If you’re looking for a way to spend your tax refund wisely, Lenovo has two products that might offer the best price-performance ratio in the industry.

You don’t have to be a US resident to purchase either device (or at least a close approximation), but you won’t likely find as good a deal as you will at Best Buy for the $900 Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14 or at Costco.com for the Miix 700 tablet, currently discounted $200 through the end of April.

THINKPAD YOGA 14

I first reviewed the original Best Buy exclusive Thinkpad Yoga 14 in the middle of 2015 and the convertible laptop has been updated several times since then while the price has remained constant. The current version, model 20FY0002US, features a 2.3 GHz 6th Gen Intel Core i5-6200U processor, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD and NVidia GeForce 940M graphics. An integrated, rechargeable Thinkpad Pen Pro (Wacom ActiveES stylus) is included.

The TPY14 is not sold online at Lenovo.com. Instead, the closest equivalent is known as the Thinkpad Yoga 460 (Black). Configuring that model to match the Best Buy version will cost at least $1449 (currently discounted 10%) but does not include the discrete gpu. For reasons known only to Lenovo, none of its online offerings seems to offer an NVidia option.

The TPY14 is the nearly perfect desktop replacement convertible. You might quibble about the FHD (1920x1080) display which doesn’t boast the widest color gamut or brightest output, but I find the roomy 14-inch screen perfectly acceptable.

The keyboard is typical of Thinkpads: with comfortable spacing and nice key travel. The trackpad is improved over the earlier versions.

The laptop is equipped with 3 x USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, OneLink+ and 4-in-1 media card slot. Wireless-AC, Bluetooth 4.0, microphone and 720p HD webcam round out the package.

Top to bottom: the integrated rechargeable Lenovo Thinkpad Pen Pro stylus, the Thinkpad Pen Pro active capacitive pen and the recommended Toshiba dynaPad TruPen. Note the very short exposed nib on the middle pen. 

While the integrated stylus is nice in a pinch, serious users will want to purchase a full size pen. The Lenovo Thinkpad Pen Pro active capacitive pen is available for about $40, but I recommend the more expensive Toshiba DynaPad TruPen, which is now available for separate purchase from a variety of online outlets including Amazon and Toshiba.com, whose sales are fulfilled by CDW.

The DynaPad TruPen offers a much better drawing experience, with longer, softer nibs and a much greater hover distance. The nibs seem to deteriorate quickly, but fortunately Toshiba is the first Wacom AES OEM to also offer packs of 5 replacement tips.

The soft TruPen nibs offer significantly more resistance than the standard Pen Pro, but the display is still a little slippery. I haven’t tried one yet, but a screen protector would be advisable if you intend to draw on the TPY14 full time.

Drawing performance is as good as any Wacom ActiveES device, with great accuracy and 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The TPY14 is also compatible with the Wacom Feel driver, so you’ll be able to configure the pen buttons and create a radial menu if you like.

System performance is excellent, with the laptop ranking just above last year’s models in various benchmarks.

For its price class, the Best Buy exclusive Thinkpad Yoga 14 is an absolute winner. Highly recommended.

IDEAPAD MIIX 700

Even at its regular retail price of $800, the Ideapad Miix 700 is a lower end Surface Pro 4 clone that is hard to pass up. But at $600 through April 30 for Costco members, it’s an absolute steal.

For $100 less than the regular retail price of the 4GB entry level m3 SP4, the Miix 700 boasts an Intel Core m5-6Y54 and 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD. The onboard Intel HD Graphics 515 powers a 12-inch 2160 x 1440 display, equal to the SP4. A folio keyboard cover is also included but the Wacom Active ES pen is sold separately.

At its sale price, the Miix is about $400 cheaper than the less powerful Surface Pro with keyboard! There’s got to be a catch, right? Fortunately for bargain hunters, there are only a few items of concern.

It would be impossible to tell the Miix 700 apart from the Microsoft tablet except for the gold finish back and watchband hinges. The folio keyboard cover has a faux leather cover. These fashion miscues can easily be overlooked.

Unfortunately, there is one hideous marketing decision that will require significant elbow grease to rectify. The geniuses at Lenovo decided to apply a sticker to the top right and side of the tablet with a strong adhesive that leaves behind a sticky, difficult to remove residue. Prepare to spend a lot of wasted time cleaning up this mess. (Lenovo states on its forum that future Miix tablets won’t have the appliques).

Aesthetics and self-inflicted issues aside, the only real item of concern is the keyboard cover, which is a little flaky despite a firmware fix. Without the patch, the cursor regularly jumps around randomly, making it nearly impossible to type a sentence without multiple errors. After the patch, the keyboard is more accurate, although the touchpad is hyper-sensitive. Throughout a week of use, I’ve accidentally opened or closed multiple items due to errant taps on the trackpad. Clicking and selecting is also challenging. Lastly, the keyboard is not backlit, which is a major limitation if you need to use your tablet in low-lit situations. Consequently, if word processing is your primary activity, you may be out of luck when it comes to the Miix 700.

Unlike the Spartan plain cardboard packaging of Thinkpad products, the Ideapad line is consumer oriented and the Miix 700 ships in the nicest package I’ve seen from Lenovo.

Available ports are a little skimpy: one USB 2.0 that doubles as the power input, one USB 3.0, a microHDMI output and a microSD slot tucked under the kickstand, borrowing again from the Surface Pro design.

A major selling point of the Miix is its user upgradeability. Swapping out the m2 SSD should be very straight forward and Lenovo even has a complete list of how-to videos on its site: https://www.lenovoservicetraining.com/showcase?sid=1114&key=TGVuZw==

Marketed as a relatively low cost retail device, the Ideapad also features a lot of pre-installed crapware like McAfee Internet Security that you will want to wipe off right away. I do appreciate when OEMs provide utilities that phone home and let you know when driver updates are available. The Lenovo Companion app purports to do this, but I still had to visit Lenovo.com support to find the keyboard firmware.

Pen support is also not enabled by default and required installation of another firmware fix. Unfortunately, although the Miix 700 works with a variety of Wacom Active ES pens, it is not supported by the Feel driver, so you won’t be able to configure any pen buttons or run Wintab applications.

As I wrote above, the Lenovo Thinkpad Pen Pro is sold separately for $40. It's not the best Wacom Active ES pen option on the market due to its very short nib and small hover distance. If you decide to stick with the Lenovo brand, packs of pen clips are also available that attach the pen via the USB 3.0 connector (a pretty big waste of a port on an already limited device).

Like the Thinkpad Yoga 14, the Miix’s screen is a little slick and could benefit from a screen protector, but using it with a Toshiba DynaPad TruPen is otherwise very pleasant.

Until Wacom releases its Bamboo Smart pen and we determine its compatibility, the Toshiba DynaPad TruPen is the best choice for Miix users.

The Miix 700’s Core m5 processor offers negligible performance improvements over the Surface Pro 4’s m3, so benchmark results are very close.  But in real world use, you’re likely to see more benefit from the extra 4 GB of RAM.

The Miix runs absolutely silently and battery life is very good. Lenovo claims it will provide 9 hours of video playback, but I got about six hours or typing, browsing and drawing.

If you are looking for a bargain and can overlook the sticker and temperamental folio keyboard, the Miix 700 is the real deal.

To see more of Hamilton Cline's sketches, visit https://www.instagram.com/bronkula/

This heart-warming tidbit comes to us today courtesy of WinBeta.org who uncovered a video encounter by Scott Cate and artist/instructor Hamilton Cline of the Academy of Art in San Francisco.

Cline was clearly having a good time experimenting with Sketchable (our favorite Windows Store app) on his i7/8 GB Surface Pro 4 when Cate recorded this impromptu 8-minute interview. Although it won't come as a surprise to most of you who use your Windows tablets and apps creatively, it's definitely worth your time to remind yourself just how awesome this platform can be.

The quality of Cline's work, the intuitive design of the app and the responsiveness of the tablet and pen all make a fairly compelling case for the creative user to dive in to the Windows 10 eco-system.

What do you think?

Walking by Hamilton Cline at Soma Eats in San Francisco, I noticed his drawing and I politely broke into his day with a few questions. He kindly agreed to an impromptu video. Enjoy! Cc/ @Bronkula

From the time I first read about the ultra low cost Cube i7 Stylus, I was sorely tempted to pick one up to test. But I never took the plunge because buying one of the Chinese tablets would require purchasing from an unknown overseas store. 

Even when Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview.com posted her favorable review of the Cube and recommended GearBest.com as a trustworthy source for the device, I still balked because of the confusing array of bundles offered there. 

Last week, a TabletPCReview forum member posted an Amazon link to the Mytrix Complex 11t, a Cube i7 Stylus clone being marketed in the US by a New Hampshire-based company. Just as significantly, the device is offered in only one configuration, with Wacom EMR pen and keyboard cover bundled for $390. Comforted by Amazon's return policy, I decided to give it a go and the device arrived in the SurfaceProArtist labs only two days later. 

I have to admit that alarm bells went off again when the Mytrix box I was expecting was instead labeled Cytrix. Inside, the nice plain packaging revealed a dark blue tablet and keyboard also (too) prominently branded as Cytrix. 

Both the box and tablet are clearly labeled Cytrix, even though the company name is now Mytrix.

Typing in the CytrixTech.com URL found in the manual redirects to the MytrixTech.com website, where absolutely no mention is made of the former name. The About Us section claims that most of Mytrix's customers are in North America and Europe and that Mytrix is a subsidiary of UShopMall (FY International, LLC), which has been in operation since 2007. 

I can only guess that the software company Citrix, makers of GoToMyPC, challenged the name and the owners hastily rebranded themselves as Mytrix but are still unloading product with the old branding. Although I only heard about it this week, the Complex 11t was first announced in June, 2015 and was slated to sell for $600 at that time. 

In addition to the pen, the Complex 11t ships with five extra nibs and an extractor ring.

At that price, I would never have bothered, especially given some of the bargain priced devices I've reviewed so far in 2016, such as the HP Spectre x2 and Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700. But for just under $400, the Mytrix bundle is almost impossible to ignore: Intel Core M-5Y10c, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD, 10.6-inch FHD display plus the aforementioned keyboard cover and Wacom EMR pen. 

As tablets with EMR digitizers are becoming increasingly rare, the pen has to be considered the Complex's major selling point. And it's comforting to find the Wacom Feel driver's control panel pre-installed and ready to configure your tip sensitivity and pen buttons.  

Besides the Feel driver, everything else about the installed Windows 10 Home experience is no-frills, which is actually a relief on low-end devices that are generally stocked full of crapware. Updating the 11t to Windows 10 build 1511 took about an hour thanks to the slow SSD, but once the update was done, the tablet has been running flawlessly. 

The 10.6-inch 16:9 display is a bit of a throwback to the Surface Pro 1 and 2. After becoming accustomed to 3:2 12-inch displays, the screen size definitely feels cramped, but it's not unusable by any means.  By default, the Windows UI is magnified to 150% which is unnecessarily large on the 1920x1080 display. Lowering the magnification to 125% is very readable.  

The Complex 11t is about half the thickness of the Surface Pro 1 and 2 (above top). Even with keyboard attached, 11t is slightly thinner.

The 11t is significantly thinner (.41 inches) than either of the original Microsoft tablets. Sans keyboard, the dense Complex weighs 1.52 lbs. I couldn't find an official weight for the keyboard, but it adds at least another pound.  

The clamshell design of the keyboard creates a nice, secure cover for transporting the Complex. Unfortunately, the clamshell design has the side effect of creating thin extrusions on the corners of the keyboard right where your palms rest as you type. This is mildly irritating while typing long documents (like this review). 

