Question about XP-Pen Drawing Tablets [Answered: Getting a Wacom Instead]
Nyghtfall3D
Posts: 786
My last project proved my need for a drawing tablet so I've started shopping for one. I'm looking at XP-Pen's product line but a few reviews on Amazon reported that the tablet's driver sotware is infected with a virus. Can anyone confirm this?
Post edited by Nyghtfall3D on
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Where I work we have about 15 staff using the XP-PEN Deco01, and at home I use the XP-Pen Artist22E Pro.
The only issue that I have had is that the XP-Pen Artist22E Pro worked fine with Corel Painter 2020 and Affinity Designer, but I had some issues with lag in Photoshop CS4. I spent some time researching the issue and it seems that users of the latest version of Photoshop were also having the issue, with Adobe denying it had anything to do with them.
I finally solved the issue by turning off Windows Ink - both in Windows 10 and in the "Pentatablet" driver software that came with the tablet.
I suspect that anyone claiming to have a virus from the drivers either is having conflicts as I did, or already had malware on their machine.
Bottom line - I've had no issues with XP-Pen and their software and I've found both of the models that I've encountered to be good quality and value for money.
I have the XP 24 Pro and had all sorts of lag and problems with Photoshop CC 2021 and some with Substance Painter, but I think it was because I had it connected as a third monitor. Since I reconfigured my workplace to have one monitor and the XP-Pen, I haven't noticed the lag. There's no virus in the drivers, those reviews are probably from people who have overly-sensitive anti-virus software that will detect anything as a virus. The 24" is almost a third of the price of a comparable Wacom and has worked very well for me so far.
Than you both but it looks like I can scratch them off my short list of brands to consider anyway. I just learned through Amazon's Q&A that their drivers don't work with PaintShop Pro.
My Huion Kamvas Pro 20 also had a problem with Windows Ink until I turned it off. Hmmm.
Laurie
Was up 'til 5am researching options and have decided to get a small Wacom Intuos Pro for $250. I only need a tablet for post-work and don't need the surface area of the medium or large version. The Pro version includes features I want to future-proof myself with including touch navigation, customizable "ExpressKeys" on the side instead of top, and the Pro Pen 2's tilt recognition. Aesthetically, I prefer the Pro's bare surface - the grid pattern on the Intuos would quickly annoy me.
You're thinking of the Wacom Intuos which has an active area of 6.0" x 3.7". The Intuos Pro has an active area of 6.3" x 3.9".
No worries, you're fine. My wife suggested giving myself more room to grow with the medium version if I find I want to do more with it than my intended purpose. After reading your post about the Intuos' drawing area, I did a bit more research on the Pro version and just learned it does does not support texture sheet options, so I'm going to splurge for the medium version.
The only real reason to go wacom over huion IMO, is if you are going to spring for the more expensive pen. It is the only pen I know of that will track rotation, it's so useful. Other than that, my huion worked just as well as my wacom.
I think you'll be really happy with the Intuos Pro! I've been using a small Intuos 4 for twelve years now and it's been rock solid.
I'm bucking thread consensus here, but I've tried, hated, and returned a number of XP-Pen and Huion displays. The hardware had its own issues, but the drivers were also buggy in general and couldn't coexist with Wacom's. Hopefully things have improved as the alternative displays have become more mainstream and the companies have started needing to satisfy the demands larger purchasers, but if I can only have their drivers or Wacom's, it's not a competition. The software and hardware both keep me coming back to Wacom in spite of repeated attempts to break away. I love their technology but I hate their prices and how comfortable they've become on their laurels. Hopefully someone will give them a proper run for their money in the next decade because they're seriously overdue.
It's worth noting that Wacom does offer a refurbished medium Intuos Pro for $280, available through their main web store or their official outlet on eBay.
If I may jump in here with a question I've been meaning to ask for a while...
Are those tablets, which have an actual screen to draw on, dependent for their performance on the computer they are attached to? I occasionally use a Wacom tablet which was the smallest in yesteryear's range and it works fine connected to my low-spec desktop. I have an even lower spec laptop (Lenovo Yoga 300) with windows 10. I often wondered whether I could use the laptop and an XP tablet in combination to give me a portable 'art studio'. The laptop only has a 32 gig SSD and no graphics card and I doubt it would have the capacity to run major software. But if I installed Painter Essentials, say, would the tablet have it's own graphics power built in? Or does it rely for all it's performance on the host computer?
