I've watched probably 20 comparison vids etc in my search for a new 2 in 1 laptop and this is the FIRST TIME that someone showed you can reverse the surface book screen. I'm slightly SHOOK
You're my absolute favorite for reviews of any kind. I've never seen anyone even close to your quality. Artist reviews are icing on the cake. Thank you!
Although I watch lots of reviews and rarely comment, I have found myself always trying to find yours for the final word. There is something about you that sounds honest and down to earth... like, you do not make us the people watching feel left out, acting all superior as many other reviewers do. I think you are awesome :D
Another great review! I have a Sony Vaio Flip currently, and I find that rather than use a glove, I just go into the device manager, disable the touch screen to draw and then enable it again when I'm done. This works particularly well if you're using the laptop as a lightbox to draw something on actual paper too.
New subscriber, bought myself the Surface Book 2 last week after seeing your review and really loving it so far. This is another fantastic review, thank you.
As mentuoned by another commenter, I really appreciate how thorough you are as a reviewer. You really get into whatI feel is very much lacking in other reviews by outlets like TechRadar and such.
I’d like to thank you for taking the time to address the CAD and designer demographic.. considering products like the surface and iPad pros are targeted for these types of consumers it’s amazing that no tech sites review these products from a design approach. I mean.. some of them don’t even bother with a review on the stylus. Anyway great channel, thanks again.
comment from a 3D artist, the pen is not designed for us, because it does not have 2 programable side buttons like wacom has, which is actually needed to operate autodesk Maya, ZBrush, Nuke, Substance Painter, etc. it is like they value simplicity over functionality....
Awesome review Lisa! I'm not an artist myself but this was very interesting to see! I actually bought a surface Book 2 15" because of your original review!
For me, the difference between Wacom and Surface pens is something like the difference between pencil/chalk on paper (the Wacom has more "tooth" as you draw) and pen and ink on glossy paper (the Surface feels a little more freely flowing and "slippery."). Since I prefer pen and ink as physical media, I like the Surface pens quite a bit. I was very happy about the Surface Pro 4 pen upgrade -- the original SP3 pen was too slippery and hard to control. The pen nib choices with the newer Surface pens are a nice touch -- you can fine-tune the physical feel to your preference a bit. (Not a lot, but it helps.) I have an iPad Pro and like it fine, but the Apple pencil seems more slippery to me and I prefer the physical feel of the Surface pens. Thanks for a detailed review! I'm almost certainly going to get one of these for my next upgrade. I keep reading reviews to see if I can be talked out of it and pointed toward something cheaper, but apparently not!
To aid in the dispense of the starving artist myth I'll be picking up my 15 inch Surface Book 2 in the morning. My current projects include designing a 3D belt buckle model, a 3D lapel pin model, an animation for a karate school, 18 illustrations for a children's text book. Thanks for the great and relevant review.
No joke the most informative reviews of tablets I have found. Watched a lot of yours in my research to buy a drawing tablet. Poverty gloves forced me to finally comment. Bravo lol.
The big advantage of flipping the screen and reattaching it like that, is that unlike the other laptops where the screen just flips right around, the keyboard keys will not be exposed and pressed underneath by your fingers so easily when you're holding it.
Hi Lisa! I think you should make a video detailing the brightness problems with the entire Surface line (and most windows machines that is). I just had to return my Surface Pro 5th gen because of it. When displaying darker content my screen would noticeably dim and when displaying brighter content like a webpage my screen would brighten up. This only happens on battery power. It has to do with the Intel graphics card settings, but the specific setting to turn off the dynamic contrast switching was removed by Microsoft probably to help battery life, but it's beyond annoying. See for yourself, open two tabs. Leave one be, and with the other, look up "black" on google images. Don't click on anything, just leave it on the image overview. Now switch back and forth between the tabs and watch as the brightness changes. This is beyond ludicrous and I would have never bought a Windows machine if I knew OEMs were allowing this. Never had this problem with any MacBook.
The only thing that prevented me from buying this laptop was the nature of the design repairability of this computer. For the amount of money they are asking, this is quite the disposable unit when the battery is no longer useful. As always, great review Lisa.
I spent a lot of money on this as a 2D artist when it came out and I really didn't get on with it. I wish I bought an iPad pro instead which I luckily got to try out with my work and I loved it. This thing was quite good for using zbrush but just couldn't seem to handle large Photoshop files for digital painting. My 2009 desktop iMac with an old Wacom cintiq 21ux is actually a better set up in terms of productivity. Both arec so old now but yet still so reliable
I was getting frustrated right until you said "If you cut your chops on paper and pencil" then use Wacom. I recently got a Surface Book2 and I'm struggling really hard using it for art. The stylus is frustrating me to no end lol, the cursor keeps shifting every time I touch the stylus to the screen. It makes brush strokes or digitally inking line work almost impossible. Think I'll trade this in for the mobile Wacom. Thx!
I noticed people on forums are complaining that the Surface Book 2 loses pressure sensitivity , specifically in ZBrush software. I'm considering soon a Wacom Mobile Studio or the Surface Book 2. If the Surface worked well the battery life and compact form is a win, but if ZBrush doesn't work (my main software) it's a bad purchase. Any chance you were able to test ZBrush on this ?
