Lenovo ThinkPad 10 reviews coming in

Still no word on availability from Lenovo, but reviewers have apparently had their hands on the new Thinkpad 10 tablet for a while.

Paul Thurrott published his first impressions earlier today and now Lisa Gade of Mobile Tech Review has posted a very informative video review.

The machine is probably under-powered for most art applications, but its Wacom digitizer nonetheless makes it an interesting competitor to the $799 Core i3 Surface Pro 3.

One of these days, Lenovo may add me to their reviewers list, but in the meantime, here is Lisa's video. She begins discussing the pen at around the 9 minute mark.

Lisa Gade reviews the Lenovo ThinkPad 10 tablet. This is a 1.3 lb., 10.1" Windows 8.1 tablet with a 1920 x 1200 IPS display and the Intel Atom Z3795 1.6GHz Bay Trail quad core CPU. The tablet runs full Windows and it has 2 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of eMMC flash storage plus a microSD card slot.

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Penny Arcade Surface Pro 3 update

Mike Krahulik, Penny Arcade's Gabe, has published an update to his experiences with the Surface Pro 3 that is an absolute must-read for anyone concerned about the tablet's suitability for artists.

He has been shown updates that I haven't seen that will clearly make a positive difference to users.

After I was done drawing I went out to lunch with some of the people from the team. I said to them “listen, I am an edge case. I don’t use this machine the way most of your users will use it. I understand this thing isn’t going to do everything for everyone.” Their answer was basically “why not?”

It's a great post and well worth your time. Check it out here: http://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2014/06/16/surface-pro-3-update

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Surface Pro 3: One week later...

I’m late to the Surface Pro 3 review party and it seems every other tech journalist or blogger has already written thousands of words on the subject.

But with the exception of Penny Arcade’s Gabe (Mike Krahulik), none of the early reviews have focused on what we all really want to know: the suitability of the device for painting, drawing and sculpting.

The second magnet which angles the type cover significantly improves the typing experience on the Surface Pro 3. Unfortunately, it also makes it difficult to swipe from the bottom of the screen or access icons in the taskbar.

So I’ll dispense with the basics: 

• The screen is bigger, but not so big to be less portable.
• The 3:2 aspect ratio feels much less cramped in landscape mode and more natural to hold in portrait mode.
• The display resolution of 2160x1440 is crisp and beautiful.
• The SP3 is about 30% thinner than the previous Surface Pros.
• While not the lightest tablet for its size, the SP3 no longer feels like a brick.
• The device runs silently most of the time, but 3d applications can force the fans into overdrive.
• Heat is not unbearable, but seems to be concentrated in the upper right corner (in landscape mode). You won’t feel the heat at all if you’re just browsing or doing simple office tasks.
• The pen really is impressively accurate and handwriting on the screen is as good an experience as it’s ever been.
• Battery life is very good. I’ve been able to go the entire day on a single charge. As I write this, I’ve been going for over three hours and am at 60%.
• The redesigned power adapter is much easier to attach. No more fiddling with the finicky magnet!
• The pen is a significant upgrade over the original Surface Pro stylus. 
• The touchpad on the new type cover is larger and significantly improved.
• The new magnet at the top of the type cover, which angles the keyboard slightly for typing, is a huge improvement (I’m typing this post on the SP3 right now).
• While the type cover is angled, it lines up with the very bottom of the display and makes it impossible to swipe up from the bottom and difficult to unhide the taskbar or select taskbar icons.
• The Windows home button has been moved and is now on the center right of the screen (in landscape mode). Some users have complained that it’s too easy to hit it accidentally.
• The variable kickstand is genius. 
• The speakers are louder.
• The wifi is upgraded.
• Overall performance seems to be on-par with the similarly spec’d Surface Pro 2. My test unit has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
• Because I’ve been using a pre-production machine, there have been a handful of quirks (like disabled wifi after waking) that Microsoft is promising to fix by ship date.

So bottom line, the Surface Pro 3 is a huge improvement over its predecessors and addresses nearly all the issues anyone has had with prior incarnations. 

