I have a Surface Pro 3 and it's fantastic.

Do you know the difference between a 3 and 4? I was hoping to go for the cheaper option if there's no large differences between the two. So long as I can run photoshop and SAI I'm happy.

I'm not sure of the differences between the 3 and the 4.

But I don't like SAI on my SP3 because for some reason the pen pressure doesn't work in SAI and there doesn't seem to be a fix for it. So I would keep that in mind.

I bought a 4 today and worked out how to fix the pen pressure issue. It's all good! Just took a butt load of research.

If the fix works for the SP 3 I'd much appreciate if you could share.

I just downloaded the beta version of SAI. 2.0. Works fine.

Microsoft figured you might want to know exactly that, and has a list for you! https://www.microsoft.com/surface/e.....ompare-devices

All of my friends (including several artists) who have picked up a SP3 or 4 have sworn by their purchase. One of them even runs games on it, which is downright impressive. They're definitely a high end tablet.

That was meant to be a reply, but let's roll with it!

If you have access to a nearby Microsoft Store you can demo an SP4 there in person. Ask them nicely and you might even be able to install your art software to give it a whirl. The digitizer is comparable to that found in low and mid-range Wacom tablets, but is not as good as the kind that can be found in the Cintiq models. For a similar price as a new Cintiq, though, you're getting an entire laptop out of the deal.

Not an artist, but I have a Surface Pro 2 and I really enjoy using it. I'd imagine the 3 or 4 to be even better. n.n

I have a Thinkpad Yoga 12 which has a wacom digitizer, i5 and 4GB Ram. Before I go into details, know that I use it for all my digital work. Even though I have an intuos 4 on my much more powerful desktop, working on a screen is that much more beneficial to me. I will make a journal and make comparisons eventually when I get a screen tablet for my desktop.

Anyways. The portable experience varies depending on the art program. I have no access to Photoshop to test. On my i5 yoga, Paint Shop Pro chugs to the point where any type of painting on it would be extremely tedious and annoying, I presume it to be very CPU intensive. Black ink (which runs on GPU) on the other hand, runs smoothly, but wasn't a full solution to me. My current primary art program, Clip Studio runs perfectly fine, at canvas sizes up to A4 300dpi with many layers. I regularly work in Clip Studio while streaming with OBS and talking on discord with no issues.

As for the physical experience, I have a few. If the surface model you're looking at has a glass screen, I HIGHLY recommend a matte screen protector. My yoga has a matte screen to begin with and it makes the device much more pleasant to use. I have always hated the immense drag a glass screen puts on your palm, and this screen doesn't have that. I suppose if you use a smudge guard you can avoid that, but I would think it would then be too slick, and you may lose tactile response. What you prefer is up to you, but it is definitely something to keep in mind while you shop.

The last thing to think about is availability of pens and nibs. The newer surfaces use N-Trig digitizers rather than wacom. This may actually work in your favor over the wacom 'penabled' technology that is in non-wacom branded devices. The reason being, while I can find, quite a few replacement styluses that are "compatible" with my device, they are always significantly less sensitive, and often cut out after extended use. This has lead me to continue to use the nubby stylus which came with my device, which is very high quality in terms of performance, but is in no way intended for artwork.

While the technologies differ, my recommendation is the same. If your demo location has them available, try some other styluses out and see how they compare. If nothing else, choose a model where if you were limited to the pen that came in the box, you would still be happy.

Lastly, if you have the budget for a cintiq companion (Laptop with built in cintiq screen, made by wacom), I totally recommend that route over a surface. They're made for art, and therefore address basically every issue I mentioned working on laptops. Plus being a cintiq, you get double pressure sensitivity, tilt, angle, and many more pen choices directly from wacom. Jazza did a great review of it on YouTube.

Hope my rambling thoughts help!

Edit: lol just saw your edit. Whelp, I hope you enjoy the read anyways.

Asus makes a laptop that can fold into a 14" tablet. Hair expensive though.