14 DAY TRIAL // The Surface Pro 3 tablet launched with one of the most advanced digital pens on the market, allowing users to takes notes and draw almost just like on a piece of paper, and since Microsoft was so impressed with this piece of hardware, it decided to buy the company that made it.
According to a report published by Israeli newspaper Calcalist, Microsoft has already reached an agreement with Israeli-based N-trig, makers of the Surface Pro 3 pen, so all of the 190 employees could soon start working for the Redmond-based tech giant.
Details aren't confirmed yet, but it appears that Microsoft is ready to pay around $200 million (€150 million) for the Israeli company, which could help continue investments in this direction and launch new devices with even more advanced digital pens.
As far as the Surface Pro 3 is concerned, it's no secret that the device is being used by many artists and graphic designers out there, especially because the digital pen provides really advanced capabilities and integration with OneNote and other popular Windows 8.1 store apps.
New Surface tablets in the works
Microsoft is believed to be already working on a new Surface model, possibly called Surface 4 and which could see daylight in late 2015, after Windows 10 comes out.
Not much is known at this point, but the digital pen could play a key role for the new device. The word is that an 8-inch Surface tablet is also in the works and could launch as a note-taking device, so the digital pen would again play a very important role.
The Surface Mini was already supposed to launch in 2014, but according to people close to the matter, Microsoft decided to halt the project because it didn't bring anything new as compared to the existing small tablets on the market. This time, however, the new Surface might actually be a really innovative product if it really gets the go-ahead.