GADGET REVIEW: Cintiq Companion 2 & Ipad Pro 12.9"

Wacom Cintiq Companion 2

So I picked up the top of the line Wacom Companion 2 this past January. My main computer was getting a bit old, and I was looking for something that was more portable and flexible. So the Companion 2 fits the bill, and being that of the mindset if you're gonna spend that kinda dough, might as well go all out. So the Companion with the beefiest Intel i7 processor with vPro tech (whatever that is), 16gb DDR3, and 512 SSD. Tailored for those animating special effects, and sculpting 3D models and characters. After about 8 months of use, nearly every day. I can quite easily say I'm very happy with my purchase albeit a KO punch to my wallet.

It works exactly as you would expect the top quality tablets from Wacom to work. And for day to day drawing and photoshop work, it's a blast. The ability to plug into a desktop or another computer and switch to a display tablet (Like every other Cintiq) is great, and thus the meaning behind "Companion". The stylus is the same as what you'd get from any Cintiq model, simple, weighted nicely, and minimalistically customizable with little interchangable color rings below the grip. Wacom is also kind enough to give you the ability to swap out the tip or nib of the stylus. Allowing you to customize the feel of the stylus as you draw/paint. Nibs come in plastic, or with felt ends depending on what you are accustomed to. My personal favorite is the nibs that are all felt, while they don't last nearly as long as their plastic or rubber counterparts, they mimic the feeling of marker on paper. This is a nice touch, and adds a lot of versitility to the entire feel of the product as a whole.

My biggest gripes with the Companion 2 are slight minimal, but on a device as nearly perfect as the Companion 2 is, makes at least one a very big glaring issue. We'll ignore that the Os is Windows... One quick one, the stand is crap. A stationary device would be just fine with a stand such as this, but the Companion 2 only makes this stand, a teired folding flap type stand, just ends up being, a nuescance and kind of cheapens the aesthetic of the device as a whole. In conjunction with the stand, the inability to rotate the device, expecially if you are drawing with it on your lap, or not at a desk is something I wish could be incorporated. Many if not all portable devices, such as the Ipad and almost every tablet, along with the MS Surface have accelerometers and gyroscopes in them to allow nearly any orientation. The Companion 2 does to a degree, but it's only use is to rotate the screen to it's correct up/down orientaiton. I often keep my rotation lock on, so the screen stays put. But also one to "tilt the page" it would be nice if the device could keep calibration of the stylus regardless of the angles the stylus contacted the screen. Also due to the devices size it's a bit more cumbersome to have on your lap than you'd think. the screen itself is 13" although the actual working dimensions are slightly less than that. The rest of the device, with it's "Express Keys' and "Quick Dial" buttons (which I found I use more that I did with just a regular Cintiq), makes the entire device closer to 16' wide and 9-10" tall, combined with the weight, which is fairly light on it's own, gets heavy on your lap. It's just not the size or weight to comfortably use casually, comfortably, for a long period of time... which because of my biggest issue isn't too much of a possibility.

My biggest gripe with this thing overall is the battery. If using Photoshop or any Adobe Suite program really, the Companion 2 NEEDS to be plugged into a wall. The battery under actual use will last maybe 4 hrs at best. standby and web browsing you may get 6, I can't imagine how long it would last under heavy processing stresses like rendering. Which is the most unfortunate side of the coin. With such a short battery life it makes taking the device out to your favorite coffee shop or meet-up to draw and sketch less of an option (Unless you want to being the power chord and brick with you, which kills much of the 'portable' feeling). While it would be great for meetings and shorter rendezvous with clients and such to present progress works or to actively draw and sketch ideas out for clients. Anything that's more of a commitment ends up being less practical. Overall, I love my Companion 2, and it's been a very viable addition to my set-up. However, this is absolutely not the best choice if you do not already have a main computer like a desktop or beefy notebook. It's called a Companion for this reason, you'll be vastly disappointed overall if you purchased this to be your main and singular computer. However as a supplement to your setup, it fits quite well, and would definitely be a good recommendation for any professional artist.

VS.

The iPad Pro 12.9"

I picked up the iPad Pro probably in April, and after using it the past four months, I know just as the Companion 2, I am in love with it.

It most definitely has it's limits, and they are glaring. But just as the Companion 2, if bought as a supplement to a setup, it works wonderfully. My iPad Pro is my casual sketching and doodling device of choice. While still a heavy kick in the teeth of your wallet. It's a lot of device for your buck.