The variable kickstand is one of the most welcome changes to the Surface Pro 3 design, especially the lowest angle which is ideal for drawing: no more need for a separate stand.

That’s all well and good you say, but what’s it like for drawing?

When pen pressure is available, drawing with the Surface Pro 3 is a pleasure. Initial activation force is a little higher than I’d prefer so it can be difficult to make very light marks. Sometimes light strokes will skip. In software where you can edit your pen pressure curve (as in Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint), you can adjust for this and get much better results.

These tests demonstrate the pressure range I was able to achieve in Clip Studio Paint 1.3.1 with a 200px Frenden brush on a 10"x10" image at 300 dpi. I adjusted the slope of the pen pressure curve to have a much slower acceleration. The default linear curve requires too much initial force, which makes it nearly impossible for me to register light marks.

The pen pressure settings in Clip Studio Paint.

Microsoft is promising to deliver a control panel applet shortly after launch that will enable pressure curve and tip sensitivity settings. I’ve asked them to consider adding visual meters to the tip adjustments so that it’s easier to see the amount of force being applied. Button configuration will also be possible and they are considering adding a marking or radial menu similar to Wacom’s.

Although the pen nib is much preferred over the hard tip on the current Surface Pro pen, it is still a bit too hard for my taste. It feels a little too slippery on the glass. Microsoft has heard our concerns and will be offering tip replacements including softer options. Unfortunately, there is no precise date when these will be available.

The N-Trig digitizer on the Surface Pro 3 is compatible with a variety of pens already on the market. I’ve only tested the Sony Active Pen, but other manufacturers like Motion already offer a compatible pen with replacement tips.

As touted by Microsoft, the digitizer is free of the edge inaccuracies that have plagued many of the Wacom devices I've tested. Calibration was perfect out of the box and when I tried to run the calibration tool, I threw it off slightly so I simply reverted back to the default settings.

Palm rejection is a little bit hit and miss at the moment, although Microsoft is taking steps to improve it. It’s not an issue in software like Manga Studio and Sketchable that give you the option to disable touch drawing without disabling gestures (brilliant!), but it can be an issue in other software.

The operating system will disable touch when the pen tip comes within a certain distance of the screen. But if you tilt your pen, it’s possible that your hand will leave stray marks in software like Fresh Paint.

To correct for this, Microsoft will be adding a second level of palm detection that will use the digitizer’s image sensor to evaluate the shape of the object coming into contact with the screen. The assumption being that you’re unlikely to want to draw with your palm (ham-fisted shading?) vs. a fingertip.

A major knock against prior N-Trig incarnations is what some call vectoring: random stray lines that shoot off in the middle of a drawing. This doesn’t occur often, but I have experienced it. Microsoft believes it has a solution which will be implemented in a Day One firmware update.

One of the areas where I’ve noticed that performance doesn’t seem to be quite up to prior generations’ is when I’m attempting to pan, zoom and rotate with my fingers while drawing. I’ve discovered that this is due to the pen position. If I hold the tip too close to the screen while I’m touching, the gesture is disabled. This feels like a brief stutter, but being more aware of the pen placement will correct this.

At least in Manga Studio the pinch to zoom gesture is sometimes confused with the rotation gesture. 

A by-product of the active capacitive technology used by N-Trig is hover lag. This is the delay between the on-screen cursor position and the pen tip. If you move your pen very quickly over the display, the cursor will lag behind like a shadow. 

In the Penny Arcade review, Krahulik described this as a performance issue, but I believe it’s more of an optical illusion. You can be confident that the pen will tap wherever your tip is located; there’s no need to wait that extra millisecond for the cursor to catch up. If you find the visual lag very disturbing, you can try reducing the pointer to a one-pixel dot. 

Parallax, the separation between the tip and the actual drawing surface, is greatly reduced compared to the original Surface Pro models. This is because the N-Trig technology requires only one digitizer layer. In Wacom systems, there is a capacitive (touch) layer and an active (pen) layer.

The real stumbling block for artists considering the Surface Pro 3 is N-Trig’s spotty Wintab compatibility. This issue isn’t unique to the SP3, it also plagues other devices like the Sony Flip 15A and Acer Aspire R7-572. Simply put, it looks like this driver was only tested with Photoshop CC, where it works flawlessly.

