ZBrushCentral

Windows Surface Pro and other tablets?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I’m asking this towards not only Pixologic but towards the community as well. I was looking at the Windows Surface Pro as a portable, on screen “sketchbook” for Zbrush and Photoshop. Has anyone here been using it? I’m not sure if I like how small it is. I know there’s a couple of competitors but I haven’t seen them first hand and I haven’t really been able to have a “hands on” with the Surface Pro and Photoshop/Zbrush.

I would like to hear from those of you who have had the opportunity to play around with a tablet/computer hybrid that could run this with an on screen stylus.

Thanks in advance!

#2

The best, artist oriented, no frills review on Surface Pro IMO is this:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/2013/02/22/the-ms-surface-pro

While Sketchbook will be fine, the drivers are still wonky and there won’t be pressure or tilt sensitivity until they are fixed in Photoshop (and I hear in ZB too, but second hand, maybe someone here will confirm or correct me), which MS announced they are working with Wacom on, but with no dates.

There’s buzz now around the fact Wacom posted some hype in their facebook feed though.
They clearly stated they intend to come out with a full blown, artist oriented tablet/tablet PC this year, and that has taken the steam out of everybody’s sails (mine included) regarding other products, while we wait for the only company with a heavy patent portfolio and control on their own drivers to reveal this supposed beast, lest we dumb grands into something that will be dead on arrival such as the MS SPro might be five months from now.
It’ll also be interesting to see how much serious effort they are willing to put into other vendors’ products, even if poowered by technology branded Wacom, when they are clearly trying to make a grab for that market.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/01/wacom-teases-upcoming-hd-mobile-tablet-for-creative-uses/

#3

I just went to Wacom’s site and they have DTU’s and STU’s under their products. The largest DTU says it won’t be out till April. I don’t think that’s what you’re talking about but it looks interesting. I just wonder if those are stand alone or you have to plug them into a computer.

#4

Nothing is out yet.
They plan on offering a tablet PC/laptop thing themselves, and all is out right now is the rumor they spread themselves, which makes it a very reliable one.
I doubt we’ll see much before Q3, and I believe they are bound to only announce products within the quarter of release, so Q2 is also a possibility.

Unless you’re in a hurry, it might be worth waiting. If you’re in a hurry, the Surface Pro with large amounts of praying and other religious activities for an early release of fixed drivers is your best bet at the moment.