QUESTION/RANT - Why aren't there any active pens or stylus options?

Hi all,

I've been holding out for years now and I still can't believe that there aren't more or any manufacturers making good active Bluetooth stylus options for Windows systems.

I'm referring to the likes of the Adonit Pixel, Ink & Slide, or Apple Pencil, which use Bluetooth to relay pressure sensitivity and other data to your system.

What's the bottleneck currently with Windows? Or is it purely lack of interest in the market, where everyone seems to gravitate towards iPads for this sort of thing?

There are a number of systems with Wacom styluses. The most well known is the Surface Pro Pen. I don't know if it's Bluetooth, I would think not... BT takes a lot more power than the low power wireless wacoms.

Another is the Lenovo Pen used in the Thinkpad Yoga 15 (you can use it on certain other models, like the Yoga 900 as well).

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/itemdet...47C56812E4188C

Mystere said:

There are a number of systems with Wacom styluses. The most well known is the Surface Pro Pen. I don't know if it's Bluetooth, I would think not... BT takes a lot more power than the low power wireless wacoms.

Another is the Lenovo Pen used in the Thinkpad Yoga 15 (you can use it on certain other models, like the Yoga 900 as well).

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/itemdet...47C56812E4188C

Right, I'm aware of those.. The Wacom ones like the Surface Pro use a different kind of technology since it's built into the screen. I'm looking for solutions that work with standard capacitive touch screens. And at that rate, I don't see what is different from an iPad versus say my Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro.

I think it is cos you need a Digitizer under (over?) the touch screen for pressure sensitivity and that tech is at a much higher cost , so not something you are going to get in a $3-500 laptop for eg. , maybe one reason why the Surface is more expensive than other options?

Kbird said:

I think it is cos you need a Digitizer under (over?) the touch screen for pressure sensitivity and that tech is at a much higher cost , so not something you are going to get in a $3-500 laptop for eg. , maybe one reason why the Surface is more expensive than other options?

Not exactly. Some of the stylus for iPad use Bluetooth to transfer pressure data, while the capacitive touch handles the coordinates. The Surface probably does have an active digitizer layer, but I am just referring to the type that works with iPads.

OK was not aware of Bluetooth pressure sensitivity on ipads.... never owned one , but on the Original Surface Pen the Bluetooth is basically only used to wake it up and then open OneNote , ie it still works fine if you turn it's Bluetooth off. Not Sure about how the new version on the S4 and S4Pro or Book work though.