7P: Apple iPad versus drawing tablets
Last updated
Last updated
In this document, I compare iPads to these two kinds of drawing tablets:
pen displays (drawing tablets that have a screen)
pen tablets (drawing tablets that do NOT have a screen)
iPads are standalone devices. You can use them without being attached (wired or wireless) to a computer.
Pen tablets - Cannot be used standalone. They require being connected to a computer. Some require a wired connection. Some require a wireless connection.
Pen displays - Cannot be used standalone. All pen displays require a wired connection to a computer.
Apple Pencil does not have buttons like a normal drawing tablet pen
EMR pens have at least 1 button. The vast majority have two buttons. A few have 3 buttons.
The Apple Pencil Pro has a squeeze feature. As of mid 2024, it isn't widely adopted by applications, but that is likely to change.
No drawing tablets support a feature like pen squeeze.
The Apple Pencil does not have an eraser unlike some EMR pens.
EMR pens most often do NOT have an eraser but some EMR pens such as the Wacom Pro Pen 2 to have an eraser. And the eraser itself is also pressure-sensitive.
Hover support for an iPad is dependent on the specific combination of iPad model and Apple Pencil model
Older iPad Pro models models do not support pen hover regardless of which Apple Pencil us used.
Some newer iPad Pro models do support pen hover
All drawing tablets support hover with their pens.
Pointer lag is how far behind the operating system pointer is behind the physical tip of the pen. It is always better to have less pointer lag.
Apple iPads with the Apple pencil 2 have incredibly little pointer lag
Apple iPad pointer lag is comparable to a pen tablet
Apple iPad pointer lag is noticeably less than pen displays
In 2023, most pen displays have good or very good (meaning low) parallax. But the iPads have even less parallax than even the most expensive pen displays.
In my opinion, even the the iPad is better at having less parallax, the improvement is not so great compared to most modern pen displays that I would make a purchase decision on. You'll only see the difference for older less premium pen displays.
iPads have very little / undetectable amount of AG sparkle.
Pen displays have AG sparkle to various degrees. But none have as little as Apple iPad.
Don't lose your pen! They aren't cheap to replace. The Apple Pencil is among the most expensive pens in the market.
Apple Pencil Pro: $130
Apple Pencil 2: $130
Wacom Pro Pen 3: $130
Wacom Pro Pen 2: $90
Huion PW517: $50
Huion PW600: $70
XP Pen X3 Elite pen: $30
XP Pen X3 Pro pen: $40
Samsung S Pen for Galaxy Tab: $50
IAF is the smallest amount of physical force that the pen can detect. Low IAF = good.
The best IAF we know of for drawing tablets is with the Wacom Pro Pens that have a <1gf IAF.
Many people believe the Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Pencil pro have low IAF that is <1gf.
It is useful for a pen to have a high maximum pressure (and thus wide pressure range).
A 500gf max pressure is very good.
Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Pencil Pro in my measurements have a max pressure of 500gf. In my testing, I'm found them to be consistently near 500gf.
For drawing tablet pens, it varies substantially by the specific pen model. For example the Wacom Pro Pen 2 has a max pressure in the range of 800gf - which honestly is probably more than is needed.
The number of pressure levels for a pen is a heavily marketing and discussed topic. However, in my opinion all modern drawing tablet pens and the Apple pencil have more than enough pressure levels for any use. I suggest that you do NOT make the number of pressure levels a factor in any decision making.
The active area of drawing tablet is the region on the tablet that detects the pen. For a pen tablet, the active area is identified by markings on the surface. For a pen displays and iPads the active area is exactly the same size as the screen.
Measuring diagonally, the difference devices vary in sizes
Pen tablets - from 7" (small) to 11" (medium) to 15" (large).
Pen displays - from 13" (small) to 16" (medium) to 24" (large). And there are many other sizes such as 22" and 27" and some are even 32".
iPads are only available in smaller sizes: usually only 11" to 13"
Some people really prefer drawing on a big screen on their desk so they use pen displays for this reason. For example at my desk I prefer drawing on a 22" pen display.
When drawing on-the-go, the ipad size is quite convenient.
If it is in your budget, consider using BOTH an Apple iPad and a drawing tablet. Many people love using an iPad when it is convenient to do some initial sketching, but switch to a drawing tablet when they want finish their work.
The application ecosystem is quite different between drawing tablets and Ipads. With a drawing tablet do you use applications that run on desktop operating system such as windows or MacOS. But with an iPad you'll only be using applications that can run on iOS.
So if you're trying to pick between an iPad and a drawing tablet you should first identify which applications are critical for you.
Some apps are available on iOS and desktop OS's (MacOS, Windows)
Examples:
Clip Studio Paint: Windows, MacOS, iOS
Infinite Painter: Windows, iOS
Some applications are either not available on the iPad at all
Example: Rebelle, Firealpaca
Some applications only have a "lite" version on iPad
Example: Photoshop only has a "lite" version available on iOS
Some applications are of course only available on the iPad.
Example: Procreate
Pen hover support is the ability for the pen to move the pointer without touching the surface of a device. For some people this is a convenient but not critical feature. For some artists this is very very important more here: .
iPads and pen displays are subject to parallax. An apparent visual inaccuracy due to the display panel being a small distance away from the surface the pen touches. The smaller this distance the smaller the parallax effect. Less parallax is better. More here:
Anti-glare sparkle (AG sparkle) is a kind of colorful rainbow noise that occurs due to an AG treatment. More here: .
Not all iPads support the use of the Apple Pencil. See:
2024/09/07
Feb 9, 2022
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Jun 10, 2021