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Dear illustrators and other digital artists! by AndiGreyScale
I’ve a question.
Do any of you use any of the Surface Pro tablets to draw on? If so, how is it?
I’m asking because I’d like to expand my creative tools and try new styles and things and am considering moving away from having to use a desktop to render.
I’d rather make tiny fractals in Apo, map on them and then draw my fractals and abstract pieces in PS or Illustrator. Plus I want to get back into drawing again; I miss it dearly.
Or would it be better if I simply got a powerful laptop and then a seperate wacom tablet to doodle on?
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ProphetElm
I use the Surface Pro. I think it's a very good machine, but there are some pros and cons.
If you are doing either really intense work or just doodling it may be either not enough or way too much for your needs. A dedicated laptop and tablet will be better for really intense work, while fun disks can be done on whatever you have now plus one of the more basic tablets.
If you need a really big drawing area, they may feel too small. I quite like the sp3, which is larger than either older model.
A dedicated tablet is easier to use with a keyboard or may have built in hotkeys. You can fix this with a gaming pad for the Surface, but it's a little less convenient and takes some adjusting to.
The sp3 also uses ntrig drivers, not wacom. I didn't have a problem with this, but again it's not a good driver for intensive graphics. The simple summary is it limits the maximum size you get pressure sensitivity at, but the limit is so high that it only applies if you work on very large pictures.
A major advantage is versatility. Particularly with the larger size models, the Surface can genuinely replace your laptop. The total cost of a laptop plus a tablet which lets you draw on screen is likely to exceed the cost of the Surface and its keyboard, unless you get a very cheap laptop (or desktop).
The screen quality is excellent. Most reviews seem to find the Surface has a better screen than a cintiqe.
The Surface is also a very light machine with good battery life. If portability is important, know that the Surface is an excellent choice for this.
Overall, personally I like it a lot. If you shop around, I think you'll also find it might be the best bang for your buck. Not that they're cheap, but overall they are a good value.
If you decide to go with the Surface Pro, be cautious before buying. The Pro comes in multiple trims with different quality processors. Avoid the low end models and compare the actual hardware if you're deciding between a new or an old model.