Surface Pro pressure support in Photoshop added with Wacom driver

Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet is set to get its missing pressure sensitivity for the digital stylus in apps like Photoshop, with a Wacom driver update incoming to address the glitch. The Windows 8 tablet, launched back in February, shipped without full support for recognizing how hard stylus-users pressed with the pen in apps like Adobe’s Creative Suite. Now, according to Microsoft’s Panos Panay, the end is in sight.

Microsoft Surface Pro

Panay, who led the Surface project, and is a corporate VP at Microsoft, took to Twitter to confirm that he had been testing out the latest Wacom beta drivers. “Cool to see Pen pressure in Photoshop” he commented, along with the promise that the software update would be “releasing soon.”

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That was then followed by the quiet release from Wacom of what’s described as an “Enhanced Tablet Driver“, v7.1.1-12. Although the driver makes no specific mention of Surface Pro, the details given around what, exactly, it does for a Wacom digitizer-enabled system does sound just like what Panos was talking about:

“Expand the capabilities of your tablet computer with the enhanced tablet driver for systems that use Wacom Feel IT technology! Installing this driver will provide many advanced pressure-sensitive features that Wacom pen tablet users have come to enjoy. The driver supports advanced features such as pressure-sensitivity in graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. It also allows you to adjust the pen tip pressure sensitivity and to program the side switch of the pen for a wide range of alternative settings and functions” Wacom Feel It driver documentation

Microsoft is yet to confirm whether this is, in fact, the relevant update, though given there have been mixed messages around why pressure sensitivity does not work properly in all apps in the first place, that’s arguably not a surprise. Anecdotal reports from Surface Pro users have indicated that it the driver does, indeed, address the issue, ZDNet reports.

One proposed explanation is that Microsoft scuppered third-party support by forcing the Surface Pro to use its own InkAPI drivers for the Wacom digitizer, whereas others have blamed Adobe for not building the necessary support into its software. Adobe has been pushing for the WinTab API drivers instead.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is tipped to be preparing a new line of “Surface 2″ tablets, potentially including a smaller, roughly 7- to 8-inch model, for reveal at its BUILD 2013 developer conference this year. So far, Windows RT and Windows 8 have been reserved for 10-inch tablets or bigger, leaving the smaller scale touch market to the iPad mini and various Android-powered options.


Surface Pro pressure support in Photoshop added with Wacom driver is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Smaller Microsoft Surface Expected To Be Announced In June [Rumor]

Smaller Microsoft Surface Expected To Be Announced In June [Rumor]

We’ve been hearing about the possibility of there being a smaller Microsoft Surface since this past February, and it looks like those rumors may soon come true as DigiTimes is reporting the company will indeed be announcing its second generation of Surface tablets very soon.

According to DigiTimes’ sources from Microsoft’s upstream supply chain, the company’s unveiling of its second-generation Surface tablets will occur at their Build Developer Conference, which will be taking place from June 26-28. The second generation of Surface tablets are expected to have a screen that measures somewhere between 7 to 9 inches with component suppliers reportedly having shipped enough parts to build between 1 to 1.5 million second-generation Surface units.  The second-generation Surface is expected to run on either Intel or NVIDIA processors. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: ASUS MeMo Pad To Be Updated? [Rumor], iOS 7 Allegedly Gets Detailed Ahead Of WWDC,

    

Microsoft Surface 2 tipped as cautious BUILD release

This week the folks at Microsoft have been tipped to be wrapping up production of a second-generation Surface tablet for Windows 8, readying the device for a reveal at this year’s BUILD developer conference. A release of a second-generation Surface tablet will be done “cautiously” according to sources speaking this week, with the original run of the tablet having sold less than expected in its initial push. Both the Surface RT and the Surface Pro may be getting a full refresh this year.

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Word from upstream supply chain sources speaking with Digitimes have suggested that BUILD will be the place where a new generation of Surface tablets will likely appear first. They’ve added that the first generation, having sold what they claim is 1.5 million units total for the first two releases of the tablet (RT and Pro). This being half of the expectations the company had, a “cautious attitude over promotions” has been initiated for the 2nd generation.

This second generation has a series of components largely the same as the first run, with what these same sources say are parts from LG, Samsung, NVIDIA, Intel, and Pegatron. Changes would be in the chassis of the tablet switching from what was manufactured by China-based Chungnam Precision Casing to Ju Teng. At the moment there’ve been no confirmations from any of the named manufacturers on a second-generation Surface model.

The final bit of information this source spoke about this week was the idea that this generation of the Surface tablet would feature between a 7 and 9-inch display, this matching up well with the trend for larger and smaller than 10.1-inch tablet standard sizes in the industry.


Microsoft Surface 2 tipped as cautious BUILD release is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft Surface tablet availability expands amid reports of demand

Microsoft will soon be expanding the availability of its Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets. It stated that due to the high demand for its products in other countries, it has decided to bring its tablets to several more markets. The Surface RT will be expanded to 4 new markets, while the Surface Pro will be expanded to a whopping 24 new markets. The expansion will be completed by the end of June.

