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Oldest kid heading to uni to do costume/ theatre design. They have a two year old Mac Laptop but now want to sell this and buy an iPad for ease of drawing etc. Surely an add on drawing tablet would give best of both worlds given there will also be writing involved? Lack of technical knowledge is obviously on show! Can the hive give me an idea?
If you get an iPad as well then you can use it as a drawing tablet for the MacBook using sidecar, it’s not something I’ve tried myself and does rely on being able to afford an iPad but could it be the best of both worlds?
Surely an add on drawing tablet would give best of both worlds given there will also be writing involved?
Yes it would, although faffy with all the cables (the computer kind of sees it as a very fancy mouse with a screen). So difficult to use in a lecture theatre or something. IMO laptop with tablet is better for drawing and better for essay writing, but cumbersome.
IPad is limited for drawing (might not be an issue depending on what kind of stuff they do), and annoying to type on (and check out the price of the external keyboard!!) but light and handy.
The iPad seems like a good idea to me, as long as it’s a good, recent, model. Your child will also need an Apple Pencil and keyboard.
I work in a theatre, and I use my iPad all the time. It’s got the right functionality/portability balance for that sort of environment (eg, you can take it up into the galleys when you’re shifting lights, or use it backstage without annoying anyone too much).
MikeG is right though, ideally you’d want the laptop and the iPad. Apple do a reasonable student discount I believe, and it’s always worth checking refurbs.
I work mostly in a teaching/backstage role. Let me know if I can help in any way.
I have an iPad Pro and pencil - it’s pretty good for freehand drawing once you get the hang of it. I tried a graphic tablet, but you really need a workstation set-up.
You can also use any Bluetooth keyboard/mouse with an iPad, mine aren’t Apple and work fine.
RM.
Current student here. I have both a Macbook Pro and an iPad Pro, I use the iPad way more than the Macbook Pro.
With an Apple Pencil and keyboard the iPad works in virtually the same way as the laptop does with a few minor differences. For me the best is the weight difference, plus any books I have just live on the iPad digitally. If I am doing research I can annotate journal articles and highlight things digitally just with the pencil rather than printing stuff out. I've had a drawing tablet before attached to the laptop and it was OK but the cables and space needed meant it barely got used.
The iPad doesn't replace the Macbook but it does do a great job. Plenty of options for second hand models of iPad or indeed Apple's own student discount. Doesn't need to be a pro model either, I think the newer Airs and standard iPad's work with the pencil and keyboard setups.
Just to add to what Creg said, there are a bunch of good graphics apps available for the iPad, for drawing, photo-editing and vector graphics. <br />Avoid anything by Adobe, they force the user into a subscription service which is expensive and once in, it’s impossible to get out and retain access to any of your content.
On that note, most uni's offer free access to the Adobe suite. This doesn't get around the latter point tho (ie you'll have to start paying after graduation, and all your stuff is in PSD files)
Your child will also need an Apple Pencil and keyboard.
Or a Logitech Crayon
Or a Logitech Crayon
Be aware that it doesn't do pressure sensitivity, which I would have thought was essential for drawing. The new Apple USB-C released a couple of weeks ago also isn't pressure sensitive (which is a very odd decision IMHO).
The new generation of 3rd party compatible pencils are pressure sensitive. At least the £20 one I bought for my iPad Pro (2019 edition) is.