Tablet PC for DigiArt Major

[mbrundi]

This is my first post here after much lurking about. I have read a lot of the posts and love the wealth of info on these forums!!! I have recently been looking at the Cintiq... and because of price I starting looking at other options, and found that a tablet pc may be the better choice overall for me anyway! really excited to here some opinions, thanks a lot.

General Questions.

1. What is your budget?
$500-$1000
2. Would you consider purchasing used/refurbished?
yes
3. Do you prefer a media/mobile tablet like the iPad, Windows tablet PC, or notebook convertible?
Convertable, windows tab, slate
4. What size Tablet PC would you prefer?
5 to7-inches
7.1 to 10-inches
10 to 13-inches
Above 13-inches


5. Which country do you intent to purchase from [where do you live]?
USA
6. Do you have any preferences to brand loyalty or dislikes?
no
7. How many hours battery life do you require?
does not matter
8. What will be the primary usage scenario of this tablet? (Email/Web Surfing/Drawing/Word Processing/Entertainment/Notetaking etc)
drawing, art, animation. using adobe photoshop, illustrator, and flash
9. Do you have an OS preference? For example, do you own an iPhone and a Mac, or are you a Windows fan? Do you own an Android device and use Google services frequently?
no preference, I own a 2008 Aluminum Macbook, but have no gripes with windows. I also recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and LOVE it, although obviously in need of bigger screen and more powerful system to run the necessary applications
10. What software and tasks do you intend to run? (Microsoft Office or other Word Processing Suite/Photoshop/3D Studio Max/Autocad etc)
adobe illustrator, flash, photoshop, intended to use "like a cintiq"
11. Do you intend on playing Games? If so please list.
no
12. Would you like to stream content through your home theater system?
no
Screen Specifics

1. Any preference on screen resolution?

2. Will you be using the tablet outdoors? Do you need to be able to see it through glare from the sun?
See the above linked FAQ for guidance
no
3. Do you require a pen? With or without pressure sensitivity? Do you prefer Wacom or N-trig?
See the above linked FAQ for guidance
yes, with pressure sensitivity, but if buying a "better" pen separately is a better option, i am open to that as well
Component Specifics

1. What size Hard Drive and Memory do you require? Would you like expandable memory?
not positive on exact specs, it needs to be able to run the above mentioned programs smoothly while being able to draw onscreen. expandable memory/RAM is always nice
2. What sort of inputs do you require, if any? Would you like full-sized USB and SD card slots? Are microUSB and microSD ok? Do you require HDMI inputs?
would like usb and maybe hdmi but really would just be an added bonus not needed
Misc
1. Other non specific items ~ please add other items you require not covered above?

2. Additional requests ~ anything other you wish to take into consideration?
thanks again, sorry for showing my lack of knowledge above.

[mbrundi]

Point of Info - I am a senior in college, studying digital art, and would be using this device to continue my studies and art. thanks again!

[Steve B]

I would advise reading over the many threads in the recommendation forum for artists such as yourself. Your needs aren't specific (like 3d modeling or something), your budget is appropriate (500-1000$) for used models on ebay, and your opinion about screen size and battery life is flexible too. You can get almost anything. Fujitsu t5010, t900, maybe even a t901 (all 13.3" screens), or the t731, 732, etc. You could get an HP 2730p, 2740p, 2760p, etc. You could get a Lenovo x200t, x201t, x220t. A Motion le1600, j3400, or maybe even a j3500 slate. Or the Asus ep121.

You've got lots of options, and they all fit the things you've suggested.