000.

I've been testing the Companion 2 for a couple of weeks and while there's a lot to like, the device does have its drawbacks. First of all, it's very large for a "portable" tablet and its fans can be extremely distracting.

Since the 13HD Touch is a display without the pc internals, fan noise should be non-existent. And the large footprint shouldn't be a problem on most desktops.

Yes, you could buy larger pen displays from Huion, Yiynova and others. But it's hard to argue with the quality workmanship, fit and finish of the Cintiq.

The new device should certainly be appealing to OS X artists who've had to look on with envy at Windows users who've been in "touch" with our tablets for years.

For more details, here's the link to Wacom's announcement.

Microsoft updates, renames Surface (Hub) app

Perhaps to avoid confusion with the soon-to-be-released Surface Hub displays, Microsoft has renamed its Surface Pro 3 app and added some new pressure increments.

You can now choose 12 steps of pressure for the SP3's N-Trig pen.

To achieve the broadest range of strokes (the equivalent of Wacom's firm setting), select the leftmost position, shown above. The curve slope at this setting is not as gradual as you can set in Manga Studio. In fact, a linear curve is only three steps away.

The majority of the new increments seem geared to note-takers who will want to minimize stroke variability and apply the least force while writing. Setting the pressure slider all the way to the right (see above, what Wacom calls soft) provides a very dark stroke with minimal effort.

In addition to the pressure settings, the app allows users to choose between the Modern or desktop versions of OneNote for the Pen Top Button action. And the physical Windows button can be disabled if you find it gets in the way as you draw or ink.

Unfortunately, the app does not address side switch addressability. For that you'll need to use a third party utility like Radial Menu.

The updated Surface app is now available in the Windows Store.

Wacom updates Feel Driver

Earlier this week, Wacom released version 7.2.1-21 of its Enhanced Tablet Driver, aka Feel driver.

The company hasn't updated its ReadMe file, so it's unclear what has changed. My inquiries to Wacom have gone unanswered.

It appears that the primary purpose of this release was to introduce compatibility with new ActiveES devices like the Toshiba Encore 2 Write. Now those tablet users can enjoy the benefits of the built-in radial menu, tip sensitivity adjustment and calibration.

I've tested the driver on Surface Pro 2, 10" Encore 2 Write, HP Pro x2 612 G1 and the Asus VivoTab TF810C with no problems to report. 

If you spot any differences, be sure to let me know in the comments section below. UPDATE 2/15/15: Many of you are reporting laggy performance and loss of volume button controls on the Surface Pro. Keep those error reports coming and we'll make sure to pass word along to Wacom. If you need to revert to an older version, you find those here: http://us.wacom.com/en/support/legacy-drivers/.

You can check out the driver for yourself here.