HP Active Stylus Pen with HP ENVY x360?

[Em963]

I was interested in purchasing a stylus to use with my HP ENVY x360, but have read various reviews that the pen was not compatible. Based on the list online, my laptop was not compatible with any of the ones listed there. It is an HP ENVY 15-u010dx x360. Are there any stylus options that will work?

Thanks in advance.

[Dragon-Fur]

@Em963

I do not find anything in the stylus compatibility document to match your system.

According to what I can find, the computer model was introduced back in 2014.   "Too old" is a bit harsh -- let's just say:  Your nice computer is of a vintage that does not support this new feature.

You might be able to use a capacitive / passive pen -- this is not at all the same thing and is likely not what you are after.  I have included a bit of information on the Passive Pen later in this post.

Things that are the Stylus / HP Pen

For those reading:

The following is an abbreviated excerpt and does not include driver information.

Please find a different thread that includes driver links for your supported pen.

Find a Stylus for your computer

First, find the computer's exact Model name:

HP Notebook PCs - How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?

Next, search the document for a compatible stylus:

HP PCs - Touchscreen Compatibility with Pen and Stylus

If there is an HP Active Stylus available for your model, it should be included in the document.

Additional information can be found in Advisory Documents.

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Details and Extra Bits

Search the Compatibility Document 

• Open the document in your browser
• Click open both (all) categories (business and consumer) to expand the lists
• Examine the lists to find a match to your computer model
• Product Name contain an “m”? Consider this to be the same as the model with no “m”.
  • Example: HP Envy x360 15m-bp011dx is the same (and uses the same stylus) as HP Envy x360 15-bp011dx
• Use CTRL-F to open the webpage search bar – type in the model type of your computer, leaving off the “HP” prefix and stopping just before OR just after the “dash” in the name. “Less is better”.
  • Example: Spectre x360 15-   or   Spectre x360  or  even just Envy x360 (no size designator)
• If a match is found, examine the results to determine if there is a pen for your model group
  • Example: matches for Spectre x360 15 include model groups: Spectre x360 15-ap0xx, Spectre x360 15-bl0xx
• What about “xx0xx” as compared to “xx1xx”? Sometimes these are both the “same” (both support the same pen). 
  • Example: Envy x360 15-bq0xx is the same as Envy x360 15-bq1xx
  • If you are not sure, ask. (Know that response times vary widely – our community forum does not have access to the information and we, too, must ask to receive additional information.)

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Passive Pen / Stylus

If you do not find an active pen listed for your computer, consider the "passive" pen as mentioned in the stylus document.

Reminders:

• Passive pen is not the same thing as an active stylus.
• Passive pen does not act like an art pencil.
• Passive pen does not interact with Windows Ink.
• Passive pen can operate the desktop -- open icons, menus, activate programs.
• Passive pen does not have a battery nor does it contain any electronics used to interface with the screen. 
• Capacitive / Passive pen tips are "fat" to allow the pen to cover enough of the screen area to activate the "touch".  (See article below for actual terms and definitions.)
• Use your favorite search engine -- search for "active stylus versus capacitive stylus"

             One example:

             Artist Guide to Active vs Capacitive Styluses

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Side Bar:

IF you decided that it is time to purchase a new computer so you can indulge in "Stylus" freedom, please know that not every new computer (regardless of brand) supports an active stylus -- you must do your homework to be sure you purchase a model that supports an active stylus.

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