replacement pen buttons - different versions?

[mattie]

Hi all

I recently bought an i7 surface pro 4 but the pen got left in a Taxi. I bought a replacement but it's not identical - the original had two distinct buttons on the side, the replacement has only one (a long button that clicks at the nib end)

Have I bought an incorrect replacement? is the two button version better than the single - is there a compelling reason to return the single button and get the two button? the replacement was marketed as a surface pro 4 pen, I had no idea until I opened it that it was not identical to the original.

All advice gratefully received

Cheers

Matt

 

[ScottyS]

The 2 side button pen is the pen for the SP3. I can't imagine a SP3 pen coming with a new boxed SP4, so did you buy it from a person?

The pen with one flat side with the long button is the better pen. It comes with 4 extra tips of different frictions (writing feel), and the top button has 3 functions (not 2 like the old pen); click, double click and press and hold and they are programmable with the Surface App.

I just bought a SP4 pen for use with my SP3 and it is definitely better.

 

[hughlle]

As above. Your first pen was the incorrect version. Sp4 ships with the pen with one button and a flat side.

 

[mattie]

Weird - it's a surface pro 4 from a reputable seller (pc World Business) - no idea why it had the wrong pen. I'm in the UK, maybe a different spec here?

Anyway, my question's been nicely answered, thanks to you both - the new pen has only one button and a flat side.

Cheers

Matt

 

[hughlle]

Nope, I'm in UK. The 2 pens are also different sizes so the old one would not fit in the box snugly (it is shorter).

I would personally contact pc world and demand an explanation.

 

[mattie]

In which case I'm not sure why I received the older pen. My recollection is that the box was sealed, but I could stand corrected.

The pen was packaged inside a smaller container within the main box, I'll check again to see what is says - it's definitely different to the replacement, and it didn't come with the replacement nibs/points that the new pen was packaged with.

I'll send a mail to PC world once I've checked packaging, even if I have lost the original it still requires some explanation. It's a weird thing to do, if they have swapped the pen out - it almost implies it's reconditioned, which it didn't appear to be and certainly wasn't sold as.

 

[hughlle]

In which case I'm not sure why I received the older pen. My recollection is that the box was sealed, but I could stand corrected.

The pen was packaged inside a smaller container within the main box, I'll check again to see what is says - it's definitely different to the replacement, and it didn't come with the replacement nibs/points that the new pen was packaged with.

I'll send a mail to PC world once I've checked packaging, even if I have lost the original it still requires some explanation. It's a weird thing to do, if they have swapped the pen out - it almost implies it's reconditioned, which it didn't appear to be and certainly wasn't sold as.

I can't comment on whether there is a business model of the device, but the retail version has the pen sat in a slot underneath the tablet, not in a small container.

As you can see below, the old pen does not fit correctly. The new pen is a bit longer. It ships in the slot underneath the tablet. The slot at the top is purely for the power adapter.

 

[mattie]

I'll look when I'm home later in week, but I vaguely recall the pen being in a box. I might recall incorrectly.


On a completely different topic, the surface keeps cutting out. I'll search the forum and maybe start a new thread - the screen just goes blank halfway through tbrowsing a website, and I can't restart or reset. I just sit here swearing at a dead box.

This is seriously, seriously shoddy.

 

[ScottyS]

Speaking of shoddy, can anyone tell me if you buy a new SP4 Pen in a small pen box from MS, does it come with a battery?

I bought one from Amazon.com and it did not come with the AAAA battery. The side of the box was dirty (like there had been a sticky plastic seal that had been removed) and the clear plastic top of the box was held in place by plain Scotch tape which went across it crooked.
Now I'm not really complaining because it was $13 cheaper than if I bought it from MS, but they shouldn't be opening the box to take the battery out and then re-sealing it.

 

[Astonish]

When I bought my black SP4 pen for my SB, it came with the AAAA battery out of the box, but I don't know if it changes according to the regions/countries, but it doesn't make sense to me.