Despite what it might sound like at first, Wacom’s Cintiq monitor/tablet combo isn’t just a wacky gimmick--although it does feel pretty sci-fi and futuristic. Essentially, it’s all the technology of the Intuos4 tablet crammed into a 21.3-inch touch-sensitive display. The Cintiq boasts 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity--double that of the previous generation--and the ability to recognize the angle of the pen in applications like Photoshop and Painter. Our tests revealed smooth lines while painting with the Brush tool and more realistic strokes as the Cintiq matched our natural drawing angle.
Quick Draw McGraw's favorite peripheral.
In addition to the screen sensitivity, the pen itself has undergone serious sensitivity training as well. Wacom says that the pen’s tip sensor recognizes as little as one gram of pressure. No matter how hard we tried (no pun intended), we couldn’t make contact with the screen without the pen and tablet recognizing our touch. An amusing experiment, yes, but an instructive one. For design pros, the increased sensitivity and level of control can be the difference between good designs and great ones.
The customizable ExpressKeys on the Cintiq have gone from four on each side to eight. The 16 keys can be programmed as hot keys for global use or on an app-by-app basis to perform specific functions. Unfortunately, they doesn’t include the light-up labels that were so handy on the larger Intuos tablets. But Wacom did add a Touch Strip Toggle button that scrolls through four preset functions as you tap on it. The touch strips--located on the back of the display for use with your fingers as you grip the frame--let you slide to adjust brush sizes or scroll through a page. Though strange at first glance, the new position felt more natural than the front-mounted sliders on the previous Cintiq.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that our fingerprints on the screen were nearly undetectable while the 1600x1200 pixel monitor was on--a huge win for something you’re handling with your greasy paws all day. The matte surface is a refreshing change from Apple’s glossy, reflection-prone monitors, and you can tilt and rotate the monitor to re-create the natural drawing position of a drafting table.
The Cintiq could easily replace our main monitor--a relief considering its price. Two Gs is a lot of money, but for designers or animators, Cintiq is a worthy investment in productivity and enhanced control over your work.
Cintiq 21UX
COMPANY: Wacom
CONTACT: www.wacom.com
PRICE: $1999
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.4.8 or later; USB, DVI, or VGA connection
Enhanced sensitivity. Enough ExpressKeys to control the universe.
No light-up function keys like the Intuos4 has.
