6 Reasons The Surface Pro is the Best Tablet for Artists
(This article discusses the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, 4, and Surface Book.)
If you're an artist looking for an all-around machine that you can draw on, play games on, surf the Internet and bingewatch TV series on, Microsoft's Surface Pro series is the choice for you. Here's why:
You Can Draw On It. The Surface series has a nice-sized drawing surface for work on-the-go (Surface Pro 4 : 12.3in). It's also easy to plug into a monitor with a mini-display port adapter if you need a bigger screen. For those who have trouble drawing on tablets because of the disconnect between the tablet surface and the screen, drawing directly on the screen provides a much more natural, intuitive input method. The pressure sensitivity is not quite that of the Wacoms, but as a portable drawing and art-making device, it more than suffices.
It's a Tablet and a Computer. Because the Surface Pro series is a full-fledged computer, you get the portability of a tablet with the power of a desktop computer. You also don't have to buy the separate app versions of the software you use, and you can still create art anywhere. For folks who prefer more of a laptop form factor, there's the Surface book. When detaching the display though, the tablet part of a surface book doesn't have as long as a battery life as the Surface Pro series. The kickstand lets the tablet stand by itself and you can adjust the incline to the desired drawing position.
Nice Display. The Surface Pro has a crisp, sharp display for better art-making and Netflix-watching. Other drawing laptops such as the Cintiq Companion seem to be dimmer and grainier.
Good Battery Life. Every laptop I've ever owned, both PC and Mac, never lasted more than 1.5 hours after a year of use. The batteries always just seemed to give out. The Surface Pro 3 I've owned now for two years can still last 3-5 hours with several programs running and Chrome windows open, at low-medium brightness.
It's Touch. Nothing like being able to draw on the screen AND switch tools by touching the screen.
You Can Game On It. I've run Steam games like Bioshock, Left 4 Dead 2 and Mass Effect on this device. They're older games, but they ran well. It isn't a gaming machine by any means, but if you want something that can do enough of everything you want a portable computer to do (which for me was drawing, animating, surfing, and gaming), the surface pro does the job.
SURFACE PRO COMPARISONS
How does the Surface Pro compare with other drawing devices? See below.
vs Wacom Cintiq Companion. Compared to the Surface, the screen is smaller and the display seems dimmer and more grainy. Also, it's bulkier than a Surface pro.
vs Ipad Pro. The Ipad Pro and its stylus has better pressure sensitivity and a nice drawing experience. The problem with the Ipad, though, is that it is not a full computer and thus can't run the software I need a portable drawing device to run. It requires separate app purchases,which means spending more money. These features make the Ipad more for the hobbyist than the professional, especially for those on a budget. If you get an Ipad, you'll still need a computer. If you get a Surface Pro, you won't need anything else.
vs Plug n Play Tablets. The Wacom Intuos drawing tablets are pretty nice for a tablet drawing experience. They are touch-enabled now, wireless, have a nice stylus-on-surface feel, and work with any computer/laptop. As long as you don't mind the disconnect of drawing on one place and having the marks show up someplace else, Intuos drawing tablets are much more affordable solutions to digital drawing than the Surface Pro.
The Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book come with a variety of specs at different price points, the cheapest coming in under $1000. However, I recommend buying top of the line whenever possible. If you are an artist who uses Photoshop, InDesign, Aftereffects, Premiere, Maya, Toonboom, and other similar software, go for the highest processor speed, the most RAM, and the most storage that you can afford.
It's not necessarily better value to buy middle of the pack. The closer to the top of the line I buy, the longer I can use the machine before I have to upgrade. Whenever I buy middle of the pack I'm always wishing I'd sprung for better specs every time Photoshop hangs.
If you want to save money, buy refurbished or an older model after the new model drops rather than go with cheaper specs.
SURFACE PRO CONS
Though the Surface Pro is a good all-around machine, it is not without its quirks and drawbacks. Some weirdness I've noticed include:
Mysterious behavior. Sometimes I'll leave the computer for a bit and when I come back, all the programs have been closed as if it restarted itself.
Comatose sleep mode. Sometimes the Surface requires pressing the power button repeatedly and tapping the keyboard to wake it from sleep.
Frantic Fan. The fan can be really loud, and sometimes runs frantically for no apparent reason.
Even with these drawbacks, the Surface Pro remains a good choice for an all-around computer/tablet for artists.
For an in-depth review of the SP4 as a drawing tablet, please see parkablog's excellent article: http://www.parkablogs.com/picture/artist-review-surface-pro-4-drawing-tablet
You can also test out the Surface Pro at any Microsoft store. If you're a student or faculty, don't forget to take advantage of Microsoft's education discount.