Best tablet for an artist?

[Illustrator Joe]

I will give you a little background about what I need. The college I graduated from started free classes on Sundays for Alumni for life drawing classes. For me the only way to benefit it to work digitally. I have a laptop and a Wacom tablet but the laptop is fried. It's a MacBook pro OG and has many issues. I work on a Mac Pro daily at work and iMac at home. But for sketching on the go purposes I would like a mobile tablet.

What I need:
10 inch screen size
Pressure sensitivity
Good drawing app selection

Options that I can afford:
Note 10.1 (2013)
Note 10.1 (2014) refurbished
Microsoft Surface Pro (refurb)

I can't afford the Note 12.2 and I think the 10 in screen will be plenty. I can't afford the Surface 2. I think the original pro will suffice.

-I know there is Wacom tech in the note 10.1 but I have heard of it lagging when drawing
-I like the idea of the Surface Pro and having the whole Windows desktop OS at my disposal.
-I have heard the Surface doesn't have palm rejection do you guys think this is an issue?
-Android has Sketchbook pro, Microsoft only has the Sketchbook express app. What isn't available in express?
-I heard the pressure sensitivity doesn't work on many apps and programs on the Surface Pro
-the thin stylus on the Note 10.1 models concerns me a bit. I like a fatter digitizer.
-I know the older model of the Note 10.1 is on an older version of Android but when it comes to drawing is there much different in the 2014 model, worth the extra cash?

If I have more questions I will add them.

I know this is WPC but please try to be objective. I am trying to get the best artists tablet for my money. If you have had any or all of these devices and especially if you are an artist I would love your input.

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[xandros9]

Worth noting a couple, new lower-cost 8-inchers have active stylus support. One has a in-house "meh" one (Dell Venue 8 Pro, 11 Pro if you want something larger) the other has a Wacom digitizer (Acer??)

My 2 cents is that a full Windows tablet would be better in the sense that you can draw straight to something full-blown like Photoshop CC or something simple like Paint. (normal Windows apps, not the Store, but you have seen the Express thingie, I haven't picked up a stylus for my tablet as of now, but might in the future.) But if you feel the phone-esque capabilities of the Note's capabilities will work, then I can't stop you. Worth noting that up until the current volley of tabs, Samsung's tablets have been relatively subpar, strangely considering their phone lineup is a force to be reckoned with.

The Surface Pro does have palm rejection. (IIRC)
I can't say from experience whether pressure sensitivity is up-to-snuff. My experience is limited to a conventional Wacom tablet.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

Thanks for the reply. I really need the 10 inch screen size. 8 won't cut it. Thanks for info on the Acer I will look into it.
Is the tech in the surface pro Wacom tech? That is what I am used to have an intuos 4 large at work and bamboo at home.
In my research about pressure sensitivity in full programs and not the tablet apps I read it was a little tricky to get the pressure sensitivity to work in things like Photoshop. Any input on that?

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[Illustrator Joe]

Awesome. Thanks for the reply. So you can use the full program version of Sketchbook pro with pressure sensitivity? That would be great.

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[Illustrator Joe]

Thanks I will check out the video. The screen size is a little concerning but for sketching I don't mind working small.
In my work I don't get too crazy with PS brushes and I have never really liked the tilt on my tablet.
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[Illustrator Joe]

OK that video was very convincing. It was very raw and didn't try to over glorify it. Showed it for what it was. This is a very noob question because I am not super familiar with Windows 8. How do I get the Sketchbook Pro program on the Surface Pro? Download I assume because obviously no optical drive. I have an old copy (2011) DVD, is there anyway to get it on the Surface Pro?
Also do you know what version he was using?

EDIT-
Is this the most recent version? Would I do "PC Download"?
http://www.amazon.com/Autodesk-732E...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU2417004

 

[Illustrator Joe]

Well i downloaded my student version directly from autodesk.
These days you get pretty much every software as a download - i presume that the amazon download works.
surface pro and windows 8 works pretty much like a normal laptop.
I am no super nerd, but i think that you could make an "iso image" of your old version and then install it with a usb drive on the surface pro - but there are better people who know how to do this

Thanks. Yeah I know there is a way to transfer it as well via USB. But I am not worried about the extra $20 for the new version. If it is difficult I would rather avoid the headache.

