Anyone own HP Spectre X2? Lost my stylus...

lesher on 01/10/2016 - 00:15

I hate to say it, but I lost my pen for this laptop and I need it to do some work on photoshop…

Since this is my first time owning a hybrid laptop with touchscreen, I'm wondering if it's possible to just find any HP related pen for this laptop (like this one for example http://www.warehouse1.com.au/epages/shop.sf/sec6a95c41b86/?O…) or if I really have to find a specific one for this laptop?

I've talked to someone recommended by HP support team quite recently about replacement stylus, and they say the replacement pen is like 160 AUD, what the heck. I'd like to avoid that if possible…

Computing

Comments

elusive on 01/10/2016 - 02:18

The Spectre X2 is compatible with active pens using Wacom technology.

from http://h20386.www2.hp.com/AustraliaStore/Merch/offer.aspx?p=…

I think any Wacom active digitiser pen should work. e.g. this one: http://h20386.www2.hp.com/AustraliaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?…

You can probably find cheaper on ebay, doesn't even need to be HP-branded.

It won't be a perfect fit, especially things like buttons, but it should work for drawing.
- lesher on 01/10/2016 - 02:55
  
  Ah okay, so the keyword is "active" and "wacom", I'll check around at eBay or local computer store if they have them then, thanks.
  
  I always thought wacom is a brand or a type of tablet, not a name of technology…
  - elusive on 01/10/2016 - 10:31
    
    It is a brand, but they also own the patent to this type of digitiser. I suppose you could call them Wacom-compatible.
    
    One of the defining features vs other active digitisers is the lack of battery in the pen.
    - lesher on 01/10/2016 - 10:42
      
      Really? That's interesting, I remember some of the HP active pens on HP website (that costs a lot fortune) uses 1 AAAA battery I think, or is that just completely different thing?
    - elusive on 01/10/2016 - 11:26
      
      @dvdlesher:
      
      Yea, I saw them too. Don't think they're listed as Wacom. For example, the Surface Pro changed to N-Trig at some point and now needs a AAAA.
      
      Did yours take a battery? It shouldn't have, based on the product page above.
    - lesher on 01/10/2016 - 18:51
      
      @elusive: Wish I remember, I guess you can tell how careless I am losing it rather quickly with the new notebook :/
  - elusive on 11/10/2016 - 02:11
    
    Crap, I just learned that there's two types, AES and EMR. AES is the one that takes the battery. The two are not compatible…
    
    No idea which one HP used in the Spectre X2.
    
    http://bamboo.wacom.com/bamboo-smart-aes/
    
    Edit: AES, apparently, so you'd need to get one that takes a battery. Sorry!! http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/threads/the-hp-spectre-x2-12…
    
    Seems to be a fairly recent development (this year) - I remember back when the Surface Pro 3 went with N-Trig, Wacom only had the EMR one I think…
    - lesher on 11/10/2016 - 18:46
      
      Wait, I don't get it, because when I search for "Wacom AES" on google shopping or ebay, I never get description that says something like "Technology: AES"
      
      Why are these things so darn complicated :/
      
      I'm looking at this right now: http://www.warehouse1.com.au/Communications/MobilityAccessor…
      But I have no idea if this one uses the AES technology you mentioned…
      
      I think this one might be it, but I'm not sure either, because I can't find the word "AES" in this page either… http://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/stylus/bamboo-smart-for-…
    - elusive on 11/10/2016 - 19:55
      
      +1
      
      @dvdlesher: Yea, sorry… I wish I had a more concrete answer for you.
      
      Seems like AES is a fairly new thing, and its most obvious difference (vs older Wacom EMR) is the use of a battery.
      
      Take this all with a grain of salt; I only know what I can find online…
      
      According to this, "HP sells (though does not supply in the box) a pen for use with the Spectre x2 that supports 2048 pressure levels. The pen is an active design, using a AAAA battery that HP says will last for about 700 hours."
      
