Didn't see one in the catalog.
I've been wanting to buy a Cintiq Companion 2 for a while now, and the hefty price tag (as well as the lack of a payment plan) has prevented me from splurging on it from the getgo.
So, now that I have the cash, I'm ready to buy a new tablet.
Anyway, I just before pulling the trigger, I've watched a lot of reviews on the Companion 2, and a lot of the cons seem like real dealbreakers for me, things like battery issues, driver failures, etc... Especially at that price point.
I've heard a lot of things about the Surface Pro 4, and it's much cheaper than the Companion 2. However, watching people draw on it, and the performance, it doesn't seem like it's the same as drawing on a Wacom tablet.
Thought's /ic/?
Surface Pro 4 vs. Cintiq Companion 2, which is the better device? I don't mind spending larger ammounts of money for a device that WORKS. I don't wanna spend $1000+ on a device that will leave me disappointed. Any other alternatives?
My most commonly used programs are Photoshop CS6, Correl Painter, and Manga Studio.
Just bought a Surface Pro 4 after doing a lot of research.
Surface Pro 4 i7 6650U graphics = Intel Iris 540
Surface Pro 4 i5 6300U graphics = Intel Iris 510
Wacom Companion 2 i7-4558U graphics = Intel Iris 5100
JUST THE GRAPHICS:
SP4 i7 > Companion 2 > SP4 i5
>>2358641
How does it perform though?
I mostly care about what it feels like to draw on it.
Something I really liked about the Intuos is that it really does feel like you're drawing on paper (barring the hand-eye coordination), and always wanted to try drawing on an on-screen tablet like the Cintiqs. Plus, I'm always on the go, so a portable tablet is a must these days.
How does it compare to the Surface as far as how it runs, and how it feels to draw on it? Does it hold up to wacom tech?
>>2358635
>>2358643
Brah, I feel you. I went through the exact same dilemmas, and currently own an i5 SP4. Like you, I found the flaws of the CC2 to be deal-breakers, namely that it supposedly has a horrible failure rate, and I am currently abroad, not wanting do be dealing with Wacom customer service and sending my device away multiple times.
As a tablet, the SP4 is superior to the CC2 in virtually every area except one; the pen, which is arguably the most important area right? That's what makes this decision complicated. So the question is; is the 'inferior' Surface Pen still good enough?
So far, my answer would be 'I think so', but I do need to spend more time with it. Firstly, when I draw/paint, I am doing lots of short quick strokes, so the jitter issue is not encountered here.
The other issue with N-Trig is activation force, where you have to press a bit harder than you would with a Wacom pen to register that first light stroke.
I think if you can deal with those flaws, you'll like it. The pressure sensitivity beyond the activation force is good. Latency is negligible enough to be a non-issue for me.
You also get the benefits of less parallax, better edge accuracy, and a screen with better colour accuracy.
The form factor is also great to draw with, like a real sketchbook that you can easily flip from portrait to landscape, and the 3:2 aspect ratio is nice for portrait mode. Battery life is good and fans have never come on when using Manga Studio, unless plugged in and charging.
I don't mean to come across as a Surface shill however. I will be keeping an eye on what Wacom does, because if they ever release a CC3 that fixes the problems of the 2, then I might be tempted to upgrade. I guess my dream device would be a Surface Pro 4 with Wacom digitiser, but since that doesn't exist yet, I'm making do and just getting on with actually painting.
>>2358635
op keep doing your homework and I strongly suggest you demo a surface before committing to one.
a surface is a hybrid laptop/tablet that also has a pen for drawing.
a cintiq is a tool for drawing with tablet like features as a bonus.
the difference depends on your workflow and how serious you are about art.
>>2358635
The better question to ask is do you really need the portability?
Instead of the Companion 2, you could get a 13hd, and build your own desktop that will be much more powerful while also being cheaper. The companion 2 will show its age a lot faster than a desktop built today, and once it's run it's course you'll only ever use it as a plug in tablet anyway (like the 13hd).
