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Tablets are everywhere these days thanks to the iPad, but they lack a certain finesse necessary for fine digital arts work. That’s where longtime players like Wacom and Modbook still excel. Recently, I’ve had both a Wacom Cintiq 22HD and a new Modbook Pro in the studio for testing, and both have proven immensely handy for digital drawing, painting and photo editing.
One’s clearly a desktop affair, while the other’s much more portable, but if you’ve only got the budget for one (it’s $ 2,000 for the Cintiq and around $ 3,200 for the Modbook), which to choose?
The Modbook Pro is a modified MacBook Pro, from a company that has been hacking Apple’s notebooks together with Wacom pressure sensitive screens and turning out Frankenstein Apple tablets since long before the days of the iPad. The latest Modbook Pro is based on the mid-2012 version of the non-Retina MacBook Pro, with some amazing specs to boot. Some highlights (as tested):
- 2.9GHz Intel Core i7
- 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM
- Intel HD Graphics 4000 512MB
- 480GB SSD
- $ 4519 price as tested
- Product info page
The Modbook also retains most of the ports of the MacBook Pro, with one Ethernet, one Firewire 800, a Thunderbolt port and one USB 3.0, plus the SD and audio in/out ports. The other USB 3.0 on a standard MBP is used to power the Wacom digitizer built into the Modbook’s display, which offers 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity with the included stylus, which slides into a holster built right into the case.
You also get a slot-loading Superdrive on the Modbook Pro, along with a power button and sync button, which you press to make sure the pen is properly calibrated with the display whenever you power it on. The display itself is a matte, 13.3-inch 1280 x 800 pixel LCD, which has a textured feel that resembles paper when drawing with the included stylus.
The hardware is impressive, and feels sturdy and durable. Very sturdy, in fact, which accounts for one of its biggest drawbacks: it’s very, very heavy. At 5.4 pounds, it’s almost a pound heavier than a 13-inch MBP on its own, and since it’s a tablet designed for portability you quickly notice how hefty it actually is. Despite what you may think, it manages to not get too hot when in use, which is a huge bonus for a device that you’ll want to lie flat on your lap most of the time.
Weight issues aside, the Modbook Pro delivers as a drawing tablet. It feels very natural, and mimics the experience of paper well. With the caveat that you’re writing on that paper on top of a stone tablet from biblical times. But it meets the definition of portable, if only just, and gives you access to full Mac and Windows (through Boot Camp) programs, including Sketchbook Pro, Photoshop, Manga Studio and many other industry stand-bys. The problem is that you often want to use it on desks and other flat surfaces, and there’s no good way to change the angle.
It meets the definition of portable, if only just, and gives you access to full Mac and Windows programs.Another issue is the on-screen keyboard. It’s the default one built into OS X, which many may not even know exists. It’s clunky, it only works with the stylus (no touchscreen input here), and it quickly has you diving for a Bluetooth keyboard if you’re doing anything other than opening and closing a drawing program. A good thing for comfort is that you can rotate the screen from the menu bar easily for portrait use.
This Wacom drawing tablet is the latest in the Cintiq line (though the 13HD will soon change that, when it hits retail). Unlike the Modbook, it isn’t a self-contained computer and must be connected to a Mac or Windows machine to work. It does have a much larger display, however, capable of true HD 1920×1080 resolution. Here’s a bit more about this bad boy:
- Features 16 customizable ExpressKeys and 2 touch strips
- 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity
- Built-in adjustable stand
- $ 1,999
- Product info page
The Cintiq 22HD has two big differences from the Modbook, but in a way, they actually act as pretty equal trade-offs. The Modbook Pro costs a lot more, but that price difference is about the same as you’d pay for a MacBook Pro on its own, which is exactly what you’ll need to already own if you want the Cintiq 22HD to actually do anything, since it needs to plug into a computer.
