While we all can agree about the fact that the term “laplet” is one of the most unfortunate buzzwords ever conceived, the advent of hybrid tablet/laptop PCs like Microsoft Surface, or the VAIO Z Flip, have been one of the most disruptive innovations since the invention of the Apple iPad. Speaking of which, the iPad Pro itself, though not a laptop PC in the technical sense, fits the requirement of a growing number of users who are discovering the power of using a touchscreen and a stylus, and are applying that power towards all sorts of creative applications.
Microsoft Surface, and the Apple iPad Pro, may be worlds apart, but for creative users, such as graphic designers, illustrators, and even tattoo artists, both devices have glaring similarities and capabilities that no other device is able to provide. By this token, there are there reasons why consumers love stylus touchscreens:
Screen size
Have you noticed that most touchscreen hybrid laptops screens are always around 12-13 inches? You’d think that with increased resolution, screen sizes for touchscreens would tend to increase, but that’s not the case. The reason for it is that these devices are uniquely designed to mimic the user experience provided by an artist’s drawing sketchbook, as well as mimicking the size of a letter-size sheet of paper. Concept artists and designers are often used to quickly jot down ideas on a drawing pad, and a touch screen format matching that size makes it for an easier transition from paper to PC.
Stylus pens are finally ready
Let’s all agree that the stylus has come a very long and painful way. The first styluses available to Android tablets, some odd years ago were not only awkward to use: they didn’t even remotely look like real pencils or pens. The tip of most stylus pens used to look like the rubber eraser on the back of a pencil, and the tracking accuracy was ballpark at best, barely allowing to click on buttons and to sketch, without any level of pressure sensitivity at all.
The only way to come close to the real experience of sketching, was to splurge over a thousand dollars in a Wacom Cintiq LCD tablet, which still requires to be connected to a PC, by both a video input cable, and a USB cable, forcing the user to be desk-bound.
Finally, those days are over, thanks to the introduction of pressure-sensitive styluses like the Apple Pencil and the Surface Pen, offering features designed to replicate the experience of drawing, writing and sketching on paper, with a real pen or pencil.
Video recording and image capturing
The ability to take a picture and instantly edit it, or use it as a template for an illustration or concept drawing, is priceless for many creative users, such as tattoo artists, muralists, and sculptors. Prior to it, creative users had to rely on time consuming processes involving cameras, scanners, printers, and even copiers, not to mention expensive supplies, like acetate transparent film, and Copic markers. Using a tablet PC fitted with a camera can automatically and radically cut overhead production costs, and making it more affordable for smaller studios and independent professionals.
Ready to buy? Order Apple iPad Pro from PortableOne.com today or Microsoft Surface Pro 4 now on sale