The connector at the top of the keyboard is difficult to align with the tablet and usually requires a couple of tries to get right.

The keyboard itself lays flat and features miniature keys that are fine except for the tight concentration of the right shift and directional keys. While typing this post, I regularly paged up as I meant to hit the shift key. 

The small trackpad is also very sensitive. I kept accidentally invoking Cortana, though I have no idea what I was doing to do so. The keyboard includes a function-spacebar command to disable the trackpad, which helps a lot. 

The clamshell fit requires unfortunate extrusions in the lower corners of the keyboard, right where your palms rest as you type. The right shift and Page Up keys are located too close together.

For such a dense device, you might expect the keyboard to work detachably, but that's not the case. The keyboard is powered via a multipin connector to the tablet. Although the keyboard offers only one viewing angle, the connection with the keyboard can be quite fussy, often requiring multiple attempts to seat properly. 

A welcomed feature is a full size pen silo located at the back of the keyboard. At first I thought the keyboard might included a spare, but pulling out what I thought was a pen turned out only to be a dummy pen cap. Next to the pen silo are two USB 2.0 ports. 

On the tablet itself, you'll find one USB 3.0 port, a micro HDMI output, an SD slot and headphone jack. An OTG interface cable is included in the package. The 12V power adapter doesn't fit quite snugly enough into its jack, which may be a cause for concern in the future. 

The tablet ships with a clear screen protector pre-installed that adds quite a bit of tooth. Trying to use the soft grippy nib of the Fujitsu T5000 pen I normally recommend was a non-starter as it grabbed and skipped too frequently on the surface. The Wacom Bamboo Feel pen fared a little better, but it was difficult to get the full range of pressure sensitivity. 

The ingenious full size pen silo in the keyboard cover is a welcomed addition, although the dummy pen cap in place of a spare is disappointing. To the far right of the image is one of two USB ports.

The hard plastic nib of the original Surface Pro pen and the those included with the Complex 11t yielded the broadest pressure curve and most satisfying results. Like that Surface pen, the standard pen includes one barrel button and an eraser tip. 

I haven't installed a lot of software on the 11t yet. I know most of you want to know whether it will run Photoshop. I expect it will, but if you need to run Adobe software, which can be hit or miss on much higher end devices, I recommend you save your money for a higher end device or prepare to accept less than stellar results. If I get around to it, I'll run some benchmark tests and posts those in an update. 

This quick sketch done in Sketchable was bit of a chore because of the Fujitsu T5000 pen nib. It was very difficult to make continuous strokes with it against the screen protector surface.

This drawing in Clip Studio Paint has much finer line work thanks to the hard plastic nib of the default pen, which had no difficulty registering through the screen protector.

I installed much lower cost applications like Clip Studio Paint, Sketchable and Sketchbook Pro and all performed as well as can be expected on a 4GB device. Perhaps it's because I've set a low bar for my expectations, but I struggle to find something negative to say about the Mytrix's performance with these apps. As a bargain basement sketchpad, the Complex 11t works quite well. 

It's nice playing with an EMR digitizer again, but I'm reminded that the technology is far from perfect. The Complex was reasonably well calibrated out of the box, but Clip Studio Paint was way off in Wintab mode. TabletPC mode didn't yield as satisfying a pressure range as I expected. After running the calibration tool and restarting CSP, I was able to use Wintab mode. However, returning to the desktop, the pen would no longer access the lowest row of the display, making it impossible to unhide the taskbar. I ran the advanced calibration tool, but I couldn't get the pen to hit the target on the lowest left corner of the display. Ultimately, I deleted the calibration information and the pen is working with the default. Clip Studio Paint is working well too. My fix was relatively painless, but if the dead spot on the digitizer is in a more critical area of the screen, you may be out of luck. And as I've reported in the past, manufacturing tolerances on Wacom EMR devices can vary widely, so whether an individual device calibrates well or not is often the luck of the draw. 

Another cause for concern is that the tablet gets very warm by the power input while connected. Charging is slow, but once disconnected, the fanless tablet cools down. Hopefully this isn't a defect that shortens the tablet's lifespan. 

The Mytrix website claims a battery life of only 4.5 hours of continuous video playback, but with screen brightness set to 50%, I saw about six hours while writing, drawing and surfing the web. 

With Surface Books, Surface Pros and VAIO devices regularly listing for multiple thousands of dollars, it's a relief to find OEMs willing to serve the lower end of the market. So whether you call it a Cube i7 Stylus, Cytrix or Mytrix, the Complex 11t is definitely a viable option for those of you on the tightest budgets. 

I still recommend that you spend a couple hundred dollars more on a device from a better known manufacturer, but that also requires that you go with an active pen which many of you will find an unacceptable option. So long as you've given active pens a fair shot and aren't falling for the EMR vs. ActiveES/N-Trig hype, then the Complex 11t may work for you as well. 

The Build 14328 desktop features significant changes to the Start Menu (left) and introduces the Windows Ink Workspace (right)

Microsoft is planning some major improvements for pen and tablet users as part of the Windows 10 Anniversary update due out this summer and yesterday the company released the first Insider build to showcase some of those changes. Build 14328 is now available for download to Windows Insiders on the Fast Ring. I installed the pre-release on a Surface Pro 3 (N-Trig, active) and on a Lenovo Helix 2 (Wacom, EMR) in order to see the differences between devices with active pens and passive pens.

WINDOWS INK WORKSPACE

In his blog post announcing the build, Microsoft's Gabe Aul wrote, "Windows Ink puts the power of Windows in the tip of your pen, enabling you to write on your device as you do on paper, creating sticky notes, drawing on a whiteboard, and easily sharing your analog thoughts in the digital world. Windows Ink is also integrated into apps like Maps, Microsoft Edge, and Office."

Right clicking on the taskbar tray reveals the Show Windows Ink Workspace toggle

Aul's post also stated that "If you have a device with an active pen like the Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book – Windows Ink Workspace is enabled by default and accessible via the pen button in the notification area of your taskbar. You won’t see this button if your device does not have an active pen paired with it. However, for those of you who don’t have a device with an active pen but want to try out Windows Ink Workspace, you can right-click on the taskbar and choose 'Show Windows Ink Workspace button.'" (see above left)

This wasn't my experience with the Lenovo Helix 2. Although the EMR pen in that device isn't paired, the Windows Ink button still showed up in the taskbar tray.

Tapping the button reveals the Windows Ink Workspace (above, right), which offers quick access to Sticky Notes creation, a new Sketchpad app, a Screen Sketch utility, a summary of recently used applications, suggested Windows Store pen apps and a quick link to new Pen settings.

STICKY NOTES

The Sticky Notes app is a fairly limited tool to create reminders in a variety of colors, either typed or handwritten. The notes remain in the app as far as I could tell, so I don't see them being very useful in this build, at least.

SKETCHPAD

Combining some of the functionality of the venerable Microsoft Paint and OneNote, Sketchpad is a new ink utility for quick sketching, markup and editing.

The pen and pencil tool drop downs offer a pre-set selection of 45 colors and a brush width slider from 1 to 25 pixels.

The highlighter drop down offers five colors and a width range of 15 to 45 pixels.

Sketchpad also features a handy on-screen ruler that can be positioned and rotated with your free hand as you sketch. 

SCREEN SKETCH

Selecting Screen Sketch from the Windows Ink Workspace will grab a screenshot of the current screen and open it up in Sketchpad, ready for annotation or cropping. This is a very handy feature, although it would be better to see this function as a standalone button. 

SUGGESTED APPS

Microsoft is throwing a major lifeline to Windows Store app developers with the Suggested Apps feature. This links directly to a Store page filled with pen-friendly apps like Sketchable and Sketchbook for Tablets (see below). Let's hope this additional promotion encourages more developers to create more sophisticated art-oriented apps.

PEN SETTINGS

The last item in the Windows Ink Workspace is a link that takes you directly to the new Pen settings page. This new control panel incorporates many of the functions previously found in the Surface app (notably missing in the pen pressure curve adjustment). 

A very promising new option tells the OS to ignore touch input when using the pen (below left). This capability has previously been up to the individual application and most, with the notable exception of Sketchable and Clip Studio Paint, don't distinguish between pen down and touch, relying instead on hit and miss palm rejection to avoid stray marks. This approach works very poorly in most tools and it's why I don't use otherwise great software like Sketchbook Pro and Artrage more frequently.

Selecting ignore touch input, I was able to use Autodesk Sketchbook for Tablets on the Surface Pro 3 without risk of stray marks. Unfortunately, the desktop version of Sketchbook Pro 8.1 and Artrage Touch were not affected. On the Helix 2, even Sketchbook for Tablets failed to ignore touch. This utility definitely needs work but it's great to see that the solution is in the works.

Although I was using a new Surface Pen with the Surface Pro 3, I don't believe that tablet can recognize the pen cap button and its assorted shortcuts (below, right). The Fujitsu T-5000 pen I used on the Helix 2 doesn't have a cap button, but I suspect no EMR pens will be able to take advantage of these settings.

TABLET MODE IMPROVEMENTS

Click either image to enlarge

One of the most irritating design changes in Windows 10 was the loss of the full screen All Apps list introduced in Windows 8. Tablet mode in this new build restores the list (see above) and although it's not quite as touch friendly as the original, it makes it a lot faster for tablet users to find the app they seek.

"We have also made it easier to toggle between your pinned tiles and All Apps list on the Start screen by providing these options in the left rail which is consistent with the UI used throughout Windows," writes Aul.

New tablet mode settings allow you to auto-hide the taskbar in tablet mode, a function I much prefer and which gives you a few rows of additional screen real estate. Swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen will make the taskbar disappear and reappear. Hopefully we'll see more of these edge gestures that were so touch friendly in Windows 8 return as tablets become a larger portion of the Windows ecosystem.

In its quest to promote Windows Ink, Microsoft made the controversial decision to enable inking by default in all Office 2016 applications. This behavior may be "natural," but it's very annoying to those of us accustomed to using the pen as a high precision pointer. Fortunately, the company responded quickly and added an option to each application that restores "pen as mouse" functionality.

All in all, 2016 is shaping up to be the year that Microsoft re-embraces touch, pen and tablet mode and the computing world at large seems to be much more amenable to the prospect than it was when Windows 8 was first released.

Will you give these new features a go or are you content to wait until the official release of Windows 10 Anniversary Update? Or are you still married to Windows 8 (or heaven forbid Windows 7)? Get the conversation started in the comments section below.

Slides from the recent Microsoft WinHEC conference reveal tantalizing new details of Wacom's forthcoming dual protocol pen due out in fourth quarter of 2016.

The next generation G13 pen from Wacom will support both Active ES and Microsoft Pen protocols. According to slides presented by Wacom's Sr. Vice President, Technology Solutions Business Unit Nobutaka Ide, the new pen will support:

• High performance simultaneous Pen & Touch (240Hz Pen, 120Hz Touch)
• 4096 level pen pressure, and
• Tilt detection

These capabilities far outshine both current Microsoft (formerly N-Trig) and Wacom AES pens, which offer 1024 and 2048 pressure levels respectively and do not support tilt. By polling at 240Hz, the new pen should have comparable accuracy and latency to Apple's Pencil.

Because the slides were released without accompanying speaker's notes, some interpretation is required. The next slide seems to indicate that this "Dual Protocol Pen" is part of Wacom's vision for a Universal Pen Framework (UPF) and part of a Digital Stationery Consortium (DSC).

