Does the newest Surface Pen work with the 2018 Spectre

[Alex141]

I have the new 2018 Spectre with Vega graphics, and while I like the pen I feel like I would enjoy the new Surface pen much more, and from my understanding the Spectre's pen is made by Microsoft, so is the Surface pen compatible and will I be able to use all the buttons?

[banhien]

@Alex141

First of all, not all touchscreens support active stylus. Many smartphones and tablets do the same. Please check the following compatible list to select a right one.

   http://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c05166879

If your machine is not on the list, come back later for more updates.

FYI:

  My loan HP Spectre 15-chxx machine comes with a pen, part # 905512-002

Regards.

[Alex141]

Mine does support it, it came with the pen. 

[banhien]

---

@Alex141 wrote:

Mine does support it, it came with the pen. 

---

Please try the following tutorials

   https://www.itprotoday.com/management-mobility/using-hp-active-pen-hp-spectre-x360

Regards.

[Alex141]

I do not need help using the HP Active Pen, I already know it works. What I want to know is if the Microsoft Surface Pen will connect and work properly with my Spectre.

[David_J_W · Accepted solution]

The only answer we can give is "it might work, but functionality cannot be guaranteed". Even if it works now, there is no guarantee that it will stay working through future driver and BIOS updates.

Both Microsoft Surface devices and your Spectre use Microsoft digitisers, but the drivers for both will be customised for the specific pens sold by the manufacturers. There are some cut-offs within each manufacturer's pen technology; I tried an old 2010 vintage Dell supplied N-Trig pen (Microsoft bought N-Trig) on a Surface Go and the pen didn't respond at all, not that I was expecting it to. That Dell had an early version of the N-Trig digitiser that uses an pen powered by the screen, whereas modern pens using Microsoft technology have an on-board power source.

I doubt the Surface Pen will offer anything your HP pen doesn't on your HP notebook even if it works. The HP pen compatibility document appears to indicate your device has no support for the tilt functionality in some Microsoft pens, in which case that is a big feature of the latest Surface Pen that will not work. If tilt is non-functional then all you are likely to get for your money is a pen with the buttons in different places to your HP pen that works similarly to your HP pen other than one or more of the buttons not functioning.

If you are determined to try this nevertheless, either find someone with a Surface who is willing to lend you their pen, or order a Surface Pen from somewhere that accepts returns.