Brad PLEASE make a 2024 version, we need it!!! Most laptop review channels aren't run by people who actually draw but people who generally know what kind of specs artists would want. Would love this again but with new additions from the year.
Yeah! Im in the same dilemma. I need one for college but none of the videos I see give any good explanation as to what to buy and why or how they work.
@@thebradcolbow just ordered mine! Can’t wait to use it. Thank you again for this video! (And all your videos, my daughter is following you as she begins her learning to draw journey)
This video is so freaking timely! My grand daughter has been asking for advice about a drawing tablet and I've been sending her links to your videos all day. Then, this video pops up in my feed and I sent her the link before even watching the video because I knew it would answer all her questions.
I have since purchased the galaxy 360 pro, and oh my goodness I love it! Thank your the recommendation. This is my first time using a pen to draw on the screen and it’s simply fantastic and feels very familiar, like paper and pen.
Thanks Brad - I love how you manage to offer clear unbiased advice. It is so rare in the digital art world where it seems to be divided into Apple fanbois and Apple haters.
Honestly, I would say that galaxy book flex is by far the best windows device for art. Wacom stylus, Samsung qled screen,very good design and build quality and since its an older device you can often find it discounted for 700-800$
@@iniagung4665 Pretty much identical to apple pencil, you might need to tweak settings a bit after downloading the new app and after that it works flawlessly (tested in over 1k drawings in clip studio and a couple hundred in photoshop), in terms of raw drawing experience its like stand alone Wacom one with a much better display.
Isn't the fhd resolution too bad? I had a 1080p vaio with pen which was too low. Surface pro 4 had a great screen res but the pen was crap. I like the Samsung but I think it needs at least 2500*1600
@@subspaceanomaly Since it's a 13-15inch device 1080p is more than enough,+it has Samsungs qled display which is honestly much better than higher res standard IPS or LCD monitor. If for whatever reason you might specifically need 4k res then look for something like Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel, It comes with Wacom emr pen support and has 4k resolution but it can cost up to 3000$. I don't think that it's realistic to search for stand alone windows drawing device with top tier stylus support and 4k resoliution in the price range of 700-900$.
For those of us comfy drawing on a classic tablet (trained hand-screen coordination with blood and tears) it's kindda relatively cheap (it's cheaper, indeed) to get a regular (even low) laptop with not even tactile screen, and a classic tablet like the XP-Pen Deco Pro M ($130). The whole thing fits in a bag anyway. And using SAI 2.0 to paint, that thing runs in a potato and yet working smooth with super huge print files, so could do with a 300 bucks Windows laptop. But these laptops are gorgeous. The Samsung book ones caught my attention. And the Surface Laptop Studio.
I can vouch for the HP Spectre x360 15 personally. The drawing performance is solid and it has a gorgeous 4K screen. However, it does tend to run hot on occasion and I wish the battery life was a bit stronger (probably thanks to the aforementioned 4K screen). I've only had it for roughly five months, but it's been pretty good for my first 2-in-1 convertible laptop!
Other way to make the Surface Laptop Studio better as far as drawing angles: add a Huion tablet stand or other stand that has rigid angles points to adjust to. Makes drawing rock solid in tablet mode, and personally I use a tourbox Neo for keyboard shortcuts. My only complaints for the device is where the exhaust is located, using a mouse next to the device basically directly vents GPU heat to your wrist (for right handed users, lefties will get CPU heat), which doesn’t feel great especially for RSI. Been trying to come up with some potential ways to redirect the exhaust safely away, because this is the one thing outside of port selection that makes the SLS sometimes uncomfortable to use.
Great video Brad! Will come in handy if I see an artist friend looking for a new laptop. If I can suggest a video idea, how about discussing the pros/cons of going for an All-In-One solution (like the Surface Laptop Studio) or just getting two seperate cheaper devices instead (like a mac/ipad or cheaper laptop/samsung tablet/etc)? Could be helpful for artists needing good performance and portability, but are hesitant on the price of those expensive all-in-ones. :)
Great video brad as always! I have a request if possible, can you make a smartphone drawing video? It can be anything from what's it like drawing on a phone to what techniques you can use and how it'll feel vs a tablet.