The Wacom slides were part of a larger presentation regarding the significance of Windows Ink to the Microsoft platform presented by David Abzarian, Principal Program Manager.

Highlights of the presentation included a slide touting the explosion of pen-enabled Windows devices, which doubled in 2015 and are projected to reach about 20 million in 2017. Over 50% of all pen enabled devices are running Windows 10 and pen-attached devices generally have higher satisfaction ratings vs. non-pen devices.

The forthcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update will feature several advances that Microsoft hopes will make ink a "compelling experience out of the box," including Edge annotations and the Ink Workspace, which I reviewed in March.

For developers, Microsoft highlighted low latency delivered by DirectInk and new XAML features that enable an Ink Canvas and Ink Toolbar (including ruler) with only one line of code each. OneNote, Office and a variety of Windows Store apps that have already incorporated the new features were reviewed.

One of the areas that Microsoft is emphasizing is the availability of simultaneous pen and touch. Low level APIs that support Pen + Touch Simultaneous Input are now on by default. The presentation also covered how Windows supplements device palm rejection, but it is unclear what improvements have been made in that area. (Merely distinguishing between pen and touch input and ignoring the latter when inking is a major step forward in my opinion).

With a new Microsoft Pen HLK (Hardware Lab Kit), the company is starting the Microsoft Pen Program which will allow other manufacturers to offer their own pens with Windows Ink compatibility. All devices and pens that "speak the Microsoft Pen protocol" should work together.

At present, it appears that Wacom, Sunwoda and APS Technologies have signed on to become Microsoft Pen Suppliers, with Wacom offering its afore-mentioned Dual Protocol Pen. There is also an extensive set of manufacturers signed on to offer Microsoft Pen compatible touch controllers, led by Elan, Synaptics, Goodix, EETI, SIS and Atmel.

This should mean that worrying about pen compatibility and support should become a thing of the past; however, it remains to be seen whether any of these advances are backwards compatible.

In the case of Wacom's first and second generation AES pens (G11/G12), it appears that "pen & touch simultaneous function" will be enabled by a future firmware update.

Why would anyone build pen capability into a device and then hide it from potential buyers? It's not the first time I've asked that question on this site, and it's especially one I shouldn't have to be asking myself in mid-2016, at a time where pen computing is being promoted as a vital feature of the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update. 

But here is yet another illustration of this bizarre behavior: the Dell Inspiron 15 7568, the convertible laptop with the largest Wacom Active ES display I've ever tested. But you'd never know about it by reading the Dell or Best Buy websites. 

An eagle eyed reader over at TabletPCReviews forums made the discovery while looking at the compatibility list for Dell's Active Pen: "Inspiron (7568) (FHD Only) 'wake up feature not available.'" Positively lyrical description, isn't it? 

The 7568 retails for $750 with a 256 GB SSD at Dell.com. Best Buy sells an exclusive version with a 500 GB HDD for $700 that has recently been discounted to $650. A couple of weeks ago, the retailer also offered several of these as Open Box items for under $600. 

I don't like buying used or demo items, but for the purpose of this review, I thought it was prudent to save a few bucks. Even if you're not able to score the steep discount that I did, the Inspiron 15 is a very nice value, with a Core i5-6200U processor clocked at 2.3 GHz and 8 GB of RAM. The 5400 RPM HDD is slow, so you will definitely want to upgrade it to an SSD sometime down the road. 

Be aware: Dell and Best Buy both carry a 7568 model with a 4K UHD display. It's got an i7 processor and Best Buy sells it with a 1 TB HDD for $900. This tempting package IS NOT penabled! I found out the hard way after spending a few hours setting it up and attempting to install the Feel driver. Whoops. What part of "Inspiron (7568) (FHD Only) 'wake up feature not available'" did I not understand? 

The seemingly insignificant 1.6 inch diagonal difference between the Dell Inspiron 15 (above, top) and the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14 is a surprisingly big deal in practice.

The Surface Book's 13.3 inch Clipboard (above, bottom) looks positively tiny by comparison.

I once insisted on owning only 17-inch laptops and I frankly don't know how I did it. Perhaps it's because I've grown accustomed to 12-inch displays on the Surface Pro 3 and 4, but the Inspiron 15 feels ginormous: 15.04 inches wide by 9.94 inches tall. Fortunately, the laptop is only .78 inches thick and feels light at 4.8 lbs. 

The brushed aluminum keyboard reminds me of my old MacBook Pro, with low profile keys, a large trackpad and plenty of room to rest your hands as you type. I prefer the typing experience on the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14, but it isn't difficult to get accustomed to these keys. The touchpad isn't as responsive as the Apple's, but it's not bad, as far as Windows trackpads go. 

Dell commits the sin of placing a sticker on the keyboard that is sure to be a pain to remove. We already bought the laptop, Dell! No need to keep selling us!

There's an attractive bevel edge all around the touchpad and the keyboard base that manages to not be too sharp to the touch. The lid and bottom of the laptop are coated in a rubberized black coating. It's unfortunate that more of the surface isn't brushed aluminum as it would have given the Inspiron a less generic looking exterior. 

The 7568 has a security cable slot, a power adapter port, HDMI out, two USB 3.0 ports and a headphone jack along its left side. On the right, you'll find power, volume controls, another USB 3.0 port and a media card reader. 

Setting up the Inspiron can be a bit of a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing. There appear to be issues with the default wifi driver and both the UHD and FHD laptops failed to connect while doing the initial Windows 10 setup. I was prompted to create a local account and then when reaching the desktop, I couldn't go online to bring the machines up to date. 

Fortunately I had an Ethernet to USB adapter at my disposal and was able to get online and run the Dell Update, which includes a new wifi driver. If you don't have an adapter available, you may be headed back to the Geek Squad for assistance. 

The Inspiron ships in a near Signature Edition state, with next to no crapware. The Dell Update runs too silently for my taste, giving very little indication it is doing anything in the background. I run Windows Update immediately upon setting up a new device and I had no idea the updates were running simultaneously. It was no big deal in the end, but if you experience slow downloads at first, this may be the culprit. 

In benchmark tests, the Inspiron 15 isn't exactly a speed demon, scoring between -13% and -76% vs. the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14, which has the same processor. Some of this is definitely due to the slow HDD. But the biggest differences are on graphics tests, where the Intel HD Graphics 520 is simply no match for the Yoga's NVidia 940M. With such a large device, it's unfortunate that Dell couldn't squeeze in a discrete GPU. 

On the positive side, the laptop is among the quietest and coolest I've ever used. Even when running graphics intensive benchmarks, the i5's fans remained mostly silent and it only became warm to the touch in the upper left corner of the keyboard base. 

Speaking of the base, it can be easily opened to access the hard drive and single DDR3L RAM slot. 

Dell markets at least two Wacom Active ES pens: the first generation Active Stylus (right) and the second generation Active Pen (PN556W). Both work with the Inspiron 7568, but you'll prefer the newer, larger Bluetooth pen. 

Because the pen capability is a hidden bonus on the 7568, you'll need to order one separately. The Dell website lists several active and passive pens, so you will have to be careful when ordering. The compatible Dell Active Pen is part number PN556W and retails for $50. 

The Dell Active Pen (center) is a full size instrument comparable to the Toshiba dynaPad's TruPen (bottom) vs. the stubby Dell Active Stylus.

The narrow gap between the two pen buttons on the Dell pen (left) makes them much harder to distinguish by touch.

This new pen is a major improvement over the previous Dell pen I had tested. It's about the same length and diameter as the Toshiba dynaPad TruPen and features a Bluetooth end cap pen in addition to two side switches. This pen design hints at the blending of the Microsoft and Wacom Active ES technologies promised by the upcoming Dual Protocol pen due out at the end of the year. 

Hover distance is very comparable to the TruPen, about a quarter-inch from the display. I prefer the feel of the TruPen's slightly softer nib, but the Dell tip won't deteriorate as rapidly. 

The buttons are flush with the barrel and only have a furrow between them, making it really difficult to find and distinguish them by touch alone. By contrast, the buttons on the Toshiba pen have a much wider gutter so you can feel the ridge of each as you slide your finger along the barrel. 

When the Dell Active Pen is detected, the Wacom Feel driver allows you to configure the top pen button, a feature we've only seen on the Surface Pen control panel to date.

The Dell Inspiron 15 7568 is also compatible with the latest Wacom Feel driver, which in addition to allowing you to create and map a radial menu to your pen also allows you to configure the pen cap button. 

The roomy 15.6 inch display can feel a little slippery with the hard nib, but that can be easily rectified with a screen protector if you choose. Everything else about the drawing experience is excellent, as we've come to expect from Wacom Active ES tablets. 

Like its nearest price and size competitor, the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14, the 7568 can be heavy to hold in tablet mode for very long. You'll want to either rest it in your lap as you draw or place it flat on your desk.

The Dell Inspiron 15 resting on the Artisul Tablet Stand 051. Not a perfect fit, but surprisingly stable.

Although the laptop is too thick to sit in it perfectly, I tested the Artisul Tablet Stand 051 to get a better drawing angle and it can hold the Dell stably (see above). Another option for all convertibles is to wedge a wrist rest between the display and base to create a more comfortable drawing angle.  

Having used the Inspiron for a couple of weeks now, I can recommend it without reservation to anyone in the market for a convertible laptop who doesn't need the extra oomph of a discrete GPU.  

It's a shame that users have to encounter the initial wifi issue during setup, but once that hurdle is overcome, the Inspiron is another in the growing list of great, affordable options for Windows creatives. 

The benefit I most enjoy from my Twitter feed is the opportunity to interact with talented creatives from all around the world. And thanks to a random tweet I made a week or two ago, I encountered the talented duo behind Paintberri.com, a new online art community featuring an elegantly designed browser-based paint tool.

Intrigued, I had to find out more and the Tung sisters agreed to this Q&A. Enjoy!

Who are the principals behind Paintberri.com?

Katherine Tung, neurotic code monkey

Frances Tung, product designer

What are your respective backgrounds?

Katherine -  I am a full-stack engineer who previously worked at travel company Expedia for many years. At 16 I dropped out of high school to enter college early and graduated from the University of Washington’s prestigious computer science program in 2011. PaintBerri began as a side project in mid 2014, and I was frenetically coding it whenever I wasn’t working or sleeping. In late 2015 I finally took the plunge to work on it full-time. Drawing is my hobby and I occasionally sell my art at anime conventions.

Frances - I am a user experience designer with a background in industrial design. I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington’s design program in 2013 and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for a few years at enterprise SaaS company Workday and later at the hot online learning startup Udemy. My creative efforts have spanned many mediums from acrylic paint to vector illustration. I’ve helped out with the designs for PaintBerri from the start and joined full-time in early 2016. (francestung.com)

We are fraternal twin sisters who both love cats, especially the cuddly ragdoll breed.

What inspired you to create your site?

PaintBerri is inspired by Japanese oekaki boards, which are online art journals with posts and comments usually drawn with a simple in-browser painter. While oekaki culture in America has since moved past its heyday in the 2000s, the team saw an opportunity to provide a community-focused drawing experience for artists seeking an alternative to impersonal and intimidating major art sites.

As creative people who have careers in non-art fields, we’ve always wanted to apply our skills to something we would want to use ourselves as artists. Ironically, since beginning work on PaintBerri, we have both been drawing less—there’s too much stuff to do!

There are a lot of art communities, including some from major companies like Adobe and Autodesk, what makes Paintberri special?

