[jdeluyck]

Is going windows out of  the question?  If not I would look at a Surface Pro to try out.

I haven't properly looked at it, to be honest. I'm fairly invested in the Android ecosystem, and an avid linux user, but I'm always game for some good hardware. I had a quick look in the past but there was *something* that bothered me about it...

It may be worth looking at 2-in-1's also. There are a few 2 piece [base + screen] options that may work for you. [Same thing as a Surface with extra keyboard.] I decided on a 1 piece 2-in-1 Dell refurb since I also wanted to use it as my main computer with dual boot capabilities and don't want to worry about unexpected separations [that happened with my Asus]. The annotations seem to be working, with no problems, as fast as I can scribble using the active pen. The Bamboo is supposed to work on it also. Sometimes inexpensive is not the way to go.

One thing about 2-in-1's that I was worried about is the weight. I found the iPad pro heavy in the long run - some concerts do last >1h, so if you're standing there with that on your arm it weighs. I have no idea how the 2-in-1's fair in that.