Duet Displayis one of the most pop apps that twist your iPad as asecond display for your PC and Mac . On Mac , at least , the arriver ofSidecarmode make third - company solutions reasonably questionable . But here in Windows - Edwin Herbert Land , Duet is a great means of augment your productivity through your iPad .
While Duet Display meets this requisite , but by way of a pricier Duet Pro subscription service targeted specifically towards room decorator and artists . Is this the good option ?
This is where EasyCanvas come into the picture . EasyCanvas is the new kid on the block . However , it has two primary advantages over Duet . For starter , its primary centering is on supply a cracking drawing experience , as opposed to being a secondary display . The second advantage is that it ’s not subscription - establish . Yes , where Duet charges a hefty yearly fee to access Duet Pro , EasyCanvas charge a fixed $ 15 , and that ’s all there is .
So , which is betters for using iPad Pro as a drawing tablet for PC
With that sort of a value proffer in nous , I just had to get my hands on both and essay them out . Which is better , Duet or EasyCanvas ? And even if Duet Pro ’s pay subscription were to extend more functionality , is EasyCanvas undecomposed enough to be a worthy choice ? get ’s detect out .
Duet Display Pro vs EasyCanvas
1. Pricing Model
Winner : EasyCanvas
This one ’s an EasyCanvas triumph , hands - down . Duet Display tries to fob off run support and stylus pressure sensitivity as ‘ Pro ” note value additions that command an extra yearly subscription cost . EasyCanvas simply does all this for spare after purchasing the app .
Duet Display costs $ 20 for the base app and a further $ 20 per twelvemonth for added Pro functionality . What on the nose are you getting for this extra amount ? Duet take that Pro mode adds in imperativeness and tilt sensitiveness , together with palm tree rejection . Together with the stave - destitute video recording output , this is suppose to add up to a pro - favorable drawing solution .
But what about EasyCanvas ? As long as it offers somethingbroadlycomparable to Duet , the economic value proposition is a moot distributor point . Well , the practiced word is that EasyCanvas is on adequate footing with Duet when it do to features . It ’s also got a 14 - solar day free trial so you’re able to always switch over if there ’s something about it that ’s a dealbreaker for you .
EasyCanvas has all of the Duet goodies but at a lower cost
You get all the core goody : tilt sensitivity , pressure sensitivity , and palm tree rejection . In addition , you also get support for the Wacom playpen , whereas Duet is tailored specifically for Apple Pencil . EasyCanvas ’ menu choice leave you to swap between the three : Wacom pen mode , Apple pencil mode , and finger touch fashion .
2. Installation and Setup
Winner : Duet Display Pro
This is n’t commonly a point of comparison I do when evaluating two different pieces of software system . However , neither Duet Display nor EasyCanvas is your usual iPad app . Both necessitate a bit of special crusade to set up , specially on the primary gimmick . You have to first put in the desktop app for Duet and EasyCanvas respectively from their web site . It goes without articulate that you ’ll require iTunes set up , too , to ensure that the Apple wandering equipment driver is install .
Duet Display support more platforms than EasyCanvas
Keep in head here that EasyCanvas only supports machines on Windows 8 and higher . Of course , no one ’s in reality on Windows 8 . But there are plenty of 7 users still clinging to enhanced privacy and a want of draw update . You wo n’t be capable to use EasyCanvas at all , alas . I tried it out on an aging Intel Atom netbook with Windows 7 and begin an erroneousness message for my trouble .
installing was pain - free for both . But EasyCanvas has a few supererogatory steps
Duet ’s ease of use is n’t just throttle to the instalment process . I ’m used to a sustain config fourth dimension for these sort of thing : it takes a lot of work to get aDS4 controller work with your PC , for install . Duet surprised me , though . Once establish , it seem as a system tray icon . There ’s no desktop app or consecrated scene . All you Department of the Interior colligate your iPad via USB when Duet is play and you ’re unspoiled to go . It move around the iPad into a secondary show .
EasyCanvas was similarly easy to mark up . Once the background app ’s installed , you evoke it up and it depict up as a tray image . You get your petty display when you touch base your iPad . There are a few more steps here , though . EasyCanvas ’ tray ikon has a Display scene option that you’re able to use for limited customization .
Support for the Wacom Bamboo Pen make initial apparatus a bit more complicated on EasyCanvas
Apart from this , there ’s an extra stair required to pair input machine . The stimulus twist selection at the top left box lets you trade between Apple Pencil , Wacom Bamboo Stylus , and finger’s breadth input . Apple Pencil pairing works out of the boxful : if your Pencil is paired with your iPad it will just work with EasyCanvas . Wacom Bamboo conjugation is a bit more complicated . You ’ll postulate to tap on the pairing ikon , then tap on a circle on the display with your Wacom stylus .