Every other wintab program I’ve tried (see What Runs, What Doesn’t) simply doesn’t see the tablet service. 

Like many Wintab programs, ZBrush 4R6 runs and is very responsive; however, pen pressure is absent.

ZBrush displays an error message that the service is not running upon launch. However, the program will proceed to launch and will work except pen pressure is not recognized. Mudbox doesn’t recognize the pen or touch, although it can be controlled with the touchpad or a mouse. Most other programs work as expected except that brushes draw at 100% pressure.

(The pen pressure works in 3D-Coat,, the ZBrush and Mudbox competitor,  but that program’s OpenGL version has display issues. The DirectX version runs okay. I haven’t had time to confirm whether other OpenGL applications have similar problems.)

All of this is (hopefully) a temporary situation. Adobe’s next Photoshop, due out in June, will no longer require Wintab. Corel is reportedly working on a Microsoft API version of Painter. Microsoft and N-Trig are scrambling to improve compatibility with other programs before the SP3 ship date. And third party developers such as Pixologic and Autodesk will obviously be pressured by users to make their products work. (Whether they do anything about it remains to be seen, although failing to respond may represent an opportunity for swift moving competitors.)

It’s unfortunate that the change in digitizer tech has resulted in so much uncertainty in the creative user base which had whole-heartedly embraced the Surface Pro. If you rely on any of the programs that don’t work at present, the best option may be to sit on the sidelines until the dust settles. And there will certainly be great discounts to be had on remaining inventories of the SP1 and 2.

If you’re an art hobbyist or a professional who works primarily in Photoshop or Manga Studio, the Surface Pro 3 may be the creative tablet of your dreams. But the N-Trig experience is just different enough that I recommend you try it for yourself before you buy. 

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Sizing up the Surface Pro 3 pen

Since the Surface Pro 3  that I and all other tech reviewers received last week is a pre-production unit, there are a lot of minor tweaks and software fixes  that Microsoft intends to publish before the devices begin shipping June 20.

That being the case, anything you read between now and then about compatibility and performance is likely to change.

One thing that won't is the new Surface Pro 3 pen. Thus far, reviewers have talked about the pen in isolation, but I thought it would be helpful to show it in comparison to some of the more popular Wacom-compatible options.

As Microsoft proudly proclaims, the new pen is definitely not a stylus. It has a nice metallic finish, two prominent buttons, a clip and a clickable end that automatically launches OneNote.

The new pen is the same length as the current Surface Pro stylus, but it is slightly wider and the required AAAA battery adds nice weight. The Wacom Bamboo Feel Stylus - Carbon is much longer with its cap on. The Bamboo's weight tends to tip toward the cap, whereas the weight of the new Surface pen feels nicely balanced.  

The dimensions of the new Surface Pro 3 pen are very similar to the Sony Active Pen (minus click end). The two pens are interchangeable, but neither offers replacement nibs. In response to this issue, Microsoft is considering marketing replacement nibs of different textures. I'll have more information on this as it becomes available. 

If you read the excellent Reddit AMA post by Microsoft's head of the Applied Sciences Group Steven Bathiche that I published yesterday, you'll know that the new Surface Pen takes a very different approach to capturing pen information. The active capacitive technology transfers more the responsibility to the pen and affords a thinner digitizer in the Surface Pro. Besides the AAAA battery, there are two small cells located in the cap to power the pen's remote control function.

Marketing presentation from N-Trig. The main takeaway is that this tech works with the capacitive or touch layer and doesn't require an additional pen digitizer layer.

The new type cover ships with a pen loop that attaches to the left side of the keyboard. It's snug, but secures the pen well.

The loop itself is merely a sticker that adheres to the back of the type cover. Microsoft sells these separate if you'd like to add one to your existing Surface Pro. 

The type cover has a groove near the connector edge that is a nice alternative to the pen loop.

Just clip your pen along the side and it will be snug and secure.

