When comparing Wacom Intuos Pro Medium vs Microsoft Surface 3, the Slant community recommends Wacom Intuos Pro Medium for most people. In the question“What are the best graphics tablets?” Wacom Intuos Pro Medium is ranked 3rd while Microsoft Surface 3 is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Wacom Intuos Pro Medium is:
This tablet feels like a truly solid premium item that won't break anytime soon.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Good build quality
This tablet feels like a truly solid premium item that won't break anytime soon.
Pro Enjoyable user experience
The Wacom Intuos Pro feels very natural when drawing. It takes no time in detecting everything that's drawn and it really makes users feel as if they are drawing on a physical medium. In fact, sketchers have the option of covering the tablet with a sheet of paper and drawing directly on it, while the tablet simultaneously takes the digital input, thus enabling the tablet to be used without a computer or screen. The whole philosophy of this tablet is to emulate drawing on paper. For example, it is capable of making different layers or changing to the next page by the simple push of a button or switching between ink mode and stylus mode by bringing the tip of the respective pens close to the paper surface.
Pro Enough space to store all your work
The Intuos Pro has a good amount of storage space in it. It stores up to 200 pages at once. This means you don't have to constantly worry about transferring your work to the computer before running out of space.
Pro Easy to set up
The Intuos Pro is simple to set up. Just install a few drivers on your computer and you're ready to start using the tablet.
Pro Beginner-friendly
The fact that the user is able to place a sheet of paper to draw on, on top of the screen, without interfering with the tablet's functionality is a great help for beginners not used to this sort of tablet.
Pro High accuracy
The Intuos Pro has more than 8000 units of pressure sensitivity, making it capable of very accurately detecting every small stroke. The work area works perfectly with a paper sheet on it or even a thin book.
Pro Full Windows software
Unlike the Surface RT and Surface 2, the Surface 3 runs full Windows 10 software. With the optional keyboard accessory, this tablet can function as a full laptop (keep in mind it has fairly low end specs)
Pro Optional keyboard accessory
The keyboard ($130) doubles as a screen protector when not in use, and magnetically attaches to the bottom of the Surface. It's thin, so key travel is shallow, but it's a very capable keyboard. It features 5 levels of backlight, as well as a (rather small, but very high quality) trackpad. It connects directly to the Surface, so there'd no need to charge the keyboard and you don't need to worry about bluetooth.
Pro Kickstand
The Surface 3 has a kickstand on the back of the tablet so that it can hold itself upright. It has 3 positions - one upright (almost vertical), one at almost a 45 degree angle, and one fairly close to flat (this one is useful for drawing or typing if you don't have the keyboard).
Pro Optional Pen accessory
The Surface 3 (when coupled with the $50 pen) can register 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, and also has Palm Block technology. It makes for a good experience when drawing diagrams, sketching or even just doodling. Clicking the button on top of the pen opens OneNote - Microsoft's note taking application.
Pro Portable
At just 267x187x8.7mm (10.5x7.4x3.4") and weighing 622g (1.37lbs), this is a portable machine. Some other tablets are a bit thinner and lighter, but the kickstand really helps you comfortably use it anywhere (you could set it up in the kitchen for a recipe instead of laying it down flat, or rest it on your chest while laying down in bed instead of holding it up).
Cons
Con Not very portable
The Intuos Pro is heavy, making it a unsuitable option for those that want a tablet to carry around.
Con Very display dependent
The Intuos Pro lacks a display unit. It is solely an input device so there is no feedback of what you're sketching. This means that is easy to make mistakes. Also, a lot of practice is needed to be able to draw on one surface and view the result on another. The fact that users can draw on a sheet of paper placed on top of the screen, without interfering with the tablet's functionality, is a great help.
Con Small app store
The Surface 3 is almost better as a laptop than tablet because it has so few touch-enabled apps. It uses the Windows Store to access its games, so it has the same collection available as desktops and laptops.
Con Fragile
The screen is very susceptible to being damaged. Here's where its generally beneficial light weight can be a downside. It requires as much protection/care as a tablet does -- it is not as sturdy as a laptop. The back cover will scratch fairly easily if dragged along a table as well.
Con Very slow to charge
The Surface 3 uses micro USB to charge which is nice because cables are plentiful, but charging from empty to full takes about 6 hours.