We ’re giving the bound to Duet here . While EasyCanvas ’ has more features , Duetjust worksout of the boxwood . You install and bleed Duet , you connect your iPad and fire up the app and that ’s it .
3. User Experience
success : Tie
We ’re holler a tie in this category but the truth is a bit more complicated . Both of these solution patronage hardware speedup . This is , in fact , the only way that they ’re able to pipe your basal display over with low - latency . The result here is that hardware acceleration is highly dependent onyourdesktop configuration . The Intel Atom system move over wildly differing results in comparison with my main Ryzen work organisation . If you have a slow laptop computer or entry - storey desktop , neither of these may be an optimum root because there ’d just be too much slowdown .
Your mileage may vary : faster microcomputer ferment well with both apps
Paired with the premium Ryzen - free-base system , results were comparable between the two . Both Duet and EasyCanvas save what I ’d turn over useable performance for drawing and writing . I ’m not an creative person . I ca n’t draw much aside from simple spliff figure . I am an author , however . I often handwrite first drafts and stray persuasion . It ’s always been a bit of an incommodiousness grow these onto a computer and I ’ve lost some workplace that way .
Some amount of comment slowdown is always present
As a writing and draft putz , both Duet and EasyCanvas offered comparable execution . I ’ve used stylus - based gadget for quite some time . While I do n’t own a capacitive stylus , I get hold that the writing experience was reasonable , even with finger touch . This was especially so considering the iPad Pro ’s bigger 10.5 in showing . For stylus owners , pressing and tilt sensitivity are every bit present in both EasyCanvas and Duet . If lag were n’t such a problem , this would permit for a really good approximation of arealdrawing or write experience .
Lag is , however , an matter with both software resolution . Performance welfare from computer hardware quickening . This meant that it was substantially bad on the Atom netbook , to the point of being nigh - useless for art or design . This utilize to both apps . Both were considerably faster when connected to a consecrate desktop organization , though . There was still some detectable retardation , though , especially with degenerate pen strokes . This was n’t a big business deal for my writing use suit . I was capable to write quite fine with finger touch .
manipulation - guinea pig that do n’t look on lag , like display extend , function great
This small - sensitive spirit level of retardation is perfectly ok , though , if you just want to utilize the iPad as a secondary exhibit . couple extends your display out of the box . So if you do n’t want to use the draft features atall , your iPad can wrick into a good , if smallish secondary presentation . You could have YouTube open there while you ’ve got your work apps on your main exhibit , for lesson .
With EasyCanvas , things are n’t so straight . The EasyCanvas app itself only put up mirroring . This is fine if all you want is a line tablet successor . If you want 2nd - concealment functionality , though , you ’ll have to expend an another $ 9.99 on TwoMon the company ’s second - screenland software system . This would wreak the full monetary value up to $ 25 dollar . That ’s still a better deal than $ 40 for Duet and a one - twelvemonth Pro subscription .
The bottom line of reasoning here is that both apps render like performance . Both Duet and EasyCanvas support arguing and pressure level sensitivity , together with medallion realization . The pumped USB setup is a huge whole tone up , performance - wise from remote screen background solution like Splashtop . actual - life story performance , though , is powerfully dependent on your host organization ’s constellation . If you ’ve got a gamy - end getup , you ’ll have a very usable experience .
However , laptops and entryway - level desktops might just be too laggy for drawing and authorship , though . But no amount of hardware gets disembarrass of the base degree of input signal lag present in both apps . I surmise stylus users would have some trouble adapting , especially when migrating from a dedicated drawing off tablet . Both hand in comparable functioning for sketching and writing . With so many similarity , it then comes down to price more than anything else .
This is where EasyCanvas get ahead out . Ifallyou need is an alternative to a Wacom digitizer , EasyCanvas costs just $ 15 by itself . There ’s no fall back subscription fee here . If you want silver screen filename extension functionality , you ’ll have to pony up an excess $ 9 for TwoMon . Duet Display Pro includes both of these . However , it costs $ 20 for the stand app , plus $ 20 per year for the Pro subscription Considering this , I ’d suggest plainly opt for EasyCanvas . It has a 14 - day free trial . you could work with it to regain out if the limitations ( mainly interim ) are a dealbreaker or not .
