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Thoughts on the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 for zBrush?

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#41

Wacom just announced the second generation of Cintiq Companion. The ‘Enhanced’ version offers i7 5557U processors and 16gb of ram. Looks like a signifcant improvement over Surface Pro 3 (i7 4650U and only 8gb of ram). It’s also possible to connect it to your main monitor and use it as a regular Wacom tablet. Available for pre-order next month.

I think I’m going to buy myself a Cintiq Companion 2 Enhanced (there’s also a customizable version called ‘Enterprise’ which can be configured with even more storage (than 512gb).

#42

It’s worth noting thought that to get 16GB of Ram in the Wacom CC2 you will have to get the more expensive version. Honestly 2500$ is not the price I would pay for a mobile solution.

Another thing to take into account, is the screen resolution: it is 2560x1440. I would honestly be interested in a CC2, but that resolution doesn’t make much sense to me: I believe that on a 13" screen buttons will be way too small. Also, I believe performances will be affected too.

If I had to buy a tablet PC right now, I would probably put my bucks on a Surface Pro 3 (or wait for the Surface Pro 4, which is supposed to be 14").

#43

I doubt Wacom would release it with that resolution if they found the buttons too small. Granted, if you’re the type of person who needs big buttons and big type in general, it might not be your thing.

But yea, price may be an issue for some. On the other hand, the Surface Pro 3 flagship is around $2000 (more with sleeve etc.). I think the extra $500 is worth it for the 16gb RAM alone.

I hear Surface Pro 3 suffers from overheating and noise. That’s a dealbreaker for me.

#44

Overheating and noise would be a problem for me too. Does anyone using ZBrush on a Surface Pro 3 experiencing it?
About the price instead, 500$ for other 8gb + other 256GB of ssd, while may be worth it, they are still a lot IMO :slight_smile:

#45

I think it’s only the i7 version. Because the device is so thin, it doesn’t have proper ventilation.
I’m okay with a slightly bulkier/heavier device (e.g. Cintiq Companion) if it means the device doesn’t get hot or slow during extensive use.

Surface Pro 3 also has a calibration issue where instead of dark grey color, you get purple…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfv83MJruA (see 12:40)

#46

Hehe, I just watched the whole video :slight_smile:
From what I can see though, the concerns expressed in it are quite personal.
First of all she doesn’t mention the pen at all, while for me it’s the main reason to buy a SP3. Then she mentions the calibration issues you were talking about, but again, I would use this guy just for sculpting, and refine on my desktop when at home.
I agree with you instead when you say that you don’t care much about the size of the device, if that increases your productivity. But what really stopped me from throwing my money to the monitor was that I was expecting a 15" device :smiley:
In conclusion, the real thing for me is that neither of these devices are exactly what i was looking for.
So I would rather go for a less expensive device (like the i5 SP3), and wait for the next Companion iteration. Many people on Wacom Forums asked for a bigger size, it will eventually come sooner or later.

#47

Why would you buy SP3 for the pen? It seems so inferior to Wacom’s pen. Or am I missing something?

I agree 15" monitor size would’ve probably been ideal.

#48

I wasn’t comparing the pen of the SP3 TO the CC2, but the above video dismissed the pen as useless, while for an artist it represents the whole point of buying a tablet.

Also, while wacom presents more levels of pressure, it looks like the ntrig pen has less parallax effect.
Of course I would still choose a wacom pen VS a too new technology, but when the SP4 will be out, the gap might not be that big.
Certainly having two big competitors will make things better for us :slight_smile:

#49

Ah yes, I misunderstood you then. Yea, the reviewer definitely wasn’t the artist type :slight_smile:

SP4 could be great, but it probably won’t be out for at least another year. Don’t know if I can wait that long to be honest. There’s always going to be better hardware on the way. By the time SP4 arrives with its rumored 14" screen, a 15" Companion could be on the horizon.

btw. this guy says Companion 2 resolution does not make icons too small (see comment section):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLiUFsOrMhA

Also, check out this hand-made sleeve for Companion (I think he makes one for Surface Pro too):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yud9OXzLKcg

Pretty darn cool :slight_smile:

#50

Ooohh, dat hand-made sleeve!

#51

Geez not for 199 bucks…

#52

Yea, it’s a little expensive. I thought that as well. But hand-made stuff usually is.

#53

I’m testing a sp3 and it looks like I’m only going to be getting like 4hrs of battery life with zbrush. Testing with pretty modest meshes so far. This is the i5-256 with no WiFi, Bluetooth, USB devices, and brightness at around 30%…Does that sound about right? I’m going to try to exchange it if you guys think it should be lasting longer.

Thanks for any input :slight_smile: