TWCL

Marscaleb · Joined: 28 Aug 2012 Posts: 136

I sold my car last week.
Today it dawned on me that I could afford to buy a cintiq.

The problem with them is that they don't swivel, and I really need that for how I draw. However, the smallest cintiq appears to be small enough to hold conveniently in one's lap. Quite possibly, I could swivel it around like that.

But I'm also thinking of getting a tablet PC, one of those laptops that can have the display twist around so it turns into a tablet. Small, portable, and easy to spin around like I do with my clipboard.
As a bonus I can also take it anywhere, which is great because now I do most of my drawing away from home. I guess I could conceivable also take the cintiq along with a laptop, but it would be considerably bulkier.

BUT

What I am really curious about is how well these would work for drawing. I have my concerns about the tablet PC, since it is designed to also work as a touchscreen. So, I figured I'd open a forum here. The folks here ought to know. Who has tried out either or both of these methods? How well do they work? What do I need to be aware of? What do I need to look for when buying a tablet PC? And so forth.
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n9uxu · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 576 Location: Michigan

Well, I started with a tabletpc before my lab bought Cintiqs and... they worked. I really, REALLY hated the stylus though... no heft... no real "feel" to it while drawing. Also, the resolution on the 12" tabletpc screens leaves a bit to be desired (I kept hoping for a 15" tabletpc with decent resolution rather than the standard 12s). Pressure sensitivity worked fine (1024 levels). Tracked lines just fine... I've used the HP and the Toshiba HD version and Toshiba standard version.

The Cintiq, however, sweet mother of all that is holy, is hands and feet above working on a tablet pc. We have the 20wsx versions which do pivot in their stand... The stylus has much better heft, and I'm all about the screen real estate. Better feel to the screen as well as your stylus drags along.

I'd buy what you can afford, but if the processor in your tabletpc dies, you lose your drawing tool where as if you choose a cintiq (large or small) or yiyinova and you processor goes belly up, you can always just hook up to another PC and move on.

Dave
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topjimcomics · Joined: 10 Sep 2012 Posts: 54

I just bought a Samsung ATIV 500T tablet, and I'm trying it out. I'll let you know how it goes. I got it because it was WAAAY cheaper than anything else that runs the full Windows 8, and because I didn't need to run Photoshop. I'm planning on using Sketchbook Pro to draw, and it seems to be running fairly well despite being an Atom processor. I watched a good video of it on YouTube, and it definitely can't handle CS6. This tablet does have a Wacom digitizer, and it's tiny, but for $40 you can get a full sized pen that has an eraser on it. It's also 11.6", which is fairly large for a tablet (but yeah, I'd agree, not at the 15" where I'd like it to be).

I'd love to have a Cintiq, but the price is just completely out of my range. No doubt if you can afford one, they would outclass what I'm doing.
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n9uxu · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 576 Location: Michigan

The new yiyinova is getting great reviews and is very cheap, but doesn't tilt.

Dave

topjimcomics · Joined: 10 Sep 2012 Posts: 54

n9uxu wrote:

The new yiyinova is getting great reviews and is very cheap, but doesn't tilt.

Dave

Any idea of someplace that sells them and has them in stock? It looks to be that Panda City is the only america carrier, and they list through Amazon, and I've yet to see the new model (MSP19U) listed as in stock.

Jim
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n9uxu · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 576 Location: Michigan

It seems to be pretty much a be-there-at-the-right-time sort of gig. Not sure what is choking their supply line so...

topjimcomics · Joined: 10 Sep 2012 Posts: 54

I'm using my ATIV 500T now full time for my comic, and at least in Sketchbook Pro, it is pretty responsive. It's a great low budget option I think, although I'd say the Yiynova would be better if you can find one.

