Stylus calibration on Windows 8 tablets

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

...I have no experience with any wacom stylusses at all (the pen on my Flyer is always a bit slow, so I'm used to that), but I'll see if I can find out what exactly you mean...

It's easy to describe:
When the stylus nears the screen, a dot appears on the display as soon as the stylus is about 1.5cm from the display.
From that moment on, palm rejection starts, so you conveniently can rest your hand on the display while taking notes.
If you use OneNote, Bamboo Page (from WACOM themselves) and similar apps that allow for backgrounds with rule lines or even grid lines, you perfectly can track the accuracy of your stylus:
You aim for a grid point with your stylus: Does the tip align with the dot?
That's way more tricky than one might think at first glance.
When using the Surface Pro in landscape mode, it's about 27cm wide.
Obviously, over such a width you change your viewing angle and holding position.
Same is true for the first or the last line of the very same page.
Therefor you can calibrate your stylus. Some hold it in a 45 degree angle, others hold it more perpendicularly.
My problem simply is: I perfectly can calibrate my unit for the middle section and the right part. And for the entire height, from first to last line. But the left part is off, no matter what I try.
("Off" meaning, the tip of the stylus and the projected dot on the display don't align).
It slowly starts in the middle, but nothing serious. But the last centimeter from the left bezel gets off enormously. It's not a slow progression, but kind of a sudden "jump". Basically, from one pixel to the next it gets off about 1mm. And in the upper left corner, starting as well about 1 centimeter from the top, it gets off even more, about 2mm.
1mm or 2mm might not seem much. But if you use grid lines, its extremely obvious. And if I imagine, that WACOM is used by artists for graphical tablets, this can't be the rule.
Some say, that's quite normal for WACOM. And it's not really a showstopper, I can start my notes 1cm from the left and from the top.
Still....it annoys me a bit...
And the WACOM Feel driver (which allows for more pressure sensitivity) makes it even worse, then the offset without calibration is in the range of 3mm. Even calibration doesn't generate the same results as before without the Feel driver.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

That's surprisingly fast.
All websites I saw stated "available on March 17th".
Where did you order from?

3 weeks ago from a German webshop (computeruniverse.net)... And it was even faster than I thought. It originally said it would ship the 21st, it shipped the 17th and the mailman tried to deliver it yesterday (the 19th). So, I can pick it up today (perfect timing, as it was a gift for ourselves for our anniversary, and that is today )

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

3 weeks ago from a German webshop (computeruniverse.net)... And it was even faster than I thought. It originally said it would ship the 21st, it shipped the 17th and the mailman tried to deliver it yesterday (the 19th). So, I can pick it up today (perfect timing, as it was a gift for ourselves for our anniversary, and that is today )

Happy anniversary then!
I'll check out that website.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

My Asus is on route to me... It was shipped the 17th and I think it'll take about 3-5 days (silly, I know, I could drive it in half a day!). I have no experience with any wacom stylusses at all (the pen on my Flyer is always a bit slow, so I'm used to that), but I'll see if I can find out what exactly you mean...

Just ordered the Asus VivoTab Note 8 from computeruniverse.net. Thanks for the tip! On the website it says "1 to 2 weeks". Let's see...
My Dell Venue 8 Pro is scheduled for March 6th (almost 3 weeks for the standard configuration, quite frustrating).
I hate the "I test 2 and keep 1" mentality, I'm not doing that. I'll simply keep the one that's delivered first and cancel the other order.
I don't need the stylus, I won't jot notes on an 8" unit. So I'd be fine with either unit.
If I'll keep the Asus, first thing to do will be uninstalling the %/(())="§ update hub from Asus...Else it should be fine, Asus VivoTab Smart I bought a year ago does have a spectacular price/quality ratio.
Still, I hope for a Surface Pro mini...

[Sweetpea]

Thanks for the tip...

---

About the stylus. I saw what you mean. I have the impression there's something "drawing" the pointer away. I had my Flyer laying underneath my Asus and, especially in the corner, the difference between the pointer and the real location of the pen was getting close to half a cm... When I put the Asus directly on the table, the difference was maybe a mm or so...

It could be that the hardware of the device is interfering with the wacom signal (or however it exactly works...) and that it becomes more noticeable as devices get thinner and thinner...


(so far, I'm very happy with it, but I want a few more days to get used to it before I can make some real observations!)

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Thanks for the tip...

---

About the stylus. I saw what you mean. I have the impression there's something "drawing" the pointer away. I had my Flyer laying underneath my Asus and, especially in the corner, the difference between the pointer and the real location of the pen was getting close to half a cm... When I put the Asus directly on the table, the difference was maybe a mm or so...

It could be that the hardware of the device is interfering with the wacom signal (or however it exactly works...) and that it becomes more noticeable as devices get thinner and thinner...


(so far, I'm very happy with it, but I want a few more days to get used to it before I can make some real observations!)

If you don't need the WACOM Feel driver (enhanced pressure sensitivity), the 130 or 273 calibration points from the XDA forum help a bit.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

...I'm a but annoyed with bezel on the Surface Pro 2, do a small bezel will also be required before I open my purse.

Bezels on some of my tablets:

Surface Pro 2: 2cm / 2cm
Google Nexus 7: 2cm / 0,5cm
Kindle Fire HD 7": 1.7cm / 1.5cm
Dell Latitude 10: 2.3cm / 2.3cm

I'll measure others later on.
But from what I see so far, the bezel on Surface Pro 2 on the short side perfectly is in line with most others. On the longer side there are smaller ones. But that's for 7" and 8" units respectively 4:3 screens. Would the Bezel on Surface Pro 2 be even smaller on the long side, it would seem extremely narrow in portrait mode.
It's not bothering me, I didn't even check the bezel width before you mentioned it.
And, just a guess: Since the WACOM stylus acts off a few mm in the upper left corner anyway, it might be even more off with a smaller bezel?!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Just ordered the Asus VivoTab Note 8 from computeruniverse.net. Thanks for the tip! On the website it says "1 to 2 weeks". Let's see...
My Dell Venue 8 Pro is scheduled for March 6th (almost 3 weeks for the standard configuration, quite frustrating).
I hate the "I test 2 and keep 1" mentality, I'm not doing that. I'll simply keep the one that's delivered first and cancel the other order.
I don't need the stylus, I won't jot notes on an 8" unit. So I'd be fine with either unit.
If I'll keep the Asus, first thing to do will be uninstalling the %/(())="§ update hub from Asus...Else it should be fine, Asus VivoTab Smart I bought a year ago does have a spectacular price/quality ratio.
Still, I hope for a Surface Pro mini...

Just cancelled my order for the Asus VivoTab Note 8.
A friend of mine already got it.
Too flimsy for me. And shipment was postponed for another 10 days...
I'll wait for a more premium product.
I still have my Dell Venue 8 Pro on backorder. Not shure, whether I should cancel it as well. It's in the same price range (€ 350) as the Asus Note 8, maybe that's simply too low a price for a Windows 8 tablet?

[Kumabjorn]

The Dell is faster but the stylus is flimsy. With your exacting requirements I fear you may be disappointed.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

The Dell is faster but the stylus is flimsy. With your exacting requirements I fear you may be disappointed.

One can't order the Dell stylus for some time now anyway.
I might just do without.
I'm not sure about the usability on 8" anyway.
If only Microsoft would come clear about a Surface Pro mini...