Ab Work Outs: Wacom Cintiq 12WX 12-Inch Pen Display Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are good things, many people have listed them.But for $1000, it should be much better.Here are a list of the shortcomings that are not excusable for this price:

-Poor viewing angles.Wacom says you should use the color profiles that come with the display as it has been properly calibrated at the factory.And yes, color is perfect.At least Hue and Saturation.Verified with ColorSync advanced setup.But if the brightness and contrast changes if you move your head, well, it isn't accurate, is it?I assumed that this 12.1" display was going to be higher quality than the crappy displays you get in a MacBook or thin Windows Laptop.Wrong.Same horrible viewing angles and hot spots.Basically a cheep laptop monitor in a Wacom case.

-Poor tracking.Wacom is the standard.Supposedly this is based on an Intuos pad.But Wacom gives 2 points of calibration.That's right, 2 points.Upper left, lower right.That means that if you move the pen along the line drawn between those points, it's calibrated.But not in the lower left of upper right.Not at all.Any professional product should have at minimum 5 points of calibration.4 corners and center.2 is what my GameBoy DS has, and frankly, it tracks better and faster.Wacom needs to improve their driver and they could accomplish this.And of course since you can't touch the bottom 5 pixels of the screen, good luck if you had your dock hidden down there (Mac only).I have to have the dock squished to the side, which makes it harder to use, especially with a dual monitor setup.

-Lots of cables and the brick.It works well, but still.With all that cabling and hardware, you'd think they could provide a DVI/VGA passthrough port.

-1st grader pen.The grip pen is just not logical.No artists tools I use have that shape.Pencils, pens, brushes, all are thinner.I am used to sketching with Colorase and drafting pencils, so I won't be using this grip pen.Can I get used to it?Sure, probably, but then it will be more awkward to switch back and forth between the Cintiq and real paper and pencil.I ordered the classic pen, which should arrive in a few days.But that's another $50 to spend, when it should have either been the default pen provided, or BOTH pens should have been provided.

-Software.They have been downgrading the bundles over time with their tablets, but at $1000, we should get more than Painter Light and Photoshop Light, since the vast, vast VAST majority of Cintiq customers already own Photoshop.I mean, you don't spend $1000 on a Cintiq without already owning a full version of Photoshop, so what value is Elements to anyone?Dump it and provide more brush plugins and the Classic pen instead.And a full version of Painter would be nice.

Everything I list is fixable after the fact except for the LCD quality.Bundle can be improved, driver can be upgraded to fix the tracking issues, classic pen can be included.And a "rev B" could include a higher quality LCD screen with a professional viewing angle, at least vertically.Or, if they don't want to fix these problems, cut the price by $400 and it's less offensive... ;)

All that said, there's still nothing like drawing directly on the screen with a pressure sensitive, high resolution pen.It's a great concept and a decent product that could be great.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Wacom Cintiq 12WX 12 Inch Pen Display

Product Description:
Now you can experience all the advantages of direct pen-on-screen input in a low profile, lightweight design! At just 4.4 pounds, the new Cintiq 12WX combines the advantages of a wide-format LCD monitor with Wacom's patented, professional pen technology to give you the perfect companion for your Mac or PC.
Thin and light, the new Cintiq 12WX gives you the flexibility to work on screen the way you want. Easily rotate the 12.1" TFT display when working flat on your desktop to find the right position for your hand, or stand the Cintiq 12WX upright on your desktop and adjust the integrated stand to a comfortable angle. With a flexible 6.5 foot cord, you can even use it on your lap.
No matter how you choose to use it, the Cintiq 12WX allows you to combine the advantages of natural hand-eye coordination and the intuitive pen-on-paper feel of traditional media with the benefits of digital workflow.
The Cintiq 12WX integrates seamlessly into multi-monitor environments to supplement a primary display or to control other displays. Alternatively, you can use the Cintiq 12WX as a stand-alone display. Its ergonomic design and lightweight profile make it easy to add it to your laptop, desktop, or high performance workstation.
The Cintiq 12WX delivers a highly sensitive pen-on-screen experience so you can work directly on your images and applications in the most natural way possible. With "pen-point" accuracy, fast cursor control, and 1,024 levels of pressure-sensitivity on the pen tip and eraser, the Cintiq 12WX gives you increased control, comfort, and productivity.

Overall Dimensions: 16" W x 10.5" H x .67" D
Display Area: 10.3" W x 6.4" H
Screen Size: 12.1" diagonal
Native Resolution WXGA (1280 x 800)
Weight: 4.4 lbs with video control unit
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Pressure Levels: 1,024 on pen tip and eraser
Stand Adjustability: Flat on desktop, 25 to 60 degrees
Rotation: 360 degrees flat position on pivot
Warranty: 2 years