Microsoft Surface tablet availability expands amid reports of demand

Currently, the Microsoft Surface RT tablet is available in 25 markets, including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. On April 25th, 2 days from now, the Surface RT will become available in Malaysia. It will then head to Mexico by the end of May, and finally to Korea and Thailand by the end of June.

The Surface Pro on the other hand is only available in the United States, China, and Canada. So Microsoft has decided to do a drastic move and launch the Surface Pro into 24 more markets. These markets include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Most of the markets will receive the Surface Pro by the end of May, while Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand will get the tablet by the end of June.

Microsoft puts more emphasis on the Surface Pro, stating that its very hard to keep the tablet in stock. Before, the product would sell out constantly in the United States and in Canada, but now sales have stabilized. Microsoft assures consumers that there will be enough stock of its tablets at its retail partners to ensure a smooth and successful launch. The Surface tablet has been praised as the “one device people use to work and play”. To see if the tablet(s) are right for you, be sure to check out our reviews for both the Microsoft Surface RT and the Microsoft Surface Pro.

[via Microsoft]


Microsoft Surface tablet availability expands amid reports of demand is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft Surface Pro’s warranty becomes a target in China

Last month, China’s most popular TV program, China Central Television, criticized Apple’s warranty policy for treating Chinese customers differently than it treats other customers from around the globe. The criticism sparked a lot of controversy, and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook issued an apology and announced that he, and Apple, will improve its warranty and repair its policies in China. Seeing how much attention the controversy garnered, a Chinese radio-station has decided to jump onto that bandwagon.

Microsoft Surface Pro warranty is the next target on China's list

A radio station in China, China National Radio, decided to go after Microsoft’s warranty policy for its Surface Pro tablets. The radio station stated that the Microsoft Surface Pro should follow the nation’s law of having a 1-year warranty for replacing the entire device, and 2-year policy for replacing its parts. Currently, Microsoft offers a 1-year warranty for both replacing the entire device as well as replacing separate parts.

This follows news that Microsoft has just released a special version of its Surface Pro tablet for China, which includes a free copy of Office 2013. The radio station attacked Microsoft shortly after Apple issued its apology for its own warranty policies. Doug Young, author of “The Party Line: How the Media Dictates Public Opinion in Modern China”, says,

It sounds potentially worrisome; it looks like a copycat of the whole apple thing. China National Radio is trying to jump on the same bandwagon. Most western companies already provide much better after-sales service than Chinese companies.

Pan Yi, a reporter for China National Radio, stated that their story had no relation to CCTV’s story on Apple’s warranty. Pan said that “a lot of foreign companies are not very familiar with China’s after-sales policies”. Microsoft’s spokesperson in Beijing has yet to respond to China National Radio’s report. Many other companies have faced criticism in China, like KFC and Volkswagen, though Volkswagen was warranted because its cars in China were equipped with “substandard direct-shift gearbox systems”, resulting in many car accidents. We’ll keep you updated when Microsoft responds to the criticisms. In related Microsoft Surface Pro news, be sure to check out our review for the device here.

[via Bloomberg]


Microsoft Surface Pro’s warranty becomes a target in China is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft Outlook to reportedly hit Windows RT this year

Those rumors that Microsoft was reportedly testing an Outlook app for Windows RT devices have been reinforced. A couple of people around Microsoft’s campus were spotted using the Microsoft Outlook desktop app on their Microsoft Surface devices. Unlike those previous rumors however, Microsoft Outlook is said to be coming to consumers later this year, with a release date speculated to be around the Fall.

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The Outlook RT app was spotted by Windows SuperSite’s Paul Thurrott, who says that the app is in “shipping form”. Many sources have stated that Outlook RT was not initially released with Windows RT devices due to two issues. One issue was a firmware bug with the ARM chipset that would result in constant crashes and hangups with Outlook. The second issue was related to excessive battery drainage. Both issues are reportedly fixed.

A source has also told ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley that Outlook RT has become a “top enterprise request”, and has become a top priority for Microsoft’s Office team. When Outlook RT becomes available to the public, it won’t be released for free, or bundled with future Windows RT devices. You will most likely have to subscribe to Office 365 for the app. Outlook RT is also expected to be rolled out during Microsoft Office’s Gemini update, as well as the release of Windows 8.1 Blue.

It’s also speculated that once Outlook RT is finally rolled out to the public, the chances of Microsoft Office becoming available to iPad devices will drastically improve. The main reasoning for this is because many believed that it would be a terrible move for Microsoft to release Outlook for iPad devices before it released it for its own devices. Once Microsoft releases Office apps for iPads, it could possibly generate $2.5 billion in revenue. In related Windows RT news, be sure to check out our review for Microsoft’s Surface RT.

[via ZDNet]


Microsoft Outlook to reportedly hit Windows RT this year is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft adds Surface Chinese Edition to confusing line-up

Microsoft has quietly revealed a third version of its Surface Pro tablet, this time including a full version of Office 2013 Home and Student at no extra cost, though you’ll have to be in China – and read the language – in order to benefit. The “Surface Chinese Edition” is physically identical to the regular Surface Pro tablet, but swaps Windows 8 Pro for Windows 8 for China.