I picked up a gently used GB Pro 360 15.6" 16gb/1TB for just over $600 last week. At this price, I have no complaints at all, it's been a great device so far.
Okay, I bought a Samsung 360 15" i7 16GB RAM 2in1 for Clip Studio Paint and ZBrush 2021 (I just upgraded to 2022 and the Bevel Pro seems to work but I need more tests). I wanted a cross between a Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 16" and a 12.9" iPad Pro. My major reason for picking the 360 is because it uses an EMR (Samsung labels it SPen) stylus. Like many people have already commented you can replace the included SPen with something more ergonomic like a Wacom One stylus or my choice a Lamy EMR stylus. While the Microsoft Slim Pen 2 may be improved it is still shaped like a flat carpenter's pencil and requires recharging. While the 360 is a 2in1 where you flip the screen backwards into a tablet it is still very ergonomic due to the aspect ratio of the screen. This wide screen provides room on the side for custom on screen hotkeys when you install and configure the 3rd party Tablet Pro software. This means folded in tablet mode when you draw with the stylus with one hand you can trigger Tablet Pro on screen hotkeys with the thumb of the other hand holding the tablet. If you customize the application interface for example in Clip Studio Paint with a Quick Access palette and use Tablet Pro hotkeys, you can access a LOT of tools and palettes with a single thumbpress. Not to mention a little extra wider screen means you can leave more palettes and reference photos open. While a D7 Ezel and Surface Laptop Studio may have a better GPU and can hold more RAM, one has to decide if it is really needed and that outweighs the additional weight, cost, screen size/aspect ratio, stylus line quality, and ergonomics. For me as a Clip Studio Paint and casual ZBrush user I don't need more GPU/RAM for now. If I was more of a Blender user or pushing many millions of polys in ZBrush I'd look at the Acer D7 Ezel for the EMR stylus, 32GB RAM and GPU. My advice for drawing is get the Samsung 360 15" 16GB i7 2in1. Buy a Lamy EMR stylus. The stylus comes with either with glossy screen nibs or matte screen nibs. You can order the other screen's nibs and swap them out in the stylus. Buy and apply a matte screen protector and use the matte screen nibs in the Lamy stylus so the screen has "tooth" like paper when you draw. Buy and install the Tablet Pro on screen hotkey software and take the time to learn to make your own buttons like undo, redo, space, shift, alt, control and custom key combos. Get an adjustable laptop easel/holder (I have a wooden cookbook easel) if you want to work at a desk. Since the laptop is very thin get a hard sided case for traveling. I have to disagree with Brad. I think the 15" Samsung 360 2in1 i7 16GB is a better choice over the MS Surface Studio Laptop. Admittedly I have not tried the Studio but multiple reviews have NOT said the Slim Pen 2 is as good as EMR or as ergonomic. The Slim Pen 2 is just "better". What every you try, just make sure of the store's return policy so you can buy it, install the drawing software, try it for a few days, then return it for money if needed, not store credit.
@@pureyarcadian3710 Funny you should say that. I just was talking to someone who got the Acer D7 Ezel and loves it. I chose the Samsung 360 15" 16GB i7 because I wanted something light for casual ZBrush and Clip Studio Paint. In essence a little bigger and more powerful iPad Pro that can run ZBrush. The person I was talking to got the 32GB RAM Ezel D7. They don't mind the weight and said the build was solid. They got the D7 because they do game and VR development and use Blender so they wanted the RAM and seperate GPU. I hope that helps.
I have same model as you have. But I really frustrated with the performance and all. Not sure what to do. Surface pro maybe good but I hate the recharging. Only reason I liked pro 360 is EMR tech. But still lacking.