The ways artists can interact with each other on PaintBerri is very different. It’s less of a portfolio site and more of a casual social site where communication is core to the experience. The ability to reply to people not just with text but with drawn images results in much more vivid interactions and lends itself well to storytelling. PaintBerri is for having fun, doodling, and creating collaborative stories with friends and artists you meet on the site. There is no pressure to be serious and becoming a better artist is a natural result of just having fun and drawing frequently with friends!

PaintBerri artists say it better: “An awesome art site that you can draw and interact at the same time”, “Fun drawing site with fun people!”, “A really good art program and an easy place to share [art] “

How would you describe your current user base?

Most of PaintBerri’s artists are college students or recent graduates who enjoy drawing as a hobby or aspire to become creative professionals in the entertainment industry. They are anime, manga, videogame, and movie fans that are fun-loving, friendly, and immensely creative. Many PaintBerri artists have a knack for storytelling, writing, and character design, which shows in the elaborate art roleplay stories and groups that have formed on the site.

The browser-based paint applications seems very unique and robust. How did it come about? What has been the reaction to it?

Many existing browser-based painting apps use Flash or Java. With Flash and Java browser support being phased out, we knew we weren’t going to use those technologies. We first considered HTML5 <canvas>, but after a few weeks of development realized it wasn’t going to cut it. Color accuracy is crucial for art but HTML5 canvases have alpha blending issues due to how the RGBA values are stored as integers.

We investigated WebGL next and it’s definitely brought the firepower we needed, though learning shaders/framebuffers/etc was quite a headache for Katherine, who had no graphics programming background. This painting app became the “Full Painter”, with all the bells and whistles including pen pressure controls, automatic backup, and line stabilization.

The “Lite Painter” is a simple HTML5 painting app for the users who can’t use the Full Painter or those desiring a simpler painting experience, and can be used for quick doodles on mobile devices.

A browser-based painting application will inherently be more limited and underpowered compared to a desktop application due to the restrictions of existing within a browser. We strive to minimize this gap as much as we can, though, and users who’ve used other browser-based painting apps have been very appreciative of our extra features and polish.

What plans are there to increase its functionality?

We plan on improving usability and compatibility of the painter before increasing functionality. Users with older computers sometimes experience graphical issues or lag in the Full Painter. We want PaintBerri artists to have the best painting experience they can get, and with the painting apps being a core part of the social experience, they need to be super intuitive to use and run smoothly even for users with older hardware.

However, it’s important to note that we don’t ever plan on ever having Photoshop-levels of options. Part of the appeal of the painters is how they make it easy to draw by providing the essential tools for painting without the paralyzing panoply of options that desktop art applications have.

Your first tweet to me mentioned the Surface Pro. Which one(s) do you own and how is it involved in the site's development?

Katherine purchased a Surface Pro 3 (i5 256gb) on release day after researching how good it was for art on SurfaceProArtist.com—thanks for the great resources! Very little art actually got done on it though, as the project that would become PaintBerri began soon after and it became a development machine. The website is built on the MEANjs stack and fairly lightweight and ran well on the SP3. The N-trig pen made it very convenient to test the painting app once we figured out how to get N-trig pen pressure data in a browser. No more lugging around a Wacom tablet!

However, the keyboard cover and general “lapability” wasn’t optimal for long hours spent coding and eventually she got a Surface Book. Unfortunately it’s been less of a positive experience due to various bugs such as shutting down while sleeping. The pen’s soft nib has also worn down quickly.

I understand that you were artists first who are now trying to figure out a revenue model. What are some of the features you're considering rolling out to drive revenue?

We want PaintBerri to always be a free site and have bonus features drive the revenue (essentially a freemium model). We will soon roll out a monthly subscription for artists who want more options (such as adjustable comment heights) on top of what already comes free. We are also looking into alternate sources of revenue like affiliate programs.

Why should SurfaceProArtist.com readers sign up for Paintberri.com?

For the readers that already have a Surface, their machines are just the right specs to jump onto PB for some doodling! It’s super convenient to just draw on the screen instead of having to carry a tablet around, so Surface owners are well-equipped to create awesome art and stories on PaintBerri. Protip: Use the Edge or IE 10 browsers to get N-trig pen pressure!

Even if they don’t have a Surface, reading this site that means they have an interest in digital art and would probably enjoy browsing PaintBerri!

PRESS RELEASE

Taipei, Taiwan (30th May, 2016) — ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih took the stage today during the Zenvolution press event at Computex 2016 to unveil the ASUS Transformer 3 and ASUS Transformer 3 Pro, the world’s most versatile PCs that feature an unrivalled combination of mobility, convenience, and expandability.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro — The World’s Most Versatile PC

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro is a 2-in-1 PC that combines unrivalled performance with incredible portability to create the ultimate mobile device for work and play. Precision crafted from aluminum, ASUS Transformer 3 Pro is only 8.35mm thin, yet has incredible structural strength and rigidity. ASUS Transformer 3 Pro has diamond-cut detailing that accentuates its elegant design, and it is available in gorgeous Icicle Gold and Glacier Gray color options.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro has an integrated metal kickstand with a stepless hinge that lets users set the device at almost any viewing angle up to 170°. The included ASUS Transformer Cover Keyboard is a backlit keyboard that provides laptop-grade 1.4mm key travel for a comfortable typing experience and is available in four attractive colors — Stone, Charcoal, Taupe, and Amber — that perfectly complement the device. ASUS Transformer 3 Pro has a beautiful 12.6-inch display with a resolution of 2880 by 1920 and a 275ppi pixel density for pin-sharp, detailed images as well and a gamut of 121% sRGB color space for rich, vibrant colors. Dual front stereo speakers with audio by Harman Kardon provide spacious, defined sound for incredible listening experiences.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and has up to a 1TB PCIe x4 SSD and 16GB of 2133MHz RAM for the ultimate performance. Its versatile, any-way-up USB Type-C connector supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices at speeds up to 10Gbps, and Thunderbolt™ 3 provides unbelievably fast 40Gbps data transfers and support for dual external 4K UHD displays. ASUS Transformer 3 Pro also comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI ports for convenient connectivity. A 13MP rear camera lets users capture high-resolution photos and videos, and a front-facing camera with Windows Hello facial recognition enables users to conveniently log in with just a quick glance.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro is expandable with a range of accessories that extend its functionality and performance, giving users a new level of flexibility and convenience from a mobile device. ASUS Pen is a beautifully crafted writing and drawing utensil that offers 1024 levels of precision for completely natural note taking and sketching experiences with a high degree of control. Users can also capture photos with ASUS Transformer 3 Pro’s high-resolution camera and annotate them directly with ASUS Pen. ASUS Universal Dock is a hub that provides a full range connectivity ports, including USB-C 3.1, USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, RJ45 LAN, and a 3-in-1 SD card reader. ASUS Audio Pod is an entertainment accessory that includes four powerful speakers to deliver amazing 360° virtual 5.1-channel surround sound and with rich, defined bass. ROG XG Station 2 is an external graphics card dock that gives ASUS Transformer 3 Pro desktop-grade graphics performance, turning it into a VR-ready gaming powerhouse.

The ASUS Transformer 3 Pro (T303) is versatile enough to handle any situation. It can get things done like a classic laptop, and chill by the couch like a tablet. Learn more about the ASUS Transformer 3 Pro at http://www.ASUS.com.

ASUS Transformer 3 — The Mobile PC, Redefined

ASUS Transformer 3 is an ultra-slim and compact 2-in-1 PC that provides users with the ultimate mobility, total convenience, and amazing expandability. Precision crafted from aluminum, ASUS Transformer 3 weighs just 695g, is only 6.9mm thin, and has smaller dimensions than a sheet of A4 paper. Its compact and elegant design is accentuated by diamond-cut edges and an exquisite spun-metal finish. Equipped with the detachable ASUS Transformer Sleeve Keyboard that has 1.4mm key travel, an integral 2-position display stand, and a glass-covered precision touchpad, ASUS Transformer 3 provides comfortable typing and smooth, accurate input for the best productivity and creativity experiences. ASUS Transformer 3 is available in gorgeous Icicle Gold and Glacier Gray color options. The ASUS Transformer Sleeve Keyboard is available in four attractive colors — Stone, Charcoal, Taupe, and Amber — that perfectly complement ASUS Transformer 3.

ASUS Transformer 3 has a beautiful 12.6-inch display with a resolution of 2880 by 1920 and a 275ppi pixel density for pin-sharp, detailed images, as well as 450cd/m2 brightness and a gamut of 121% sRGB color space for rich, vibrant colors. An ultra-thin bezel provides an 80% screen-to-body ratio, maximizing the display area while keeping the device compact and highly portable. ASUS Transformer 3 delivers enhanced video performance with ASUS Tru2Life Video technology, which optimizes every pixel in each frame before it is displayed, resulting in superior contrast and clarity for the best, most realistic video quality.

ASUS Transformer 3 contains four high-quality speakers with audio by Harman Kardon. Each speaker is powered by a smart amplifier to deliver rich, detailed, and immersive sound, even at loud volumes. ASUS Transformer 3 automatically adjusts the direction of the sound depending on the orientation of the device, ensuring users will always enjoy optimum audio quality

ASUS Transformer 3 is powered by 7th Gen Intel Core processors and has up to a 512GB SSD and up to 8GB RAM that provides fast performance for work and play. Its versatile, any-way-up USB Type-C connector supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices at speeds up to 10Gbps, and Thunderbolt™ 3 provides unbelievably fast 40Gbps data transfers and support for dual external 4K UHD displays. A built-in fingerprint reader and Windows Hello lets users sign in to and unlock ASUS Transformer 3 quickly and securely without having to type their password or PIN. ASUS Transformer 3 also includes a 13MP camera for capturing high-resolution photos and videos.

ASUS Transformer 3 is expandable with a range of accessories — including ASUS Pen, ASUS Universal Dock, ASUS Audio Pod, and ROG XG Station 2 — that extend its functionality and performance, giving users a new level of flexibility and convenience from a mobile device.

Six months after it was first announced, the first "universal" Active ES pen is available in the US from Wacom

When Wacom announced its Bamboo Smart stylus "for select tablets and 2-in-1 convertible devices" at CES back in January, it was big news. Until that point, only a handful of OEMs' Active ES pens had hit the market and they seemed to be incompatible with one another.

When the Bamboo Smart for tablets and 2-in-1s (not to be confused with the Bamboo Smart for the Samsung Galaxy Note) failed to materialize outside Japan and was eclipsed by the announcement in March of a forthcoming dual protocol pen with Microsoft, this observer began to wonder whether that stylus had been cancelled.

After all, although the Wacom website has only ever listed three "tested" or compatible devices, I've personally reviewed many more Active ES tablets and 2-in-1s from Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba that have been released in the intervening months, each accompanied by a new pen offering inter-operability with most other AES styluses. Although manufacturers haven't necessarily made it easy to find and purchase these pens, their existence has cast further doubt on the need for this Wacom alternative.

The Wacom Bamboo Smart for select tablets and devices retails for $39.95 in the US.

Those fears over the Bamboo Smart's future turned out to be unfounded, however, as the stylus finally went on sale in the Wacom US store last week. I received mine today and quickly set out to determine just how "select" the pen's compatibility truly is. It turns out, except for one glaring exception, "select" is nearly universal.

Retailing for $39.95 in the US, the Bamboo Smart is priced on the lower end of the Active ES pen spectrum, but it doesn't feel particularly premium either. It's among the lighter of the AES pens I have on hand. Without the included AAAA battery, the stylus barely weighs as much as a number 2 pencil.

The Bamboo Smart (bottom) is surprisingly small and too light without its cap.

