(How) can I use my Surface Pen in an app running on an emulator?
October 12, 2019 12:16 PM Subscribe
For my sins, I frequently need to mark up a lot of student papers submitted through the an online system called "Canvas." They only offer rudimentary pen support in their web app. Apparently it works great in their "Canvas Teacher" app on Android, but that leaves my Surface Go-owning self out in the cold. Sadly, neither the pen nor pinch-to-zoom works for me when I tried using Canvas Teacher in Bluestacks. Is there an emulator out there that will work? It doesn't have to be free.
My basic question is whether any emulators can solve my problem, and if so whether there are good guides out there on how to get them working. An hour or two of Googling and noodling yesterday (mostly around the Surface subreddit and the Canvas support forums) suggested that pen support is a tall order, especially since most emulators are aimed at gamers. Apparently some old emulators like Leapdroid would have worked, but they've been discontinued.
Some sources suggest that Andy, MS's Virtual Studio (I think), or maybe Google's Android Studio could help me, but also that they might involve separate OS installs, "sideloading" apks, and other things that sound tricky. I do have some skill with computers, but I would prefer a solution where good installation instructions, support forums, etc were available. I'd also rather not sink hours into setup and troubleshooting if the emulator only has a slim chance of providing pen support or will likely slow my system to a crawl (although I do have the Go with 8GB RAM).
Have any of you solved a problem like this? Any advice would be appreciated.
In case it matters, my main use would be with Canvas Teacher, an app built for the specialty classroom "learning management system" where students can see assignments, submit papers, read comments on assignments, etc. They offer a bulk download and upload system, so if necessary I can do markup on pdfs/Word docs and re-upload, but I would prefer to work within their system.
(Also, I also saw threads suggesting that certain free emulators might harbor spyware, compromise system security, or otherwise be obnoxious or dangerous. In some ways I'd be happy to pay just for the peace of mind and some expectation of support.)
My basic question is whether any emulators can solve my problem, and if so whether there are good guides out there on how to get them working. An hour or two of Googling and noodling yesterday (mostly around the Surface subreddit and the Canvas support forums) suggested that pen support is a tall order, especially since most emulators are aimed at gamers. Apparently some old emulators like Leapdroid would have worked, but they've been discontinued.
Some sources suggest that Andy, MS's Virtual Studio (I think), or maybe Google's Android Studio could help me, but also that they might involve separate OS installs, "sideloading" apks, and other things that sound tricky. I do have some skill with computers, but I would prefer a solution where good installation instructions, support forums, etc were available. I'd also rather not sink hours into setup and troubleshooting if the emulator only has a slim chance of providing pen support or will likely slow my system to a crawl (although I do have the Go with 8GB RAM).
Have any of you solved a problem like this? Any advice would be appreciated.
In case it matters, my main use would be with Canvas Teacher, an app built for the specialty classroom "learning management system" where students can see assignments, submit papers, read comments on assignments, etc. They offer a bulk download and upload system, so if necessary I can do markup on pdfs/Word docs and re-upload, but I would prefer to work within their system.
(Also, I also saw threads suggesting that certain free emulators might harbor spyware, compromise system security, or otherwise be obnoxious or dangerous. In some ways I'd be happy to pay just for the peace of mind and some expectation of support.)
Best answer: So seems like a different android emulator would be a first stop then loading canvas teacher app. This link https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-android-emulator-windows-10/ list some beyond Bluestacks
If that's too much of a resource issue -maybe pick up a cheap android table to run that app only. Android tablets can be had for very little compared to ipad and surface technology. Good Luck
posted by bhdad at 1:23 PM on October 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
If that's too much of a resource issue -maybe pick up a cheap android table to run that app only. Android tablets can be had for very little compared to ipad and surface technology. Good Luck
posted by bhdad at 1:23 PM on October 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Thella at 3:22 AM on October 13, 2019 [1 favorite]