I'm looking at this machine and think cool, until the video gets to 2:40. The lag is unbelievable. At this price point, you don't want to see that.... all that power and it's lagging more then my good old outdated HP laptop from 2013. Thanks Lisa for showing the glove and the brand you use! I also love how you bring in the alternatives. As a Steadtler Noris Digital user on my Tab S3 and Note 4 I can only say it's definitely the best drawing experience I've had from a digital pen.
To be fair that is a huge, huge brush and it's computing how to render the tilt. It wouldn't be much better on another device (having used that brush on a few PCs). Also keep in mind that was tablet solo use, with no dGPU base.
Can we attach a wireless keyboard while the original keyboard is still there ?..why I am asking is once we foldback the keyboard while drawing it in tab mode an external wireless keyboard will allow us to use keyboard short cuts...please reply
Hi Lisa, a question about just taking notes with the Surface pen. As a student who takes notes in class everyday, will I notice an improvement, in terms of writing accuracy and smoothness, between the Surface Book 2 or Surface Pro versus the older Surface Book1 or Surface Pro 4?
MobileTechReview thanks for the reply. Do you notice the screen on the newer model to be more resistant to pen pressing? I.e. The screen glass is harder
Great review as always! Could you do a smack down between the Surface Book 2 and the HP Spectre x360 15” (late 2017). I recently ordered a fully spec’d B.O.B (after watching your amazing reviews on the Spectre x360 line).
3 important differences: 1. BOB is half the price. 2. Surface Book 2 has a separable tablet, which is much lighter and easier to handle. 3. Surface Book 2's GPU is many times faster than BOB's.
MobileTechReview I got BOB because of the price. Not really worried about the weight (I’ve been lugging my 3yr Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 with a full wireless keyboard, mouse, etc) for 2D and 3D and that’s pretty heavy. Hopefully the HP will do me good for a while (even with the lower GPU. Thanks for the quick response!
AusetAnima i just received my 15 ho spectre x360 and it works like trash. Many problems with the touchpad like often not responding to the left click, highlighting or trying to move objects around when im just trying to move the pointer, and it wont respond right away when trying to scroll down/up plus it wont respond in proportion to your movement. It makes any task very annoying. On the touch screen often it wont respond to your touch. I also got that one for the price, but really it isn’t that cheap so they can be selling that crap for that price. Let me know your experience when you test it
Thank you very much! I have got here cause I was looking for reviews about Surface Book 2 but I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much because I am still a beginner and I was wondering if there was a different option for me. SO...the Samsung notebook advice it is the best compromise for me! Thanks!!
I want to buy 13.5 version with 8 gb of ram , will that be okay for mid level graphic designer with photo editing , illustration, and video editing etc ? Please I’m bit confused and also with low budget
I’m so confused about what product to get, my main function is writing, but I want to dabble more in drawing, and video editing. It seems like the surface book is the best all around, but that Samsung you brought up looks intriguing 😫 the surface book price has come down a little bit, but is it too outdated now? Help!
Hello. I am also a Surface Book 2 user. In tablet mode, it does not detect the touch on the right corner of the screen. (I touch with my finger.) Can you please help? .no cracks or scratches whatsoever.
Hi!! Great videos! I watched almost your entire channel before buying the surface book 13”!! I just couldn’t make my mind on buying one option or the other hehe Would you recommend using a screen protector on it? In that case, and if you have tested more than one brand, which one do you think would make the pen feel more Wacom-alike? Thank you!
Going to cut some fingers off of some of my gloves. I bought a Huion that I am going to return because I own a surface book 1 and was trying to convince myself why I wouldn't just use that. Any ideas on a good type of glove material I should cut some fingers off on that works better from your experience? Thanks for the video.
i have those gloves as well but the palm rejection is not there, it picks touch up [albeit slightly less] through the fabric it's great for the glide though, can't live without that
I'm thinking about getting the 13.5 in surface book 3 🤔, but I heard that the 1650 GTX is similar to the GTX 1060, and this makes the 13.5" service book 3 seem comparable to the Surface Book 2 15", but the Surface Book 2 is cheaper with a larger display. However, the Surface Book 3 has up to 32 GB of ram, and the graphics ram is 4gb ddr4, and I believe the Surface Book 2 is a 16 GB ram, with graphics 6GB of DDR3 ram. I'm not techy enough to know if there's a big significance or not, but I have not seen a review comparing the service book 2 *15"* with the Surface Book 3 *13.5".* I'm using it for art and 2D (and some 3D) animation as well as some video editing, but I'm on a budget so I cannot purchase the highest end Surface book 3, but I like the screen size of the 15-in, and I want to know what I'm sacrificing in getting the Surface book 2 15" versus getting the Surface Book 3 13.5". if anyone knows these two devices well, can you please give me some feedback on these two in comparison?
Hey mate have you bought anything yet? I would advise against this device for 2D artists really, it seems to lag when doing anything serious on it, particularly on Photoshop. The pen is no Wacom either. You're better off getting a iPad Pro and a cheaper laptop or computer and paying for a app that converts it into a secondary display. The drawing experience on an iPad pros is the only thing that compares to a Wacom Cintiq imo. I bought the surface pro 2 once upon a time and got my money back when it broke on me. Bought the surface book 2 hoping it was better but it still lags, under performs and get quite hot and clammy too. With no physical buttons when in tablet mode only, this thing needs an optimise app like pro create but just doesn't have it.