      So, this one seems to be the right pen, again taking a battery: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-active-stylus-pen-for-hp-spec…
      
      AES seems to be a fairly new thing, so the pens aren't particularly cheap and older ones are almost certainly EMR. Your Warehouse1 pen is mentioned here as "battery-free", so I guess it's EMR. The Bamboo Smart for tablets/2-in-1 should be AES, see my link from the other comment. (Also it claims to work on the Miix 700, which I just got the other day and I'm pretty sure has an AES pen seeing as it took a battery and my old Wacom pen doesn't work on it.)
      
      Cheapest I can find at the moment seems to be the Lenovo one. I think it should work on the Spectre X2 (given it takes the battery), but I'm not sure. https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Active-Capacitive-Pen-GX80K328…
      
      Good luck, with whichever you choose! Let us know how it goes?
      
      Ok, let me see if I can get it straight in my own head…
      
      Traditionally, going back five years, "active digitiser" referred to a pen that could communicate to the tablet, as opposed to "capacitive pens" that emulate a finger touch (and are therefore imprecise). These were also included in the Surface Pro and Pro 2.
      
      Wacom had most of the market, in the form of graphics/drawing tablets, using their EMR pens. Those pens did not take a battery, getting power from the device much like RFID.
      
      More recently, N-Trig became popular because MS bought them and used their pens in the Surface Pro 3. These took a battery and are apparently known as "active pens" (because they're self-powered? I don't know!). Better in some ways, worse in others, vs EMR.
      
      Then Wacom came out with the AES stuff. Very similar to the N-Trig pens. Also took a battery, also called "active pens" — it's even in the name. Again, better in some ways, worse in others, vs EMR.
      
      So presumably "active pen" is supposed to only refer to AES (in the Wacom world) now. But I'd still be wary because as far as I can recall "active digitiser" was/is the overall term for all these pens, battery or not…
      
      http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/threads/wacom-emr-vs-n-trig-…
      
      https://www.reddit.com/r/stylus/comments/3tzzv8/comparing_cu…
    - lesher on 11/10/2016 - 20:11
      
      @elusive: Thanks man, much appreciated
      
      Yeah I think capacitive pens are referred as "passive pens" by some people, adding it to the confusion as well.
      
      Hmm, I wouldn't mind trying any of them provided I get to test them first in a retail store of some sort, or if I can ask for a refund if it doesn't work with the notebook.
      
      I'm thinking of getting that wacom bamboo or that lenovo active pen, but first I'm gonna call them to see if I can ask for a refund if the pen does not work for whatever reason, wish me luck. Wish I can find these easily in retail stores…
      
      I don't think I can get that one from bestbuy because that one is in USA sadly.
    - elusive on 11/10/2016 - 22:52
      
      @dvdlesher: If you mean the Bamboo from Warehouse1, I'd not expect that to work. Different from the Bamboo Smart.
      
      Careful when asking about returns, you might have to pay for return shipping.
    - lesher on 11/10/2016 - 22:58
      
      @elusive: Oh when I said bamboo, I meant the bamboo smart one yeah. But nevermind, that website is only for US, and the Australian wacom website sells that bamboo smart at a kinda expensive price…
      
      So I decided to try the lenovo active pen from amazon instead, as well as getting external hard drive. I guess I'll try and sell it on gumtree or something if I can't get it working.
    - lesher on 24/10/2016 - 14:17
      
      +1
      
      @elusive: Hey, that Lenovo active pen works!
    - elusive on 24/10/2016 - 14:23
      
      @dvdlesher:
      
      Nice!
Diji1 on 01/10/2016 - 11:21

Pretty sure all Samsung Galaxy Note styli work and you can pick them up for peanuts on ebay.
- lesher on 01/10/2016 - 18:53
  
  I might sound lazy for asking this, but mind showing some examples of the ones you are thinking about? The thing is, I don't need just any kind of stylus/pen, I need one that can handle pressure as well so that I can use them in image editing software
  - stargalaxy on 01/10/2016 - 22:30
    
    My note 3 stylus does not work with the X2.

Anyone own HP Spectre X2? Lost my stylus...

Comments

New Forum Topics