The package includes a AAAA battery, extraction ring and two spare nibs.

The pen is also surprisingly small. Without its cap, it is the shortest AES stylus I've encountered. Thankfully the pen cap adds heft and length in addition to providing protection for the nib.

The Bamboo Smart includes two replacement nibs -- one hard, one soft -- and an extraction ring. These nibs are interchangeable with other Wacom Gen 12 pens so deteriorating nibs like the Toshiba dynaPad's should no longer be a cause for concern.  

The dual buttons on the Bamboo Smart's barrel are a major improvement over other pens. Because the buttons are recessed, they're easy to find by touch and much harder to press accidentally.

The recessed buttons on the Bamboo Smart barrel are among its best features.

If you were hoping for improved hover distance or stability from the Bamboo Smart, you'll be disappointed. The pen performs identically to other AES styluses, except in a couple of instances where hover distance was shallower than the corresponding OEM's pens.

The Wacom Active ES pen roundup from top: Gen 12 pens Bamboo Smart, Dell Active Pen, Toshiba dynaPad TruPen and Lenovo Thinkpad Pro Pen; Gen 11 pens Lenovo Active Capacitive Stylus, Dell Active Stylus, HP Active Pen and Toshiba Encore 2 Write TruPen. (Generation denomination is my best guess).

Below are the results of my tests. I've included the three devices listed on the Wacom site although I haven't verified those personally.

• Dell Inspiron 15 7568 (i5) - Works, Sligthly shorter hover distance vs. Dell Active Pen
• Dell Inspiron 15 7568 (i7) - Works, Sligthly shorter hover distance vs. Dell Active Pen
• Dell Venue 10 5000 Series (5050) - Tested by Wacom
• Dell Venue 10 Pro 5000 Series (5055) - Tested by Wacom
• HP Spectre X2 - Works, No Feeldriver (incompatible), Very shallow hover distance (½ distance vs. HP pen)
• Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700 - Works, No Feeldriver (incompatible)
• Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga - Tested by Wacom
• Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14 (Haswell) - Works
• Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14 (Skylake) - Works
• Toshiba dynaPad - Works
• Toshiba Encore 2 Write - Incompatible, Only buttons are recognized but flipped

With the notable exception of the Encore 2 Write, a Gen 11 device that I believe was the first AES tablet to market, every other tablet or 2-in-1 I tested works, even when the Feeldriver is incompatible.

If you already own a Gen 12 AES pen from Dell, Lenovo or Toshiba, I don't recommend you invest in the Bamboo Smart. But if you're in the market for a spare or are having difficulty sourcing a pen from your device's manufacturer, it's good to know that an almost universal alternative exists.

To find out more about the Wacom Bamboo Smart stylus for select tablets and 2-in-1 convertible devices, visit http://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/stylus/bamboo-smart-for-select-tablets-and-2in1 To avoid confusion with the incompatible Bamboo Smart for Samsung, make sure to reference Part Number CS320AK.

Leonardo creator Henning Tegen says his experience with a Surface Pro 3 led him to reorient the software towards users of Windows tablets.

One of my favorite perks of running this site is encountering dedicated and creative developers like Henning Tegen. I hadn't come across his paint application Leonardo until last week but I was immediately impressed by its clean design and smooth operation.

The program is currently in beta (version 0.11.129) and lacks some basic features but those that are there work very nicely on the couple of Surface Pros and Windows tablets I've tested it on.

Visit GetLeonardo.com to try out a 14-day trial or get 50% off the 1.x price of $79.

I was curious to learn more about Tegen and his project and he agreed to answer some of my questions about Leonardo's origins and his plans for the future.

1. Tell me a little about yourself. Are you a professional programmer or artist? What other projects have you created?

In school I studied Computer Science so I guess my main profession is programming. But I have also been making a bunch of software products on the side as a hobby since the age of 10 which have taught me a lot about things like design, art and marketing. Before Leonardo I made a bunch of video games where I really got hooked on computer graphics and also really started to appreciate concept art.

The clean Leonardo UI features a scaleable interface with tablet-oriented, touch friendly buttons.

2. What inspired you to create Leonardo? What space do you think Leonardo fills in the art application world?

I was looking for something to do where I could apply my skills as a computer graphics programmer and started to realize there was a need for a new painting application. When I talked to some of my artist friends they all said they used Photoshop. But Photoshop is designed for photographers and everyone else is kind of forced to use it for the lack of a better option. Photoshop is also really complicated to use so I thought there must be a lot of room for improvements.

I started to think about the “Platonic ideal” of a painting application. What aspects would you really want if you designed it from scratch? Stuff like: responsiveness, removing as many limits as possible, never having to wait for anything, ease-of-use, helping the user with stuff like perspective and high quality brushes.

One of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes (although I think it originally came from Edwin Land of Polaroid) is: “Try to stand in the intersection of technology and art”. What better way to do this than creating a painting application? And Leonardo da Vinci might be the ultimate symbol of a person who stood in this intersection so let's name the application after him: Leonardo!

3. What role did the Surface Pro and other Windows tablets play in the design and development of Leonardo?

I started working on Leonardo way before I had ever tried a Surface Pro. The goal was to go after Wacom users. But then I bought a Surface Pro 3 and was blown away on how good it was for sketching and drawing. But there were no good apps for it! This insight led me to refocus Leonardo for the Surface and other similar Windows tablets.

4. Who is the ideal user for Leonardo? How has the reception been so far?

The ideal user is a person who wants to draw or paint on their Windows tablet but gets frustrated with most other painting applications that doesn’t work well on the Surface Pro. Leonardo is the ideal app for this since it support things like a scalable UI (so buttons don’t appear so small), pressure sensitivity, multi-touch and a lot more.

The feedback we have gotten from our Surface users have been amazing so far!

5. Leonardo’s concept of the infinite canvas is similar to Mischief’s. How are the two programs different?

On the surface (no pun intended) Leonardo and Mischief’s infinite canvas technology look kind of similar but they are actually very different. Mischief is a vector based application while Leonardo is raster based. We believe a raster based approach is the way to go for a painting application since there are a few common operations like Smudge and Lasso that don’t work well for vector apps.

One of the goals with Leonardo has been to try to get the advantages of a vector graphics application, like an infinite canvas and high resolution, but still preserving the flexibility and freedom of a raster based application. The main technology I had to invent to make this possible is something I call “deferred rasterization” which eliminates lag while painting in high resolution.

6. Do you have any plans to develop a Leonardo forum or other community site? Who are some of your more accomplished users?

We are planning on developing some kind of community around Leonardo. But we haven’t really decided in what form yet. So far I have only been focusing on making the best possible product.

Lucas Örström is probably our most accomplished user (he uses both Leonardo and Photoshop): https://www.artstation.com/artist/orstrom

7. The brush engine seems very nice on the Surface Pro 4. Can you elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of the platform and Microsoft Ink vs. Wacom/Wintab?

Leonardo doesn’t really use Microsoft Ink. We just process the raw input from the pen (either through the Pointer/NTrig or the Wacom/Wintab API) and then we handle everything else by ourselves. This gives us full control over the pen and allow us to implement stuff like stabilization and smoothing.

8. How long has the program been available and what is the roadmap for 1.0? When do you anticipate coming out of beta?

The program was released as an early alpha a little over a year ago (but it didn’t work for the Surface back then). The first release that really worked well for the Surface was released only a few months ago.

Our most requested feature is a Smudge tool so that is what I will work on next. After that I will add more customizability for our brushes, improve selections, add PSD-support and a ton of other smaller features (while still trying to minimize bloat). I anticipate we will be out of beta in a year or so.

9. I’m curious about the marketing of the program. Would it be difficult/impractical to offer it via the Windows Store? What other platforms do you support?

We are looking into porting Leonardo to the Windows Store. Microsoft just released something they called Project Centennial which makes it easier to port classic Windows apps to the Store.

Right now you have to download and install Leonardo from our website: http://www.getleonardo.com/. We have put in a lot of energy to make this as efficient as possible by minimizing the download time of Leonardo and the installation itself only takes a few seconds.

PRESS RELEASE

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Taking aim at inefficiencies that slow down the creation process, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today launched major updates to its flagship Creative Cloud tools and services. The release includes dramatic new features in Adobe’s flagship applications, performance enhancements across Creative Cloud (CC) and exciting updates to Adobe Stock – including deeper integration within CC and the addition of an all-new Premium collection of high-quality stock content. Spanning across virtually all of the Creative Cloud portfolio, updates in this new release target many of the pain points that designers, photographers and filmmakers face every day.

“We have two key goals with this release: saving our customers time and helping them jumpstart their creative engines,” said Bryan Lamkin, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Media at Adobe. “Every creative project starts with a blank page and ends with a vision coming to life. Today’s release of Creative Cloud will help make that journey as fast and productive as possible. From deeper integration of Adobe Stock into the CC experience, to amazing new features like Content-Aware Crop in Adobe Photoshop, this release will expedite the creative process for millions of our customers.”

Today‘s updates mark another step forward in establishing Creative Cloud as the one-stop shop for creative people – providing the best in desktop tools, mobile applications, training and a vibrant marketplace featuring services like Adobe Stock, as well as access to the Behance community that’s now over 7 million strong.

Built Right into Creative Cloud: Adobe Stock Service Offers Best, Broadest Selection

Research from Pfeiffer Consulting confirms that integrating Adobe Stock with CC desktop applications delivers up to 10 times greater efficiency than other stock services*. The expanded Adobe Stock service includes over 55 million royalty-free, high-quality photos, videos, illustrations and graphics, as well as the following new capabilities:

• One-Click Workflow. Deeper Adobe Stock integration with CC applications enables a new One-Click Workflow that lets users select an image or video on the Adobe Stock website and place it on their creative canvas with a single click. Also an expanded In-app Purchase feature delivers an industry-first, one-click license capability, directly from Photoshop.
• Premium Collection. Adobe’s first premium content offering sourced for Adobe Stock includes nearly 100,000 curated images that meet the standards of top advertising agencies, leading brands and digital and print publications.
• Monetization Made Easier. Coming soon, Adobe will expand on its vision to build out the world’s largest creative marketplace by offering opportunities for creative professionals to contribute and monetize their work. They can contribute directly from desktop and mobile applications including Adobe Lightroom CC, Adobe Bridge CC, Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix, providing an easy on-ramp to showcasing and selling their work via Adobe Stock. Also coming soon is Adobe’s new Stock Contributor Portal, which will feature intelligent auto-tagging capabilities saving hours of keywording.

New CC Desktop App Capabilities and Performance Enhancements

Highly anticipated CC features, offering critical time savings and new creative opportunities for Creative Cloud subscribers include:

When using the Crop tool to straighten and add canvas area to a photograph, check out the new Content Aware option which will intelligently fill in any transparent areas with computer generated "Content aware" information in Photoshop CC.

• Content-Aware Crop in Photoshop, which automatically fills in the gaps when you rotate or expand a canvas beyond the original image size.
• Face-Aware Liquify in Photoshop, an easy way to create artistic effects with facial features using the Liquify Tool while keeping the face in proportion.
• Match Font in Photoshop, an innovative font recognition technology that has the ability to recognize and identify licensed fonts and automatically suggest fonts available on your computer system or available to license through Adobe Typekit.
• Character Animator Preview in After Effects CC, which matches an animated character to a real life actor’s speech and movements, was first showcased on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the host’s recurring “Cartoon Donald Trump” (1:30) interviews and most recently by The Simpsons animation team in the episode that aired May 15, 2016.
• New Virtual Reality (VR) features in Adobe Premiere Pro CC, including “field of view” mode for previewing content.
• Adobe XD Preview, Adobe’s new experience design tool is now available in German, French, and Japanese.
• Fast Export of assets and artboards in Adobe Illustrator CC, allowing users to export assets to multiple formats and resolutions with a single click.
• Photoshop productivity enhancements, including a four times performance improvement when working with the Font Menu and three times improvement for Content-Aware Fill.