1 thing i dont like is pen precision if we adjust pen angle while holding, the cursor will change position as well; even our pen tip touch the same point on screen,
So if I get it right, Surface Book 2 is the better option for somone like me, that's looking for a NoteBook to use it with Illustrator, Photoshop, Premeire and maybe a little of After Effects and gamimg sometimes to relax. Am I right? And what another option for those thing i mencioned?
I would love to have a surface book two but it’s way too expensive. I’ve been looking at the hp envy x360 but I’m not sure how good it is due to the lack of videos. If you could make a review for this, I would like that a lot. Great videos, keep it up!
@MobileTechReview I can't wait to see a review between these two versus the new HP Zbook x2 that ships out today. I really hope you get your hands on a Zbook x2. These two in the video (MobileStudio Pro & Surface Book 2) are ones I have really considered, until I read about the Zbook x2. I hope to see a review on it within a week or two. Zbook x2 comes with the Intel 7th gen i7 at launch, but 8th gen i7 early 2018.
useful comparison with Samsung. it comes to mind the Yoga 720, which 45-watt CPU and 2GB 1050, also available with 4K panel. I have always liked the lenovo wacom pens, Yoga 370 and P40 Yoga. yet, I have only used it for note taking and very amateur photo editing. do you think the Yoga 720 is also a good device for people looking into the Surface Book 2?
I don't know if you'd answer, but I was wondering if the Samsung one would be good for graphic designers? My projects tend to get a little big so I'm nervous it might not be too good, but I also don't really want to put too much on a device. I'm planning on getting the Surface Book 2; however, I've got my doubts
A lot of people who use autocad dont do much 3d, what people use more for 3d in architecture is revit. Blender is more for 3d design afaik And google sketchup for 3d printing and simple 3d.
Thanks! Good review as usual! I am disappointed that for that price it has no thunderbolt! Will you review the HP ZBOOK x2? Now it has come out with a quad core 8th gen intel processor and I am interested about your judgment on it. It seems extremely expensive as well and it has only 2 GB NVIDIA Quadro M620 Graphics but is a Quadro: how is it for 4k video editing and CAD? It is only 14" but could be helpful to carry around...The good thing is that it has RAM up to 32 GB and 2 TB Z Turbo Drive MLC and a whole lot of wonderful features including the use of the keyboard also when in tablet mode... but is it too heavy to handle as a tablet? How is the keyboard? What about the speakers? How is the pen working? Parallax, lagging, palm rejection…? What about temperature handling? And battery? Will you review it any time soon? Thanks!
This laptop is great, but it needs tones of support to get it working for artists. I don't know who in their right mind would want this laptop for giving presentation and having the amazing ability to highlight text with the rubber end of the pen, but that seems to be Microsoft's go to for advertising to customers.
I know you prefer Wacom for art, but an in-depth comparison of the MSP16 vs. the SB2 might be in order :-) I have the MSP, but it's so heavy, I am tempted to purchase the SB2 so that I can read digital comics (and paint) on a large screen while holding the device in hand.
Another great review Lisa. Not much changed here, still needs two pen buttons , tilt or no tilt. Plus having to carry a second device to use key commands while drawing/ animating with gpu ( as the keyboard is not accessible) or drawing against the wobbly screen ( no kickstand) means this thing misses the mark.... by ' that much' . Is Microsoft really getting the Surface book tested in the field ( by creative pros) properly , or are they relying on wealthy hobbyists and dabblers? Still waiting for anyone to get the right mix, Wacom is still the closest.
Thanks for a great review. I was wondering... at about 1:15 you show yourself drawing on it at what sems to be a low (but not flat) angle (about 20-30 degrees to the ground ?). a) Is that just the hinge supporting it at that angle, or do you have some kind of prop behind it ? And b) I noticed your right hand is holdoing onto the bottom right edge - is that just a preference/habit or do you feel the need to steady the tablet becasue it bounces or shifts as you draw ?
Great video as usual! Keep it up! Got a quick question, maybe you bumped into this issue/heard something about it... here it goes : Got my surface book 2 yesterday, it seems that the battery inside the dock/keyboard isnt charging. Geetting a message of “connected not chargin”, also the 1060 gpu doesnt seem to get enough power from the power adapter. (Power adapter light is turned on and i can charge the tablet part when detached without a problem). I tried recovery for the machine, reinstalling battery drivers and nothing seems to work :( Bottom line battery in keyboard is at 0% and not charging
Hi Lisa, do you have a channel displaying your artwork? I’m a beginner who is using a new large iPad Pro. Do you have any channels you would recommend for beginner artist like myself? Great review and love your artwork. I grew up on the Hudson river ...Troy, New York. :-) Thumbs way up on this video. 👍👍
Proko, Marco Bucci, early Jazza (later ones aren't as much about how to draw) and Walid Feghali are some great channels for learning how to draw and paint digitally.
dear lisa I am very hesitant about a surfase pro tablet or a surface book 2. I want to use it for my work and as an ipad replacement. what would you recommend.
