Tablets Are there any tablets with pen support that can give an iPad Pro a run for its money?

First, what size iPP? 9.7" or 12.9"?

I have the first gen Samsung TabPro S. It's form factor is slightly smaller than the 12.9" iPP, includes a keyboard cover with trackpad, and has pen support (though it's a bluetooth pen on this model). It a full Windows 10 tablet and for productivity, offers you everything Windows is capable off. It has a beautiful, high-res OLED display and pretty good battery life.

That tablet's sequel(s) are set to be released sometime over the next few months I believe--the Galaxy Book models (10" and 12").

I'd also consider the new Samsung Chromebooks (Plus and Pro). They aren't traditional tablets per se, but hybrids with a tablet style format and an onboard stylus. Chrome OS with Android apps, if it they work well (jury still out on this) it a pretty compelling setup, IMO.

 

The new galaxy tab S3

 

Then I'd probably keep it to either the Tab S3 mentioned by @The Game 161 or the upcoming 10" Galaxy Book.

 

If battery life is your concern then the IPP is probably your best bet. I have a surface pro 4 which is infinitely better at what I need, but the battery life is pretty crappy so it's a definite trade off. You may have better luck with a S model Samsung android tablet. Or just wait a bit and see what Apple reveals with the new ipads.

 

And to be clear, I'm not wholly advocating the Samsung tablets I mentioned in lieu of the iPP. I own both a 9.7" and 12.9" version and do just about everything I need to do on a daily basis on them. My TabPro S barely gets a glance. My recommendations were solely from the point of view of getting something besides the iPP. I still recommend either of them as the best tablet experience available at the moment and yes, they can be used for serious work (depending on what you need them to do, of course).

 

If you are talking tablets and constricting yourself to a mobile OS, then Samsung is the only real competition. If you widen the window to include hybrids and full OS's, then Chromebooks and Surface hybrids are much more compelling, as they provide a real desktop environment that iOS simply can't do... Yet.

 

I think if you have a mac then yes the use of the iCloud desktop feature would be good. I'm a consumption user and don't do any serious work on my tablets but if I did the lack of a file system would drive me nuts if I didn't have a mac. I think iCloud Drive somewhat negates the need for a file system but only really works if you have multiple Apple devices and a mac.

 

My LG G Pad F 8.0 tablet does have a S Pen BUT it lacks android customization (sp?) like Samsung and it is cheap. I must warn you it is underpowered tablet not just Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

 

your stylus is not like Samsung's S pen ?

 

Yup it mades of metal and the tip is like rubber/plastic but it works very well.

 

Apparently the new Samsung tab s3 tablet is pretty good.

 

None. Samsung plays the same game with tablets as well. In a few months after the release, they forget they ever released one Exaggerating. Same problem as with mobiles: slow updates.

The fact (keep reading about this everywhere) that there are not too many tablet optimised apps in Android should also play a role.

During a sale, iPads are surprisingly good value

 

With the trend with phones getting 6"+ screens and features like DeX, tablets in 2017 will be deader than dead especially running iOS with training wheels.

 

This is pretty much the only alternative. Nobody else has put any effort at all into the tablet game in recent years except for apple and samsung.

 

For digital illustrators, i'd say no. It's the best tablet.

 

Dex is already dead, but what has that got to do with the thread topic and that iPad Pro has the best hands down stylus integration?

 

How is DeX, which isn't even out yet, dead?

 

The concept has been tried multiple times and never took off. Being a Samsung only solution doesn't help.

 

I have a galaxy note 10.1 and a galaxy note pro 12.2. They both have an S Pen. While I really enjoy android tablets I fear that the app support for iPad Pro Pencil would be better (better quality apps). However this is just my assumption as I use both Android and iOS on a daily basis. I do not own an iPad Pro however.

 

OP - Yes, but it depends on what you value in a tablet.

First you should decide whether or not you value the ability to run desktop class apps. If the answer is no, there is no need to consider Surface or other Windows tablets. You'd probably be best off sticking to iPad Pro unless you have a particular desire to try Android.

 

10" is too small for productivity/creativity and too big for one handed use. Also, it lacks professional applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. And, with the Surface Pro 4 Core M3/4GB/128GB frequently on sale for $550 the blown up iPods like the $899 12.9" 4GB/128GB are a tough sell while the 9.7" with only 2GB won't be sufficient for anything complex or large.

 

Tbh, I would go with the Surface if I am even considering the iPad Pro. Battery life isn't everything. x86 programming is much better than iOS battery life to me. If I had waited till now to get a tablet, I would've gone Surface 3 with possibly 8gb RAM if I could've gotten a refurb around $300-$350.

I went with the iPad Mini because of the ecosystem, better battery life for media consumption, and to have something more of a 4:3 aspect when I read case studies and books for class.

 

And tablets didn't take off until the iPad. Past performance is no indicator of future results.