As for the Surface, I've tried a SP3, and lines jitter a bit if you draw really slowly. Not a problem for me, but I'd try one out in a store first.
If you absolutely need a new portable computer, be sure to explore all of your options first. I don't know how viable tabletpcs from the likes of Fujitsu, Lenovo and HP are these days, but they're worth looking in to. I'd also look into the Surface Book, which is supposed to outperform the SP4 (released at the same time). I'd be weary of the Companion 2 just for the fact that it's been out for about a year, and it's possible for it to get replaced or even a quiet update.
All I can say about the companion is that of the 3 people I know that have one, 2 of them have had to send it in. Both for battery issues once, and one had to send it in another one or two times to get it fixed for that or another problem. I think in theory it's a really awesome device and from what I've seen and used it is nice and compact and great for taking around. Keep in mind I've not spent excessive time using it but from the limited time I have it seems just a little buggy in lots of small ways, some of it is to do with windows, some of it is wacom.
I have the 13 hd with a mac laptop and I've literally not had a single problem, I find wacoms just work really well with macs, it's like they were designed to be used together. I used this same cintiq on a windows laptop and I ran into tonnes of issues ranging from getting the two screens to be calibrated similarly to odd windows quirks like the mouse cursor appearing while I'm using the pen on the cintiq. I got so fed up I threw that new laptop in a box and splurged on the 15 inch mac I'm using now. Couldn't have made a better decision.
All that said, I think you'd probably be happy with the companion. Wacom is the best of the best when it comes to digital painting. From what I've heard and seen the SP4 or SB they look like they are not quite there. They seem more like ancillary tools rather than primary tools.
My biggest gripe is the pen, it only has one button on it and though that may seem like a small deal, it's actually huge considering how essential to my workflow it is having at least two buttons on the pen.
>>2358643
I tried it at a microsoft store, it feels like stiff rubber on glass. Because that's essentially what it is. It doesn't' feel like paper. i didn't mind it.
>>2358635
If you have the money, you might consider the Viao z Canvas.
I'm curious why nobody talks about it when it's explicitly targeting the art and 3d market.
I'm using the old 19" monoprice tablet monitor and loving it. The new versions are quite nice I hear.
>>2359528
>>2359167
>>2359496
Ok, I think I'll go with the CC2 then. What I need is a drawing device, not a computer. I couldn't care any less about any extra features or gimmicks it has that double as a PC.
I just need it to run photoshop and painter without any issues or latency or jitter. These are all key for me. Latency would drive me up the wall on something like a tablet. It's just something that seems minor at first, but is really a big issue for me, and kills the SP4.
I've been watching videos on both, and reading all the negative feedback on the CC2, and most the issues seem to be as follow:
>the fan is too loud
This is a complete non issue for me since I always wear headphones when I draw anyway.
>faulty charger
Seems like a problem, but it seems like more of a problem with the AC adapter than the device. If it's possible to buy a 3rd party one, the I don't care.
>the charger isn't magnetic
This is stupid. People shouldn't be so clumsy and take of their things. This might be related to the faulty charging.
>driver issues
This is a typical wacom thing. Aggravating, yes, but given I've already had experience with them, I know there are workarounds. It seems to mostly happen with Photoshop though.
>battery issues
This happens. I hope the battery is replaceable. It probably is. You just have to open the device. Plus, if it can be used while plugged in, even with a faulty battery, not that big a deal.
>battery life is too short
It lasts 4-5 hours. That's more than enough for one go. As long as there low power state can last around 12 hours, it's fine.
>It's heavy and overpriced
Heavy is a dumb excuse. I don't mind 10lbs. Overpriced I agree with though, but compared to other devices, it's more professional.
I think I'll take the plunge with the CC2, these devices at least have a good resell value if worst comes to worst. Plus, with wacom, I have 40 days to make up my mind. If the issues are too much to bear, I'll get something else.
>>2359525
Yes, I NEED to have a portable device. For one, art isn't my current career, and my current job keeps me out of the house most of the day. I usually draw in small breaks at cafes and libraries and such.
