Microsoft is releasing a new stylus for use in the classroom: the Classroom Pen 2. The pen will be available April 27 and sold directly to schools.
The company launched its first Classroom Pen in 2019. That stylus sold for $ 39.99 each. It was compatible with any device that supported the MPP protocol (including some non-Surface Windows devices).
Microsoft is spending even more budget with this release. The Pen 2 is sold to schools in packs of 20 for $ 399.80, which equates to $ 19.99 per pen. According to Microsoft’s blog post, it appears that this pen may only be optimized for Microsoft’s own Surface Pro and Surface Go devices – other Windows devices are not mentioned.
Microsoft claims the device has an “improved design” over the previous model, although the announcement doesn’t share many details. It appears that the Pen 2 is a different color and has a pen clip for attaching to a Surface Type Cover. The company also says the new device has a longer body “to optimize gripping force.” Certainly.
Like its predecessor, the Pen 2 appears to have two buttons. It also shares some class-specific features with the Classroom pen: it comes with replacement tips and has a slot that teachers can loop a string through to attach the pen to a Surface device.
The release is part of Microsoft’s longstanding effort to challenge Chromebooks in the field of education. (Those devices had their best year ever in 2020, as many students around the world began attending classes from home.)
Microsoft has worked with partners such as Acer, Dell, and Lenovo to release dozens of Windows PCs under $ 500 in recent years, along with updates to Microsoft Teams tailored for classroom use. Stylus support can be a must-have for students who want to draw graphs and take notes on their laptops, and the widespread distribution of Surface pens can certainly save teachers some paper and ink. And if you’re a run-of-the-mill Joe like me who just really wants to play around with a $ 20 stylus, it’s time to make friends with some neighborhood teachers.