While I always love your reviews, this time I have to disagree. As a professional, it's completely inexcusable having to rely on a glove to have the pen behaving correctly. While I do indeed use a glove anyway most of the time, I don't always have it with me and when it happens I still want to be able to draw comfortably with my device. I bought the Surface Pro 2017 when it was released and ultimately had to send it back for a refund out of frustration when I finally received the new pen and discovered it was so erratic and unreliable it was practically a step back compared to the old pen. Basically unusable. Got myself a Galaxy Book to fulfil that role. I had so much expectations for the new Surface Book 15... I hoped to get it in place of the little Samsung tablet once it's available in Europe, so imagine my disappointment when I discovered after more than half a year Microsoft still have to solve the problems that are plaguing this new iteration of the pen. It's an instant no buy as it is. I'm a big fan of the Surface family but I can't understand some of the latest Microsoft choices, starting from the Surface Studio specs (an old mechanical hard drive? Come on!) to the poor quality of the new Surface Pro and Laptop displays and ending with the new pen being utterly unreliable in it's behaviour. It's getting frustrating...
Indeed. It's time for reviewers to take this issue seriously. www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/7of68m/surface_pro_intermittent_pen_inaccuracy_when_hand/
I had so much trouble with the Surface Pen, so changed to a Bamboo Ink, but that wasn't much better. The SP is fine if you don't want to erase anything with precision on Photoshop for example. You don't seem to be able to use the pen nib to erase like on other pens, so you lose the accuracy by having to use the eraser at the other end of the pen. My advice if you're into drawing and graphic art, is to buy a laptop for half the price and spend the rest on a good drawing tablet.
Hi Lisa thanks a lot for this review... I'm an Italian yacht designer (I'm the designer of a brand called Wally yachts, take a look if you want) and I've a BIG doubt about the Surface book 2. I've a Surface pro 4 and I'M happy, but I need more "power" (3d modeling); so the book 2 sounds like the best solution. But I'm also owner of a Cintiq 27 (and past a Cintiq 21, and a lot of drawing devices) because I love to sketch a lot. Pro 4 for the mobility and Cintiq on my desk. Well, what you define as "natural feeling" it's exactly what i'm missing on the Surface pro 4, compared to all my Wacom emr products (also my 12 years old cintiq 21...). I don't know exactly why but the feel that I've on the wacom emr it's not comparable with the ntrig. It's not a matter of pressure levels (my 21 cintiq I think it's 256 or 512...) and not of lag either. Well I don't know what it is but there is something different that made the drawing experience on the wacom emr definitely more pleasant than on the ntrig pro 4. Here were I live I can't test the new Book 2 or the pro 2017 (same digitaliser I think) So I'm asking you: is the new book 2 a step forward (in the emr direction...) compared to the previous ntrig (the pro 4) or (and how) you still fell the difference? I know that it's not easy to answer, but the book 2 could be really THE machine for me; but the ntrig.... The alternative is to wait for the Acer Switch black edition that has a emr panel, i7 and 13.5" screen. BUT I love the book 2 and a MS product sounds more "solid" than an Acer... Thank you for your job and reviews!
As I said, the SB2 still isn't there yet for that natural feeling when compared to Wacom EMR. It's getting better, but still has the digital rather than natural media feel.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I rarely comment but you're my favorite tech reviewer, I really appreciate how thorough you are with the review and you keep artists in mind
Yes. I second that.
Yeah, she really is the best out there.
I've watched probably 20 comparison vids etc in my search for a new 2 in 1 laptop and this is the FIRST TIME that someone showed you can reverse the surface book screen. I'm slightly SHOOK
My jaws literally just dropped when I saw her do that.
You're my absolute favorite for reviews of any kind. I've never seen anyone even close to your quality. Artist reviews are icing on the cake. Thank you!
This is THE most informative tech review channel I've ever found... No annoying loud music, no lousy jokes. Thank you. Seriously.
"Poverty gloves" every so often one of your zingers just makes me laugh out loud, haha
"Poverty gloves" I love it!
Another honest, realistic review. Thanks Lisa!
Although I watch lots of reviews and rarely comment, I have found myself always trying to find yours for the final word. There is something about you that sounds honest and down to earth... like, you do not make us the people watching feel left out, acting all superior as many other reviewers do.
I think you are awesome :D
Another great review! I have a Sony Vaio Flip currently, and I find that rather than use a glove, I just go into the device manager, disable the touch screen to draw and then enable it again when I'm done. This works particularly well if you're using the laptop as a lightbox to draw something on actual paper too.
New subscriber, bought myself the Surface Book 2 last week after seeing your review and really loving it so far. This is another fantastic review, thank you.
I am so happy to see a girl tech review
She is really honest with us too
Exactly, with no unnecessary flair too.
I wasn’t told to leave a thumbs up if I liked this vid. 🤔
I've been waiting for this!!! Thank you.
As mentuoned by another commenter, I really appreciate how thorough you are as a reviewer. You really get into whatI feel is very much lacking in other reviews by outlets like TechRadar and such.
I’d like to thank you for taking the time to address the CAD and designer demographic.. considering products like the surface and iPad pros are targeted for these types of consumers it’s amazing that no tech sites review these products from a design approach. I mean.. some of them don’t even bother with a review on the stylus. Anyway great channel, thanks again.
comment from a 3D artist, the pen is not designed for us, because it does not have 2 programable side buttons like wacom has, which is actually needed to operate autodesk Maya, ZBrush, Nuke, Substance Painter, etc. it is like they value simplicity over functionality....
So that means we will have to buy a tablet right?
Do you recommend the new surface pro 6 instead?
UIW 3D Animation and Game Design I think this is where the surface dial comes in.