In addition, I can't build a rig atm, because I'd need to buy a desk for it among other things, and I do plan on moving to a different country in a couple years. Making the rig building inconvenient as it's extra stuff to take.
I do plan on building one down the line, and getting a 13hd, but for the time being, I need a portable drawing device to replace my busted laptop.
>>2358635
I still use my hanvon paint master 0504...
>>2360032
>Battery lasts 4-5 hours.
From what I've heard, mostly from users on tabletpcreview, battery life is usually more like just over 2 hours
Hey OP, I have both the CC1 and CC2.
Do not get the CC1 under any circumstances. That charger problem will get you eventually. I had to send it in multiple times before I fixed it myself.
The CC2 that I've had for a year now has not experienced a charger problem. Searching around, the CC2 doesn't seem to have it. For those who have experienced it, they were able to remedy it by draining the battery and it worked like normal. Whereas the CC1 has a definitive hardware defect, the CC2 seems to be software oriented. Nothing a quick refresh can't solve. The CC2's charger is noticeably different too, it's really reinforced.
The CC2 feels really good to draw on, but the battery does suck balls. If you got any questions ask away.
(not a richfag, had to minimum wage to victory)
>>2360108
not OP, but a few questions in mind, don't have to answer all of them;
Which model do you have? I was leaning toward i5. I hear the i3 is quiet with good battery life, but lacks ram, storage, power, as well as stand/sleeve etc. Perhaps the i3 would still handle Manga Studio?
If i5/i7, is the fan noise really that bad? Do the fans run when it is connected to another computer?
Is it true you can open it up and add more ram/storage?
Battery life; is it as bad as 2 hours? 4? I hear mixed results here
Are you happy with the screen? Does it have the paper feel of an intuos? Is the colour accuracy and sharpness good?
Does the cursor line up well with the pen tip?
How is tilt recognition?
>>2360122
also, do you take it with you on bus/train, to coffee shops etc or do you think it's better suited to just stay on a desk?
If the latter, do you still think the screen is big enough?
>>2360122
I have the I7 for both the CC1 and CC2. For the rest of the post, I'm going to discuss the CC2 since the CC1 should not be purchased due to its defect.
They all have the same stand and cover. The stand is lame, but it gets the job done if you're sitting at a desk or whatever. The grey sleeve/carry bag feels very luxurious, but the front pocket is too small.
MS5 or CSP works beautifully on the CC2 (more on this later). An I3 should be great!
The fans have "3 stages." When running a 3D program or games, Stage 3 is initiated and it's loud as hell. It sounds kinda scary. Stage 2 can be initiated when running a twitch stream while drawing in MS5. Its a tolerable, but noticeable whirring. Stage 1 is the default noise and it is virtually silent. Just drawing in MS5 leaves it at Stage 1. It's when you try multiple programs with MS5 that it enters Stage 2. Stage 3 is rare.
I have not used its slave mode, so I dont know what the fans are like when connected. I'd imagine it would be Stage 1 and 2.
Yes, you can add ram to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exFZ2PiPYq4
Not sure about storage though.I don't think you can increase the SSD, but if you do need more normal storage, one of those little flash cards can be placed in the slot. I just leave mine in there to add a permanent +128 gigs.
Battery is indeed terrible. Just drawing in MS5 will net you 4 hours. Trying to do anything more will bring it down to 2-3. For 200 bucks, you can add 10-15 hrs with this thing:
http://www.amazon.com/BiXPower-42500mAh-Capacity-External-Rechargeable/dp/B0087HW5YM/ref=sr_1_1?tag=skim0x1589-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1434217032&sr=8-1&keywords=bix+power
Those Bixpower banks are ridiculous. Add another 100-200 and you can add +10 more hours.
Okay, now the most important thing and why I stuck around with Wacom despite getting boned by the CC1: The drawing experience is pretty fucking sweet.