Check out the new features and enhancements made to the Type tools in Photoshop CC including the ability to find similar Typekit fonts, apply alternate on-screen with one click and font matching to help identify similar typefaces found in images.

CreativeSync and Assets: Greater Discoverability, Productivity and Integrated Mobile to Desktop Workflows

The company’s signature CreativeSync technology ensures a user’s files, fonts, design assets and settings instantly appear in their mobile to desktop workflow, wherever they need them. Recently made available collaboration capabilities include read-only Creative Cloud Libraries that provide controlled permission levels while collaborating with teams. The Creative Cloud library serves as a virtual digital style guide for teams to ensure campaigns are consistent and always on brand. Creatives can also delegate permission levels to help manage libraries and files. Also new is an updated Creative Cloud Libraries panel with Search Filters that allow customers to easily search and select video, photo, vector and illustration assets.

New Capabilities Add Value for Global Brands and Agencies

Creative Cloud for enterprise (CCE) enables customers to create, collaborate and deliver content at high velocity – all behind the security of a corporate firewall. Updates to Creative Cloud for enterprise deliver significant new capabilities, including: simplified workflows for creative teams collaborating and exchanging assets, as well as read-only libraries and folders, archiving support for folders and files and versioning capabilities. With today’s CC release, Adobe Stock for enterprise now includes the Premium collection as well as advanced search, flexible payment plans and the ability to track stock images and videos through one unified enterprise dashboard.

Pricing and Availability

Updates to CC desktop apps are now available for download by Creative Cloud members as part of their membership at no additional cost. Membership plans are available for individuals, students, teams, educational institutions, government agencies and enterprises. For pricing details, visit: https://creative.adobe.com/plans.

About Adobe

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com&esheet=51366339&newsitemid=20160621005643&lan=en-US&anchor=www.adobe.com&index=3&md5=8dafd6d659d02197fd4d66d8e7b2a25c.

* Pfeiffer Consulting

© 2016 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe and the Adobe logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

An all new version of Autodesk SketchBook designed specifically for Windows 10 tablets. SKetchBook for Tablets features optimized multi-touch gestures, 100K canvas sizes, streamlined UI elements, and a host of sKetchBook tools that our users know and love. Download SketchBook for Tablets now on the Windows store http://autode.sk/win10sb

From the Sketchbook.com blog, posted today:

Today we’re releasing a version of SketchBook for Windows Tablets users. You can download it from the Windows Store and start using it immediately.

Long-time Windows users may know that previously we offered a simplified version of SketchBook for Windows Tablet, but this new release of SketchBook is an entirely different, brand-new app. It’s a major upgrade:

• Software that takes advantage of hardware: With Windows 10 at the core, we’re able to take advantage of GPU acceleration and multi-thread processing and a whole bunch of other technical details that might bore you to death. But the bottom line is you’ll have a better experience with real-time tracking of your screen/stylus and a better touch experience. We’ve built an entirely new framework for our apps that we’re implementing with this new version that will enable us to promote greater feature parity across all of our platforms and release new versions for all platforms faster.
• 2-in-1 support: If you own one of those laptops that act like tablets and fold back on themselves or disconnects from its keyboard (some of our favorites being the Surface, Surface Pro, and Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga), you’ll like the fact that this app is available in both desktop and tablet modes.
• Gigantic canvas: If you’ve ever wanted to draw something ambitiously large, now you can. This version allows you to create a 10,000 x 10,000 pixel canvas. But don’t forget — you still have to fill that space with a massive amount of creativity.
• Features galore: Dozens of additional brushes in the Brush Library; a virtually unlimited number layers thanks to the power of Windows 10; unlimited undo; plus new Layer Tools (marking menu) that will make your workflow much faster, and a full-featured Color Puck in the Color Tools to help you choose colors on the fly.
• Stroke Stabilizer: This is a very neat feature that’s making its debut in this version of SketchBook. If you’re familiar with Steady Stroke from other versions of our app, you’ll like Stroke Stabilizer. If you need help drawing smooth lines, this tool will tighten up your messy lines automatically after you lift your pen. It’s an option if you need it, and it’s especially handy for doing things like hand lettering.

I'm eager to check this out. Perhaps it will solve my long-standing complaint about being unable to disable touch input? I'll give it a go and report back soon.

[UPDATE] Still no way to disable touch input that I can see. Makes the software unusable for me. :-(

[UPDATE 2] I wrote this as a response to the first comment below, but thought it was important enough to include in the main body of the post.

I missed (or forgot) that Sketchbook for Tablets had implemented a Pen Mode that disables touch input. This feature was never implemented in Sketchbook Pro, the desktop version which I tend to use more often. I went back to a device that was running version 3.1.1 of the app and it works as I prefer.

But the new Windows 10 app, now numbered as 1.0.0, doesn't offer a Pen Mode. It's also missing a selection tool which is an even grosser omission. Autodesk support told me they are scrambling to put both features back in as soon as possible.

Make sure to leave your reactions below!

Ryan and Miles Harris (center and right) demonstrated Sketchable at Build 2016

If you're a regular reader of this site, you'll know that I'm a fan of Silicon Benders' Sketchable, one of the few Windows Store apps that properly shows off the power of the Surface Pro and Windows pen computing.

I met the Silicon Benders duo, brothers Ryan and Miles Harris, in New York at the unveiling of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. A few months later, they released Sketchable 3.0 as a Windows 10 app and I thought it would be a good time now to check in with the pair to learn how things are going with their nascent enterprise.

Q. Tell me a little bit about yourselves, your coding and art backgrounds before launching Silicon Benders. 

We are brothers who grew up in house filled with art and computers. Our dad is an Adobe Principal Scientist, who has worked on PhotoShop for 20 years and on PixelPaint 8 years prior to that. From a young age, we learned to appreciate art and there has always been a large collection of programming literature around the house. We graduated with CS degrees in 2012, right around the time the Surface was launched. We saw a place in the market for a creative tablet application that utilized the integrated Pen and GPU. So Sketchable was born.  

Q. Was Sketchable your attempt to outdo the old man?  

I think every kid wants to impress their father. In high School he was a successful track runner. So my brother and I took it upon ourselves to break as many of his best times as we could. I guess you could say we are trying to do the same thing now, but with our code. Although, It’s significantly easier for us to be faster, because our brush engine is on the GPU.  

Q. Silicon Benders is an interesting company name, what inspired it? 

We were fans of "Avatar the Last Airbender". The premise of the show is, there are four elements (water, earth, fire, and Air). Special people, known as "benders", can control these elements. On their base level, computers are controlled with Silicon. So we saw ourselves as the "Silicon Benders". The first logo I sketched was a picture of Aang (the main character) with nerd glasses and computer themed tattoos, but we decided there might be minor copyright issues.  

Q. As brothers, how do you split up your responsibilities? Is coding and maintaining this app a full-time gig? 

We work well together. Some responsibilities we divide up, others are a collaboration. This is our full time job. In order for a small startup to beat the corporate giants, we have to dedicate ourselves to it.  

Q. What were you hoping to accomplish creating Sketchable? 

As I stated before, we grew up with a passion for digital art and when we graduated, there was an emerging space in the market. No one was making drawing software for modern devices. Legacy desktop software is shackled to the weight of its own code. Most were written decades ago, before the GPU even existed. The others were iPad apps. Programed and designed to run on one screen size, one input method (touch), less than a Gig of RAM, and no file system. So they were more toys than tools. Windows and Surface gave us an opportunity to reinvent what a creative apps can be.  

Head sketches by Hamilton Cline

Q. I just looked back and saw that I first wrote about Sketchable in January, 2014. When did the software first launch and describe its trajectory over that time. 

In the beginning, we wanted to make sure of two things, Sketchable was stable and it had the fastest brush engine on the market. Since then, we have layered on numerous powerful features. I think Sketchable's story mirrors that of the Surface. Version one and two were great, but the most exciting aspect of them was the potential. Third time is the charm and that's when both Sketchable and Surface started turning the corner.  

Q. What has been the reaction since 3.0 launched? Are you satisfied with the response? 

The reaction from 3.0 has been fantastic. Nothing makes us happier than seeing the images that creatives make with our software. It is a daily boost of energy to check social media and see all of the content people have shared.   

Q. Has being a Windows Store app been a help or a hindrance to your development? 

The Windows Store has been great in many ways. My bother and I are programmers who are passionate about art. Nether of us have much interest in building or maintaining a store front. It also allows us the advantages of an OS level sales integration. For instance, the insider preview has the "Ink Workspace" that highlights pen enabled apps and links to the digital artist collection in the Store.   

Sketchable inks and final colors by Luc Nguyen

Q. Who is the typical user of Sketchable? What niche are you trying to fill with the software? 

Sketchable's target users are beginner and intermediate creatives. Someone who wants the ease of use provided by touch first UI, but also the robust feature levels necessary to create real work. Sketchable also exports .psd files, so its perfect for quickly getting your ideas on canvas then exporting to your favorite desktop program for polishing.   

Q. Who are some of the artists using Sketchable to produce professional art? 

Many users have shared professional level work made entirely in Sketchable. The best example that springs to mind is Lawrence Mann. He has earned the titles of "Corel Master Painter Elite", as well as a "Sketchable Artisan". He has a great youtube channel with videos explaining where Sketchable fits into his workflow.  

This is one of the quick tips Lawrence Mann recorded for Sketchable. It is embedded inside the app itself to help explain the functionality on the the tool.

Q. What have been some of the challenges of bringing the software to market? 

I feel the biggest challenge is modern consumers aversion to buying digital goods, especially apps. It takes a tremendous amount of work simply to maintain software, not even considering feature additions. So it is disheartening to receive low reviews about how it should be free.  

Q. Microsoft has talked about a lot of improvements coming to inking in Windows 10 Anniversary Update and beyond. Will any of these impact your development? Are there plans to incorporate any of the new OS features? 

We have a great relationship with the DirectInk team. We even had the pleasure of guest speaking and demoing a ink feature, in one of their 2015 BUILD seasons. What they are doing is truly impressive and in the future, Sketchable could probably have an entire update dedicated to DirectInk.  

Q. What’s been your experience overall working with the Ink APIs? Have they been a help or a hindrance?  

The Ink APIs are tremendous. Getting ink into your app, really is as easy as they say. I can’t stress this enough to developers. Look at apps like StaffPad. It’s a whole new way to approach classic input problems.  

Q. What is your relationship with Microsoft like? As developers of a popular app that showcases some of its platform’s strengths, do you get VIP treatment or sneak peeks at upcoming technology? 

Our relationship with Microsoft is great and continuously improving. I believe they appreciate what Sketchable represents. Software designed with their hardware and OS in mind. As you know, we had the pleasure of attending the Surface launch event in NY last October. I certainly felt like a VIP then.  

Q. Do you know anything about Wacom’s upcoming dual protocol pen? Any guesses how that will work? 

Any guess would be entirely speculation. We are excited to learn more about in the future.   

Q. Do you know how your users break down by OS or machine type? Any sense how many are Surface Pro users vs. other Windows tablet PCs? 