The tablet is definitely better for me, because having kids, the ability to sit beside them on the couch while drawing is much better than being stuck at my computer desk.
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Lady Tygry · Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 231 Location: Buckeye State

I LOVE my Galaxy note (uses Wacom's digitizer technology):

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10-1-32GB/dp/B007M506WS

It's a 10 inch display but the resolution is great. Here's a current WIP:

http://tygry.deviantart.com/art/Mount-Whore-WIP-2-358448750

My only gripe is that PS Touch doesn't support PSDs. Fortunately, I found a cheap app called LayerPaint and it gets the job done. The stylus is light (not clunky like the old tabletop Wacom's stylus). I still have to use Photoshop for final touch-ups as the app could still be improved upon (it's missing key tools like wand, etc.) but it has shaved hours off of my inking alone. Feels quite natural. Whenever I know I'm going to have at least an hour of downtime, I load it up with raw sketches and come home with completed inks. Coloring on it is fine but again, a wand tool would really speed up that process.

Bill Murphy · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 28

I'm planning on getting the 12" cintiq. From what I've read about it is that the smallest model really isn't portable. The screen is 12" and has a frame around it with buttons. So I'm figuring it is about the size of a 15" laptop. It also has three wires that plug into a converter box that plugs into your computer. Plus, a power cord with a big transformer attached to it. Just like the laptop plugs have. Also keep in mind that you have to have the "Portable" 12" Cintiq plugged into your computer of choice.

The 24" has a swivel base but weighs about 70 lbs! I'm not sure about the 22".

Traegorn · Joined: 16 Feb 2010 Posts: 141

I actually draw my comics in Adobe Ideas on my iPad (and then add text, balloons, panel borders in Gimp on my laptop).

But that's mostly because I already owned the tablet. A wacom is always going to be better than a tablet pc, hands down.

Marscaleb · Joined: 28 Aug 2012 Posts: 136

Bill Murphy wrote:

I'm planning on getting the 12" cintiq. From what I've read about it is that the smallest model really isn't portable. The screen is 12" and has a frame around it with buttons. So I'm figuring it is about the size of a 15" laptop. It also has three wires that plug into a converter box that plugs into your computer. Plus, a power cord with a big transformer attached to it. Just like the laptop plugs have. Also keep in mind that you have to have the "Portable" 12" Cintiq plugged into your computer of choice.

The 24" has a swivel base but weighs about 70 lbs! I'm not sure about the 22".

I got a response from WACOM, and the 22HD swivels up to 180 degrees, assuming it doesn't hit your desk, which it would unless you have it angled fairly low.
That 12" one just looks way to clunky to really be portable though, and if you tried to hold it in your lap or something, you'd have this cord hanging off the thing. So bearing that in mind, if I were to get a cintiq, I'd get the 22HD. I wouldn't be taking it anywhere.

But since half of the drawing I do is away from home, I'm thinking I'm going with a tablet of some kind.
The Galaxy looks pretty cool, but it just wouldn't work for me if I couldn't run the software I need. And I can't seem to find a convertible that works like I need. So I think I'm going to try out the Surface Pro. I called Microsoft, and I can return it for a full refund within 30 days if I'm not satisfied. That's a pretty big selling point for me, so I can really try it out and see if it will work with my workflow.
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http://maytiacomic.com/

Marscaleb · Joined: 28 Aug 2012 Posts: 136

Oh wow, look what just got announced:

http://gizmodo.com/5991253/wacoms-new-13+inch-multitouch-tablet-wont-quite-break-the-bank

New tablet by Wacom, and it looks friggin sweet...

Better hold off on that purchase, Murphy.
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http://maytiacomic.com/

n9uxu · Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 576 Location: Michigan

I like the stand... nice touch...bigger screen than the yiyinova equivalent, but still $1,000?!? Wacom really needs a reality check on their pricing. The cable harness looks more manageable, though an adapter would be needed as my laptop doesn't have hdmi out. They don't show the size of the power brick though...

Dave
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Traegorn · Joined: 16 Feb 2010 Posts: 141

Doesn't seem all that expensive when you consider what you're getting...

Marscaleb · Joined: 28 Aug 2012 Posts: 136

Traegorn wrote:

Doesn't seem all that expensive when you consider what you're getting...

Agreed. For the same price I'm looking at a Surface Pro. It's a smaller screen, has a less-sensitive stylus, and has very limited storage space for working on serious projects, not to mention various software compatibility issues since it runs Windows 8.
Whereas a Cintiq tablet connects to my computer, so I can run some serious graphical programs and use it as a real tool.
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My webcomic: Mischief in Maytia
http://maytiacomic.com/