iPad or Android?

**Milou** · May 18th, 2012, 10:19 AM

Hello.

I'm looking to get myself a tablet PC for gaming/drawing.

My dilemma is this:

1. The games that I want generally do not exist in the west. On ipad, they do. Not on Android, as far as I've understood.

2. The android seems more user-freindly and has "more bang for the buck".

3. Lots of designers seem to argue that Mac is superior.

I can't find any information on what platform is better for drawing. I know that the android has pressure-sensitive models, but I've also realized, from browsing here, that it may not have the right capabilities for drawing.

So yeah. Any opinions? If you don't have experience with both, just tell me about your experience with the one you own.

(And for the record, I'm planning to use a stylus. No idea which one, though.)

**munho** · May 18th, 2012, 01:34 PM

I have experience with both Android and iOS devices.

I recently commented on this and am going to copy my post here:

Originally Posted by munho

This whole "Android sucks" thing is over played imo. It's really about expectations. If you expect to create finished artworks like in PS you will be sorely disappointed and frustrated. If you want a tablet for sketching on the couch or for keeping a sketchbook, then this kind of thing is fine.

I've been messing with various tablets since the first iPad. Before that I wasn't a digital painter, but I thought it would be a good stepping stone. For me it didn't work because I never connected with the app. A year after, I upgraded to an iPad 2 hoping the jump in hardware would help my experience. It wasn't the hardware, but the software for me. I bought an app called Procreate (best painting app on iPad, imo) and everything changed. I "got it". Now, I can move between iOS or Android for sketches and rough paintings pretty easily. I use it for idea generation. I take those ideas and apply them to paper and canvas and my Cintiq.

It's all about expectations. A little aside about pressure sensitivity or just capacitive touch. I don't think it matters much right now. Just get a tablet that's capacitive touch and use a stylus. The software available on Android isn't really good enough to take advantage of devices that have pressure sensitivity (ntrig or wacom). And the pressure sensitivity hardware isn't great at all. It does work, but the levels of pressure are difficult to control. Better to adjust size on your own.

Tablets I've owned (iPad, iPad 2, HTC Flyer (ntrig digitizer), HTC JetStream(ntrig digitizer), Samsung Galaxy Note phone, "new" iPad).

Best apps are definitely on the iPad and that is my favorite tablet, again make sure you're expectations are in check and understand it's not pressure sensitive.

Android apps aren't as good, but the better ones are Sketchbook Pro, Adobe Ideas.

Adobe Ideas is a weird app. I like it because the tools are simple and I get clean crisp lines because it's vector based. Again, I don't bring these into Illustrator or Photoshop. I use sketches for reference or just as layers underneath.

Would I buy an Android tablet for sketching if the iPad didn't exist? yes, but I definitely prefer the iPad.

I hope that helps.

Other neat android apps of Note:
Sketchbook Pro (image resolution is tied to screen resolution)
Adobe Ideas (Vector, crisp and smoothed lines)
Infinite Painter (this one is kind of quirky, but once you get the hang of it I like it a lot)
Papyrus (this is a note app, but it's pretty great so far)

my 2c feel free to ask any other questions.

**andya147** · September 22nd, 2012, 06:35 PM

android laggy even quad core tablets,hardly any art apps
ipad lots lots of great drawing and art apps.super fast awsome retina screen and some pressure sensative pens .ie jaja stylus and jot touch to name 2.

**joshbailey** · September 25th, 2012, 07:46 AM

iPad by far mate

**chaburchak** · September 26th, 2012, 12:25 PM

...mainly because of the pressure sensitive stylus. In retrospect, that's less important than the apps available. Wish I'd gone for the iPad instead.

**Pav** · September 26th, 2012, 04:45 PM

Android with pressure sensitive stylus but crappy apps, or iPad with awesome apps but weird pressure hacks for stylus.
On Android, the pen tucks in the tablet and you can activate pen only mode on some models, with ipad you have to carry the stylus separately and wear a glove to avoid multitouch. ipad is smooth like butter, android is laggy and unresponsive at times.

**darkmagistric** · September 26th, 2012, 10:33 PM

For an overall Tablet Experience..Gaming, Web browsing, and Apps..I have to agree that the Ipad is hands down the winner.

But if you want a Tablet strictly for drawing....I'd recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

Its Wacom powered S-pen is superior to the N-trig Pens found in the HTC Flyer and Thinkpad Tablet.

And although I agree that the Android Art App selection is horrifically depressing compared to the amount of Art apps on the Ipad.....Android at least has one killer art app, "Layerpaint"

It reads PSD files.....has a brush engine that preforms similar to the Ipads ArtStudio, and seemingly has no limit on how many layers you can use and also allows to to choose to work at any Resolution you want...a feat even the Ipads Art Apps can't match (at least the ones I've tried).

This one app is literally my entire reason for having the 10.1 inch note. If you already have an Android Tablet...I can't recommend this app enough.

**Joshart123** · October 1st, 2012, 05:38 PM

I don't have much experience with Android Art apps but I've been doing iPad 2 art for almost a year. I just managed to get my hands on an Adonit Jot Touch (new pressure sensitive stylus) and it has changed the game completely, I haven't touched my Wacom Intuos 4 since. I have been using ArtRage, Sketchbook Pro and Procreate which are full featured. Check out http://adonit.net/product/jot-touch/, http://www.nomadbrush.com. Feel free to check out my art if you want, http://www.gillistration.com

**Eelybot** · October 6th, 2012, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by darkmagistric

For an overall Tablet Experience..Gaming, Web browsing, and Apps..I have to agree that the Ipad is hands down the winner.

But if you want a Tablet strictly for drawing....I'd recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

Its Wacom powered S-pen is superior to the N-trig Pens found in the HTC Flyer and Thinkpad Tablet.

And although I agree that the Android Art App selection is horrifically depressing compared to the amount of Art apps on the Ipad.....Android at least has one killer art app, "Layerpaint"

It reads PSD files.....has a brush engine that preforms similar to the Ipads ArtStudio, and seemingly has no limit on how many layers you can use and also allows to to choose to work at any Resolution you want...a feat even the Ipads Art Apps can't match (at least the ones I've tried).

This one app is literally my entire reason for having the 10.1 inch note. If you already have an Android Tablet...I can't recommend this app enough.

+1 on this. Layerpaint is awesome. I also use TV Paint (complicated, but very powerful) and Sketchbook Mobile and Pro. Word of warning, if you try this in the store, don't use PS Touch to determine your decision: it's meant more for photo-editing than drawing.

I can't comment on how good the bluetooth pressure sensitive pens for the iPad are, but the Wacom digitizer on the Note 10.1 is solid. If possible, try them both.