I've enlisted the aid of the amazing Ray Frenden to develop a brush that will allow us to better evaluate the performance of the pen and the N-Trig digitizer vs. the existing models. I'll have that up as soon as possible.

Technobuffalo: Hands-on with the Surface Pro 3 pen

Revision 3's Technobuffalo has put together an excellent introductory video to the new Surface Pro 3 pen. Host Jon Rettinger focuses primarily on OneNote, but there are a couple of shots in the video that zoom in to demonstrate the accuracy of the pen tip. Well worth five minutes of your time.

Surface Pen Hands-On  

Surface Pro 3 Unboxing: http://bit.ly/1tMjMwI The Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's new all-arounder, a device designed for both work and play. This is the company's most recent attempt at reinventing the laptop/tablet hybrid, and the company's message is crystal clear: it's going straight after Apple's MacBook Air.

Found: an Axiotron Studio Pen substitute?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ron2k_1 of Belize City, Belize posted this very detailed review of the Wacom UP-911E pen over at the TabletPCReview forum and his post inspired me to order it so I could compare it head to head with the discontinued Axiotron Studio Pen (see my review "I have a new favorite tablet pc pen and you can't have it" Don't know why I'm really proud of that bitchy headline).

My pen should arrive within a week or two and I'll post my findings as soon as I can.

In the meantime, I asked Ron's permission to reprint his article and amazingly detailed photos here. The UP-911E is expensive at $90-and-up from third party Japanese sellers on ebay, but I am fond of bigger pens and you may like its size better than the only other two-button pen currently available, the Fujitsu T5000. 

The Wacom UP-911E

GUEST POST by Ron2k_1, reprinted by permission from this TabletPCReview forums thread.

So I finally got a chance to go to the post office to clear my UP-911E Pen.

It all started after searching and searching for the ever-elusive Axiotron Studio Pen every digital artist out there venerated. I found the following website for reference and started looking for its closest match: Wacom Asia Pacific | Pen Compatibility

So, if you're still reading, here are my observations.

First, my lot of pens for visual reference if anybody else have any of my other pens:

Left to right: UP-911E, Bamboo Feel IT Carbon, Motion Computing, Surface Pro, Fujitsu Lifebook 5010, Lenovo x230t, Galaxy Note 2 pen

And here are the specs of the above pens (Profile measurements):

First, the UP-911E as it is a very irregular shaped pen:

And for the others (Tried to keep in 16ths of an inch; 8/16 is 1/2 and 4/16 is 1/4 and so forth):
Pen-------------------------------Length------------Width (Profile)
Motion Computing-------5 12/16----------------7/16
Bamboo Feel Carbon--5 15/16--------------13/32
Surface Pro-------------------5 8/16----------------5/16
Fujitsu Lifebook-------------5 4/16----------------6/16
Lenovo x230t----------------5 2/16----------------6/16
Galaxy Note 2----------------4 7/16----------------4/16

I'm really not sure if the nibs used by the UP-911E are standard or not. I guess the only way to know is to buy a few and try them. But at least I can notice that the nibs used by Fujitsu, x230t, motion computing and UP-911E are all interchangeable and at the same length of 1 1/16" and same standard circumference. So if anybody can confirm that any of these pens use Standard nibs, then we can say that the UP-911E uses Standard Nibs as well, which would be great.

Still reading? Artists, this may be of interest to you:
On Photoshop on my Win 7 HP, i7 x230t, the UP-911E is almost as accurate (with very small nib offset) as the most accurate pen I've ever tried - my Bamboo Feel IT Carbon pen.

