Microsoft Mechanics provides an engineer’s tour of Surface Pen design and performance

Kareem Anderson

Companies do their best to market specific features and design choices during events with often flowery and over produced marketing material to combat the exhaustive and sometimes repetitive reporting nature their devices may receive.

Take, for instance, the Surface Pen. During its hardware unveiling event last October, Microsoft’s head of devices, Panos Panay spoke cursory of the Pen’s functionality, but in a showcase jam-packed with announcements, he was forced to limit the extent of its engineering prowess to just a few key highlights.

Surface Book unveiling
Surface Book unveiling

For most, the Surface Pen is an ancillary device that helps those who need it accomplish the task, while for others a peripheral to monitor in the loose crevasses of their work bags. However, understanding the work and thought that went into the making of the pen as well as an in-depth look the various nooks and crannies of its functionality may help some get even more use out the device.

Thankfully, Microsoft has a short but detailed video for just that occasion.

In the four-and-a-half minute video, a program management director walks users through how the battery LED light works, the thought that went into into positioning the select button, the Pen’s deep sleep mode, its multiple functioning tail button, and more.

Understandably, four minutes is a lifetime on YouTube, but if users have the time, the video is jammed-packed with useful information.