Saw an article on Digg yesterday about the new Nokia 800 Internet Tablet, and the more I read, the more interested I got.
Why? Because it occurred to me that you are essentially buying a Wacom Cintiq tablet for about $1000 less than buying a Wacom Cintiq tablet. The dimensions of the thing's touchscreen is about 6x8, and since you're drawing on top of the display...
Plus, for just under $400 you're also getting a decent WiFi accessable device. Using VNC, you could even use it as a tablet to draw on your main computer...
Just thought y'all might find this as interesting as I did. I'm considering it for my tax refund "treat"
EwanG wrote:
Why? Because it occurred to me that you are essentially buying a Wacom Cintiq tablet for about $1000 less than buying a Wacom Cintiq tablet. The dimensions of the thing's touchscreen is about 6x8, and since you're drawing on top of the display...
The problem I see with this idea is that the Cintiq does (IIRC) varying dergees of pressure, tilt, rotation and tool Ids at least, and this thing - from the write-up - appears to just do on/off "am I touching the screen or not" and nothing more...
And does Nokia's "Internet Tablet OS" run any graphics software anyway? I guess you could probably use a web-app for that, to some degree.
Well, yes, if you actually use the pressure sensitivity feature, then this is not going to hack it for you. Of course, as most of you know, in my case just drawing a line is an adventure...
As for graphics software, there's a sketching application that comes with the N800 by default, and I suspect that the GiMP could be ported to it (since it runs a version of Linux). Of course I'd be more likely to use the VNC option, and then run Photoshop on my main computer with the pad controlling the virtual "mouse".
Idea is that if I'm on the road or such, I do my initial work on the tablet, and then upload. But if I'm at home with the faster connection and minimal delay, I just use it like a slightly slower USB tablet.
Obviously I'm not suggesting this as a tool for a serious artist. But considering that I was looking at the newer 6x8 tablets at about $200, the idea of spending a bit more and having some extra functionality seemed like an interesting concept.
Being a tablet pc user myself, I can explain some of the things for you ^^.
In the world of UMPC/Tablet PCs and stylus enabled computers, there are two primary types of screens/input methods. Active matrixes and passive matrixs.
Things like PDAs, cellphones, and that Nokia tablet. Essentially cheaper stylus enabled devices you a passive matrix, in which detecting of the pen is done by pressure applied to this screen. This provides some advantages and disadvantages. One really cool thing you can do with passive matrixes is to use your fingers to control your computer because it will the detect the pressure of your finger tips. One annoying thing you can't do is actually lay your hand on the screen... because, well... it'll detect your hand >.>;; The passive matrix requires much more pressure on a screen and has very little ability to detect pressure differences of the pen. This makes it absolutely terrible for sketches and overall, not a very good drawing device. It does work pretty decently for taking notes, and thats what its intention was, so thats all good ^^.
Active matrix devices use a special pen that's linked to the matrix that the screen runs. Inside the pen is a gyroscope and a sensor, and on the tip of the pen is a depressible nub that detects the amount of pressure on it. When you move the pen towards the matrix (the screen) the sensor corresponds with the sensors in the screen, so you can actually track your mouse by floating you pen above the screen and not touching the screen itself. There is no problem putting your hand on the screen, or what not because your hand doesn't have anything to trigger the screens sensors. But it also means unfortunately, if you lose your pen, you've got to order another pen that is associated with your active matrix. About 90% of table notebooks that have an active digitizer run a Wacom one. Considering the average costs of one of these is $1500, I can figure out no reason why anyone would purchase one of those Wacom monitors with active matrices for the same price, but oh well. These are the desired computers of artists, as their tracking is excellent, you can see what you are drawing, and it has the full range of weight and sensitivity pickups you would find on a Wacom traditional tablet.
For anyone who is wondering, I own a Gateway CX210S. This is the cheapest active matrix tablet notebook on the market average a base price of just under $1000. It is one of the few active matrix notebooks that doesn't run Wacom for the active matrix, instead opting for FluidTouch (i think thats what the company is called). FluidTouch's speciality is to trace exceptionally well, so the pen is excellent for make long sweeping lines and note taking, probably even better then the Wacom ones for that. Its pressure sensitive is no wear near what the Wacoms can do, so it's not as good as a drawing tool, but still a million times better then a passive matrix device.
Well, I hope that was helpful, and if anyone wants more information, then can just reply or PM me =D.
Misu wrote:
Considering the average costs of one of these is $1500, I can figure out no reason why anyone would purchase one of those Wacom monitors with active matrices for the same price, but oh well.
I believe the answer is simply that the 'tablet' part of the Cintiq display is better than the 'tablet' part of the average tablet PC. I have one myself - an old Acer (TC110i, IIRC) - and while it's good on the move, I still prefer my old Intuos 1 tablet if I'm at my desk. And the Intuos 4 I have now is easily more comfortable to draw with than either of them - higher resolution, higher tracking speed, more features. Does the average tablet PC these days have tilt sensing, for instance? Mine doesn't; it also has a quarter the resolution on the pressure-sensitivity as my Intuos 4...
Also, most tablet PCs are built for resilience, because their expected mode of use is as much managers in meetings as artists; the screen protective layer is thick enough to introduce a noticable differential between pen nib and cursor. It's not much, but I gather from user reports that the Cintiq overcomes this one way or another. Possibly just by assuming that users are going to be careful artsy types who don't stab the screen violently.
Misu wrote:For anyone who is wondering, I own a Gateway CX210S. This is the cheapest active matrix tablet notebook on the market average a base price of just under $1000. It is one of the few active matrix notebooks that doesn't run Wacom for the active matrix, instead opting for FluidTouch (i think thats what the company is called). FluidTouch's speciality is to trace exceptionally well, so the pen is excellent for make long sweeping lines and note taking, probably even better then the Wacom ones for that.
Wasn't aware that any of the Tablet PCs were active matrix. That still would be a bit much for my current budget, but maybe for Christmas...
Just as an FYI, I've learned that this tablet (now that I'm using it) does have an application that supports 16 levels of pressure-sensitivity. So evidently the tablet is capable of doing some crude flaring and such.
And it's lasted in good condition for 4 years. Why shell out more?
Yeah, it really helps to have pressure sensitivity when using the airbrush tool in Photoshop or the Paintbrush tool in Flash (there's a special icon to activate pressure on/off). It makes the lines dynamic and my inking that much more faster than it was years ago.
BCS wrote:Geez, where are you guys coming up with the 1000 dollar figures?
Ignoring the little oddities like the Nokia device Ewan's talking about, a 'Tablet PC' is a laptop with a tablet built into the monitor - $1000 is on the cheap side, really.
