Huion Kamvas Alternative for Small Desks and Backpacks
A dorm desk, a seat in the library, a bag you carry between campus and home. For students, a pen display is as much a question of space and weight as of performance. If you are looking at something like a Huion Kamvas and wondering whether the tablet you already use could do the job, here is when it can and when it cannot.
Count the desk space first
A pen display needs a place to sit. Add the display, a stand, the cable to your computer and the power, and the area beside your laptop fills up fast. On a small desk, setting up and putting away can take longer than the drawing itself.
A tablet sits on the desk while you use it and goes back into your bag when you are done. Not having to make room every time is a big deal in a small space. That is even more true if you share a desk with a roommate or work in a common area.
Lectures, notes and assignments on one device
For students, one device doing several jobs matters. Use the tablet for lecture slides and notes, then at assignment time connect it to your laptop with Any Display and draw in the drawing app there. With a supported pen, pressure and tilt come through and palm rejection keeps a resting hand from making stray marks.
If your program uses desktop software for coursework, such as design, animation or architecture, it helps that you can draw in the very same app on the tablet screen. Touch and pen can control the laptop as well.
Taking it to the library or the studio
The connection finds your computer automatically on the same Wi-Fi. Campus and cafe networks sometimes stop devices from seeing each other, though, and then the tablet will not find the laptop. In that case, connect with a USB cable. Android may need USB debugging turned on, and connecting an iPad over USB on Windows needs the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store.
One thing to watch for: a laptop issued or managed by your school may block new app installs, so check before you count on it.
When a dedicated display is still better for a student
To be fair, if drawing is your major and you spend hours a day on a large screen, a dedicated pen display is more comfortable. The screen is bigger and you never think about battery. If much of your coursework is printed and color matters, a screen made for color-managed work is more reassuring.
On the other hand, for note-taking, light sketching and the occasional assignment, using the tablet you already have is more sensible than adding a dedicated device.
A small stand changes your posture
Drawing on a tablet lying flat on the desk tires your neck and wrist quickly. Propping it at a slight angle with an inexpensive folding stand makes a big difference, and the stand slips into a bag. It plays a lightweight version of the role a dedicated display's stand plays.
If you want a larger working area, keep the tablet beside the laptop and leave the palettes and layers on the laptop screen.
Try it in one evening
Install the app on your computer and tablet and sign in with the same account, and you are ready to connect. The steps are in the extend and mirror guide. Start by turning on an extended screen and drawing with the pen.
If you want to think more about cost at the beginner stage, the XP-Pen Artist alternative article should help.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I connect to my school laptop?
- You need to be able to install the app on the laptop. Devices managed by a school may restrict installs, so check first.
- My tablet cannot find my computer on campus Wi-Fi.
- The network may block devices from seeing each other. Connect with a USB cable instead.
- Can I use one tablet for notes and for drawing?
- Yes. Keep using the tablet's own note-taking app, and connect with Any Display only when you need your computer's drawing app.
- Can I connect an iPhone too?
- An iPhone can receive the screen too, but the display is small for drawing, so a tablet is usually more comfortable.