The 2019 Notebook Nine Pro "Active Pen" , which used Wacom AES, would not work, as user "...F7Ko" reports MPP AES compatibility for the Alpha. AES active pen support was in the Nine Pro specs, and was reviewed with the offered stylus. For the Alpha, we have only confusion in press releases and specs; no active pen is listed in the specs or offered as an accessory. We only know of the MPP compatibility from user "...F7Ko" above; the Samsung moderator has not even confirmed it. I'm sorry, but I cannot buy a laptop based on heresay, and IMHO, if no S-Pen, there are better options for AES laptops.
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Thanks again for your investigation, and I'm happy you discovered the Ntrig MPP digitizing layer and that it works for you, and now others are aware. The air commands appear gimmiky to me also; the true benefit of the S-Pen is for artists. The Wacom EMR, which has become endangered on Windows laptops, has a pressure curve and line stability which exceed all Windows AES solutions, which is why I was hopeful. The Flex would have worked for me if it had more RAM (and wasn't that distracting blue color). What is troubling is that on the Korean website, both Flex and Alpha have 16GB RAM and S-Pen support. It's also very bizarre that the North American Alpha has MPP support as you discovered and Samsung doesn't disclose or confirm it. I'll likely buy a DELL; they have specs I can rely on and they don't dumb down the North American models.
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I believe you, but that is absolutely mind blowing. That would indicate the Alpha has an AES MPP digitizer, not EMR like the Flex, which doesn't make a lot of sense, especially considering Samsung owns 20% of WACOM. Looks like unless Samsung weighs in on this mystery, I'll have to wait for the Samsung Experience stores to reopen, or buy some other brand. I'm really losing respect here for Samsung as a company. Thanks much for the insights.
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Thanks, I appreciate the info. Sadly, it seems that Samsung has an agenda to obfuscate the real story. However, your report doesn't quite make sense to me. The S-Pens are EMR, the surface pens are AES, two totally different technologies. If you are getting a response from the surface pen then it is probably Windows Ink via Bluetooth, coupled with a passive capacitive response from the touch screen, but I just don't see how you could be getting active pressure sensitivity, assuming the Alpha has an EMR digitizing panel like the Flex. If you have a Galaxy Note S-Pen to try, in a recent drawing app, that would be the best test. If you're sure your Chromebook stylus is EMR and that doesn't work that's a bad sign.
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You are apologizing but wouldn't it be more productive to simply clarify which Alpha models support the S-Pen? The S-Pen, for many, is a primary reason for purchasing a Samsung laptop. Offering the 13" Flex in the US with only 8GB RAM precludes it's viablity for many. The Alpha is an alternate in that it can be configured with 12GB but it is impossible to ascertain if the S-Pen is supported. I would be interested in the US model 13" I7/12GB Alpha (only if it supports S-Pen). Your confirmation of S-Pen support might provide an indication, but I would still be loath to make a purchase based on heresay. S-Pen support ultimately must be confirmed by the regional specifications. I simply cannot understand why this is so complicated. I also can't understand why the US seems to get the "dumbed down" versions of each model.
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Dear SamsungLou, You are saying the Flex Alpha does not support the S-Pen. The Flex Alpha manual clearly states that it does (albeit the pen is not included), and the manual shows a chassis slot for the S-Pen. The Samsung online spec only says the S-Pen is not included but doesn't say wether or not it is supported but optional, doesn't show a slot, and doesn't list the pen as an accessory. The the online specs have had several blatant errors so the Samsung spec writers are not credible. The Samsung Experience stores are closed so it is impossible to physically try it out. Given the conflicting specs and confusion within Samsung (on something very basic), how can we rely on your information as correct? What are you basing your response on?
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