Which tablet should I buy?
Of-course the one which supports pen input.
Let’s see the best pen enabled tablet available for Windows, Chrome OS and iPad OS, so you can experience for yourself the power of the greatest invention in the history of mankind. Check out my last article to find out the about digital pen.
12 to 13 inches(3:2) is the optimum display size for a tablet because that’s the size of A4 paper, the most used size for any sort of documents. So I have selected the best tablet devices available in this display range.
Windows: Operating System of the Pros
“Microsoft become the top software vendor in 1988 and never looked back” — Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft was lucky that developers choose Windows over other operating systems which led to its greater adoption among the consumers.
But Windows has many flaws, biggest one is security.
The best tablet running windows 10 is:
Microsoft Surface Pro 6
I choose this tablet over others because it’s easily available in both online and physical stores.
And the quality is equal if not more than the other brands, business oriented offerings like ThinkPad, Latitude and Elite.
It might not have the military certification(MIL-STD-810G) but judging by its build quality you shouldn’t worry the least while tossing it in your backpack.
Windows 10 runs buttery smooth and display is on par with what one gets on the latest high end smartphones.
Surface Pen is powered by AAAA battery and have 1 button on the pen body, 1 at the top of pen which also functions as an eraser too if you rub it on the screen.
Battery lasts for around 9 hours with normal use, so for many people this will last for a whole day before needing a charge.
The thing that I want Microsoft to improve is the limited connectivity options, in this day and age USB-C is a must. Secondly, pen must be included with the tablet because very few people have hands on experience with a digital pen, so they don’t know it’s worth more than the price of 90 bucks! Thirdly SSD and battery should be made user replaceable.
Surface Pro 6
Processor: Intel 8th gen i5
Memory: 8gb
Internal storage: 128gb (memory card supported)
Available at Amazon for $700.
Surface Pen (2nd gen)
Available at Amazon for $90.
Chrome OS: Secure and lightweight
If you want lightweight and secure operating system, then Chrome OS is the way to go! All the apps with functionalities which an average person need are available online via web app. You can even play PlayStation and Xbox games, thanks to cloud gaming services such as PlayStation Now, GeForce Now, Google Stadia etc.
And for some reasons if you want to use an offline version then you can always install Android and Linux applications.
The best tablet running Chrome OS is:
HP Chromebook x2
There are few high end Chrome OS tablets; but HP stands out.
HP has done many things right with this, such as display’s ratio is 3:2(productivity) rather than 16:9(multimedia). Used gorilla glass 4. For connectivity and charging they used USB-C(one on either side, both can be used for charging too). Processor is very efficient 7th gen intel, so battery life lasts for more than 10 hours. Enough to power your whole day.
“Armed with an Intel Core m3–7Y30 CPU with 4GB of RAM, the Chromebook x2 packs a decent punch. I saw no lag after splitting the screen between a dozen Chrome tabs (including Giphy and Google Docs) and a 1080p YouTube video. Throughout the process, everything stayed smooth as I scrolled through GIFs and typed sentence after sentence.” — Henry T. Casey/laptop mag
Pen is powered by AAAA batteries which can easily last for more than a year. It has two buttons on the body, one for eraser and other right click. Included HP Active pen uses Wacom AES 2.0 technology so you use Wacom Bamboo Ink too or any other pen which uses the same technology.
Hp Chromebook x2
Processor: Intel 7th gen m3
Memory: 4gb
Internal Storage: 32gb (memory card supported)
Available at Amazon for $430. (Pen included)
iPadOS: Home of the highest quality mobile apps.
With the advent of touchscreen and smartphones, a whole new world of possibilities were unlocked for the developers. So they created apps with amazing new features. Thanks to iPadOS, now you can unleash mobile apps full potential. Because you can multitask like you do on Mac or Windows. Also open multiple instances of the same app and drag & drop files between apps, are some of the many features which helps in speeding up workflow.
The best tablet running iPad OS is:
Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018)
Thin bezels around the display, give it a beautiful and modern look. Liquid Retina display’s contrast is really awesome, just like an OLED. 120Hz of refresh rate, provided fluidity not possible on 60Hz displays. Applications runs smooth thanks to the very fast processor. Faster than many high-end laptops!
Thankfully Apple has decided to go with USB-C, increasing iPad’s connectivity options.
Battery can easily last for 10 hours if you do little gaming, lot of you-tubing and web surfing. So it will take you a whole day of usage to get its battery fully discharged.
Apple Pencil 2 has a rechargeable battery inside of it, and which can be charged by attaching the pencil to the top of iPad Pro (in landscape orientation). Rather than physical button on the side of the pen, it features a touch panel instead. Making it far easier to ‘press’ compared to a physical button.
“It’s challenging to convince people who have already established a way of working to create with new tools and in a different way. It definitely felt weird at first for me to edit a video by essentially “drawing” with it using an Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro laid flat on a table instead of on a display parallel to my face. But after a few hours doing things in this new way, it felt natural. Working on a video felt new and the light-bulbs were going off in my head like they haven’t in ages.
Just like with the original Mac, the new iPad Pros are made for creators who will gladly embrace the costs because it makes things so much easier and faster. The new iPad Pros are only expensive if you buy one and don’t create things with it. Otherwise, they’re a steal for anyone who wants the future, today.”
Raymond Wong | Mashable
Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018)
Internal Storage: 64gb
Available at Amazon for $950.
Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)
Available at Amazon for $125.
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, 64GB)
Exact same specs as 12.9-inch version, except for screen size which is only 17% smaller.
Available at Amazon for $675.
I hope you will use these awesome tools and extract more juice out of your precious time, to keep getting closer to your goal!
Feel free to ask questions in the comment section below.
