A Decade of Digital Evolution
Upgrading My Digital Tools
After a decade of reliable service, it is time to upgrade my digital tools. My old computer had become slow, and the pressure sensitivity on my graphics tablet was no longer sensitive.
For context, here’s a comparison of the cost of the old and new equipment:
Old Equipment (2014)
- HP Pavilion AIO 23" - £650
- Wacom Intuos 4 Graphics Tablet - £400
- Photoshop CS5 - £600
New Equipment (2025)
- ASUS AIO 23" - £570
- HP 527sw Monitor - £140
- Huion Inspiroy H1060p Graphics Tablet - £60
- Affinity 2 Suite - £80
The new computer, although lacking a CD drive, has 16GB RAM and a silent SSD drive, which were my two minimum requirements. The 2014 HP Pavilion AIO, despite an excellent screen for watching films, had become sluggish with modern programs like Affinity Photo 2. Slow OS updates and the impending end of life for Windows 10 in October 2025 were also significant factors in my decision to down upgrade. As is my deteriorating old man eyesight. Working digitally may be less rewarding than traditional materials but man, it’s easier on the hand eye coordination.
I hadn’t planned on buying a new computer just yet, but a visit to Curry’s PC World in Wakefield mid December 2024 changed that. With a budget of £1000, I aimed to spend it all on a high end All In One PC. The ASUS AIO PC I went with had 16 GB of RAM for half the price, I thought I was getting a bargain, and that's how marketing works. The LCD screen, though not ideal for watching 1080p videos, is very good for graphics work. The additional HP 27-inch monitor, which I initially considered as an afterthought a few weeks later, turned out to be a necessary addition and within my budget. I even went to the trouble of borrowing a neighbour’s 27" monitor beforehand to ensure the graphics card in the ASUS AIO could handle it, which it did with ease.
When it comes to purchasing computers, I prefer shopping in-store to avoid the anxiety of receiving transit damaged goods and the hassle of returns. My past experiences with online orders have been less than satisfactory, with issues like long wait times and items mysteriously disappearing into the delivery void. A frustrating experience in 2010 with PC World led me after four weeks to cancel a £2000 order and switch to Argos of all places, who delivered two PC set ups down South in 48 hours. Nowadays, I prefer the immediate availability and the ability to walk out of the shop with the tech.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much technology has evolved over the past decade. The £60 Huion graphics tablet is as good as, if not better than, the £400 Wacom tablet it replaced (despite its high-pitched whine but at that price like my Tinnitus, I can live with it). Transitioning from Photoshop, which I purchased in 2010 on a CD, to downloading the Affinity Suite 2 has been a cost-effective choice. Affinity, priced at £80 every couple of years, offers similar functionality for my comic and illustration work, even if the workflow isn’t quite as smooth - yet.
I also included a yearly subscription to Microsoft 365 in my budget, as formatting scripts is part of my comic-making process. Cheese on toast! I don’t like the new Microsoft 365 logo and pricing strategy. The logo appears temporary and poorly designed, possibly by the AI they are heavily promoting. Additionally, the yearly default £15 price hike for AI features seems like a misstep, especially considering the cost-of-living crisis and how much Microsoft made in 2024. Fortunately, there is an option to downgrade to the £60 AI-free Microsoft 365 Classic.
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