X200 Tablet Stylus/Pen Woes! (Please Halp!)

Hi guys. I just received a refurbished x200 tablet, and while the laptop is in near perfect condition, I can't seem to use the stylus & handwriting function.

I know it sounds like a silly question, but how do I use the stylus? Are there any tutorials/manuals anywhere? When I move the pen close to the screen, I can see the cursor and it moves around quite fluidly. However, when I launch the Tablet PC Input Panel (or OneNote) and move the pen close to the screen, it starts writing/inking automatically - without me having depressed the button on the site of the stylus, and stops writing/inking when I press the button. Once I let go of the button, it starts writing again. Is this how it is supposed to be? It's so awkward!

I would prefer it if the inking functionality is toggled only if I press the button. Also, I can't seem to use the eraser function! When I turn the stylus around to erase, I can see the eraser icon on the screen, but it doesn't erase what I've written. Am I missing something here?

I would really like to get a handle on the tablet functionality. I'll be starting grad school soon, and it would be incredibly useful.

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

 

That button on the pen is the equivalent of a right click. And for the eraser function, have you tried pushing it down a little harder? The "eraser" on the pen depresses a little bit to erase your writing.

 

I'm not sure of any tablet PC specific manuals but it behaves just like a Wacom graphics digitizer (Intuos, Cintiq, Bamboo, et. al.). The pen will track and move the cursor whenever it is in range (about 3/4") of the display. Inking is automatic when you apply pressure to the screen (width of the ink is dependent upon pressure). The side button is for RIGHT CLICK functionality, it is not for standard inking. To use the eraser just flip over, apply pressure, and move over the area you want to erase.

I am not aware of any way to force the pen to not write until you press the button. I suggest you just play with it for a few days it really is very natural once you get used to it.

Here is an in depth description of the Tablet Input Panel (this is for Win 7, but the same principles apply).

If you intend to use your pen in graphics applications (GIMP, Photoshop, et. al.) you will want to install the Wacom enchanced graphics driver to enable pressure sensitivity.

I've not read this, but a quick google search turned up the " Absolute beginner's guide to Tablet PCs" it may prove useful.

Endless Scholar is a site (now dormant) dedicated to using Tablet PCs as a student. They have a " Beginners Guide to Tablets" and " 250 Tablet PC Tips".

This should give you a good handle on the basics.

Software you might find useful:

• Windows Journal and Snipping tool (included with Vista/XP Tablet)
• Experience pack for Tablet PC (XP and Vista 32-bit versions available; 7 and Vista 64 through an unofficial hack).
• BluBeam PDF Revu (good utility for marking up PDFs [e.g. lecture notes]), not free, but cheaper and better than Adobe Acrobat.
• Grab & Drag - a great Firefox plugin that is superb for tablets

 

Wow - thank you for the recommendations! I got the eraser to work, and will continue to experiment with the stylus, and will be sure to visit the links provided above.

With regards to inking, i notice that it is automatic when i am 3/4" away from the screen - i do not even have to make contact with the screen. This is the problem for me.

Everything i end up writing comes out in script (with no "breaks" between letters or words) because the inking doesn't cease until i move the pen out of range. To create a break, i have to move the pen away, and then bring it into range again to start inking (again, i don't even have to make contact with the screen).

Also, when i bring the pen into range of the screen, it starts highlighting the text on a webpage. Is this normal?

 

That is NOT normal. I suggest re-installing the driver or possibly trying the enhanced Wacom one.

 

Thank you jonlumpkin.

I'm ashamed to say that i'm not too computer savvy, so when you advise that i re-install this particular driver, how should i go about doing this? Do I have to go into my computer settings?

 

You need to go into device manager. On XP/Vista you can access this through the control panel.

You will then need to find your digitizer located in the list of devices. Right click and select " Uninstall", restart your computer, and it should auto-detect and re-install. Hopefully this will fix your problem.

On my x200 Tablet (running Win7) the digitizer is listed as "Wacom Mouse" under "Mice and other Pointing devices".

 

Sigh. So i uninstalled the "Wacom Mouse" driver and it automatically re-installed it. However, i still experienced the same "continuous inking" problem.

I then proceeded to install the enhanced Wacom driver, and it is still not working as it should. Now, i find that moving the pen around a full inch or so (maybe slightly more) away from the screen results in continuous inking. As i move the pen closer to the screen, the auto inking stops. I move the pen away, and it starts again!

As stated earlier, i uninstalled the Wacom Mouse driver under "Mice and other pointing devices" section, but i notice that there are other Wacom entries under "Human Interface Devices". Should i uninstall any of the following?



If uninstalling any of the above does not work, what do you recommend as a last resort?

 

I'd suggest you restore the OS to factory condition (press the blue button before boot and follow the prompts). Make sure you back up any data files to an external disk FIRST.

If you still have problems after that I would say the digitizer is defective. In that case you should call support and have it fixed.