How to easily and affordably add pen support to your non-touch Chromebook [VIDEO]

A few years back, Wacom introduced a drawing tablet that worked seamlessly on Chromebooks. Since then, many of their newer models also work on ChromeOS devices, but are a bit pricey for someone wanting to simply add a bit of pen support to a Chromebook that doesn’t natively possess it.

There are options out there now, however, that are under $100 ($50 for the wired version of the one in our video) and because ChromeOS works so seamlessly with them, they make for a really great all-around experience when used with a Chromebook.

Even on a device like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus that doesn’t even have touch input, the Wacom Intuos is a simple plug-and-play solution to allow users to easily notate, navigate, write and draw with a pen on a Chromebook. You literally plug it in via the included USB cable, the Chromebook will recognize it, and you are off and running in mere seconds.

Understanding how these tablets work

There’s a little bit of a learning curve with tablets like these. If you’ve used any of them prior, this section doesn’t apply to you; but if you are like me, there’s a bit of a breaking-in period for your brain to really grasp how this thing works.

Unlike a trackpad, the Intuos can detect the included pen on its surface (touching or hovering) and puts the mouse cursor in the same relative position on the screen. So, if you hover in the top-right corner of the tablet, your cursor will appear in the top-right corner of your screen. Once your mind gets this, you can actually use it in place of a mouse, but it does take a bit of getting used to.

Customizable buttons all over

And if you are planning on using it for drawing and navigation, there are a total of 6 customizable buttons that allow you to do whatever you want with them. Two are on the pen itself and there are 4 more on the top of the tablet. In the settings that are built right into ChromeOS, you can customize those buttons to a few presets or map them to any key combo you like (watch the video to see this in action). It’s pretty sweet!

During my time testing it, I used the two buttons on the pen as my right/left click, and then mapped my on-tablet buttons as my forward/back buttons in the browser and as a quick way to cycle both directions through my virtual desks. But the beauty is you can make them do just about anything you want via ChromeOS’ built-in customization tools and keyboard macros.

Overall, the pen is ultra-responsive and whether writing or drawing or marking up a document, it 100% gives you a very usable, very reliable pen on devices that wouldn’t otherwise have the option. Even for Chromeboxes, this drawing tablet is a great option since there are no Chromebook hardware requirements apart from a USB port.

While not as native-feeling as a dedicated pen and touchscreen, this option is an affordable, easy, flexible way to get pen support on any Chromebook or ChromeOS device across the board. I know it’s something I’ll keep around for a very long time for those moments when I simply need the ability to jot down notes or mark up a document. With the low cost and ease of setup, it really is a no-brainer.