The Surface Laptop Studio is just amazing... I loved it! Got the 32GB version, I'm impressed by how silent it is, it hardly get warm and battery life is pretty good too, I can get at least 6 hours doing web development work. Keyboard and haptic touchpad is excellent as well, making it a great machine for programmers. I haven't used it for drawing yet, but from my short test, the line quality with Slim Pen 2 is great, pressure sensitivity is easily controllable now (I have a hard time getting back from thick to thin line with older Surface pens) and most importantly, the IAF is really low. Basically comparable to Apple Pencil now I think. Haptic is a bit of gimmick though. I tried a couple of pens with Laptop Studio, including the Slim Pen 1. The 2nd gen is definitely the way to go, much better. But yeah, don't use the Slim Pen 2 on older Surface, it's much wavier for some reason, while Slim Pen 1 works great on older Surface.
I live for my Surface pro 7 and also have a 5. I used clear non-adhesive shelf liner from the dollar store on the screen of the 5 & it gives just a twitch of texture & makes the pen work beautifully...no wobble lines on my women humor greeting card illustrations. And really; Dollar store shelf liner that doesn't show but also easily comes off with nooooo adhesive! Kinda' life changing ... well for the surface of the Surface anyway!
Thanks for the great review! But what about doing another one about the laptops with regular screens for using with regular graphic tablets like Cintiq?
Hey Brad! Another great video, just wanted to check in about the Slim Pen 2 on the Surface Studio 2. In Windows 11, the Slim Pen 2 is a hugely improved drawing experience over the Surface Pen and Slim Pen 1 on the Surface Studio 2. No haptics, no high refresh / reduced latency, but I'm still seeing big improvement with reduced jitter and improved pressure sensitivity. I can only speak to the Studio 2, but have heard anecdotal reports of a similar experience on the Pro 7 in Windows 11.
Honestly you’re the only person I could find who draws and does reviews on laptops So I wanted to ask if you can please do one of these on more affordable laptops
I have the samsung book pro 360 in the highest configuration! The perfomance is more than good enough for me and the pen input is AMAZING! It works flawlessly. And the best thing there are lot of s pen alternatives out there because the wacom emr tech is very popular and common. Definitely worth the price.
Hi! I’m thinking of getting it as a replacement for my macbook (which is one step closer to dying on me every day), do you think it’s good for school? If you don’t go to school atm or just not a student, is it good for video calls and a lot of tabs being on for extensive amount of time? I’d really like to know since it’s been two months and you know, longterm ^^;; sorry to bother!!
hey, i know this video is a couple years old by now but would anyone still recommend the D7 as a laptop for artists / specifically, animators? i'm looking into getting a new laptop to get back into animating with :]
Hey Brad! I meant to comment hours ago - Acer is releasing a "Pro" version of the ConceptD 3 Ezel that *will* use Wacom EMR. It's probably going to be priced aroun $1700. Definitely something to look forward to
My favorite is the Concept D7 Ezel :) the only problem of that is battery life :( but nonetheless, it's really amazing :) Edit: the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 is much better imo :)
Dang. Lenovo got snuffed! I still feel like the C940 (and 9i) are fantastic. I use the C940 15" for remote teaching, concept art, and general IP illustration/development. They have dedicated graphics cards (gtx1650) and proper 45watt i7 H processors- meaning they can legitimately tackle 3D tasks instead of barely chug through minor 3D files until RAM disappears. The pen is AES BUT.. it's Lenovo AES, which is leagues beyond other systems. I jump between EMR level tech on my workstation and Lenovo's AES implementation constantly. No problem at all. I use the same brush set with the same methods. If anyone is on the hunt for convertibles that can handle some Blender and a bit of gaming, check 'em out!
@@SourPlanet I have the 14, but I'm curious about your stylus setup. I've been looking at the Bamboo Ink Plus and wondering if something like that is worth it
@@PerpetualHope Ah, ok. So the 14" and 15" have very different screen and pen experiences according to who I've talked with about it. The default pen and standard screen on the 15" are totally usable by default, so I haven't had to look around. What I always do when I need to figure this stuff out is order items and then just return them. All companies have loose return policies now. I recently tested the Asus X13 Flow as a possible new workstation. I bought multiple pens to test with it. It sucked and all the pens sucked- I returned all of it! No problem. So if I were you and the pen experience is lacking, I would double check a few reviews and user experiences (reddit and tabletpcreview.com are good starting points) and then order the most commonly cited alternative pens. Keep the best, return the rest. I actually know a guy who was troubleshooting the 14" C940 so I'll check in with him and let you know if I find anything out. Oh, also, Lenovo has many different pen options- including the newly released Lenovo Pen Pro. Those might be worth checking out too and should list the compatible devices on the product pages.