I love this woman’s reviews and videos.
Awesome review Lisa! I'm not an artist myself but this was very interesting to see! I actually bought a surface Book 2 15" because of your original review!
Nice one Lisa 🙌
Thank you again for another great review! I appreciate the time you put in making all of your videos!
"...Y'all laugh at me for my poverty gloves..." Lisa, I'm going to call and book you on Def Comedy Jam.
For me, the difference between Wacom and Surface pens is something like the difference between pencil/chalk on paper (the Wacom has more "tooth" as you draw) and pen and ink on glossy paper (the Surface feels a little more freely flowing and "slippery.").
Since I prefer pen and ink as physical media, I like the Surface pens quite a bit. I was very happy about the Surface Pro 4 pen upgrade -- the original SP3 pen was too slippery and hard to control. The pen nib choices with the newer Surface pens are a nice touch -- you can fine-tune the physical feel to your preference a bit. (Not a lot, but it helps.) I have an iPad Pro and like it fine, but the Apple pencil seems more slippery to me and I prefer the physical feel of the Surface pens.
Thanks for a detailed review! I'm almost certainly going to get one of these for my next upgrade. I keep reading reviews to see if I can be talked out of it and pointed toward something cheaper, but apparently not!
Wow I'm so glad I found you! You're helping me tons! This is exactly the video I needed.
To aid in the dispense of the starving artist myth I'll be picking up my 15 inch Surface Book 2 in the morning.
My current projects include designing a 3D belt buckle model, a 3D lapel pin model, an animation for a karate school, 18 illustrations for a children's text book.
Thanks for the great and relevant review.
Are you happy with your Surface? Or what laptop do you have as an illustrator in 2024? Thanks in advance.
No joke the most informative reviews of tablets I have found. Watched a lot of yours in my research to buy a drawing tablet. Poverty gloves forced me to finally comment. Bravo lol.
Great video as usual Lisa!!!
Good, Honest and sincere review, love your work.
Really enlightening and honest review, thank you !
The big advantage of flipping the screen and reattaching it like that, is that unlike the other laptops where the screen just flips right around, the keyboard keys will not be exposed and pressed underneath by your fingers so easily when you're holding it.
I lost my SH*T when you said "Poverty Gloves" OMG I'M CRACKING UP. Thank you for this!
Poverty gloves lol
I died lol
I really like you. Thank you for taking the time to show us these reviews. :-)
This was super helpful - thank you 🙏
LISA YOU ARE TEARING ME APART
good review tho :)
The most incredibly detailed review ever! And you're a awesome artist as well. What program did you use to draw the sketch of the man's head?
Hi Lisa! I think you should make a video detailing the brightness problems with the entire Surface line (and most windows machines that is). I just had to return my Surface Pro 5th gen because of it. When displaying darker content my screen would noticeably dim and when displaying brighter content like a webpage my screen would brighten up. This only happens on battery power. It has to do with the Intel graphics card settings, but the specific setting to turn off the dynamic contrast switching was removed by Microsoft probably to help battery life, but it's beyond annoying. See for yourself, open two tabs. Leave one be, and with the other, look up "black" on google images. Don't click on anything, just leave it on the image overview. Now switch back and forth between the tabs and watch as the brightness changes. This is beyond ludicrous and I would have never bought a Windows machine if I knew OEMs were allowing this. Never had this problem with any MacBook.
Just install the drivers from Intel and everything will be fine.
4:19 Wait, you're telling me that a glove solves the N-Trig Epidemic? If that's true, I'M SOLD.
I'm here just to cheer for EMR 😝Thank you validating my prefernce Lisa!😝
The only thing that prevented me from buying this laptop was the nature of the design repairability of this computer. For the amount of money they are asking, this is quite the disposable unit when the battery is no longer useful. As always, great review Lisa.
Yes! Thank you for this! Made my day 😁
Thank you for a clear review!
I spent a lot of money on this as a 2D artist when it came out and I really didn't get on with it. I wish I bought an iPad pro instead which I luckily got to try out with my work and I loved it. This thing was quite good for using zbrush but just couldn't seem to handle large Photoshop files for digital painting. My 2009 desktop iMac with an old Wacom cintiq 21ux is actually a better set up in terms of productivity. Both arec so old now but yet still so reliable
I was getting frustrated right until you said "If you cut your chops on paper and pencil" then use Wacom. I recently got a Surface Book2 and I'm struggling really hard using it for art. The stylus is frustrating me to no end lol, the cursor keeps shifting every time I touch the stylus to the screen. It makes brush strokes or digitally inking line work almost impossible. Think I'll trade this in for the mobile Wacom. Thx!
I noticed people on forums are complaining that the Surface Book 2 loses pressure sensitivity , specifically in ZBrush software. I'm considering soon a Wacom Mobile Studio or the Surface Book 2. If the Surface worked well the battery life and compact form is a win, but if ZBrush doesn't work (my main software) it's a bad purchase. Any chance you were able to test ZBrush on this ?
You are my favourite tech tuber 💯
I'm looking at this machine and think cool, until the video gets to 2:40. The lag is unbelievable. At this price point, you don't want to see that.... all that power and it's lagging more then my good old outdated HP laptop from 2013.