>>2360143
The screen has a screen film on it that cannot be removed easily, so it is essentially a part of it. It produces a strange weird fuzz that isn't bad by any means, but you're not going to get a crystal, ultra clear picture. Its there however, because it adds a very appreciated "bite" to when you draw - the paper feel. This paper-feel really makes that difference when you draw. You just don't fuck up as much with your lines as opposed to that glass-feel that the Pro has.
Still, you do need a screen protector because your pen will scratch up the screen film over time. Interestingly, the screen still retains it's "bite" with a protector over it. (I do wonder if you can buy some sort of protector for the Pro that emulates the paper bite)
Cursor calibration is perfect. There is a tiny parallax, but thats kind of with all devices. At the very edges of the screen, the cursor begins to misalign. You're not going to be missing any "Close window" buttons, but I did notice that.
Tilt recognition is great. Everything about the drawing experience is great. Wacom made a shitty PC, but a great drawing device.
I especially like how easy it is to change the express keys on the CC2 and on the pen. The pen has 3 programmable keys (2 on the side and the eraser itself). You can produce a nice workflow with MS5 and change things up and back up settings surprisingly quick.
And this is essentially the bottom line on the CC2: Its a shitty PC because of the battery life and fan noise, but its a wonderful drawing device. But, with new "tabletpcs" having dGPU and better specs, the CC2 is quickly being obsoleted. You might wanna hold off for the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga which has a Wacom digitizer, dGPU, and everything good about the Surface Book.
>>2360127
I can't stay in one spot a lot, so I like to switch between my desk, couch, and bed a lot when I draw. That's what I primarily use the portability aspect of it for. I've used it at restaurants before my meal comes in and it works great for that too, but I don't have much public experience. Real talk, carrying around a $2500 device is kinda scary.
I wish the screen size was slightly bigger, like 15". People forget that the UI's of programs take a lot of real estate. Still, Windows 8 can alter the scaling of all programs (which I recommend everyone do as you can get yourself much needed screen space at the nonexistent expense of button sizes.)
Do this by going into Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Display -> Set to whatever %
>>2360122
Oh shit, I forgot to mention. If you opt for the I3, the only bad thing that would happen in MS5 is your use of the Mesh Transformation tool. Its processing time will lengthen.
For an I7, it takes 2-4 seconds for a complex mesh warp, but it will take much longer with an I3 for sure.
MS5's mesh warp is nowhere near as quick as Photoshop's liquify. I hope they fix this one day.
>>2360164
>You might wanna hold off for the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga which has a Wacom digitizer
note that this will be Wacom's active digitiser that uses a AAAA battery, similar to but hopefully better than N-Trig. Won't be as good as the traditional EMR tech though.
Also, Lenovo seem to be really mysterious with regard to release dates for their products. Sometimes they don't launch at all!
Then there's the issue with Lenovo and their built in Malware.
If I hold off for anything, it will be the CC3. Interesting that they didn't reveal it at CES. There's an active thread on the official Wacom forums discussing it, which Wacom have acknowledged.
Is the Huion 610 Pro a decent tablet for beginners?
It's $76 CAD ($50USD) on Amazon and I don't really want to commit to $400 on an Intuous or something.
>>2360323
Competition is great and I'm expecting great things from the cc3.
Well, what do we have here?
>>2361474
???
Alright. let's just open the damn thing.
Why, it's Huion's latest meme tablet, the WH1409 "Giano".
https://www.huiontablet.com/huion-wh1409.html
So, should I send it back or use it for a week until it burns out on me and I have to buy another one because of the non-existent warranty!?
Just kidding, now let's try this thing out. I had a little trouble with the drivers at first but I'd forgotten this tablet pc thing I use as my secondary computer had a wacom driver installed which may have been causing some kind of conflict. After uninstalling that and restarting a few times the install was relatively straight forward.
First Impressions:
The feel of drawing on it is substantially different from my Wacom Large; the surface almost feels "soft" owing I imagine to differences in how the nibs are embedded in the Wacom and Huion styli respectively. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing, but I noticed the stark contrast immediately after returning to my wacom while typing this up.