That's what I'm using too, it's a beast, desktop-replacement computer in a two-in-one. Even the battery life is better than on gaming laptops with that sort of hardware, I don't know what tricks Lenovo did with it. :) (I think to start with they capped the wattage of the GPU by default 10W less, it's totally usable though and you can put it in performance mode in the BIOS if you want the full wattage spec of the 1650 max-q.)
I'm liking this video straight from my Surface Laptop Studio that I got thanks to you. I was hesitating a bit, I almost buy the ConceptD 7 Ezel, but your review helped me get the right one for me. Thanks, Brad!
Do you have a video for people who already have an X-Pen tablet and need a notebook that gives it the necessary power? I only can find advice for buying either a tablet or videos like this one.
Which would be best for adobe animate or toon boom? Am i better off with a gaming laptop and drawing tablet or will surface studio be comparable. Thanks Brad.
This was just the thing I've been looking for! Thank you, you read my mind. *Edit: I need your help! which one is better, a spectre x360 or a galaxy book pro 360?*
I'm looking for a laptop to work well with my tab s7 plus, I originally would be buying galaxy book flex or pro but since they don't support 120hz or even 2k so that's kinda a deal breaker for me. Does the more crispy screen on the surface pro studio make the screen Better overall for drawing. Also which screen looks better in your opinion the galaxy book flex or the pro 360? Thank you 😊
Awesome video! I was set on SLS, still am, but it was good seeing what the competition offers. Don't want to regret my decision later, it's an expensive machine after all.
I can't wait till the Ezel 7 2021/2022 model is released in north America. The older models are pretty much out of stock on Acer's website and don't have the latest gpu anyways. Just kind of sucks that it won't likely be available for black friday this year but I look forward to getting it when it's available!
How is the N-Trig tech on the Surface Studio now? I haven't used Surface since Pro 4. Is the N-trig comparable to Wacom's EMR? I think that's the only think holding me back from going Surface. Love the form factor but the EMR and power of Concept D7 is more enticing.
Does the surface laptop studio great for animation?? I'm currenlty looking for tablet laptops for great performances on animations.. Hope you'll reply🙂
Why there is no Wacom's Mobile? The Surface Pro 8 pen has to be charged? I think is more convenient the Surface Por 8 because of the keyboard. In Surface Lapto Studio, the keyboard gets blocked in drawing mode, and you still need keyboard shortcuts while working.
I spent like 425$ in my laptop and drawing tablet pretty good pricing right? I got an hp stream 14 inches and a huion h950p that if you want a relatively cheap equipment but still good
Brad, why have you never reviewed the Asus flow x13(without xg) which kicks your top 5 choices in the butt as far as price/spec ratio? Come to think of it, NO artist channel has. All I see is gamer reviews. Is it that rare or that bad? I don't know and it's frustrating! 😭
I know it's been really difficult to get a hold of the Ezel 7 even from Acer's north american websites. Apparently they released a revised 2021 model in China and EMEA contries in October but haven't indicated when it will come to north american. Every time I contact Acer's customer support the salespeople are clueless as to where to get the acer 7 and their ecommerce email just replies back saying: "Unfortunately, our online store does not currently offer this particular model for direct purchase or receive availability or pricing for other retailers." My guess is they don't want to reveal/leak any release dates for an updated north american version so our only option right now is to keep waiting and staying subscribed to their press release email list.
