Active pen Stylus won't work with new Spectre x360 13.3 inch oled touchscreen.

[sonnycraven06]

Like so many posters here, I am now a among the ranks of those complainants that active pen Stylus will NOT work with this model. 

HP.  Is there a simple answer, a a clear declarative sentence, for this reported problem by many, many buyers?

Frustrating things more is a call to tech support.

1st call:. " I can confirm no pen Stylus will work with your model.". Then, "Checking further literature, only three models of touchscreen HP computers are compatible with a stylus".

Next call to tech support on a hunch no two answers will be same.  This time, "Oh, yes.  I can confirm all touchscreen models are compatible with pen sylus".

Me:. Are you sure.  Second tech: "Yes, I assure you".  Me: "Can you explain why the first tech stated none are compatible then found documentation that only three were and mine was not one of them?"

Answer:. "No, don't worry.  It is compatible". 

Me: "When "Pen and Touch menu is accessed in control panel, only provision shosing as active is 'touch', not pen.  Does this mean drivers are needed or not activated unless stylus contacts the screen". 

Answer, "Yes".

Me: "Which is it". 

Answer:. "Both".  "Let me transfer you to pre-sales which will have more details on your particular model". 

Pre-sales:. "Why are you calling pre-sales", in father-to-idiot" lecture. 

Me:. "I was transferred by tech support because, ostensibly, you have more product details to determine if my Spectre x360 is stylus-compatible".

Pre-sales:. "Pre-sales deals with sales and we are not the department for technical support".

Recognizing elliptical reasoning, and resisting the temptation to scream, I explain that I'm the customer caught between contradictory answers.

Conclusion:. Folks, nothing works.  Reporting issues to HP.com results in no reply.  A provision on the HP customer service online survey to list your issue and select the option if you want HP to respond results not in a phone call, but a scripted email that has no bearing on your issue.

I could go on, but won't.  Here is my suggestion that so far has stumped, even silenced anyone at HP who I've talked with.

When ordering online, there is a list of accessories for the item to be purchased you might choose to add to your order.  Mice, hard drives, carrying cases, etc.  Is it too much for touchscreen-equipped models to offer a stylus HP recommends and guaranteed to work with that model as a compatible option?

Can we ever expect HP to resolve and report results of a fix for touchscreen-equipped models, a feature needed or desired by almost anyone who purchases a touchscreen-equipped laptop or desktop?

[A4Apollo]

Hey there @sonnycraven06! Thank you for joining the HP Forums!
 
                     I understand that HP active stylus is not working with your laptop .

This stylus would work only on certain models of HP X360. Please find the model numbers below.

HP Spectre x360 13-40xx
  
HP Spectre x360 13-41xx

Also please refer the document in link for more information: http://hp.care/2cIdSPc

Let me know if this helps!

Have a great day!                                                                 

[TinTin69]

This is a really great response. I wish you would make that qualification on the Spectre X360 sales page where it clearly says:

"Enabled for Active Stylus

Draw, underline, or write with the natural feeling of pen to paper. The Spectre x360 is compatible with active pens using Synaptics® technology, like the HP Active Stylus accessory."

How about a little footnote saying that the OLED models are not compatible?? Stupidly, I just bought one of those and I am already regretting it. If I had known that it was not compatible with any kind of active pen, I would have bought the Surface Book. What exactly is the point of having a reversable screen when you cannot write on it??

[A4Apollo]

@TinTin69 thanks for the reply,

I understand that your laptop model is not supported by the HP Active pen.

If you want to buy a different stylus which works on your laptop, you can buy using the link below.

http://hp.care/2cC4ZUH

Have a great day! 

[BEBaker8]

We have definitely walked down the same path. Thank you for all the detail.

The amateurish support from numerous HP techs is so frustrating. And still no one has given me any definitive answer. But what I have heard consistently is:

1) your x360 is definitely stylus compatible
2) the HP Active Stylus you have is definitely compatible with your x360.
3) there is no firmware upgrade for the 13" version
4) the firmware upgrade for the 15" is not compatible with the 13"
5) if I am not satisfied with my laptop, I more than welcome to return it before the 30 day period expires (in four days).

[BEBaker8]

I have the Spectre x360 - 13t-4200 CTO model. Are you saying that the HP Active Stylus is not compatible with my model? That would be the first time I've heard that from HP. Is it compatible with any active stylus? Is the Targus non-active stylus you provide the link to compatible? I do know that my fingernail is compatible...and thankfully I have ten of those.

If all this is correct, I think HP owes us a correction and an apology for not disclosing that this "premium convertible" laptop is not active pen compatible. I have spent countless hours trying to get this resolved and thankfully I have disregarded HP tech support's recommmendation to reset Win 10 to factory settings...which I knew would do nothing but cause me to start all over getting this unit ready to be production ready at our company.

[A4Apollo]

Hi, @BEBaker8! thanks for the reply,

I understand that HP Active pen is not functioning with your laptop.

There is a difference between an HP active pen and HP Active stylus.

These are two different Stylus which are made to work only on the certain model of laptops.

If you are using HP Active pen with your spectre x360 it will not work.

However, If you are using HP Active stylus with your x360 laptop this stylus is completely supported by your laptop.  

Please find the link below to know the difference between HP Active stylus and HP Active pen.

Link for HP Active pen: http://hp.care/2dmpZxu

Link for HP Active Stylus: http://hp.care/2dms38y

I will watch for you reply!

Have a great day Ahead!

[TinTin69]

Hi MrRobot,

Thanks for your reponse, this is highly interesting! In my email above I may have said "Active Pen", but what I meant was a Synaptics compatible Active Stylus. I bought one of those, the Dell Active Stylus, which is the exact same technology as the HP Active Stylus and 100% compatible. In all the reviews I read, people much preferred the Dell Stylus to the HP one for various reasons, and they use it on Spectre x360 laptops without problems. 

My problem, however, is that the Active Stylus doesn't work on my 13-42xxxx Spectre! Absolutely nothing happens (and the stylus is working fine, tested it on other laptops). Yes, I could use one of those rubber tip pens you mentioned above, but then I might as well use my finger, which has about the same detail and pressure sensitivity. I bought this laptop because HP advertised it as Synaptics Active Stylus compatible as advertised here: Spectre Product Page. When I contacted HP support, they told me that "only some models" are compatible and my OLED screen was not. Many people in the past had problems with Active Stylus compatibility, the web is full of them. Some were solved by updating the screen firmware, others in different ways. However, in my case there is no firmware update and I tried everthing I could find in the user forums.

So could we please have a definite and precise answer as to whether the Spectre x360 42xx models are or are not compatible with Active Stylus? If so, how can I make it work?

[BEBaker8]

Thank you very much for the follow up. Before I purchased the (first) stylus, I checked with HP support that I was purchasing the correct model that would be compatible with my laptop.  The stylus model they instructed me to buy was the J4R51AA#ABL

One support tech told me that I had the correct model of stylus but that it must be defective and recommended that I replace it with the same model.  So I am now the proud owner of two of these (excact same model) and neither of them work with the laptop at all.

[BEBaker8]

Your input and feedback is spot on!  It's a kind of morbid comfort to know I'm not alone in my frustrating struggles!!