Digital painter considering getting Windows 8 tablet.

heyyou

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Hi, I'm new here. I just recently registered for this forum.

I'm an art student, I'm currently using Windows 7 on my desktop, and I do a lot of digital painting on my Wacom Cintiq. But I've been considering getting a Surface Pro 2, or any other Windows 8 tablet with pressure-sensitive stylus, if they are as good for me as I hope they are.

If I can have a Windows 8 tablet with a pressure-sensitive pen, and can install Adobe Photoshop CS5 and other desktop programs on it, that would be fantastic for me to do all sorts of art assignments outside of my house.

But as far as tablets go, I've only ever used Android, and I've never owned a Windows tablet before. Does anybody have any advice for me? In terms of software, how does Windows 8 on tablets compare to Windows 8 on laptops? Would they be good for artwork? Are tablets even good for artwork?

I am completely new to Windows 8. In fact, I only recently discovered the existence of Windows RT and its difference from Windows 8. So sorry if I'm sounding a little ignorant about these things.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP, Windows 7
Check out tablet pc forums and Microsoft Surface forum for assistance.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1 pro / win 8.1
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Pro 2/ HP Desktop
    CPU
    core i5 \ AMD E1 - 1200 APU
    Memory
    4gb \ 4gb
    Hard Drives
    128gb ssd
Isn't the Tablet and Touch forum the same as tablet pc forum? And I'm not just asking about the Microsoft Surface. I'm asking about Windows 8 tablets in general, and if it's a good idea to use Photoshop for artwork on them.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP, Windows 7
Hi, I'm new here. I just recently registered for this forum.

I'm an art student, I'm currently using Windows 7 on my desktop, and I do a lot of digital painting on my Wacom Cintiq. But I've been considering getting a Surface Pro 2, or any other Windows 8 tablet with pressure-sensitive stylus, if they are as good for me as I hope they are.

If I can have a Windows 8 tablet with a pressure-sensitive pen, and can install Adobe Photoshop CS5 and other desktop programs on it, that would be fantastic for me to do all sorts of art assignments outside of my house.

But as far as tablets go, I've only ever used Android, and I've never owned a Windows tablet before. Does anybody have any advice for me? In terms of software, how does Windows 8 on tablets compare to Windows 8 on laptops? Would they be good for artwork? Are tablets even good for artwork?

I am completely new to Windows 8. In fact, I only recently discovered the existence of Windows RT and its difference from Windows 8. So sorry if I'm sounding a little ignorant about these things.

I just picked up a Samsung Ativ 700t running Windows 8.1. It was used,(last years model) for around $650. This years model goes for $1200 new, but has almost identical specs(last years model is also available new). It has similar specs to the Surface Pro 2, but has a 11.5" screen. I use mine mainly for Photoshop CS6. It runs very well on the tab, although because of the high resolution and small screen, Photoshop's UI is small(you can always lower the rez to compensate). I haven't tested battery life yet but according to other artists reviews they get around 5-7 hrs. I use mine a lot of time standing up and holding the tablet with one hand. With my Note I was able to hold it by the edge and sketch. With the Ativ being larger and heavier I need to hold it with my hand under the tablet while sketching. I think it's the largest size that I would feel comfortable with unless you plan on supporting the tablet on you lap or table.

I got the Ativ to replace my Note 10.1 running Android. Forget about Android or Windows RT unless you plan on just sketching. The apps available are too basic to complete an entire illustration. I would go with a Windows 8 device. Other tablets you might want to look into are the Wacom Companion(not the Hybird)for $2000, the Fugitsu t902(laptop hybrid around $2000), Surface Pro 2, Samsung Slate, and some of the Asus tablets. All running Windows 8 or 8.1.

I discounted the Companion and the T902, because I did not want to spend that much on a device that I will not use as often. Although those devices have much high specs, it comes at a cost of battery life and portability. I settled on the Ativ over the other similar tablets because of screen size and specs at a decent price.

To give you a point of reference, I'm using CS6 64bit. My files tend to be around 80 megs with around 30 layers at a rez of 300dpi.
There is a bit of lag when using large brushes if your sketching quickly. My normal workflow is to start off at 72dpi then bump it up to 300dpi when I'm satisfied with the placement of everything, so the lag isn't too much of an issue. Here's link to my gallery ( R-Tan's deviantART Gallery )

Also you can use some of the older Wacom pens on the windows tablets with a digitizer built in(all the tablets I mentioned do). I use a Wacom UP-801E-OOH Wacom Duo Switch. With the new PC tablet Windows 8 drivers from Wacom I can program 2 shortcuts on the sideswitch.

Look into Artdock, Paintdock, and Adobe Configurator 4 to make UI custom pallets.

Honestly after using the RT portion of Windows 8, I would be very disappointed if I had an RT only tablet, at least at this point. There aren't many apps available, and the ones that are don't function to well when compared to iOS and Android. Most of the time I ended up installing the Windows 8 version of an app rather than the RT version. I do like Windows 8.1 on a touch tablet but would find it a little clunky on non touch device.

Hope that helps.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
I just picked up a Samsung Ativ 700t running Windows 8.1. It was used,(last years model) for around $650. This years model goes for $1200 new, but has almost identical specs(last years model is also available new). It has similar specs to the Surface Pro 2, but has a 11.5" screen. I use mine mainly for Photoshop CS6. It runs very well on the tab, although because of the high resolution and small screen, Photoshop's UI is small(you can always lower the rez to compensate). I haven't tested battery life yet but according to other artists reviews they get around 5-7 hrs. I use mine a lot of time standing up and holding the tablet with one hand. With my Note I was able to hold it by the edge and sketch. With the Ativ being larger and heavier I need to hold it with my hand under the tablet while sketching. I think it's the largest size that I would feel comfortable with unless you plan on supporting the tablet on you lap or table.

Thanks for the reply. I'm familiar with Samsung Android Tablets, but not their Windows 8 tablets. What other Samsung Windows 8 models are there? Ones with pressure-sensitive pens? What's this year's model of the Ativ? Are the improvements really pretty minor? Do they have built-in USB and microSD? Some tablets actually don't bother including them.

What's the difference between 700T and the XE700T1C? Or what's the difference between the Ativ and the Slate? Sorry, I can get confused with model numbers sometimes. I have no experience with Windows 8 tablets, so I might need a brief summary on the different models, specs and screen sizes before I shell out money on them.

Other tablets you might want to look into are the Wacom Companion(not the Hybird)for $2000, the Fugitsu t902(laptop hybrid around $2000), Surface Pro 2, Samsung Slate, and some of the Asus tablets. All running Windows 8 or 8.1.
Do all of these tablets come with pressure-sensitive pens?

There is a bit of lag when using large brushes if your sketching quickly. My normal workflow is to start off at 72dpi then bump it up to 300dpi when I'm satisfied with the placement of everything, so the lag isn't too much of an issue. Here's link to my gallery ( R-Tan's deviantART Gallery )
Thanks a lot! You've been a big help! And you're artwork is fantastic!

By the way, is this the Samsung Ativ 700t that you picked up? LINK
What is the latest model?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP, Windows 7
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