Here are some screen shots. First, the UP-911E (notice the cursor, not that off from the tip of nib):

Then, the Motion Computing (this one felt pretty bad..):

And finally, the dead-on-center Bamboo Feel IT:

Next, my pressure buildup test done on sketchbook pro. I tried to build pressure consistently with same amount of press with all three pens. The Bamboo Feel seems a bit thicker as it is heavier:

EDIT May 7, 2014: At the request of forum member dream3 in post # 5, I tested the three pens on light stroke mode. I tried several brushes (knife, pencil, air brush) and I had a hard time noticing any difference between the UP-911E and the Bamboo Feel IT pen. I believe that the Bamboo Feel IT is probably infinitesimally more responsive to very VERY light strokes but the weight of the pen may have something to do with it. On the other hand my Fuiji pen and Motion Computing pen require significantly more force to register the same pressure level

Now, here is where the UP-911E scored high marks. This pen is so comfortable to grip and make long strokes with. It is not as heavy as my Carbon pen (28g), or as light as my Fujitsu pen, but it weighs maybe a gram or two more than the motion computing pen, which according to surfaceproartist blog weighs 15g. So this pen weighs IMO around 16g or 17g.

Here are some screen shots of how it looks in your hand. Note that I'm not a leftie, but was forced to awkwardly hold it that way as I needed my right hand to take pictures:

Now for note-taking, I gotta say that my Carbon pen still reigns supreme. I can make short strokes and draw letters better and more comfortable and fluidly with my Bamboo Feel Carbon than any other pen I've tried; even my newest addition UP-911E. Here are the results:

On my Galaxy Note 2, nothing beats the stock 4.5" pen. I remember reading that the digitizer on the Galaxy Note 2 were slightly different than the standard Wacom digitizer.

To wrap up, this pen cost US$90 from a Japanese supplier (which reminds me, I need to leave him some feedback) on ebay. It arrived super fast and in a very secured outer package. I didn't take pics of that package but I took pics of the inner package which is the UP-911E box that is labeled Cintiq on the outside:

Contents: Regular hard white nibs, rubber grip with no aperture for side button, Pen Stand, spare side button. That's it, no nib removal ring or additional nibs...

If you notice from above it even came with a little stand:

If you were brave enough to read all that and still have questions, just shoot them up (at the original TabletPCReview forum thread located here).

App makes your Windows or Android device a Virtual Tablet

The Virtual Tablet app is available in both the Windows and Google Play app stores.

I'm often asked whether a Surface Pro or other Windows penabled device could do double duty as a virtual Wacom Intuos or Bamboo tablet . Although remote control of a desktop pc is possible from any tablet, including iPads, I hadn't found a setup that didn't lag or that properly passed along pen pressure until today.

Virtual Tablet from Sunnysidesoft is the first Windows or Android app I've come across that comes close to duplicating the functionality of a pen tablet over wifi.

In my tests with the Windows app running on the Asus Vivotab Note 8 and the Android version running on the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, I was able to draw effortlessly on my desktop copies of Manga Studio and Sketchbook Pro. Lag on those two apps was barely perceptible and pressure range is excellent.

I also tested Virtual Tablet with Photoshop, but pressure information is not communicated. According to the developers' website, "(This is) because Adobe applications use different device driver for supporting pressure sensitivity. We are developing a new driver for Photoshop right now. However, we can’t promise when it will be ready." Dreaded Wintab requirement strikes again! 

The reason Virtual Tablet performs so well may be that unlike other remote control options, it doesn't attempt to reproduce your target screen on your tablet. You'll only see a bounding box representing your target screen. You can pinch zoom in and out of the target area and lock it as well. UPDATE: These are Android-only options. The Windows version only allows full-screen or a default size that leaves a title bar. This is unfortunate because it's easier to reach icons on the sides and bottom of the screen when you reduce the size of the active window slightly.

As you hover around the tablet screen with your pen, your cursor will move on your desktop screen. The pen pointer was displayed as a small pixel on my display. I assume that's a Windows system setting, but I was unable to find the spot to change it. Because the pointer is so small on my 1920x1080 23-inch monitor, it was easy for me to lose sight of it at the top and bottom of the screen. It would be nice if the app offered some way to temporarily change the pointer while in control.

Besides providing even greater functionality for your mobile device, Virtual Tablet makes it possible to control software that would otherwise be incompatible. For example, The Foundry's Mari requires an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with at least 1GB of RAM. But I was able to paint in the application from the Note Pro. The same should be true for Mudbox and any other app that is problematic on Intel HD graphics hardware. (I can't vouch for pressure sensitivity in Mari because I'm not familiar enough with it to test it properly.) UPDATE: I finally found a meaningful use for my AVTN8. It's a great input device for Mudbox on my desktop while Autodesk continues to grapple with Intel HD graphics compatibility.