There’s also the portability factor: the Cintiq simply isn’t. It’s like any 20+ inch display, but slightly bigger on account of the adjustable angle stand and the built-in ExpressKey and touch strip controls. Plus it’s tethered to your computer via a DVI cable (and whatever adapter you require, perhaps to Thunderbolt or HDMI) and a USB cable that handles the pressure sensitivity duties. But, you can actually slide the Cintiq 22HD off its stand, should you want to lay it in your lap for comfort’s sake, though you’d better have a pretty wide and accommodating lap to use it this way.
That said, the Cintiq 22HD is a dedicated drawing tablet and its dedication to that task shows. Despite the fact that both devices use the excellent Wacom pen tech, the 22HD has double the pressure sensitivity, so it picks up more subtle changes in pen pressure, ships with a much better and more comfortable drawing stylus, and has a better, brighter display that also hase a much better viewing angle. Like the Modbook, it supports display rotation, and on its handy swivel stand, is actually easier to manhandle when used on flat surfaces.
the 22HD has double the pressure sensitivity, so it picks up more subtle changes in pen pressure.The Cintiq is also easier to use without a keyboard, thanks to the programmable ExpressKeys. You can assign them and the touch panels to zoom, pan, scroll, undo, delete, select all, or perform virtually any function you can do with a keystroke combination. That means a lot less cause to resort to keying in commands, which ultimately saves a lot of frustration.
In some ways, comparing these two devices is like comparing an iMac to a MacBook Pro; if you need portability, you’re going to go with the latter regardless of the relative virtues of either. And the Modbook Pro is an excellent choice for demanding graphics professionals who need a portable device that has none of the trade-offs in terms of performance or software compatibility of something like an iPad or Galaxy Note 10.1.
But if you fall within a broader group of pros and prosumers who are looking at either the entry-level Cintiq or the Modbook as a standalone solution, I’d have to go with the Cintiq. The Modbook’s portability is actually a hindrance in terms of making it comfortable for long-term use, and the Cintiq is just a better performer with more advanced, more nuanced tech on board for digital drawing and photo manipulation. Coming from the older Cintiq 12WX, the 22HD is a massive improvement, and that’s saying a lot considering how thrilled I was with the 12WX.
The Modbook Pro is a remarkable achievement and perfect for those who demand portability, but it’s much more of a niche device. The Cintiq 22HD will disappoint no one who’s in the market for this sort of thing and has the budget to buy it. The main question that remains for that group of people is whether the just-announced 13HD can suit their needs instead, and I’ll let you know the answer to that in our upcoming review.
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Question by Kevin: What is the best digital camera with touch screen? Giv me the max resolution in pixel, make and model.
Best answer:
Answer by Kimberly AitaCanon cameras are always a good bet and this one comes at a great price. I don’t know what you are looking for in your touchscreen but I hope this helps
Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital ELPH
* Compact digital still camera with built-in flash, 5x Optical/4x Digital/20x Combined * Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System * 14.1 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) * Focal Length 4.3 (W) – 21.5 (T) mm (35mm equivalent – 24 – 120mm) * 3.5-inch LCD with wide viewing angle and Touch Panel Technology
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BFSW9C?ie=UTF8&tag=affimilltraiv-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003BFSW9C
Add your own answer in the comments!
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As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword. But I’d also venture that the pen can be mightier than the keyboard. After spending hours each day typing out emails, text messages, tweets, Facebook comments and instant messages using similarly dull fonts, the sight of anything written in another person’s handwriting can be quaintly touching.
The Targus iNotebook consists of a notebook case, a customized pen and a paper notebook. A sensor bar above the pad receives signals from the pen as it is used and can wirelessly beam what is written to the iPad.
For the past week, I’ve tried using a tool from Targus that breathes digital life into good old handwriting. It’s the iNotebook, a $ 180 gadget that digitizes and saves words written on regular paper to the iPad.
Using a free, iPad-only app called iNotebook, people can sort their handwritten notes into various notebooks, tabs and pages. They can enhance their notes with cool background images, highlighted text, stamps and different text colors. Audio recordings can be added to notes, and notes can be saved to Dropbox or emailed to friends.
