EDIT 2: Okay so, WACOM mobilestudio pro will cost me an arm and a leg but -- I'll take that over an ipad lmao. Anybody with experience with this device?
EDIT: would love to hear how the samsung, lenovo or HP 2-in-1s perform too, if anyone has experience with them.
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Hey there! So I work with a laptop and screen display tablet combo at the moment but I do go out alot and want to draw digitally on the go without the hassle of bringing both equipment. I'd really love to save up for a 2-in-1 laptop. I know the surface pro line is great but thats just as expensive as an ipad. ( and I dont plan on getting the latter )
So any recommendations for alternatives?
How does the pen feel? Any wobble on the lines and are the colours great on screen?
How light is it? and heating -- does the device go warm or boiling hot?
Thanks in advance!
If anyone's wondering why I'm not considering an ipad, its because I need something that runs programs not apps + a fast processor for my programs to work ( clip studio and paint tool sai ) properly and I use huge canvass sizes, but feel free to change my mind!
NihilisticTiger
I was looking into the surface pro 3 earlier, does it lag when using art programs or does it perform similar to the 5th generation?
edit: I realized it uses the 4th gen intel core, which is a downgrade from my current laptop
I have trust issues with WACOM since its drivers are a pain to deal with ( why I switched to huion and xp-pen lol )
and thank you for the reply!
It may just be mine, maybe I have a faulty one, but I own the Surface Pro 3 and really dislike it :/ I bought it right when the 4 came out I think and really regretted not just getting an iPad pro instead.
To be specific, mines the i5 processor, 256gb, 8gb ram verison.
The fans on mine are pretty loud and the machine gets a bit hot with just a browser open. I've also had it freeze up on me a lot just running ps and a browser with a few tabs (5 Max).
Also if you're planning on using an external for extra storage space, the surface will need you to use a USB dock with it's own power source, as the surface can't provide enough dedicated power to access the external on it's own.
::EDIT:: I never work on anything bigger than like standard paper size - canvas wise and have had freezing occur D:
::EDIT 2:: On a positive note, the newest (or second newest???) Surface pen is REALLY nice once you deactivate win ink... They're $100 USD to replace if you lost or wanna upgrade one tho
NostalgicAstronaut
yikes! have you tried getting it replaced? or did the faults occur the longer you use the device?
seems like a con for the older model
I didn't try unfortunately cause I'm dumb and it's too late now D:
Did do a full reinstall of Windows but it didn't seem to help my machine
thanks alot for that in depth reply! still looking into it despite it having a lower processor than my laptop but then again, I figured it wouldn't be an issue since I plan to use it when I'm out, away from my work desk or just too lazy to get up haha!
I use SAI and clip studio paint. Glad to know the surface doesn't have any issues with the first program. I usually just have 2 tabs open while drawing so I guess that wont be a problem.
Aaah I once had this dilemma. I got a 5th gen i7 Surface Pro to draw on the go and frankly, I often find myself wishing I had gotten an iPad and just used Procreate instead. People seem happier with that setup. (edit: <- that's my recommendation if it wasn't clear LOL. they're pricey but seem to work best?) The Pros are one of the actually workable two (other being iPad) for digital drawing imo... But even then I second a lot of what NostalgicAstronaut said- the Surface can get warm running a youtube video in a single browser window, and the system has fritzed elsewhere for me (I also thought my model must be faulty), but never in any way that impedes the function of csp- so far.
The upside is that it runs csp well. Pen pressure is good and lines are smooth. Other grain-of-salt Pro opinions: there is a bit of screen drag because the surface has a more plasticky finish than for example a wacom screen tablet- think a stylus on an old Nintendo DS. Oftentimes fast strokes can be lost on the ends- e.g. if you start a quick stroke with a light hand and pick up pressure as you go or vice versa, the light-handed section of the line will be lost. iPad I tested didn't seem to have that issue. I also seem to recall something about sai not scaling in a usable way if you use 1.0 instead of 2.0, if that'd be a relevant concern. Good luck with your hunt!
tintenhai
ah, thanks for this info! Do you think a matte screen protector would solve that plastic-like screen of the surface? and when the device gets hot, is it too hot?
I went into an apple store earlier and I do like the feel of the apple pencil + ipad, I think my only gripe with it is the file organization and limited layers on procreate and SAI isn't available on ipad lol
HMM I think a matte screen protector could deffo help but not totally alleviate the drag, bc the tip of the pen itself feels more rubbery as well and pulls a little even when tested against the screen of my other tablet. o: But if you're not super picky about pen feel it might not be a bother. & Personally I feel it can get Too Hot, like when I'm really working or dare to have 5+ browser windows open,,, I live in a cold area and can use it as a hand warmer like a hot coffee cup lmaooo
I have a Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2 64gb because thats the only model with wacom technologies back then. its form 2012 and has a intel atom processor. Not the best if you are going for a fully fledged computer, but it works really well for digital art for me at least , I normally have canvas sizes of 3000x3000 at 350 or 600 dpi and it handles them pretty well. There isn't any weird lines with it or wobble but maybe a bit of parallax if you hold the pen at a weird angle. It supports tilt and that's a plus. It doesn't get hot at all, and only runs 32 bit applications. Paint tool sai is my main program and it runs flawlessly.
That's my experience with lenovo. I can only hope the newer Lenovo 2 in 1s are better are better.
Rain-G - The general lifespan is around 7 to 9 hours for me. My tablet is old but maintains good battery life.