To use Virtual Tablet with your desktop, you first need to download the free server application for either Windows or Mac (eraser tip functions are not yet supported in OS X).

Compatibility information from the developers website:

VirtualTablet requires devices with “pressure sensitive stylus pen with hover mode.". As far as we know this functionalities only available with Wacom Digitizer Stylus technology (Samsung Galaxy Note series, few ASUS tablets, and most of Windows Tablets are based on this pen).

Usually capacitive touch pens don’t support pressure sensitivity and hover mode, even though it seems like ‘stylus pen’. This capacitive touch pens are just same as using your finger. Therefore it is not supported by VirtualTablet.

Supported: Galaxy Note series, few ASUS tablets, Windows Tablet(MS Surface, Slate 7, ATIV, ASUS Eee Slate, etc.)

NOT supported: Galaxy Tab, ASUS tablet, Nexus Tablets (Nexus 7, 10), HP TouchPad and other usual tablets & phones.

Virtual Tablet is available as a free trial, but for only $1.99 for the Windows Store version and $1.86 for Android, it's an absolute no-brainer.

Virtual Tablet requires a free server application running on your Windows or Mac desktop.

Make your iOS or Android device a second screen with TwoMon app

There's a lot to like about the Surface Pro, but we can all agree that its limited screen real estate isn't one of the device's most distinguishing features. Even tablet friendly applications like Manga Studio tend to crowd the Surface Pro screen, leaving precious little room for actual drawing.

Adding a second desktop monitor via the miniDisplayPort is an obvious solution for home or office, but isn't really practical when you're on the go. Korean developer Easy n Light has a fascinating, more portable solution in the form of the iOS and Android apps TwoMon and TwoMonUSB.

Both apps allow you to extend the Windows desktop to a smartphone or tablet via Wifi or USB, respectively. I didn't test the iPad version of TwoMonUSB, but assuming it works like the Android example shown above, it's a great option to consider if you carry around multiple devices.

For the app to work, you need to install a server application on your Windows desktop. Download the app to your Android or iOS device, start it up and connect a USB cable to your pc.

It occasionally takes a little plugging and unplugging of your cable to work, but eventually the software and Windows connect and you'll soon see your desktop extend to the second monitor.

Because the TwoMonUSB app relies on a USB connection, I noticed no lag between the two displays. I assume the same can't be said for the wifi version. Other wireless solutions I've used all exhibited significant lag.

In the specific test I ran with the Surface Pro 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2,  it was fascinating to see that touch and pen work on both screens. Pressure wasn't recognized on the Note Pro, however. But the idea here isn't to draw on the external monitor; rather the idea is to unclutter your canvas by moving the UI to the second screen. I tested with both Manga Studio and Photoshop CC and it worked great.

It's also unlikely you'd use a second screen that's bigger than your Windows tablet as I show above. I tried to test with a first generation Nexus 7 (my only other Android device) and I couldn't make it work.

UPDATE 4/9/2014: Thanks to the help of reader Reginald Atkins, I just got TwoMonUSB to work on my Asus first-gen Nexus 7. In order for the Windows desktop to control the Android device, the Google USB driver must first be downloaded from here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/win-usb.html. In Device Manager, the tablet will show as mounted but missing the required driver. Point Windows to your newly downloaded .inf file and the tablet will be mounted. It took me a couple of software restarts for the Windows and Android devices to finally see each other. But it works. The disadvantage of using TwoMonUSB on a capacitive device like the Nexus 7 is that you'll need to use your finger or a different stylus for that screen and tiny desktop touch targets aren't easy to hit with fat fingers or pen tips.  

Besides testing with the Surface Pro 2, I also extended the display of my Sony Flip 15A onto the Samsung tablet. As with the SP, pressure sensitivity was not available on the Note. It was also weird having to remember to switch between the S-Pen and the Sony Active pen. 