The stylus itself definitely feels "cheap" compared to the wacom. It weighs considerably less, there's no eraser (I believe many people don't use them anyway, but I do so I'm taking it easy on the nib) and it has an internal battery that runs dry after some arbitrary amount of time that is, to my limited understanding, in the hundreds of hours. The nib itself is quite a bit longer and may contribute to the "soft" feeling I had alluded to earlier.
>>2361502
Holy shit what the fuck is this? wire less???
>>2361502
dope sheit son, got mine yesterday.
Drawing with it feels pretty good. I like how it seems to give you a lot of play with the lower pressure levels. You can really feel the tip of the Huion stylus being depressed depending on how much pressure you apply and react accordingly, this is in stark contrast to the Wacom pen which doesn't seem to move much at all, for better or worse.
The size itself is of course a fantastic asset. It has roughly a square inch larger active area than my Intuos Pro Large and has roughly a square inch smaller overall footprint. Having 12 hotkeys is great and I prefer it to Wacom's radial dial which has always seemed a bit "style over substance" to me.
I haven't tried the wireless yet (I don't plan on using it anyway) and I ought to, but my very first impression is that, if time proves this device at all reliable (keep an eye out for those youtube reviews in the coming weeks and months), this will absolutely be the tablet to get if your budget is anywhere near the $159 (+$20 s&h) asking price.
Just wanted to say it's great that we can now discuss tablets here without some faggot telling us to go to /g/
I'm not a poorfag but even then Cintiq's seem crazy for the price, are the off brand monitors worth it despite possible driver nonsense? Any yiynova owners could possibly give some input with how much they like theirs?
A store local to me is selling a Cintiq 12WX for £300, I currently use a Huion h610 Pro but it's a little broken (cable keeps disconnecting whilst drawing, have tried multiple different cables, none fix the problem).
Wondering if I should splash out on the Cintiq even though it's probably second hand. Never had a Cintiq before.
>>2360376
If you're going for it, then make sure to buy a screen protector from posr.us
It's a bitch to apply, but that is the best screen protector that retains paper bite.
>>2361474
>>2361494
>>2361500
>>2361502
>>2361533
>>2361558
Alright, so I tried the wireless feature out today and it worked like a charm, no perceptible lag whatsoever. If I haven't mentioned it already the tablet comes with a USB wireless adapter that doubles as an 8gb flash drive. Here's a picture I made comparing the overall size of the Giano and its active area versus that of the Intuos Large and Medium. It's not the best picture in the world considering the angles obscure things just a bit (the Medium in particular looks like it's flush with the Giano across the top which is not the case) but hopefully it gives you some kind of idea of how much space it takes up relative to a couple other popular tablets.
To put things in perspective, the Huion Giano costs $159 new, a new Intuos Medium Costs $350, and a Large costs $500. To implement the same wireless functionality that the Giano has you have to invest in a wireless accessory kit that costs an additional $40 as well.
In spite of the relatively cheap feeling stylus, drawing and painting with it seems fine, the wireless appears to work great and the driver software that comes with it is straightforward enough. So far the lack of pen tilt (at least as far as I know), and abidexterity are the only real noteworthy flaws of this device. Will it have long or even short term reliability issues? Only time will tell. If fears of reliability problems prove unfounded though, this device will be a serious contender for the best traditional desktop style tablet available, and certainly the best for the money.
>>2361751
I had a 12WX at one point and it was awful.
Actually I still have it, but it's in a storage unit a couple miles away. I could have just gotten a "lemon" but I don't know. The colors didn't match up to any other monitor I was aware of (I've heard claims alternatively claiming it had more/better color than a typical monitor and the reverse, I'm tempted to agree with the latter), the pressure sensitivity would spike every couple strokes (this was infuriating), it has a lot of cords (one from the tablet to the hub and like three from the hub to the power outlet and computer if I recall correctly), and it simply felt smaller than I'd have liked. I wouldn't personally buy one for 300 eurobucks, While the problems with mine may have been incidental, I wouldn't use that thing again if I was paid to, either.
anti-shill reminder that huion and other knock-off inferior products are only good for low level beginners and people who don't appreciate quality.
