What is the difference between an iPad and a tablet? In this article we will compare Drawing Tablet vs iPad Pro to find out which one is best for artists. We will also explain the pros and cons of each.
Apple does not specialize in creating drawing tablets. However, overall the iPad Pro remains to be one of the best tablets available in the market today. It is also the closest thing to a drawing tablet.
Drawing Tablet vs iPad Pro
The main difference between a drawing tablet and an iPad is that an iPad can be used for diverse functions even without a computer connection. Drawing tablets can only be used only for the original intended task of drawing.
Drawing tablets are more specialized to artists and overall offer a better drawing experience compared to iPads.
Screen Size and Display
Apple iPads have some of the best screens in the tablet industry with unique Liquid Retina Display technology. However, they are a little rigid when it comes to size and create small screen size devices with the latest iPad Pro coming in at 12.9 inches.
Drawing tablets on the other hand come with very diverse types and sizes of screen that offer a wide choice for artists.
For example, some tablets like the Huion inspiro are small and totally do not come with a screen, only a drawing surface and rely on your PC connection to view. They help bridge the price gap allowing you to get a cheap tablet for as low as 100$.
Others like the Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 come with a large 32 inch screen that is crisp, clear and professional level for artists. These are premium devices and are quite expensive.
There are also some midrange priced options that come in a similar size as the iPad Pro such as the Huion Kamvas 13.
Pen
Drawing tablets come with a pen that highlights important features to artists and graphic designers such as pen pressure sensitivity, Pen LPI resolution, tilt recognition and many more.
The iPad Pro does not come with the Apple Pencil. You need to buy it separately. Because it is intended for many functions, you will not find a lot of artis centered features highlighted.
A good drawing pencil has at least 8192 Pen Pressure levels, 5080 Line Per inch LPI Pen resolution and plus or minus 60 tilt recognition. Apple does not explain any of these factors about its pen.
You also need to make sure your iPad is compatible with the Pencil you intend to buy because there are 2 incompatible versions for the different iPad Generations.
Portability
Since you do not have to connect an iPad to a computer, it has a slim lightweight build and long battery life, the iPad is easily portable and you can just throw it in your bag and draw outdoors as you travel. It is therefore referred to as a fully portable drawing tablet.
Traditional drawing tablets are not usable without a computer connection and are also usually very large in size. These factors greatly limit their portability.
Price
The iPad Pro is not a budget option neither does it offer a wide selection of price flexibility.
However, on purchasing one you will get a complete power house packed with features able to perform many different professional functions easily with drawing as one of them.
Drawing tablets provide a wide choice of tablet options as per your budget and needs ranging from cheap to expensive premium level devices. However despite spending a lot on the premium, their use will not be as universal as an iPad Pro.
How to use the iPad Pro as a Drawing Tablet
To use the iPad Pro as a drawing tablet will need you to have an Apple Pencil 2 and a drawing application such as Adobe illustrator or Procreate.
The iPad Pro is a standalone tablet and you will directly draw without connecting to a computer. If you are however used to drawing on a Graphic Tablet that connects to a computer, the iPad Pro also allows for this for both MAC and PC.
How to use the iPad Pro as a Drawing Tablet for PC
- Install Easy Canvas on your iPad and Pc
- Start up the App on Windows PC
- Connect USB Cable
- Open the app on your iPad
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