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Where the regular Pro tablet comes with a one month trial of Office 2013 Home and Student, however, the Chinese Edition gets the full package. That’s despite the local variant being priced the same for the 128GB model, even though Office 2013 would usually be 699 yuan ($113).

However, there are some limitations too, not least from the underlying restrictions on Windows 8 for China. The biggest is likely to be language support, since the OS can only be used with the Simplified Chinese UI language pack; you’ll need a full (paid) copy of Windows 8 if you want to use any others.

Whether the third variant of the tablet will improve sales for Microsoft, or just confuse them, remains to be seen. The inclusion of the full copy of Office suggests Microsoft is looking to combat software theft – something the low-cost, download-only Windows 8 for China was also intended to do – but having it on sale alongside, rather than instead of, the regular Surface Pro could end up puzzling potential buyers.

Preorders of the new Surface Chinese Edition are open now, priced at 6588 yuan ($1,062) for the 64GB model and 7388 yuan ($1,191) for the 128GB model. They’ll begin shipping come April 10.

[via istartedsomething]


Microsoft adds Surface Chinese Edition to confusing line-up is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Surface sales appear to fall short with first 1.5 million unit prediction

It’s not that the Microsoft Surface tablet isn’t selling as well as the Windows 8 company predicted, but according to three anonymous sources speaking up this week, they certainly aren’t selling all that well. Speaking this week with Bloomberg, these three sources claim to have sales numbers before they’re made official to the public. According to them, the company has sold a total of about 1.5 million Surface devices since launch.

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With the Surface RT selling just over a million of that total number and the Surface PRO version of the tablet coming in at somewhere around 400,000 in the short time they’ve been on the market, Microsoft may not be reaching projected numbers. According to these sources, Microsoft had originally ordered about 3 million Surface RT tablets for sale by this time – not quite the same as less than half that amount they’re claiming have been sold thus far.

The Surface PRO appears to be doing a bit better in the much shorter time since they’ve been revealed, but compared to such titans as Apple’s iPad, the big M is nowhere close. According to Apple, 22.9 million iPads were sold in the fourth quarter of 2012 alone.

Have a peek at the timeline below which includes our review of both of the Surface devices and decide for yourself if you’ll be joining the party. Down there you’ll find more information on what Microsoft has been doing to push the Surface family through to the future, along with the full Windows 8 software universe.


Surface sales appear to fall short with first 1.5 million unit prediction is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft expands Surface RT sales as UK big-box retailers wade in

Microsoft’s Surface RT is getting a welcome boost in visibility, in the UK at least, as heavyweight retailers PC World and Currys add the Windows tablet to their line-up. The slate will be sold online and via both retailers’ click-and-collect service; however, there’s no sign that either store will actually stock the Surface RT on-site unless its been previously ordered through the web.

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That’s a blow to Microsoft, seeing as it means those would-be tableteers simply browsing the shelves at PC World or Currys are unlikely to actually see the Surface RT and add it to their list of contenders. Both retailers stock the iPad and iPad mini in-store, for instance, giving Apple’s tablet an instant boost in impulse-purchase appeal.

Still, given retailers and manufacturers alike were concerned that there would be no interest whatsoever in Surface when Microsoft first announced its intentions to enter the tablet hardware business, even getting PC World and Currys onboard is arguably a success. Microsoft is still yet to announce any official sales figures; the Surface RT showed up in the UK first in John Lewis stores.

Meanwhile, there’s no sign of the Surface Pro – which runs the full version of Windows 8 – showing up at the two new stores. Released last month, the Surface Pro comes with a special digital stylus for handwriting recognition, sketching, and more, though is significantly more expensive than its RT-based sibling.

Currys and PC World will be selling the Surface RT from £399.99 for the 32GB tablet-only, while adding in the Touch Cover takes that to £479.99.


Microsoft expands Surface RT sales as UK big-box retailers wade in is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft Considered ‘Cool’ Again By Young Adults

Microsoft Considered Cool Again By Young Adults

If you would have told me a few years ago teens would no longer consider Apple to be cool in 2013, I wouldn’t believe you. If you followed that up by saying Microsoft would then be considered cool by teens, I would have called you a damn liar right in your no-good liar face. But that’s exactly what a recently published poll is reporting.

The poll was conducted by an organization that knows all about being cool, Reuters, which shows around 50% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 believe Microsoft is cooler when compared to the Microsoft of 2012. Unfortunately, Microsoft can’t officially claim itself to be the coolest tech company as 70% of Americans in the same age range believe Google’s Android OS has gotten cooler over the past year, while only 60% consider Apple to have gotten cooler over the past year.

Reuters believes the reason why young adults believe Microsoft to be cooler nowadays is due to its numerous marketing campaigns revolving around its Microsoft Surface tablets. In addition to that, Microsoft’s Xbox and Kinect also helped in considering the company to be cool.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: WSJ “Confirms” Google’s Retail Store Plans, Google Rumored To Be Opening Their Own Retail Stores This Year,