While I've used Wacom tablets since... oh... 1995, this was the first that gave me almost the same giddy sense of creative liberation as moving from a mouse to a tablet did.
Don't get me wrong, I love tablets as they are. I've been making art for videogames with 'em for over a decade now. It's just that this makes it that much more fun. When drawing in a sketchbook, or inking, or using Prismacolor pencils, etc., I always found it easy to zone in and focus on my art, and that was a state of mind I just never found I could reach with a normal tablet. With the Cintiq it just comes back naturally. Maybe it's just me.
Anyway, the more objective review:
The Hub - It has a central box where you plug in DVI/VGA, power, and usb, from which a single long cable extends to the tablet itself. If you don't think you're going to need to relocate the entire package very often, it's actually very neat and tidy, and easy to use. If you do plan to use it on the road, then with a little effort, you can use the included velcro cable ties to organize the cables fairly efficiently, just don't expect it to be an iPhone tablet.
The Tablet - In my personal experience, it seems just as responsive as any of Wacom's Intuos 3 tablets if you were using one with an existing monitor, with the same sensitivity levels and tilt.
The Display - The colors are vibrant, and the resolution for the size screen I found to be very functional, not sacrificing legibility of interface for screen real estate.
The Stylus - If you've used any Wacom tablet in the past few years, it's the same as the Intuos 3's, and it feels just fine to me (it's the same, just a darker gray). If you want something else, Wacom offers several alternatives. I like the one that comes with it, although I'd like one of those new Intuos 4 stylus holders with the nib rack built in.
The Connectivity - If you're only using one monitor, with a video card with an extra DVI/VGA port, or a laptop with a DVI/VGA port, you're set as far as adding it as a second display. If, however, you're already using two monitors, or don't have a spare DVI/VGA port, you can easily add a display by getting an external USB display adapter. There are several to choose from. I got Lenovo's $150 version and it's worked just fine for me. Now I don't just have a Cintiq, but a third display when I don't need to use it as a tablet, which turned out to be surprisingly handy.
The Desk Space - If you already use a medium sized Wacom tablet, the 12WX takes up about the same space. However, adding its use as a third display resulted in me making space for it independent of where I normally kept my previous tablet (under my mousepad except when in use).
The Use - I can't say this will be the same for everyone who uses it, but I'm much faster with it. I almost never have to make "guess strokes," I guess you'd call them, like I did with a normal tablet, since I'm actually drawing/painting on the same surface I'm directly looking at.
The Price - Yes, it comes at a premium. It'd be easiest to explain in supply-&-demand terms, being relatively expensive to make vs. small potential customer base. I'm more than satisfied with just how affordable something this game-changing is.
The Software Bundle - I didn't buy it for the software, I bought it for the hardware, but the included brushes were a nice bonus, and I use them all the time.
If you're a digital artist, if it's within your budget, and you want to make making your art an even happier experience, I'd recommend getting one of these.
| Standing screen display size | 12 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1280x800 |