Combined with the Apple Pencil, this is a serious contendor for a bonafide drawing utensil. The pencil is weighted very nicely, and the tip of the pencil does have a nice hard rubbery-ish feel. Drawing takes getting use to, we see mimicked pencil strokes, and paint strokes, but the sleek glass surface of the iPad Pro's screen has the pencil sliding across it like butter on a hot skillet. However once you get a feel for things and learn how the pencil works and feels, you'll be drawing and creating some really awesome stuff. A couple things I would have liked to see with the Pencil, is that an actual tooth or felt tip, to mimic the natural feeling of medium on paper. The tips of the pencil can be swapped out, so maybe this will be a thing in the future, I hope. Also, many artists who use Wacom tablets now are very use to having an eraser end of the stylus, just like actual pencils. This would be a very welcome feature in the future. My biggest issue with the Pencil, is that it's charging "end" is just grounds for things breaking, and makes what is a very sleek and elegant product around every corner and angle, look absolutely ridiculous. How the designers over at Apple decided to overlook the awesome three dot contact they implemented on the side of the ipad for connecting the smart covers, and the new smart keyboard, chose to plug it in the bottom through the lightning cable port is beyond me. Making it stick out abruptly and very unsleek, not to mention just asking to be broken off. My biggest issue with the iPad Pro, is that it STILL is on iOS and strictly iOS. While iOS is great for the iPad, and iPhone, on the iPad pro it clearly shows it's limitations. Apple should have developed a iOS/MacOS hybrid just like they implemented Launch Pad on MacOS to mimic the iOS format on the iPad Pro. My speculation is that is coming in the very near future, maybe something they're keeping under wraps for iOS 10, as this will bring the two operating systems into the same Numerical stage. MacOS X(10), and iOS 10. The limitation of having only apps, and no true file browser really makes the iPad Pro limiting, especially because many would be perfect apps have yet to adopt and make updates for the Apple Pencil or the new Smart Keyboard. Side note on the keyboard: It's great, albeit a stronger magnet needs to replace the current one inside, the cover quite too easily falls off the face of the iPad. Also, if a hybrid of the OS were to be implemented, some touch sensor for a cursor would actually be nice on the keyboard, like the little nub on some laptops (although many hate them, I think would be quite fitting for the iPad Pro... maybe the little scrolling ball, they had in their old mice?. Anyway, a hybrid of the two Os's that Apple uses would benefit the iPad Pro immensely. A feature I hope they will bring to the device in the near future. On the developer side, how Adobe hasn't brought a full fledged Photoshop over as an app kind of blows me away. For a company like Adobe, this could have been a HUGE thing for them. Even as a Creative Cloud subscriber, bleeding profusely each month for the service, I would have shelled out some good money on top of the subscription for a true photoshop app. For now, Autodesk Sketchbook, Procreate, and Paintstorm are utterly FANTASTIC drawing apps, and should be in every artist's repetroir of apps. Improvements in each of the apps can definitely be made, but that's another post altogether.

Aside from that, Drawing on the iPad Pro is great, and feels close to natural. The size while large, for a typical iPad is big enough to comfortably work and draw on, while not being too large to be cumbersome, and awkward (Note Apple has released a 9.7 inch iPad Pro - which is the same size as your original iPad and iPad Air). Plus the battery is killer! Full brightness, music playing, and digitally painting heavily on the iPad Pro, could have you chugging along for at least 8 hrs, while simple internet browsing, and messaging could get you 10+. Not only that but the iPad Pro charges really fast! And the Apple Pencil can go for a super long time. Charging the pencil for 30 seconds can garner you at least 15 minutes of drawing time. Overall, it's an amazing product, and with improvements to it's tablet like functions and apps like Astropad, being made, it definitely has grounds to compete with Wacom's Companion 2. If they can implement some plug and play tablet options, and/or the hybrid OS, it will be a definite contender, and honestly would be my choice.

VERDICT AS IS, each device is great, and would be a very good addition to your current setup. I would not recommend either as your stand alone device of productivity at all. However complimenting a current desktop or laptop both the iPad Pro, and the Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 do a spectacular job, but they both offer different uses and feels that may sway you from buying one over the other, especially since the two base models of each are gonna run you between $800 $1,000 The iPad Pro, I would recommend, for a more casual sketcher and digital painter. Someone who is literally always on the go, the long battery life, with superb cabilities of the Apple Pencil and smaller build and lighter weight, make tucking this into and pulling out of a smaller carry on or messenger bag, much easier and quicker. But it's limitations may cause you to have to refine and add finishing touches on a main rig with more HP later on. Basically - Long stretches of moderate weight The Cintiq, I would recomment for the professional, who may need a more portable option to easily run in to meetings with, or do work on the fly. Rather than having to pull out several pieces of equipment, everything is built in one compact easy to carry unit. Just the battery life doesn't really allow for truely in depth, and time consuming projects. Short bursts of heavy lifting.

(Although I will admit, even using the power cord like when I'm at home, working while sitting feet up in a recliner or on the couch is beyond comfortable, and makes more stressful projects, far less just by being relaxed) Both are great buys, and I would recommend both - just depends on your primary use and goal on which side of the fence I would teeter on.