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Tablet Pc or Cintiq? Discuss

pior
grand marshal polycounter
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pior grand marshal polycounter
Hey all

This has been running in my head for a couple of weeks now. What do you think is best, a good tablet PC or a Cintiq made of sex?

I've been wishing for a Cintiq for years and now consider saving up money to maybe buy one ; I never tried it yet but am in the hope of doing so in the next future. I love everything about the concept and would love to scribble around crashed on my sofa simply because I feel like doing so when I am relaxed, and less when I am sitting in a chair in front of computer drawing on a wacom but looking at a screen.

I guess it has downsides tho : I bet that the device is a bit clumsy to move around, I would need some super long cables to moveit around the room, and it heats up a bit maybe.

Then come the tablet PCs, all in one, just a pad really. Like this:
http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=702

I hear some of these tablet PCs' pens are actually made by Wacom. Which makes me wonder... what about pressure sensitivity? I can't find any mention of it anywhere on review sites and obviously this is quite a big deal. I've seen pictures posted on Concept Art dot org that are said to be done on a tablet PC hence it's definately possible to work that way but it must be super frustrating.

Pro? Cons? I'd love to hear many views on the issue. It would be great if someone has both devices ha!

nota1 : I have no laptop yet hence can't hook a Cintiq to a laptop to make it more portable. That also means that a tabletPC won't be a double use since i have no portable Pc of any kind atm.
nota2 : Tablet PCs and Cintiq are in the same price range.
nota3 : Cintiq = unlimited power, talbetPC = 2d only...
Ha! Help!
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Replies

  • blankslatejoe
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    blankslatejoe polycounter lvl 19
    been using a cintiq at work:
    pro: sexy. newer versions don't have any device lag at all--with working in 2d or 3d (i used the cintiq as a navigation/modeling interface directly, instead of the mouse).
    pro: quick wysiwyg working. I'm DEFINTELY faster with it...and my quality of work as improved at a faster rate as well.
    pro: amazing quality screen..its ginormous, crisp, and responds exactly how it 'should' respond.


    cons: heavy to put on lap for a long time...not a biggie, but it does make it annoying to have to standup/sitdown/etc. Also, who knows what wonderful radiation waves are pouring into my lap.
    cons: bigass cumbersome cord. You won't get far from your desk with these puppies. It's really not a portable device by any means.
    cons: all sorts of wonky setup issues when trying to dual monitor things. This might be a windows64 issue, but the wacom drivers constantly reset. Makes customizing the buttons and pens a bit...well...useless. This might never be an issue if the cintiq is used as a single monitor.

    Dunno anything about tablet PCs..for sketching they seem awesome though.
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  • b1ll
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    b1ll polycounter lvl 18
    eheh I bought a 21x cintiq a litle while ago, ahh So fucking awsome, I will never go back to intuos crap!! i cant realy help ya cause i never tried thosess tablet pc.

    But I can tell ya the Cintiq is great, I have no heating issues nor lag like some people mention, Its perfect.
    U can angle it any way u want, rotate it sideway and all that shit, very easy for the wrist.
    But i realy dont see myself with my cintiq painting on the couch man. That thing is HUGE, u can slide it out of the stand, but even so, big wires and shit would be annoying to have on lap.But, since u can rotate it and all that shit, its win! and its not the same weight as the intuos..

    Anyway, Im glad i bought my cintiq21x. No problem with it. The transition was very easy. I never tried it before buying so it was like a @IHOPEITSGOOD@ kinda shit. but hey worked out well in the end. worth every penny!

    Cio!
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  • b1ll
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    b1ll polycounter lvl 18
    What window version u have Joe? I remember having thoses drivers issues at first with fucking vista, but i got the latest drivers and no issues now, I use it as dual monitor all the time.

    Oh ya pior, I models, texture, and all the blabla on my cintiq, FUCK ANYTHING ELSE! lol
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  • Rhinokey
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    Rhinokey polycounter lvl 18
    21ux cintiq here, and i love it, could not go back to a normal tablet now.

    I don't see where it not being mobile is a problem, its not meant to be mobile. its a monitor wot you can draw on.

    i've seen people around here with tablet pcs and while they seemed neat they just seemed more like toys, it was neat you could sketch while at the bar. but it seemed too primitive for me to do any serious work with it. who knows maybe some of the high end ones are nice.. but i do most my art at a desk, and not at a bar

    so my vote 100% cintiq all the way
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  • blankslatejoe
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    blankslatejoe polycounter lvl 19
    I'm using WinXP 64 bit, b1ll...it could be the OS, or perhaps its the shared priveleges computer setup--installing any new program is usually what resets the drivers..even a trial of a game or something.