Thanks Lisa for showing the glove and the brand you use! I also love how you bring in the alternatives. As a Steadtler Noris Digital user on my Tab S3 and Note 4 I can only say it's definitely the best drawing experience I've had from a digital pen.
To be fair that is a huge, huge brush and it's computing how to render the tilt. It wouldn't be much better on another device (having used that brush on a few PCs). Also keep in mind that was tablet solo use, with no dGPU base.
MobileTechReview okay, I see, thanks.
Even tho I'm watching this a year later in 2018 I'm about to buy a surface book 2 and this rlly helps thanks alot
Can we attach a wireless keyboard while the original keyboard is still there ?..why I am asking is once we foldback the keyboard while drawing it in tab mode an external wireless keyboard will allow us to use keyboard short cuts...please reply
yeah why not?
omg i have to try the glove thing. thank you for this video!
Hi Lisa, a question about just taking notes with the Surface pen.
As a student who takes notes in class everyday, will I notice an improvement, in terms of writing accuracy and smoothness, between the Surface Book 2 or Surface Pro versus the older Surface Book1 or Surface Pro 4?
Not that much of a difference for note taking, so you can save money and go with the older model.
MobileTechReview thanks for the reply. Do you notice the screen on the newer model to be more resistant to pen pressing? I.e. The screen glass is harder
Great review as always! Could you do a smack down between the Surface Book 2 and the HP Spectre x360 15” (late 2017). I recently ordered a fully spec’d B.O.B (after watching your amazing reviews on the Spectre x360 line).
3 important differences: 1. BOB is half the price. 2. Surface Book 2 has a separable tablet, which is much lighter and easier to handle. 3. Surface Book 2's GPU is many times faster than BOB's.
MobileTechReview I got BOB because of the price. Not really worried about the weight (I’ve been lugging my 3yr Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 with a full wireless keyboard, mouse, etc) for 2D and 3D and that’s pretty heavy. Hopefully the HP will do me good for a while (even with the lower GPU. Thanks for the quick response!
AusetAnima i just received my 15 ho spectre x360 and it works like trash. Many problems with the touchpad like often not responding to the left click, highlighting or trying to move objects around when im just trying to move the pointer, and it wont respond right away when trying to scroll down/up plus it wont respond in proportion to your movement. It makes any task very annoying. On the touch screen often it wont respond to your touch. I also got that one for the price, but really it isn’t that cheap so they can be selling that crap for that price. Let me know your experience when you test it
Oscar Morales Geez that sucks. Mine arrives on Friday so I’ll definitely let you know how it works out.
That was a real good review, Thx !!
Thank you very much! I have got here cause I was looking for reviews about Surface Book 2 but I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much because I am still a beginner and I was wondering if there was a different option for me. SO...the Samsung notebook advice it is the best compromise for me! Thanks!!
I want to buy 13.5 version with 8 gb of ram , will that be okay for mid level graphic designer with photo editing , illustration, and video editing etc ? Please I’m bit confused and also with low budget
Yes for sure
I’m so confused about what product to get, my main function is writing, but I want to dabble more in drawing, and video editing. It seems like the surface book is the best all around, but that Samsung you brought up looks intriguing 😫 the surface book price has come down a little bit, but is it too outdated now? Help!
Hello. I am also a Surface Book 2 user. In tablet mode, it does not detect the touch on the right corner of the screen. (I touch with my finger.) Can you please help? .no cracks or scratches whatsoever.
Hi!! Great videos! I watched almost your entire channel before buying the surface book 13”!! I just couldn’t make my mind on buying one option or the other hehe
Would you recommend using a screen protector on it? In that case, and if you have tested more than one brand, which one do you think would make the pen feel more Wacom-alike?
Thank you!
Really like your reviews
Great video! What applications do you use to draw aside from Photoshop?
2:33 Yikes that lag with the large pixel brush though.
I thought no one would care, and imagine paying almost the same as wacom mobile the cheaper version
hi Lisa! Good review! wow you're a lefty too! woooo power to the Southpaws!
This was excellent. Thank you.
Lisa, you are multi-talented.
Going to cut some fingers off of some of my gloves. I bought a Huion that I am going to return because I own a surface book 1 and was trying to convince myself why I wouldn't just use that. Any ideas on a good type of glove material I should cut some fingers off on that works better from your experience? Thanks for the video.
Now that the surface pro 7 is out, how would you say these 2 compare? For both daily use and for drawing?
i have those gloves as well but the palm rejection is not there, it picks touch up [albeit slightly less] through the fabric
it's great for the glide though, can't live without that
I'm thinking about getting the 13.5 in surface book 3 🤔, but I heard that the 1650 GTX is similar to the GTX 1060, and this makes the 13.5" service book 3 seem comparable to the Surface Book 2 15", but the Surface Book 2 is cheaper with a larger display.
However, the Surface Book 3 has up to 32 GB of ram, and the graphics ram is 4gb ddr4, and I believe the Surface Book 2 is a 16 GB ram, with graphics 6GB of DDR3 ram.
I'm not techy enough to know if there's a big significance or not, but I have not seen a review comparing the service book 2 *15"* with the Surface Book 3 *13.5".*
I'm using it for art and 2D (and some 3D) animation as well as some video editing, but I'm on a budget so I cannot purchase the highest end Surface book 3, but I like the screen size of the 15-in, and I want to know what I'm sacrificing in getting the Surface book 2 15" versus getting the Surface Book 3 13.5".
if anyone knows these two devices well, can you please give me some feedback on these two in comparison?
