I’ve been wondering about the Cintiq for years now, because I think it’s an awful lot of money, for something that isn’t very different (when reading about it), compared to my regular old Intous 2, which has followed me like a dear friend for the past 5 years.

The greatest difference for me - I think - would be, that I could turn the tablet while drawing. That’s quite annoying with the Intous.. some strange position your arms end in at times

But! I still wonder: Why do you think theres a better eye/hand coordination?

I love my Intous, and more than that, I love the fact, that my hands aren’t in the way, when I’m drawing, opposite to drawing on paper with a pencil (I realise, that the smudgeproblem is non-existing with the Cintiq). My hands cover a freaking lot of my motive, and when you’re so used to not having hands all over, that’s just really bothering me

Next on, I would love to wait for them to take the next step, and make it alle transportable, like at laptop, with the software inside, and a battery, so I can take the baby under my arm, and go sit at the beach, while drawing. I find it kind of a downside, that I still am tied to a computer (laptop or stationairy). It would be so much more fun, if that wasn’t the case. I would like to take it to bed with me, or sit on the sofa, sketching away, while I’m watching tv with the other eye

I know I’m asking a lot, but there can’t be such a big step between the current Cintiq, and my ultimate dream? I mean, I already have a tablet-laptop, but the surface sucks, when it comes to drawing, and if I’m folding it together, my keyboard goes away, and if I’m not folding it, my keyboard is in the way. It’s just not very good.

Next generation Cintiq would (in my fantasyworld) include batteries, a keyboard (might be attached while transporting - keyboards are very flat these days), and software (with the choice of going with Apple og Microsoft - or whatever you want). Actually, you would have a great laptop - just with focus on the artistic needs, not for gaming or whatever people are using them for). The size could be between the two sizes you mention here (I don’t understand why it weighs so much?)

“There’s a small distance between the screen and the monitor surface, at first it can be bothering but it’s not a big problem. Besides, in the software there’s an application to calibrate that difference.”

Do I understand this correct? When you touch the screen with the pen, there is a little.. ehm.. time (I don’t know what to call it), before the reaction comes, and the stroke appears? That’s my main concern, due to the fact, that it is a huge problem with my current laptop (tablet edition).

Sorry for all the babling
I really loved, that you took the time to put this together. Always really nice to read about a product from the custumers point of view.

I would love to hear your opinion, when some time has gone by, whether you’re still happy with it - especially the pricematter/feeling/use contra the old Intous3, you already had.

I just think it’s such a big decision, when the money is tight

Dont worry for the delay beetwen the movement and the stroke appearing, its really really short, not a big deal.
Actually your ultimate dream is real
I saw a laptop with wacom cintiq screen incorporated, though I think the sensitivity was 512 levels. I was looking for the page where I saw it, but I dont find it.

If its a issue of money, surelly I would save my money and keep my Intuos 3. With the Cintiq you will do things faster and easier, and why not, its great having that nice hardware on your desktop, but you wont do anything you cant do with your Intuos.

I hope it helps
Cheers.

————– TEST——————

The Cintiq let you doing more accurate paths, take a look to this test:

http://www.sosnewbie.com/imagenes/wacom-cintiq/cintiq-test.jpg

A.- The active area is really big, it let you trace paths moving your pencil from the shoulder, instead the hand. When you move just the hand is almost impossible drawing a straight line (see test number 1)

I guess with a Wacom tablet so big as the Cintiq it should be minimized.

B.- You can rotate and turn the canvas, impossible to do with a Intuos.

C.- You have direct input, with the Cintiq you see point A and move your hand to point B. The feedback works in real time. With the tablet you have reference of point A (the photoshop pointer) but you “imagine” where is point B.

Do this: draw point A and point B, and now draw a line to join both points. Now rotate your tablet a few degrees… You will need several tries before you do the task properly. See how you need to imagine where is point B?

Take a look to the image test 2, notice how I need to decrease the speed of the path to gain accuracy. When I have to do a curve instead a straight line the problem is even bigger (test 3)

Another proof of the effect of direct feedback (test 4). I joined several points with just a line, with the Cintiq its almost perfect with the Intuos see how I go from point A to B, then I have problems to stop the pencil in the exact point(a bit too late every time).

Thanks for visiting. Greetings from Spain!

I’m very lost, when it comes to explaining such an abstract thing

In the article I was talking about the distance from the pencil to the display, since you have a solid surface between them. So depending your point of view the cursor can look missaligned with the pencil, its because there is a utility, to calibrate this gap.

Regarding the delay of the stroke, it will depends more on your CPU than the Wacom itself. That delay is almost null, you have to put lot of attention to realize there is a small delay… even you dont notice it.

Did the lenghty comment not go through?

http://axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

Enjoy your dream

Thank you for the link