5 ms·

Here in Britain there's a Microsoft advert at the moment (maybe elsewhere too, no idea) that says at the end of it "You don't expect to be able to draw on a scr

by boyce 9y ago

Here in Britain there's a Microsoft advert at the moment (maybe elsewhere too, no idea) that says at the end of it "You don't expect to be able to draw on a screen" That's literally the only feature they mention. Touchscreen compatibility. It makes them look like they're from the stone age and completely unaware of the competition

DaiPlusPlus 9y ago
It's true, to an extent: only the more expensive iPad Pro supports Apple's native "Pencil" tool - the non-Pro iPad can only use third-party Bluetooth styluses that have a sub-par user-experience. But yeah - Microsoft just won't let the "Pen computing" vision die - they've been at it since their first "Windows for Pen Computing" release in 1992. Serious question: does anyone use the handwriting note-taking abilities they added to the Edge Browser when people were begging for Extension support?
- kodfodrasz 9y ago
  I have used the feature in the maps app. I have a simple old wacom tablet, which is not the same as "drawing on the screen", but I have a preference of this input method and note taking. If i'd have more suitable hardware, probably I'd use these features more, but my hardware are doing great, so no updates yet.
- boyce 9y ago
  surely anyone's reaction to "you don't expect to be able to draw on a screen" will be "I really do though" regardless of what they mean, what they say is ridiculous
- actsasbuffoon 9y ago
  As an owner of both a Surface and an iPad Pro, I can confidently state that the stylus experience is much better on the iPad. The stylus is a neat gimmick on the Surface, but usability suffered after they stopped licensing their stylus tech from Wacom. Sometimes it tracks the stylus when you’re not quite touching the screen, so you get messy little lines before and after your strokes. The pressure sensitivity isn’t very good either. It doesn’t track well enough to take hand-written notes at the scale you’d write on paper, so you have to write in huge letters. Microsoft should go back to Wacom. As for Apple’s Pencil, it’s fantastic. It’s actually better than my Wacom Cintiq (admittedly, it’s a previous gen Cintiq. The new version may be better). The accuracy and latency are great, pressure sensitivity is excellent, and tilt sensitivity works well. The only bad thing is that you have to charge the stylus, but a full charge takes about 20 minutes. So if I were Microsoft, I wouldn’t be using the stylus as a selling point, considering their stylus is way behind the competition. And seriously Microsoft, you have no business trying to develop your own stylus tech just to save a few bucks. Wacom has this stuff figured out, so just pony up the dough and be done with it.
  - hungerstrike 9y ago
    I agree with your opinion that the Apple Pencil offers the best experience (and I also own a Surface Pro 1 and 3 and a couple of iPad Pros). Even the first Wacom stylus that Microsoft had for the first Surface Pro wasn't as good as the Pencil. When I got my first iPad Pro, I was angry at Microsoft for not doing as good a job as Apple did with the Pencil despite having many years head start. Honestly, wtf Microsoft? Luckily for them I like just about everything else in Windows better than iOS. The only thing Windows has been missing for tablet mode IMO has been a dictation key on their virtual keyboard. That's why I treat my Surface Pro as a laptop. (I gave away the Surface Pro 1 and kept the 3.) Microsoft is finally giving us a dictation key this fall though, so I will most likely switch away from iPad altogether if that works well. At that point the only thing the iPad will offer for me is the tight integration with Facetime/iMessage. I can't wait to have a full OS and real Chrome on a Windows tablet again!
kodfodrasz 9y ago
It is not simply touch screen they are mentioning. It is "inking capabilities", stylus based drawing on the screen. The ad is not a good one as for example it was not clear for you. On the other hand people already know basic windows features, this is their intended direction of developing the system: more natural human interface, including handwriting and voice recognition.
- boyce 9y ago
  Oh I can see what they want to say but my barometer of consumer tech (well, wife) doesn't see any feature her ancient ipad 2 doesn't have

by boyce 9y ago

DaiPlusPlus 9y ago

It's true, to an extent: only the more expensive iPad Pro supports Apple's native "Pencil" tool - the non-Pro iPad can only use third-party Bluetooth styluses that have a sub-par user-experience. But yeah - Microsoft just won't let the "Pen computing" vision die - they've been at it since their first "Windows for Pen Computing" release in 1992. Serious question: does anyone use the handwriting note-taking abilities they added to the Edge Browser when people were begging for Extension support?

kodfodrasz 9y ago
I have used the feature in the maps app. I have a simple old wacom tablet, which is not the same as "drawing on the screen", but I have a preference of this input method and note taking. If i'd have more suitable hardware, probably I'd use these features more, but my hardware are doing great, so no updates yet.
boyce 9y ago
surely anyone's reaction to "you don't expect to be able to draw on a screen" will be "I really do though" regardless of what they mean, what they say is ridiculous
actsasbuffoon 9y ago
As an owner of both a Surface and an iPad Pro, I can confidently state that the stylus experience is much better on the iPad. The stylus is a neat gimmick on the Surface, but usability suffered after they stopped licensing their stylus tech from Wacom. Sometimes it tracks the stylus when you’re not quite touching the screen, so you get messy little lines before and after your strokes. The pressure sensitivity isn’t very good either. It doesn’t track well enough to take hand-written notes at the scale you’d write on paper, so you have to write in huge letters. Microsoft should go back to Wacom. As for Apple’s Pencil, it’s fantastic. It’s actually better than my Wacom Cintiq (admittedly, it’s a previous gen Cintiq. The new version may be better). The accuracy and latency are great, pressure sensitivity is excellent, and tilt sensitivity works well. The only bad thing is that you have to charge the stylus, but a full charge takes about 20 minutes. So if I were Microsoft, I wouldn’t be using the stylus as a selling point, considering their stylus is way behind the competition. And seriously Microsoft, you have no business trying to develop your own stylus tech just to save a few bucks. Wacom has this stuff figured out, so just pony up the dough and be done with it.
- hungerstrike 9y ago
  I agree with your opinion that the Apple Pencil offers the best experience (and I also own a Surface Pro 1 and 3 and a couple of iPad Pros). Even the first Wacom stylus that Microsoft had for the first Surface Pro wasn't as good as the Pencil. When I got my first iPad Pro, I was angry at Microsoft for not doing as good a job as Apple did with the Pencil despite having many years head start. Honestly, wtf Microsoft? Luckily for them I like just about everything else in Windows better than iOS. The only thing Windows has been missing for tablet mode IMO has been a dictation key on their virtual keyboard. That's why I treat my Surface Pro as a laptop. (I gave away the Surface Pro 1 and kept the 3.) Microsoft is finally giving us a dictation key this fall though, so I will most likely switch away from iPad altogether if that works well. At that point the only thing the iPad will offer for me is the tight integration with Facetime/iMessage. I can't wait to have a full OS and real Chrome on a Windows tablet again!

kodfodrasz 9y ago

It is not simply touch screen they are mentioning. It is "inking capabilities", stylus based drawing on the screen. The ad is not a good one as for example it was not clear for you. On the other hand people already know basic windows features, this is their intended direction of developing the system: more natural human interface, including handwriting and voice recognition.

boyce 9y ago
Oh I can see what they want to say but my barometer of consumer tech (well, wife) doesn't see any feature her ancient ipad 2 doesn't have