I don’t believe that data is currently available to developers through the dashboard. So I cannot give hard numbers. It seems most customers that reach out are using  Surface Pro 3s and 4s.  

Q. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give young Ryan and Miles as they were about to embark on this project? 

Focus our efforts on our core competency, pen enabled devices.  

Q. Where does Sketchable and Silicon Benders go from here? Do you have any major new features on the drawing board? New applications that may interest the art crowd? 

This is interesting, because up until now, the path has been somewhat obvious. Features like layers and transform were mandatory. However, with 3.0 we got to get a little creative ourselves. Features like masks and stencils started to give Sketchable a unique and powerful identity outside the standard feature check list. We look to expand upon this in the next version. As well as add as many user feature requests as possible. The combination should make for a truly special product.

Q. Do you have any plans to port Sketchable to other platforms? 

Currently our focus is on Windows. However, Sketchable's code base is built to be portable. Now that IOS added a pen and more RAM, it is an intriguing possibility. 

Q. Any other tidbits you’d like to share with SurfaceProArtist.com readers? 

I would like to thank everyone who has given Sketchable a chance. Our target audience is Surface Artists, so there might be some overlap with your readers. I would encourage them to share any questions or feature requests with us directly. We would love to hear what you think.

Chinese manufacturer Cube has released the low cost Cube i7 Book, a Skylake-powered refresh of the popular Cube i7 Stylus. (And don't let the unfortunate name fool you: the Book, like the Stylus are powered by Core M processors, not Core i7s).

Like its predecessor, the Cube i7 Book uses Wacom EMR technology found in traditional tablet PCs and Wacom's Cintiq Companion devices. That technology has become harder and harder to find since Microsoft adopted N-Trig's active stylus for the Surface Pro 3 and Wacom introduced its Active ES digitizers in early 2014. 

I reviewed a rebadged version of the Cube i7 Stylus earlier this year and found it to be a decent device given its sub-$400 price tag.

The new Cube i7 Book sports an  Intel Core m3-6Y30 Dual Core, a 10.6 inch IPS 1920 x 1080 display, 4GB RAM and 64GB SSD. It supports Bluetooth 4.0 and has 2MP front- and rear-facing cameras. A major improvement over the Stylus model is the Book's Type-C USB 3.1 connector, which, according to CNet "doubles the speed of USB 3.0 to 10Gbps (now called SuperSpeed+ or SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps)...and allows larger devices to draw power from a host: up to 2A at 5V (for a power consumption of up to 10W), and optionally up to 5A at either 12V (60W) or 20V (100W)."

The Cube i7 Book tablet measures 27.30 x 17.20 x 0.96 cm / 10.75 x 6.77 x 0.38 inches and weighs 0.710 kg. The keyboard and stylus are sold separately.

The Cube i7 Book list price begins at about $500, but the tablet is now available for pre-order at online retailer GearBest.com for just under $400 at the time of this writing. I couldn't find the accompanying tablet and pen at GearBest, but those will likely show up soon.

If you're on a tight budget or simply prefer the feel of sketching and inking with EMR over active pens, the Cube i7 Book should be worth a look.

ABOUT CUBE

“CUBE” is a digital brand owned by Shenzhen Alldo Cube Technology and Science Co., Ltd.  Created in 2004, CUBE’s product line now stretches from Android tablet PCs, MP3 and MP4 players to E-Books and other advanced high-tech gadgets. It is also one of the three leading android tablet brands in China.

Illustration Copyright Man-Tsun. Used under license.

UPDATE 7/7/16: Since its release last week, Serif has posted two updates to the public beta. Version 1.5.0.5, which addresses a long list of bugs, was released this morning and is available for download here: https://affinity.serif.com/forum/index.php?/topic/21990-affinity-designer-public-beta-1505-windows/

PRESS RELEASE

Affinity Designer, the award-winning professional graphic design software, is now available for Windows. 

Today (Thursday, June 30) marks the hotly-anticipated launch of the first free beta version to more than 80,000 eager customers who signed up in advance.

Fast, smooth and precise, Affinity Designer has enjoyed rave reviews from Apple Mac users since it launched in 2014. Within a week it was the #1 ranked app and Editor’s Choice on the Mac App Store, before going on to win a prestigious Apple Design Award last year.

Nottingham, UK, developer Serif has since been bombarded with requests from customers wanting a Windows version.

Illustration Copyright Man-Tsun. Used under license.

Serif Managing Director Ashley Hewson says: “We know, because they tell us every day, that there’s a massive sense of excitement among Windows users who want the same professional design tools that our Mac apps deliver.

“The beta launch of Affinity Designer on Windows is a huge step towards that, although it's important to remember that it's not the finished product at this stage. Our beta phase for Mac was exceptionally valuable in helping us to refine the software and now we’re excited to work just as a closely with Windows users, to deliver a brilliant end product.”

People can still sign up for the Windows beta at http://affinity.serif.com/windows/

Affinity Designer is the fastest, smoothest, most precise vector graphic design software available, and it is now free in beta for Windows users: affinity.serif.com/windows/ Artworks: All artwork created in Affinity Designer and used under license: 'BB-8' created by Magic Chen. 'Extreme Surfer' created by Man-Tsun. 'Toxic Land Comic' and 'Native Plutonian/Robot' created by Frankentoon. 'Orbit', 'Artboards' and 'Edit 16'' created by Sam Milton. 'Bubble' created by Isabel Aracama Gardoqui. 'León flexo cromático' created by Oban Velasquez. 'The Meeting' created by Paolo Limoncelli. All other artwork created by Neil Ladkin and Ian Cornwall from the Affinity Team. Stock clips: Video clips used under license from Shutterstock.com Music: 'Guardians' by Bob Bradley and Terry Devine-King. Used under licence.

Designed to work on 64 bit Windows 7 and above, and available with support for eight languages, Affinity Designer is part of a trio of professional quality design software tools. Affinity Photo launched for Mac last year and will follow for Windows, while Affinity Publisher is expected early in 2017.

With core principles of performance, stability and lack of bloat, Affinity Designer contains all the tools needed in a high-end vector design app, meticulously crafted for professionals. It’s fast, meaning users can pan and zoom at 60fps and see all adjustments, effects, transformations and brushes in real time.

Affinity Designer works in any colour space … RGB, CMYK, LAB, greyscale, plus end-to-end CMYK workflow with ICC colour management and 16-bit per channel editing. It’s incredibly accurate, allowing users to zoom to over one million per cent.

Affinity Designer has the best PSD import engine available and full support for SVG, EPS, PDF, PDF/X and FH files means integrating Affinity Designer into workflow is painless.

The first full version of Affinity Designer for Windows is likely to go on sale in around three months, for direct download from the Affinity website. Customers will pay only an initial price of $49.99 / £39.99 / €49.99 for the software and subsequent updates – there’s no ongoing subscription.

Microsoft yesterday released a series of fixes to its Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book Touch and Pen drivers that appear to have resolved a long-standing problem with pen stroke tapering and smoothing.

The issue was first reported by Brad Colbow in November and I reported about it here. Brad started a thread on the answers.microsoft.com site detailing his findings and Microsoft responded November 25 that it was aware of the problem and working on a fix. That thread had since grown to over 9000 views without a further update or resolution until yesterday.

Brad Colbow's images (above and below) illustrating the tapering issue.

After installing the driver updates, which include firmware fixes that require restarting the machine, the easiest way to see the stroke improvement is in the Surface app (below). The aliasing or stairstepping visible in Brad's tests are now properly smoothed.

I did a quick test in Photoshop CC 2015.5, the software that most suffered from the smoothing issue, and it appears to be working well now. As I test the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book with other software, I'll update this post if necessary. In the meantime, if you encounter any remaining issues with strokes, please leave a comment below.

For more information about the July 14 drivers and to see the entire Surface Pro 4 update history, visit https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/install-update-activate/surface-pro-4-update-history

The new Lenovo Active Pen for Miix 700 and Yoga 900s lists for the same price as the Thinkpad Pen Pro but includes three replacement tips and an extractor ring

Nothing about tablet PC pens is simple, but when it comes to Lenovo it seems like the manufacturer goes out of its way to confuse consumers.

I first wrote about Lenovo's Wacom Active ES pen a year ago, when it sported the generic Active Capacitive Pen moniker. That pen suffered from a very short tip and shallow hover distance.

Earlier this year, when I reviewed a revised Thinkpad Yoga 14 and the affordable Ideapad Miix 700, I ordered the pen known as the Thinkpad Pen Pro, not realizing it had the same part number as the Active Capacitive Pen. Fortunately, although the pens are physically indistinguishable, the newer pen had a much wider hover distance and a tip that protruded slightly farther out of the pen shaft. This suggested that the hardware had been revised in the intervening months but Lenovo had chosen to keep the part number, 4X80H34887, the same.

Within the last month, Lenovo updated its product page for the Thinkpad Pen Pro and lists the following compatible devices: ThinkPad X1 tablet, ThinkPad P50, ThinkPad P70, ThinkPad Yoga 460, ThinkPad P40, ThinkPad Yoga 260, ThinkPad X1 Yoga, ThinkPad S1 Yoga 12, ThinkPad Yoga 14, ThinkPad Yoga 15, ThinkPad 11e, ThinkPad 10 and ThinkPad Helix.

Notice that there is no Miix 700 listed nor is there mention of Lenovo's newest penabled device, the Yoga 900s. Now there is a new product listing for the Lenovo Active Pen for Miix 700 and Yoga 900s, part number GX80K32882!

The retails packaging leads me to believe this pen may end up in retail stores like Best Buy

I can't speak for the 900s which I haven't tested yet, but I know for a fact that the Thinkpad Pen Pro works perfectly on the Miix 700, so I had to order one of these new beasts to find out what the difference was. Perhaps the holder had been modified to better fit the Ideapad?

Fortunately, I found the new Active Pen on Amazon for a few bucks less than the $40 list. Of course I had to double check the part number because the listing refers to it as the Active Capacitive Pen from a year ago!

Perhaps because the Miix and 900s are consumer devices, the new pen is more attractively packaged than my previous Thinkpad pens, which arrived in plain cardboard boxes. I suspect you'll see this new pen showing up on retail shelves soon. A check of the label indicates the product was freshly manufactured in June, 2016.

In addition to the pen holder and AAAA battery that is standard with the Thinkpad Pen Pro, the new Active Pen also includes an extractor ring and three replacement tips. This is a welcome sight in Wacom AES pens.

A Lenovo logo is stamped on the pen in place of a Thinkpad logo. That is the extent of the physical differences between the two products. Despite the compatibility lists on the Lenovo website, the pens are absolutely interchangeable and perform equally well. (I still slightly prefer the Wacom Bamboo Smart stylus and Toshiba DynaPad Trupen).

With its replacement tips, the Active Pen is a much better buy than the Thinkpad Pen Pro.

As for the incorrect compatibility information on the Lenovo website, I suppose they don't want to blur the lines between their brands, but they'll have to do a better job than a different product stamp on the barrel. Sadly, OEMs continue to train consumers to distrust the online product information, increasing the likelihood of returns. On the bright side, the obfuscation means that there is still a strong reason for this site to exist!

The label on the end of the box confirms that this pen was manufactured in June, 2016.

The pen holder plugs in to the USB port of the Ideapad Miix 700 or Yoga 900s, but it's not any different than the pen holder included with the Thinkpad Pen Pro

Which of these things is not like the other? The new Active Pen (top) sports a Lenovo logo instead of the Thinkpad brand, but otherwise is indistinguishable.