Hey mate have you bought anything yet? I would advise against this device for 2D artists really, it seems to lag when doing anything serious on it, particularly on Photoshop. The pen is no Wacom either. You're better off getting a iPad Pro and a cheaper laptop or computer and paying for a app that converts it into a secondary display. The drawing experience on an iPad pros is the only thing that compares to a Wacom Cintiq imo. I bought the surface pro 2 once upon a time and got my money back when it broke on me. Bought the surface book 2 hoping it was better but it still lags, under performs and get quite hot and clammy too. With no physical buttons when in tablet mode only, this thing needs an optimise app like pro create but just doesn't have it.
that painting is gorgeous
Thanks :)
Do you think it’s possible to use the pen on photoshop to perform simple tasks such as the stamp tool ?
I love your reviews
1 thing i dont like is pen precision
if we adjust pen angle while holding, the cursor will change position as well; even our pen tip touch the same point on screen,
So if I get it right, Surface Book 2 is the better option for somone like me, that's looking for a NoteBook to use it with Illustrator, Photoshop, Premeire and maybe a little of After Effects and gamimg sometimes to relax. Am I right? And what another option for those thing i mencioned?
I would love to have a surface book two but it’s way too expensive. I’ve been looking at the hp envy x360 but I’m not sure how good it is due to the lack of videos. If you could make a review for this, I would like that a lot. Great videos, keep it up!
@MobileTechReview I can't wait to see a review between these two versus the new HP Zbook x2 that ships out today. I really hope you get your hands on a Zbook x2. These two in the video (MobileStudio Pro & Surface Book 2) are ones I have really considered, until I read about the Zbook x2. I hope to see a review on it within a week or two. Zbook x2 comes with the Intel 7th gen i7 at launch, but 8th gen i7 early 2018.
useful comparison with Samsung. it comes to mind the Yoga 720, which 45-watt CPU and 2GB 1050, also available with 4K panel. I have always liked the lenovo wacom pens, Yoga 370 and P40 Yoga. yet, I have only used it for note taking and very amateur photo editing. do you think the Yoga 720 is also a good device for people looking into the Surface Book 2?
I don't know if you'd answer, but I was wondering if the Samsung one would be good for graphic designers? My projects tend to get a little big so I'm nervous it might not be too good, but I also don't really want to put too much on a device. I'm planning on getting the Surface Book 2; however, I've got my doubts
A lot of people who use autocad dont do much 3d, what people use more for 3d in architecture is revit.
Blender is more for 3d design afaik
And google sketchup for 3d printing and simple 3d.
Thank you so much this helped a lot
Thanks! Good review as usual! I am disappointed that for that price it has no thunderbolt! Will you review the HP ZBOOK x2? Now it has come out with a quad core 8th gen intel processor and I am interested about your judgment on it. It seems extremely expensive as well and it has only 2 GB NVIDIA Quadro M620 Graphics but is a Quadro: how is it for 4k video editing and CAD? It is only 14" but could be helpful to carry around...The good thing is that it has RAM up to 32 GB and 2 TB Z Turbo Drive MLC and a whole lot of wonderful features including the use of the keyboard also when in tablet mode... but is it too heavy to handle as a tablet? How is the keyboard? What about the speakers? How is the pen working? Parallax, lagging, palm rejection…? What about temperature handling? And battery? Will you review it any time soon? Thanks!
This laptop is great, but it needs tones of support to get it working for artists. I don't know who in their right mind would want this laptop for giving presentation and having the amazing ability to highlight text with the rubber end of the pen, but that seems to be Microsoft's go to for advertising to customers.
I know you prefer Wacom for art, but an in-depth comparison of the MSP16 vs. the SB2 might be in order :-)
I have the MSP, but it's so heavy, I am tempted to purchase the SB2 so that I can read digital comics (and paint) on a large screen while holding the device in hand.
Hey Lisa, please do a review on the Surface Book 3! :-)
Another great review Lisa.
Not much changed here, still needs two pen buttons , tilt or no tilt. Plus having to carry a second device to use key commands while drawing/ animating with gpu ( as the keyboard is not accessible) or drawing against the wobbly screen ( no kickstand) means this thing misses the mark.... by ' that much' . Is Microsoft really getting the Surface book tested in the field ( by creative pros) properly , or are they relying on wealthy hobbyists and dabblers? Still waiting for anyone to get the right mix, Wacom is still the closest.
Thanks for a great review. I was wondering... at about 1:15 you show yourself drawing on it at what sems to be a low (but not flat) angle (about 20-30 degrees to the ground ?). a) Is that just the hinge supporting it at that angle, or do you have some kind of prop behind it ? And b) I noticed your right hand is holdoing onto the bottom right edge - is that just a preference/habit or do you feel the need to steady the tablet becasue it bounces or shifts as you draw ?
google pixel book w/ pixel pen has a nice algo (anti-shake) to draw with and super accurate.
Thank you for the Review...
Whether Lenovo Thinkpad T serious is a good option for 2D and 3D artists... Whats the difference between T570, T470s & T470p. Kindly reply, Thanks...
Great video as usual! Keep it up!