Unless it's one of the expensive Wacom all-in-ones, all tablets are dependent on the specs of the computer they're attached to. The ones with screens are basically just monitors that you can draw on.
Thank you both RorrKonn and SnowSultan. I did strongly suspect that the 'draw-on' large tablets would rely on the computer but for all I knew there may have been some kind of graphic chips inside to prevent the strokes lagging. Now I'm saved from the temptation to order one of these!
In this 3d/art hobby there always seems to be something more to desire!
I remember a long way back when on British TV there was a short series of programmes showing artists (such as David Hockney) using a Quantel Paintbox. That machine cost a million pounds literally. It was a washing-machine sized box with a screen and lots of buttons surrounding a pad to draw on (that's how I vaguely remember it - in those days few people even had home computers so it was a wonder to behold). Today, any of us can have many times more the tools of that machine at home or in a satchel for little cost. The tools and the means of sharing work also shows how many great or very great artists are out there. Quite amazing.
The last time I tried an XP-Pen tablet, it was incompatible with all Wacom drivers. IIRC installing one would install a wintab variant that worked only with that particular driver and (obviously) overwrote the existing one. The only solution was to either uninstall one and reinstall the other whenever you wanted to use a different device, or use a workaround that still involved you having to swap out files manually. It sounded like this was still an issue as of late 2020.
Given past experience, I don't trust that "all old drivers" doesn't more accurately translate to "all drivers you already have installed." My Wacom driver at that time was newer than the one the XP-Pen display used, and it didn't matter. They couldn't functionally co-exist on the same system. English has a lot of tricky specifics and words that sound like they should mean the same thing but don't substitute well in practice, like "old" and "pre-existing", which I encounter a fair amount in translated documentation.
That said, if they've genuinely managed to fix the problem, then I'm glad to hear it! This is a situation where I would be very and legitimately happy to be wrong. New users with little to no basis for practical comparison are likely to choose the more accessible option, but existing ones are often reluctant to give up tech that they know works well. A big part of breaking the grip that allows Wacom to charge $500 for a bloody display stand will involve allowing existing users to choose both options, not one or the other.
I'm very interested in seeing how that plays out over the next few years. It's not like I want Wacom to go under, I do love their products. But I also want them to have a proper come to Jesus moment from a really strong competitor.
This thing with the drivers does not appear to me, at least, a serious issue. First, I'm thinking that many people would not have multiple pen-based devices. I mean, sure, there are people who like to buy and try a lot of gadgets. I have one tablet. Also, if you download a driver, it's just a matter of reinstalling after you uninstall it. That doesn't take much longer than unplugging the device you're not using and plugging in the one you want to use.
You're really not supposed to mix pen drivers, XP-Pen makes it really clear that you must uninstall any Wacom drivers before attempting to install theirs. Also, most tablet drivers are notorious for being unstable or other random weirdness, including Wacom's. To be honest, the biggest problem I've had with any screen tablet is where to put your keyboard (every large tablet owner goes through this).
Lol I custom built a whole desk, one of the main reasons was to make a huge, sturdy, sliding draw that could accomodate mouse, keyboard and tablet easily lol.
` ~ an interesting subject nonetheless ~
I can't really comment because I just bought my first drawing tablet, but it's the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and I'm having fun with it. I'm also a lefty, which is an important note when considering tablets.
I just couldn't justify the price of a Wacom for a first-time buyer. The Huion was easy to set up, I haven't had any problems with drivers, and the pen accuracy feels nice. I have a heck of a lot to learn (I've only spot-painted some hair fixes on my renders so far), but I feel like I have a good piece of hardware to get me started.
:: cough :: Erm... what? The Huion Kamvas Pro 16 is a pen display that retails for $400, making it $70 more than the Wacom Intuos Pro drawing tablet I just bought for $330.
Or are you comparing the cost of pen displays? If so, then your comment makes more sense to me, as the closest match is Wacom's 16" Cintiq for $650.
I haven't had any problems with mine either. Just got my tablet as well (Huion Kamvas Pro 20 (2019 version)). Like you, I couldn't afford what Wacom is asking for a Cintiq. Honestly, I think the Chinese tablets are giving them a run for their money.
Laurie
Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about the kind of drawing tablet that is a display/monitor that you draw on. I tried using an old school Wacom Bamboo years ago and gave up because I just couldn't handle not being able to see what I'm drawing on...it's in a drawer now but it almost got smashed against the wall many times in my attempts to use it, lol.