Spend the extra cash for a Wacom, you won't regret the expense.
I got my Giano too. Had no problems with drivers and multi monitor (3) works well so far. I tried the wireless feature and it was a simple set up. The only thing that bothered me is the cheap stylus as well. Though placing an A4 piece of paper down makes it better and you don't worry much about nib wear. With all the features Huion pretty much BTFO Wacom here in terms of features. I would even say it's be the go to tablet for beginners.
>>2362681
>being /ic/'s equivalent of a Macfag
shake my head
>>2360439
i just bought and set mine up last week, been working ok so far.
Really needed a size upgrade from my 6yr old Bamboo Pen&touch and the 2048 levels of pressure is probably a good upgrade too.
plus i wasn't going to pass up that deal.
I looked at a ton of reviews and and site rating and it's all been pretty high, most of the time the negative stuff is just about the Drivers which can be tedious and annoying to setup/troublshoot.
>>2362681
Does Wacom have a cute little ching chong lion mascot? I don't think so family. In fact, Wacom has one of the ugliest logos I've ever fucking seen in my god damn life. Seriously that pillowshaded abstract piece of crap needs to be replaced already.
JUST
>>2362682
I'm praying this'll give wacom a run for their money and encourage them to compete a little.
>>2362681
>anti-shill
nigga that was the most shameless shilling I've seen since I stopped visiting /v/.
>>2360439
plz get a wacom, however old, however cheap. But forthe love of god whatever you do don't get a chinkion. Buy chinkion only if u wish to invite heartache and heartbreak into your life.
you've been warned.
>>2362736
The only company making Wacom nervous is that one you all love to hate. I can't wait to see what the CC3 will bring.
>>2358635
I bought the companion 2 a couple of months ago even though I saw the same mixed/negative reviews as you.
I honestly love it. It's intuitive and better than the other lcd tablets i've used, and the build in computer makes things way easier though the touchscreen took me awhile to get used to (Not used to anything bigger than a phone).
I have so far not seen any of the following
>Battery issues
>Loud Fan
>Driver failures
>Literally anything.
It crashed once but that's because of one certain windows update that installed itsself, so once I manually uninstalled it, it was fine.
The downside is the price but I think its worth it.
The biggest con for it is the stand that comes with it though. I thought at first people exaggerated but, no, it's pretty flimsy and doesnt hold it up well. I invested in a cheap $10 table easle though and prop it up on that just fine, or otherwise I lay it down to draw.
That said, I've heard some reviews of the surface pro and a couple people who have both chosethe surface pro over the cintiq. I think in the end, it's better bang for your buck, even though the cintiq is still superior.
Both are good choices. Check the return policies on both, so maybe if you don't like one you can get the other instead, I know a lot of people do this. They'll buy like three tablets at a time, try them all, and keep the one they like most. I don't think most of us have the money to do just that, but you can still buy one, then return it and try the other.
My vote is for the cintiq but i haven't tried the surface. I feel like its one of those things where if you HAVE the money, go for it. If you could /really/ use the extra money for food and what not, go for the cheaper one.
I had money to spare so I splurged and that was honestly the ultimate decider for me.
I was content on getting a Yiynova 22U V3 because it has a large screen and ips display, but I narrowed my selection between the Cintiq 13 HD and the Surface pro 4.
I really want to get the Surface Pro 4 because I have a XPS 17 that is no longer supported by Dell and I need something to get me by.
I also could keep the laptop running and just buy the cheaper Cintiq 13 hd.
I really wished that the Surface 4 at the store had software on it for me to test out the drawing experience.
What would you recommend to a guy that currently has a Bamboo Pen?
Wacom Introus Medium is the famous choice. However, broaden my choices.
>>2362324
>To implement the same wireless functionality that the Giano has you have to invest in a wireless accessory kit that costs an additional $40 as well.
Nigga what? intuos pro comes with it already, for free. The intuos 5 was the one that didn't come with it, so unless you buy an old tablet, you're fine.