 

[Kevin Rush]

Re: Jack00, Thank you for the link to the video. The comments were interesting too but it's too bad that some people comment without reading the prior comments. It would save all of us the concern of "lag" or "no lag". (The author responded "no lag".)

 

[Illustrator Joe]

Re: Jack00, Thank you for the link to the video. The comments were interesting too but it's too bad that some people comment without reading the prior comments. It would save all of us the concern of "lag" or "no lag". (The author responded "no lag".)

What was his response to lag? I did not see it in the comments.

 

[Kevin Rush]

What was his response to lag? I did not see it in the comments.

There are many many comments. Keep clicking "Show More" at the bottom of the comments, and they go on for quite a while. I would guess something like 100 or 110 down from the top, the author, "Mike Krahulik", responds that in his opinion, for the way he draws, he doesn't see any lag.

He makes many comments and responses throughout.

Keep in mind, he is on a SurfacePro. The SurfacePro2 uses the haswell chip and is faster so lag would be even less, if there was any at all.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

There are many many comments. Keep clicking "Show More" at the bottom of the comments, and they go on for quite a while. I would guess something like 100 or 110 down from the top, the author, "Mike Krahulik", responds that in his opinion, for the way he draws, he doesn't see any lag.

He makes many comments and responses throughout.

Keep in mind, he is on a SurfacePro. The SurfacePro2 uses the haswell chip and is faster so lag would be even less, if there was any at all.

OK thanks. Yeah unfortunately the Surface Pro 2 isn't in my budget. For my needs I think the original pro will handle what I throw at it.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

no lag yes - but if you are building your own brushes in photoshop and decide to add alot of properties into it then you get some lag.

I don't plan on working in Photoshop much. When I do I am not a big fan of the way it handles brushes anyways.

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[Funky Cricket]

Gabe from penny arcade loves his. He has a ton of reviews and videos of both photoshop and manga studio and a few other programs. He has info on building brushes and how best to use it. He loves it and barely uses his wicom anymore.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

Gabe from penny arcade loves his. He has a ton of reviews and videos of both photoshop and manga studio and a few other programs. He has info on building brushes and how best to use it. He loves it and barely uses his wicom anymore.

Great to hear. I will check it out. Great feedback. I have pretty much made up my mind and I am going with the Surface Pro. Now I have to shop around. I think I may do this one:

Microsoft Surface Pro with 64GB Memory 755181001505 | eBay

and this:

Microsoft Surface Touch Cover Keyboard Black 885370428742 | eBay

I hope these deals stick around for a little bit because I am not purchasing immediately.

 

[NeoGrandizer]

If you can afford it, at least get the 128GB version. 64GB might not be enough in the long run. Unless you plan on connecting a portable external HDD to it. You have very little headroom for storage, apps and OS with the 64GB.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

If you can afford it, at least get the 128GB version. 64GB might not be enough in the long run. Unless you plan on connecting a portable external HDD to it. You have very little headroom for storage, apps and OS with the 64GB.

Thanks for your input. This will be replacing my nexus 7 (32gb) and be used as a drawing tablet as well.. The way I plan on using it is for drawing and streaming media purposes only. I got the 32 gb nexus 7 and only use about 10 gb on it. I know the 64 gb surface only has 30gb of useable space. For me it should be more than enough.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

Kinda funny with this experience of asking all 3 forums for their input. Android Central pointed me to the iPad which wasn't even on my list. iMore pretty much said go for the Surface or don't go for a tablet at all. And WPC stuck with the Surface. Find it kinda funny nobody pushed me to the Note 10.1 which is what I was initially going to buy. I am glad I did this little experiment. I am going to get the surface pro! I think I made the right choice. Thanks for the help from the people above!

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[Kevin Rush]

Re: Illustrator Joe, Thank you for letting us know the summary of your research. I wish more people would follow through, come full circle, and update the rest of us as you have.

Best Wishes.

 

[vertigoOne]

There are also Wacom Bamboo Feel stylus' that work on the Pro and Pro 2, got one for $25 off Amazon recently and I find it to be a worthwhile improvement over the one included with the Pro.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

There are also Wacom Bamboo Feel stylus' that work on the Pro and Pro 2, got one for $25 off Amazon recently and I find it to be a worthwhile improvement over the one included with the Pro.

I will keep that in mind. In what was is it better for you personally?

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