And, unlike the Apple Pencil, the Surface Pen works on a laptop, kinda.
It’s like Apple’s iPad Magic Keyboard, only built-in.
Again, just like the Apple Pencil.
Microsoft
But Microsoft’s pen has haptic motors inside to give tactile feedback to the user.
It sounds impossible, but the power of well-used haptics is impressive.
The Apple Watch’s Digital Crown is a great example.
Microsoft
Ditto all of Apple’s current trackpads.
The feel of pen (or pencil) on paper is an integral part of the experience.
And the haptics can be used for other kinds of feedback.
Daniele Luciani / Unsplash
Two Kinds of Pens
There are two kinds of computer pens.
The other key in is the pen and tablet, popularized by Wacom.
Daniele Luciani / Unsplash
This was essentially an electronic mousepad with a pen.
You’d draw on the pad and see the results on the screen.
If pens are so good at input, why don’t we use them for computers?
Part of this is probably momentum.
Perhaps if Apple had used a pen to control the original Mac, things might be different today.
Then again, the mouse has a few advantages, some inherent, and some evolved.
Unlike a pen, the mouse stays where you leave it.
A pen has to be laid down or stowed in a little holder to keep it upright.
Also, a mouse can accommodate scroll wheels and multiple buttons more easily.
And can you imagine gamers twitching their way through a first-person shooter with a pencil?
But for the rest of us, the time for the pencil might be here.
