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Pen input device for commenting & drawing in Acrobat

NVIT
NVIT asked
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My engineer client is looking to replace paper commenting & drawing mark ups with digital replacement.

They're considering marking up a pdf. But, using a mouse to draw in Acrobat is a pain. So, I think a good solution would be a digital pen and or tablet.

Maybe something like this: XP-PEN Deco 01 V2 10x6.25 Inch Digital Graphics Drawing Tablet Drawing Pen Tablet

If you've experienced using any pen/tablet input devices or have anything useful to say about it, I'd appreciate your comments - hardware brand, pros, cons, etc.
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Principal Software Engineer
BRONZE EXPERT
Commented:
I've used tablets in the past, tried them with clients who wanted a solution substantially the same as yours want, and over the trial period they were more trouble than a mouse.  With a mouse there is feedback between the mouse, the eyes and the screen.  One can use a mouse without watching the mouse.  With a tablet the eyes gravitate to the tablet as though it was a piece of paper.  This eliminates feedback between the eyes and the screen and it is difficult to draw over here while splitting attention between the screen there and the tablet here.

The tablet is never at the same size, scaling or resolution as what the hand expects.  The hand expects to draw on the tablet as though the tablet was sized 100% to the screen.  This is never the case and one ends up drawing too big or too small.

Most tablets appear to the system as mice and this causes chaos when there are (a) two mice active, or (b) the tablet replaces the mouse.  Trying to use a tablet for anything other than drawing is no fun and nobody wants to be forever manually switching between a tablet and a mouse if it's necessary to, e.g., jump out to a browser to get some information, then return to the original program.

I/M/O:  Tablets are OK to draw on and have been around since Hector was a pup, but there are reasons that mice are used instead.  There must be a better solution for markup but I think it's not been invented yet.
Scott FellDeveloper & EE Moderator
SILVER EXPERT
Fellow
Most Valuable Expert 2013
Commented:
I use photoshop about once a week, so not a heavy user. I tried using a tablet and for me, it was about what Dr Klahn described and ended up using the mouse. However, I have real graphic artists friends and have seen them make drawings using a tablet like it was paper. The larger tablets are easier to use then the smaller.

For what you are talking about, perhaps an ipad or android tablet is the way to go. Or a convertible touch screen laptop/surface pro where you can draw right on the screen. This to me makes more sense.
Emily PhelanUX/UI Designer
Commented:
I use a Wacom Intuos Pro for anything from notation to digital painting.

Pros: Screenless tablets are cheaper and Wacom's pressure sensitivity is amazing. Any time I've tried another tablet like the Surface Pro or iPad, I've missed the realistic feel and outcome provided by Wacom. They also have smartpads where you can draw on paper and upload your markings as a digital file.

Cons: As Dr Klahn hinted, it can be disorientating to lose hand/eye feedback. I took a few sessions of use for me to overcome the desire to look at my hand. It feels natural to me now, but anytime I ask anyone to write their signature, it's like they've never picked up a pen before. For this reason, a tablet with a screen might be more useful, but they are typically more expensive.