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Watch Out, Apple: Microsoft Going All-In on Pen Support in Windows 10 Redstone

Redmond working with partners to create own pens

May 12, 2016 12:29 GMT  ·  By
This is Microsoft's own Surface Pen
   This is Microsoft's own Surface Pen

Microsoft was the first company that brought back a PC stylus in our lives with the now-successful Surface Pen, so back in September when Apple took the wraps off its own Apple Pencil, it was pretty much obvious that this retro yet modern accessory is becoming more successful.

But now that competition is getting fiercer in this side of the business, Microsoft is ready to step to the next level, so after announcing full pen support and a feature called Ink for the upcoming Anniversary Update, Redmond wants to give all its partners the possibility of building their pens.

A WinHEC slide about Windows Ink spotted by MSPU shows that Microsoft wants to standardize pen support in Windows 10 Anniversary Update, and while this thing isn’t necessarily new because the company itself announced it at Build, it’s another sign that plans in this regard are taking shape nicely.

Any pencil on any Windows 10 device

Specifically, what Microsoft wants is for partners to build their own pens to work with Windows 10 Redstone, but at the same time to meet certain requirements that will make them worthy for the new operating system.

Without a doubt, Microsoft plans to keep the Surface Pen the pioneers of pens in Windows 10, but at the same time, it also hopes that together with partners it can make this feature more widely adopted when the update debuts in the summer.

Microsoft is aiming to make these pens work across all devices, so while the Surface Pen is suitable for Surface tablets, devices manufactured by partners could work on any Windows 10 Anniversary Update laptop or tablet, no matter the brand.

Certainly, this is a welcome improvement that could give Microsoft a fair advantage in the fight against Apple, although it’s very clear that as far as pens are concerned, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker has clearly inspired from its Redmond rival.

Time will tell who’ll succeed, but given the fact that the Surface Pen is already a well-established product and Microsoft is working at full speed on new improvements, it’s hard to believe that the Softies are willing to give up.