While the iNotebook is definitely a niche product, it’s fun to use and more satisfying than writing on a glass tablet surface using a stylus. People who primarily rely on handwritten notes — whether because they can write faster or because they like making quick annotations or drawings with their notes — will want to consider this device.
But its $ 180 price tag, which is over half the cost of the iPad Mini, will scare buyers off. And in a few instances, the iNotebook pen was a little flaky.
The iNotebook consists of a handsome notebook case, which is available in all black or white canvas with black accents. Inside, a customized pen and a 100-page notebook with lined pages and a black cover slide into the case. (Targus’s notebook refills cost $ 5, but other similarly sized notebooks would also fit.) A special sensor bar runs horizontally above the notebook; it receives signals from the pen as it writes, and communicates wirelessly with the iPad when it’s connected via Bluetooth.
Targus isn’t the first company to try moving handwriting into the land of digital. Back in 1998, IBM attempted to bridge the gap between PC and paper with its CrossPad, which used a pen with a radio frequency transmitter and required a serial cable to connect to a PC. Microsoft incorporated handwriting recognition software into its tablet PCs in the early 2000s. And Livescribe has tried since 2007 to popularize its technology, which uses a pen with a tiny, built-in camera and special paper to record and wirelessly transmit text as you write.
The iNotebook sensor and pen both run on rechargeable batteries that can be charged by plugging into a USB port, and an included split USB cord simultaneously charges the pen and sensor. Both last, fully charged, for 60 days on standby, according to Targus. The sensor automatically turns off after an hour if it hasn’t been used for writing. In use, the sensor is estimated to last 15 hours while not paired via Bluetooth to the iPad, or six hours when it is paired. The pen lasts for 10 hours of writing.
The pen comes with three standard D1 ink refills. A refill pack of 10 from Targus costs $ 8. The cap of this pen doubles as a stylus tip, giving users the option to write with ink on paper in the iNotebook device and then quickly switch over to writing with a stylus in the app.
Any paper can be used with the iNotebook — even a cocktail napkin — so long as the iNotebook pen is used for writing and the paper (or napkin) is placed on the iNotebook. Choosing one’s own paper will be a boon for those who love their Moleskine notebooks and personalized journals because anything they write there can be sent back to the iNotebook iPad app. Indeed, I made a reminder note to myself on a Post-it Note stuck to a page in the iNotebook, and its text was saved in the iPad app.
The way the iNotebook works is a little complicated. Its special pen and sensor work together using infrared and ultrasonic signals that capture text as it’s written; they don’t use handwriting recognition. The pen works as a transmitter: When you press down to write, a switch inside the pen turns it on. The pen transmits the text data to the iNotebook sensor. This text can be instantly displayed on the iPad screen as you’re writing, which feels kind of magical.
If the iPad isn’t nearby or isn’t connected via Bluetooth, up to 100 pages of writing can be stored on the sensor by pressing a small button on the sensor. When the iPad is nearby and/or Bluetooth is on, saved pages are imported from the sensor to the iPad app by tapping an option in the app.
I liked the free iNotebook iPad app, finding it simple to use and self-explanatory. I created five different notebooks, which were each automatically given a different color cover and placed on virtual shelves, the same way magazines and newspapers appear in Apple’s Newsstand app. In the app, I added pages to a notebook by tapping the “+” icon in the bottom right of the app; on the iNotebook, I turned the page in my physical paper notebook or tapped a Next Page button on the sensor to flip to a fresh virtual page.
The iNotebook requires paper to be positioned just below its sensor. At times, when I wrote too close to the left side of my notebook page, the handwriting didn’t come through or appeared as haphazard lines that didn’t make sense. When I adjusted the notebook and moved it farther over into its elastic strap holders, my handwriting was accurately captured.
Targus’s iNotebook isn’t for everyone and its cost will keep away many curious consumers. But it’s simple to use, once you get the hang of it, and its iPad app eases the process of organizing handwritten notes.
Write to Katie at katie.boehret@wsj.com.
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