Wacom Revamps Flagship Tablet Line
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Wacom today launched two additions to its flagship high-end tablet lineup, the Cintiq 12WX and the Cintiq 20 WSX. The new models expand the range of sizes available for the tablets, which integrate a display and pressure-sensitive interactive input for visual arts applications, delivering for the first time a Cintiq priced (barely) below $1,000.
The Cintiq 12WX, seen below, combines a 12.1-inch TFT LCD display with stylus input, allowing artists to paint, draw, retouch photos, and otherwise interact directly with images on screen.
The screen itself sports a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels (WXGA) and has about the same surface area as the Wacom Intuos 6x11 tablet. (Intuos tablets do not have integrated LCD displays.) It offers 24-bit color and provides a viewing angle of 170 degrees horizontal and vertical (±85 degrees) and includes both VGA and DVI connectivity. The tablet functionality includes a resolution of 5,080 lines per inch, 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and support for pen tilt (up to 60 degrees). The tablet also supports Wacom's 6D Art Pen and Airbrush. Outside of the drawing area, the tablet includes 10 customizable keys, along with two touch strips, and an integrated, adjustable pop-out stand. It includes the battery- and cord-free grip pen familiar to users of Wacom's Intuos line of tablets. The unit weighs in at 4.4 lbs., by far the lightest Cintiq to date.
The Cintiq 20WSX sports the same design as its larger sibling, the 21UX, and offers a 20.1-inch widescreen display with a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050 pixels (WSXGA+). It offers a brightness of 250 cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 600:1, with a 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angle (±89 degrees). The tablet functionality is identical to that of the 12WX, with a resolution of 5,080 lines per inch, 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and support for pen tilt (up to 60 degrees). It also includes 14 user-assignable keys and two touch strips.
Both the Cintiq 12WX and the Cintiq 20WSX are available now, with support for Mac OS X and Windows. The Cintiq 12WX runs $999; the Cintiq 20WSX sells for $1,999. We'll have a full review of the 12WX in the coming week.
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About the author: David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at [email protected].
Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].