One important note: to make the Android app work, you'll need access to the Developer Settings menu on your device. I Googled around for the way to show this hidden menu on my Galaxy Note Pro. In the developer settings, you have to enable USB debugging.

TwoMonUSB isn't cheap as apps go, costing about $9 for each version. The desktop server download is free.

I don't know that I'll actually use any of my machines in this configuration, but it's certainly cool to know that it's possible. And compared to geeky solutions like Roccat's Power-Grid, it's much easier to extend the desktop than program a control grid for your individual application.

Hats off to reader Bob Roach who turned me on to this option. If you get a chance to try TwoMon or know of other similar products, leave a note in the comments section below. 

ProKASE protects Surface Pro and provides mobile docking solution

As much as there is to like about the Surface Pro's various keyboard covers, there's no doubt they leave something to be desired as cases. Since they don't latch and leave the back of the tablet exposed, there's something unsettling about relying on them for protection.

The Surface Pro's kickstand and keyboard connector also present unique design challenges to traditional case manufacturers. This may explain why so few tailor-made products have reached the market in the year since the Surface Pro was first introduced.

Indiegogo funded Key Add-On Systems Engineering took this design challenge to heart with its first product, the ProKASE Mobile Dock. Besides providing a basic case that accomodates the Surface Pro and its keyboard cover, the ProKASE offers a removable dock cover with three USB 3.0 ports, and full-sized CF/SD card readers.

Although at $70 it's a little pricey for a case, this additional functionality makes the ProKASE an investment worth considering. To order the ProKASE, visit https://pkase.com/

The ProKASE is available in black, cyan and purple to match your keyboard cover. There were slight imperfections in the stitching of my cover, but the construction quality is consistent with other cases I've purchased for the iPad and Android devices.

The ProKASE consists of three parts: the frame (above) holds the Surface Pro and has appropriate openings for the camera and the tablet's various other buttons, ports and vents. The other two parts are the dock cover (lower left) and the thin cover. The black strips sewn into both covers provide stops which duplicate the functionality of the Surface Pro kickstand.

Both covers adhere to the frame with a wide velcro tab. The flap on the frame folds out to provide great stability when the case is opened. The Surface Pro sits much more firmly in one's lap when used in this manner (see gif animation below).

The dock cover sacrifices one of the stopping strips for a padded palm rest. When it's not connected to the Surface Pro, the connector cable on the left side of the dock cover is tucked safely out of the way. Pulling the cable out of its housing can take some effort.

The connecting cable hides a USB 3.0 and CF card reader on the left side of the dock cover. The vacant cable storage port is to the right of the card reader.

An SD card reader (left) and two USB 3.0 ports sit on the right side of the dock cover.

The dock cover connector plugs into the Surface Pro's USB port. There are no drivers available from ProKASE and I worry that this may become an issue in the future. My tablet sometimes reports it's unable to identify the USB device when the dock is plugged in. I've also had intermittent issues with the Marvell wifi driver while the dock is connected.

The closed ProKASE on the left with the thin cover and the open case with dock cover. The support is firm enough that it's possible to draw on the Surface Pro screen at this angle.

With the keyboard cover attached, the Surface Pro screen can be angled much lower than with the kickstand.

The dock cover (right)  has a visible fold on the underside of the padded palm rest.

The ProKASE was designed before the release of the Microsoft Power Cover so it's no surprise that the thicker keyboard doesn't fit very well in the case. The fold in the dock cover refuses to lie flat.

Even with the ProKASE strapped closed, the Power Cover and dock cover are an uncomfortable fit. Together the ProKase, Surface Pro and Power Cover dwarf an SP with type cover (right).

The strapped ProKASE with dock cover and type cover is slightly less bulky, especially compared to the Surface Pro with Power Cover (right).

The spine of the ProKASE (left) is about 1.5 inches thick, about twice the size of the Surface Pro with type cover.

With the thin cover and type cover, the ProKASE is almost the same width as the Surface Pro and Power cover.

What is bound to be one of the ProKASE's most popular features is the elastic loop at the top of the frame which secures the Surface Pro pen.

Although it's designed for the standard pen, the loop expands to hold the much thicker Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel Carbon.