Hanvon pens

EDITOR'S NOTE: Although the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) has not officially posted this news, one of its member companies Hanvon may have jumped the gun and posted this on its website. Notice that the date below is a placeholder. Thanks to ThatComicsGuy over at TabletPCReviews forums for the tip.

PRESS RELEASE

Industry-First: Active Stylus Works Seamlessly Across Multiple Devices

WAKEFIELD, Mass., USA – July XX, 2016 – The Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) marked a technological and market breakthrough today with the announcement of the availability of the USI 1.0 Stylus and Device Specification. Over 30 global companies were involved in the development of the USI 1.0 Specification.

The USI 1.0 Specification provides independent hardware vendors (IHV) and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for the first time an industry standard, non-proprietary, active stylus protocol. This solution will enable the OEM, IHV and software ecosystem to develop a new generation of active styluses that provide consumers a consistent, customizable and interoperable experience across make, model and form-factor. The USI 1.0 Specification also enables new usages for active styluses, such as multiple styluses operating simultaneously on a single device. The USI Specification can be implemented on a wide range of touch-enabled devices, including phones, tablets, computing and entertainment platforms.

The development of USI 1.0 Specification was a collaboration among several companies, including multi-national OEMs (Dell Inc.; HP Inc.; Lenovo Group Ltd.), as well as silicon and component providers (Atmel Corporation; Cirque Corporation; Hanvon Technology Co., Ltd.; Intel Corporation; Sharp Corporation; Synaptics Inc.; Wacom Co., Ltd.; Waltop International Corporation).  Sharp Corporation, Hanvon Technology Co., Ltd and Waltop International Corporation recently demonstrated a working implementation of the USI 1.0 Specification.

Industry supporting statements for the USI 1.0 Specification are posted on the USI website

"Our goal was to have a single, universal stylus capable of operating with all the devices that a consumer owns or uses in the workplace. The USI 1.0 Specification achieves this goal. It replaces multi-protocol, propriety approaches with a single solution for the entire marketplace to use." said Peter Mueller, chairman, USI. "Before the release of the USI 1.0 Specification people were forced to use a specific stylus for each device they owned because the signaling mechanisms and the communication protocols between the stylus and the device were not standardized. The USI 1.0 Specification solves this problem for consumers, business users, IHVs and OEMs."

About the USI 1.0 Stylus and Device Specification

The USI 1.0 Specification defines a standard signaling mechanism and communication protocol between a stylus and a touch-enabled device. The 1.0 Specification features a robust two-way protocol designed from the ground up to support a rich set of base features including multiple, simultaneous styluses as well as extensibility for per-vendor customization and future usages.
Users will be able to use a single USI Stylus across all of their USI-enabled devices and any USI stylus shipped with devices will work with other USI-enabled devices, even those from different manufacturers. Additionally, the USI 1.0 Specification also provides the capability to use multiple styluses from different manufacturers on a single device.T his is a breakthrough capability and industry-first enabled by the USI 1.0 Specification.

An additional benefit of the USI standard is the ability to deliver a consistent stylus user experience across platforms. This consistency and ease-of-use, coupled with interoperability, increases the consumer appeal of an active stylus and will help proliferate the technology.

About Universal Stylus Initiative

Launched in 2015, Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) is an international not-for-profit technology trade association whose mission is to define industry-wide standards for interoperable communication between an active stylus and touch-enabled devices such as phones, tablets, and computing and entertainment platforms. The USI specification provides for a stylus capable of communicating with different touch sensors and touch controller integrated circuits, so that users can employ the same stylus across numerous touch-enabled devices, as long as each device’s touch controller is compliant with the USI specification.http://www.universalstylus.org/

The Huawei MatePen features an unusually blunt nib with a wide collar. 

When I first saw the Huawei MatePen, I assumed there was no need to review it or the Matebook tablet. After all, how good could the drawing experience be with a pen featuring a short, broad nib that looks like the tip of a blunt pencil?

But after testing it out at the Microsoft Store last week, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience and decided I had to bring home both the pen and the tablet to give them a proper workout.

Huawei has definitely borrowed design cues from Apple.

The bezels are significantly narrower on the Matebook (top) than the Surface Pro 4.

The 12-inch Huawei Matebook is the Chinese manufacturer’s first Windows tablet and the device feels like the love child of a Surface Pro 4 and my Space Gray iPhone 6.

Only 6.9mm thick and weighing 640g, the Matebook is approximately 18% thinner and lighter than Microsoft’s 2-in-1. The Matebook measures 278.8mm x 194.1mm and is slightly smaller than the SP4, which measures 292.10 x 201.42. Much of the size reduction seems to be due to the Matebook’s significantly smaller bezels, which are about half the width of the Surface Pro.

The display is 2160 x 1440 IPS TFT LCD with 216 PPI. Not as stunning as the 2763 x 1824 (267 PPI) screen on the Surface Pro but very nice nevertheless.

Powered by 6th generation Core m processors, the Matebook is available with either 4 or 8 GB of RAM and 128, 256 and 512 GB SSD.

In order to test it out head to head with my m3 Surface Pro 4, I opted for the base model, which retails for $699 plus $59 for the Matebook Pen. A comparable SP4 is $899, or $141 more. You’ll likely need to spend another $89 for Huawei’s MateDock accessory which adds HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and two USB ports.  A Portolio Keyboard retails for $129.

I opted not to buy the keyboard because its iPad-like folding stand doesn’t offer the proper angle or enough support for drawing with the pen. The couple of times I’ve had to type something so far, I’ve connected a spare Bluetooth keyboard to the Matebook.

Unlike many Windows tablets (including the Surface Pro), the Matebook is a pleasure to hold and it’s not difficult to imagine cradling it for long periods of time while drawing. With smooth, rounded edges interrupted only by the keyboard connector on the bottom and the USB-C port on the lower right, the Matebook is elegant and silky to the touch.

The retail packaging and cabling is also very Apple-like, with a Power Adaptor, USB-C Data Charger Cable, USB-C to Micro-USB Cable, and a Micro USB to USB-A Adaptor, all white and attractively wrapped. The MatePen includes a replacement nib.

A fingerprint scanner is located between the volume up and down buttons.

Between the volume up and down buttons located on the upper right side of the tablet is a Windows Hello compatible fingerprint sensor.  Once you set up your device, it’s great to login with a light finger-press.

The processor in the Matebook I purchased is the same as the Intel Core m3-6Y30 running at .90 GHz on my Surface Pro 4. The Huawei performed slightly better in both the PCMark Creative Accelerated and Conventional benchmarks.

I really have no complaints with the way the Matebook performs any day to day tasks either. The narrow bezels did make it slightly less reliable to swipe in from the top, bottom or sides, but that’s not a major issue.

As you’d expect from an m3 device, the Matebook is fanless and completely silent. It can get quite warm to the touch after continuous operation. The heat isn’t localized but spreads across the back.

Huawei claims that the Matebook will deliver 10 hours of battery life, but while I haven’t timed it exactly, I’ve experienced no more than four or five hours before draining the battery to perilously low levels.

Turning to the MatePen, the smooth barrel is slightly thicker than the Surface Pen’s. A ribbed white grip sits between the pen buttons and the cap. Although the grip definitely makes it easier to hold the pen, it would seem more functional to me if it were lower on the barrel.

The MatePen is rechargeable via a hidden Micro USB port. Huawei claims the charge will be good for 100 hours.

The MatePen does not require a AAAA battery. Instead it is rechargeable via Micro USB. To access the charging port located inside the pen, you have to yank the end hard. Despite having pulled it off half a dozen times while testing, it still requires a lot of effort to separate the end from the pen.

Instead of housing an eraser, the pen cap contains a laser pointer, a feature I know I’ll never use.

The lower-most pen button is pre-configured to Erase. The upper button right clicks. The pen can be paired. Hold down the two buttons until the LED indicator on the pen grip flashes. In the Matebook’s Settings under Devices ->Bluetooth, select the MatePen and Pair.

This step isn’t necessary for drawing and inking, but once paired, pressing the upper button once will advance PowerPoint slides and twice will launch OneNote. Pressing the lower button once will go to the previous PowerPoint slide and pressing twice takes a screenshot.

The pen features two pre-configured barrel buttons and includes one replacement tip.

The nib can be replaced, but it is somewhat counter-intuitive, as it requires twisting the end in a clockwise direction as if to tighten. Reseating the tip can be tricky too. The first couple of times I tried, the tip’s white collar wouldn’t sit flush against the barrel end.

The blunt shape of the tip and large white collar seemed really off-putting at first glance, but in practice the pen performs really well. Huawei doesn’t provide any specific drivers so you are stuck with the button presets.

Without a Wintab driver, you’ll be out of luck with the Matebook if you are looking to run Paint Tool SAI, ZBrush or older versions of Photoshop. But in my tests with Sketchable, Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop CC 2015.5, the tablet and pen performed very well.

Pressure sensitivity will be limited to programs that don't require a Wintab driver.

I thought I’d be put off by the hard plastic nib on glass tactile response, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the tapping is not as loud as on other devices. The pen also seems very accurate despite its large nib area. Huawei claims the pen is capable of delivering 2048 pressure levels and pressure response is very nice, transitioning smoothly from very light lines to medium to thick.  

Drawing quick C shapes, I noticed a little bit of quantizing (straight segments along curves) but they did not occur often or predictably.

Looking into the pen’s Hardware ID, it appears to be manufactured by Wacom and performs very similarly to other Active ES pens. Could this be the forerunner for what Wacom has in mind for its upcoming Surface Pro-compatible dual protocol pen? UPDATE: The MatePen is compatible with other Wacom AES devices like the Lenovo Miix 700, but the results aren't consistent, producing broken strokes on the Miix but excellent results on the Thinkpad Yoga 14.

The Matebook's folio keyboard support isn't sturdy enough for pen use.

You can bog the machine down once your project size begins to exceed the available RAM. Very large textured brushes can also lag badly. I generally test with 15 x 10-inch canvasses at 600 dpi and regularly use 18-100 pt. brushes with a dozen or so layers and only experienced momentary slowdowns while saving my files.

You’ll see improved performance with an m5 or m7 version of the Matebook, but if you’re really after performance, an i5 or i7 device is probably a better bet.

So should you consider the Matebook and MatePen as your next mobile sketchbook? Absolutely.

Is it a no-brainer if you also need a robust two-in-one? Unfortunately, no. The lack of a kickstand and the flimsy portfolio keyboard should give you pause. The external dock for basic connections is also a negative to consider, as is the poor battery life.

But the Matebook is an excellent first effort and it’s very exciting to welcome Huawei into the family of Windows tablet makers.

Microsoft put pen computing front and center during its Build 2016 keynote this morning. Showing off the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary update, Executive Demo Lead Bryan Roper (known in some circles as Fedora Guy) wowed the crowd with several nifty new features made possible by enhancements to Microsoft's Windows Ink API.

In his blog post, Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group Terry Myerson described the improvements thusly:

More than 70% of us spend more than one hour a day using a pen. We lose notes in our notebooks, take pictures of whiteboards, and can’t do equations or music composition with a keyboard. Windows Ink is an all-new experience, putting the power of Windows in the tip of your pen, enabling you to write on your device as you do on paper, creating sticky notes, drawing on a whiteboard, and easily sharing your analog thoughts in the digital world. Windows Ink is integrated into apps like Maps, Microsoft Edge, and Office. And today, we demonstrated how developers can incorporate Windows Ink into their apps with as little as 2 lines of code!

None of these are art-specific, but they do point the way to a Windows computing world where the pen is less of an after-thought. You can see the new features for yourself in the video below.