Got a quick question, maybe you bumped into this issue/heard something about it... here it goes :
Got my surface book 2 yesterday, it seems that the battery inside the dock/keyboard isnt charging. Geetting a message of “connected not chargin”, also the 1060 gpu doesnt seem to get enough power from the power adapter. (Power adapter light is turned on and i can charge the tablet part when detached without a problem).
I tried recovery for the machine, reinstalling battery drivers and nothing seems to work :(
Bottom line battery in keyboard is at 0% and not charging
Hi Lisa, do you have a channel displaying your artwork? I’m a beginner who is using a new large iPad Pro. Do you have any channels you would recommend for beginner artist like myself? Great review and love your artwork. I grew up on the Hudson river ...Troy, New York. :-) Thumbs way up on this video. 👍👍
Proko, Marco Bucci, early Jazza (later ones aren't as much about how to draw) and Walid Feghali are some great channels for learning how to draw and paint digitally.
Thank you! Take care.
MobileTechReview ye jazza only does challenbes now
dear lisa I am very hesitant about a surfase pro tablet or a surface book 2. I want to use it for my work and as an ipad replacement. what would you recommend.
While I always love your reviews, this time I have to disagree.
As a professional, it's completely inexcusable having to rely on a glove to have the pen behaving correctly. While I do indeed use a glove anyway most of the time, I don't always have it with me and when it happens I still want to be able to draw comfortably with my device.
I bought the Surface Pro 2017 when it was released and ultimately had to send it back for a refund out of frustration when I finally received the new pen and discovered it was so erratic and unreliable it was practically a step back compared to the old pen. Basically unusable. Got myself a Galaxy Book to fulfil that role.
I had so much expectations for the new Surface Book 15...
I hoped to get it in place of the little Samsung tablet once it's available in Europe, so imagine my disappointment when I discovered after more than half a year Microsoft still have to solve the problems that are plaguing this new iteration of the pen. It's an instant no buy as it is.
I'm a big fan of the Surface family but I can't understand some of the latest Microsoft choices, starting from the Surface Studio specs (an old mechanical hard drive? Come on!) to the poor quality of the new Surface Pro and Laptop displays and ending with the new pen being utterly unreliable in it's behaviour.
It's getting frustrating...
Indeed. It's time for reviewers to take this issue seriously. www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/7of68m/surface_pro_intermittent_pen_inaccuracy_when_hand/
How would you compare the Hp spectre x360 15" for using photoshop, zbrush & AutoCAD. Is it worth spending extra for the 13" surface book 2?
For those who need a keyboard when in tablet mode, I suggest the app Pad Pro
What about the new Lenovo yoga 730 from artists point of view.
Do you think it's worth it to get the Wacom ink pen instead of the MS one (forgoing the magnetic clip etc)?
I had so much trouble with the Surface Pen, so changed to a Bamboo Ink, but that wasn't much better. The SP is fine if you don't want to erase anything with precision on Photoshop for example. You don't seem to be able to use the pen nib to erase like on other pens, so you lose the accuracy by having to use the eraser at the other end of the pen. My advice if you're into drawing and graphic art, is to buy a laptop for half the price and spend the rest on a good drawing tablet.
I was wondering which laptop is best for less eye strain. Working with computers so much I really rather just have one that is good for my eyes.
I do find wacom brands are much better for my eyes.
For now, I'm perfectly content drawing on last year's Surface Book model.
THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO AND INFORMATION WHICH I WAS REALLY LOOKING FOR... BUT CAN YOU RECOMMEND A LAPTOP WITHOUT TOUCH SCREEN...
Never clicked on a video so fast.
Hi Lisa thanks a lot for this review... I'm an Italian yacht designer (I'm the designer of a brand called Wally yachts, take a look if you want) and I've a BIG doubt about the Surface book 2. I've a Surface pro 4 and I'M happy, but I need more "power" (3d modeling); so the book 2 sounds like the best solution. But I'm also owner of a Cintiq 27 (and past a Cintiq 21, and a lot of drawing devices) because I love to sketch a lot. Pro 4 for the mobility and Cintiq on my desk.
Well, what you define as "natural feeling" it's exactly what i'm missing on the Surface pro 4, compared to all my Wacom emr products (also my 12 years old cintiq 21...).
I don't know exactly why but the feel that I've on the wacom emr it's not comparable with the ntrig. It's not a matter of pressure levels (my 21 cintiq I think it's 256 or 512...) and not of lag either. Well I don't know what it is but there is something different that made the drawing experience on the wacom emr definitely more pleasant than on the ntrig pro 4.
Here were I live I can't test the new Book 2 or the pro 2017 (same digitaliser I think) So I'm asking you: is the new book 2 a step forward (in the emr direction...) compared to the previous ntrig (the pro 4) or (and how) you still fell the difference?
I know that it's not easy to answer, but the book 2 could be really THE machine for me; but the ntrig.... The alternative is to wait for the Acer Switch black edition that has a emr panel, i7 and 13.5" screen. BUT I love the book 2 and a MS product sounds more "solid" than an Acer...
Thank you for your job and reviews!
As I said, the SB2 still isn't there yet for that natural feeling when compared to Wacom EMR. It's getting better, but still has the digital rather than natural media feel.
Thanks for your answer Lisa, I'll wait for the Switch...
Thanks for your answer Lisa, I'll wait for the Switch...
Hi Lisa, would it be possible to do a smackdown between the surface book 2 and the ipad pro for art related things?