I have a question I want the "Galaxy Book Pro 360 13 inches 2021 version", but may anybody show me which is it in Amazon, I really want to get the correct one
Hey Brad, I really enjoy your content. Could you redo a 'Top *Tablets* for Artists' for this year. I would really appreciate it, especially now that Blackfriday and so on is coming up :)
I mean you don't really have much choice, it's just ipad or Samsung Galaxy tab 6/7/7FE to check out (the S6 lite has good value for the cost but I fear that with its processor and the only 4GB of RAM it could be a bit slow)
ok but i need a laptop that will work with a drawing tablet on an 800 dollar budget 😭😭 i can’t find any videos on that.. i don’t want a laptop with a pen- 😭
Girlfriend switched from iPad Pro to Surface Pro 8, she is very happy with drawing on it on the go, and it's really nice that she can just hook it up to the dock and continue on her XP - Pen Display.
Do you mind me asking why she made the switch? Really wanted to have a device I can take on the go and create art with. iPad has always been the top choice but I’m curious as to what else is out there
@@rylandwells403 She is still mainly using the iPad because she is really use to Procreate, but the biggest reason is full photoshop support and as stated the Surface Pro 8 is great for connecting to the XP-Pen Tablet that we already have at home, its an amazing large drawing tablet that if it is on sale grab it !!
I've been seeing a lot of Lenovo, dell, LG and HP showing up on my searches for a 2-in-one laptops as well. Have you checked any of these out? I love most things about the sgb pro 360, but heard the webcam is not very good, which I also need for work.
Any comment on the screen permanently deforming on the Studio Laptop? -I've heard speculation that it happens when flipping the screen by holding the middle top, and having to really yank it because of the strong magnets. Good video, btw!
Thanks for raising. Haven't heard of this issue. I heard the Galaxy Pro 360 had a screen cracking issue. I wonder if these devices are getting too thin these days.
@@tobylee1170 I think the Samsung 360 is too thin for sure. -I need a little beef to a device I'm going to be using a lot. That spontaneously cracking screen issue is, (I think), due to poor engineering not taking into account thermal expansion between metal lid and bonded glass heating and cooling without enough 'wiggle' room.) But it's still too thin. I think the MS device is great. I like the size and weight. They just flubbed on the ergonomics, not taking into account the way some users might handle the lid. It needed weaker magnets or a better hinge or something. My current fave is the blue Samsung Flex. Does it all, with Wacom. The only criticism is the lower-res screen, but that's a minor issue IMHO. I'm still running a Samsung Notebook 9 Pro 15. That thing is still excellent after three years of use. -Though, I'm noticing some screen degradation. Light bleed in odd spots. But it's still a total workhorse.
You never reviewed Hp elite x2 its pen is wacom and has almost no diagonal jitter, has very small force of activation and great palm rejection. You should really review it please!
H,i I have the Wacom Intuos 3, do you have any recommendations for a new 17.3 laptop suitable to work with it please as I need to upgrade my old laptop. Thank you
Would these be decent laptops for photo editing photography? I love using my tablet/pen on my Samsung tab 7s.. but I want a laptop where I can use the full classic program of LR and PS
I have question, since the app ecosystem in pc takes for granted that you have a keyboard is the drawing experience good even though having limited or no access to they keyboard? or should one get a key retome or something like that? also, if one buys a wacom stylus for a laptop that supports it, can you program the pen buttons with software?
Hi Brad i follow toi since a Long Time now, you gave me helps for starting drawing and animating. Thanks for that. I really want to invest in a tablet for drawing and animating, i was pretty shure the iPad was the good choice. But i Saw tour review of the surface laptop studio and for the sape price, i not si sûre if m'y choice what do you thinking i pas pro 12.9 or surface laptop studio ? Thanks for all
Great review. I have a Samsung - Galaxy Book Pro 360 and a Surface Pro (5th gen?). I prefer the form factor of the Surface Pro but of course the pen is better on the samsung. This definitely makes me want to upgrade to the Surface Studio or Surface Pro 8. Hearing about the pen is great news and whenever i use the Samsung i miss the form factor and speakers on the Surface Pro. The Samsung has some of the worst speakers I've ever used on a laptop. Brad what do you use to edit your youtube videos? MacBook pro or Surface Studio?
Both Surface Studio and ConceptD 7 Eze very similar price. which one has better pen for drawing. Also does the 7 eze's pantone cert make it a better buy. I do like the surface refresh rate.