    Of course, I had a fairly complex setup--the cintiq was on the left side (left handed), but was the secondary monitor (no startmenu). So 'windows' had to extend to the 'left', but begin the start menu in the middle of the theoretical real estate.
    In the end I gave up trying to force it that way and have just gotten used to the default 2 monitor setup. Haven't had as many driver problems since then either :-)
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  • dfacto
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    dfacto polycounter lvl 18
    blankslatejoe:

    Saw this link on ca.org a while ago. http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87386

    Says it's a solution for dual monitors, though I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, or if it fixes the problems you have.
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  • blankslatejoe
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    blankslatejoe polycounter lvl 19
    innnttteresting dfacto..ill have to take a further look at that! thanks!
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  • notman
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    notman polycounter lvl 18
    Something else to think of. If you get a TabletPC, when it gets old/slow, then you'll have to replace the whole thing. If you have a Cintiq and the computer gets slow, you just move the Cintiq to the new machine. Just a thought smile.gif
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  • poopinmymouth
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    poopinmymouth polycounter lvl 19
    [ QUOTE ]
    Something else to think of. If you get a TabletPC, when it gets old/slow, then you'll have to replace the whole thing. If you have a Cintiq and the computer gets slow, you just move the Cintiq to the new machine. Just a thought smile.gif

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Exactly what Notman said. I had a tablet pc, and it was just too laggy. There is only one piece of tablet Wacom hardware, until they implement the 21ux hardware into tablets (who knows when that will be), and it's just too laggy. That, and the tablet pcs, are all heavier than a nice light laptop with a wacom together. If you're committed to buy one or the other, I'd go with a 21ux no questions asked. You'll have it forever.

    poop.gif
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  • dom
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    dom polycounter lvl 18
    cintiqs for sure. As mentioned, you're paying for something that will outlast most other devices. Tablet pcs are just way too sluggish. and with a cintiq, you are paying for a decent monitor as well. The only thing about the cintiq is its size, its huge... well there are pros and cons. I am looking at buying a cintiq as well in the near future.
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  • ThE_BirD
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    ThE_BirD polycounter lvl 18
    Agreed with the cintiq as well. I've been using one at work forever and wouldn't trade it for anything. It definitely sped me up. I've taken a decent tablet pc with the pressure sensitive pen out on trips and it's great for doing some photoshop\painter sketching at the coffee shop but it's just not mean enough for any serious modeling(or print size ps images really:S)
    I wonder how far we are away from a new cintiq though and\or if it'd be worth waiting for... It's been over 2 years since the 21ux was released...
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  • ScoobyDoofus
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    ScoobyDoofus polycounter lvl 20
    The department I work in has 6 cintiq 21UX's and there has been a model update in just the last 12 months. The display is physically a little different. Different design on the bezel, etc. I am assuming the changes are for aesthetic/manufacturing reasons as performance/Cost wise they are exactly the same.

    I have not used many tablet PC's but as many have mentioned the poor display quality, poor laptop speed & lag can be an issue if you are using it for serious production.

    I've been using my 21UX for about a year now and love it even if I did/do have a number of small issues with it.
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  • conte
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    conte polycounter lvl 18
    woosh, cool thread.
    i am going to buy one too, cintiq i guess,
    or maybe phantom device for sculpting, thinking around.
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  • Jesse Moody
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    Jesse Moody polycounter lvl 17
    yeah i used a cintiq during a demo and at gdc and i seriously can't wait to get one. They are just amazing. I've used tablet pcs and to echo everyone else here. Slow, laggy and you have to replace the whole thing when it gets old.

    Cintiq FTW!!!
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  • ebagg
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    ebagg polycounter lvl 17
    Simple, if you want it on the go, go with tablet pc, otherwise if you just like art on your desktop, stick with a Cintiq. We have Cintiqs at work and they are dayaaaaamn cool!
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  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    Ah how convenient. I was on my way in here to ask the very same question about Tablet PCs.

    As for the Cintiq, a freind of mine has a model which is probably a few generations old and while its kind of neat, there are a few things I don't like about it. Firstly, it has a terrible view angle. Unless you're looking straight down at it, you can't see anything. Secondly, because its a glass surface on top of a monitor, it feels like you're trying to draw through a centimetre of glass which, while its something you'd probably get used to, feels kind of awkward. Have these issues been overcome in later iterations of the hardware?
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  • Jeremy Lindstrom
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    Jeremy Lindstrom polycounter lvl 18
    Not all Tablets are bad, yes some of the older tablets are the suck, I just recently had this dillema as well. I ended up getting a Toshiba Tecra M7, it has a 256 meg Nvidia Quadro card in it, 2Gig Ram with a Core 2 Duo processor, with the Maya supported vid card it runs Maya, max, and zbrush great and it has the 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, with a 14 inch screen.

    Cintiq, you can't go wrong with one really but I couldn't plunk down $2500 for a monitor I could draw on. I really don't see why it costs as much as it does. Is it worth it, hell ya, but it's really just a large 21 inch monitor you can draw on. I still want one but will wait until I get my new job and starting making some of my own cash again, then the wifey won't feel so bad with me spending her cash laugh.gif

    The other issue I have with my Tablet is the need for the keyboard in tablet mode, I have to hook up a USB keyboard to get use of the shortcut keys in tablet mode as the usual keyboard is folded up neatly underneath the screen which is a pain in the ass laugh.gif
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