Microsoft may have announced the Surface Pro 3 back in May, with pre-orders of the device already taking place, the Redmond giant has not stopped their work on improving the device. Touted as the one tablet device that can replace your laptop, Microsoft is apparently working on improving a few key areas of the Surface Pro 3 and will likely roll out these fixes via a software update.
For those unaware, the Surface Pro 3 features the home button (Windows flag) on the right side of the bezel. This is a change from the previous generation, where the home button was located at the bottom of the bezel. Although Microsoft has implemented palm rejection and guard sensors to prevent inadvertent hits, the home button can sometimes be activated.
Microsoft’s Surface team enlisted the help of Penny Arcade’s Gabe, a digital artist, to sit down with the team and demonstrate how he uses the Surface Pro 3. Gabe showcased how he was able to easily activate the home button while drawing. “I could see some of them shaking their heads and looking at each other. They were very obviously bothered that they had not seen this before,” he explained.
The Surface team, which demonstrated the fix to Gabe, has fixed this issue. “Basically when the pen is in contact with the screen the home button is disabled. It stays disabled for a couple seconds after lifting the pen up so that you can lift your hand up and select menu items,” Gabe explains.
Another issue involved the pressure sensitivity. Gabe experienced lag but was eventually showcased a fix. “What they[Surface team] proved was that MS could release an app that let artists adjust the pressure curve to suit their style. They assured me this is something they want to do,” Gabe explained regarding the pressure sensitivity on the Surface Pro 3, indicating that Microsoft will likely offer a tool that lets users adjust the pressure curve.
There was no ETA on when we might see this software fix, but we will likely see it via Windows Update very soon.
