Anything else besides Wacom?

[Line]

Hi people. I know about how cool tablets are and I know how cool and great Wacom tablets in particular are, I have had one for 4 years and not only did I use it to work, but I never used a mouse since. The problem, the tablet died on me 4 days ago.

So now I am trying to make up my mind on what to get. This is my predicament.

I was just going for a cheap replacement so I can get some work finished that needs to be sent soon. There is this once place that is selling this http://www.amazon.com/Genius-MousePen-6-Inch-Graphic-Tablet/dp/B000LEI95I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1236153372&sr=8-1. So I thought of getting that one as a quick replacement. But I do not really want to invest money, even just 50 euro, for a bad piece of equipment. So, I begin looking into other solutions.

Getting a new Intuos 3 was a good idea, but still those can be pretty expensive. Looking at other brands on the internet I got mixed feelings. Then I just thought about looking for a used 15" Cintiq. I found one on ebay for $775 US. I've never used the 15 inch model, I used to work on the 21 inch model and I have no idea if the 15" ones were good at all. Also, since this one is used (but in good condition) it has no guarantee.

I start thinking about the 12" Cintiq. Reviews have it being a mixed thing. For me what the problem is is that it is too small. A 21" model is too big for me. At this point my choices were 1)15 inch one with good size, unknown quality, no guarantee and 2)12 inch one, small size, some technical problems and a bit expensive for what it offers.

At this point in my adventure I start looking for other screen tablet manufacterers. I found some weird korean and japanese companies. I couldn't find any info on their tablets besides the technical specs on their sites. Not even ordering information (yea, most of the stuff was in Japanese :))

So, I was wondering if anyone has ever used any kind of screen tablets from any other company other than Wacom. What were your impressions and if they were good, where do I get one from? I know that some of those products may be a bit down on the material quality but price wise maybe it's a good investment for the next 2-3 years...

My alternative is to either just go get that cheap one, and I do not really want that, or go for a used intuos 2 or something. But I'd rather find out all I can before I make a decision. Hope someone has some info.

[JustinBeckett]

Dude, you get what you pay for. Don't go cheap, unless you have to.

Wacom = quality = good money investment.

~JB

[Nrx]

perhaps getting your old wacom fixed is a better option?

[Line]

Getting what you pay for doesn't always mean that something expensive is good, nor does it mean that something cheap might be bad. In the case of graphic tablets everything is so overwhelmingly against any other manufacturer's odds that one get's the impression that there are no other tablet manufacturers but Wacom.

Wacom has large distribution, they pay for it, they pay to have their products advertised. These are good things for the company, and they do back them up with good equipment, but this doesn't mean there isn't anything else out there that is good.

Besides, the fact that some of their more expensive products have flaws that aren't excusable shows that this is a company that is overpricing some stuff, and they unfortunately outweigh any competition due to heavy advertising and representation in the market.

In any case, I was also asking for opinions on the choice between a cintiq 15x and a cintiq 12wx. Anyone? :)

[Dusty]

Not in my experience. I just dropped $2500 on a Cintiq 21ux
and I vow to never purchase another Wacom product again.

Wow, that seems like an awful lot of money to spend on a Wacom, but then again I don't use tablet PCs...the most I ever spent was 450 or so on a regular tablet. Personally? I think you went a bit overboard and are letting that cloud your judgement on your lack of research for the best tool to start out with. I can tell you one thing...vowing to never buy another Wacom product again is not wise. I think that is one grudge you will really want to let go of once the initial sting of your "wasted" (I say "wasted" because yours sounds like bad luck) money wears off. I would definitely suggest a cheaper model, though.

Anyways, Wacom makes a wide variety of styles and sizes. I've seen Wacom brand stuff on bestbuy.com for under 100.00 bucks (the Bamboos and whatnot), so money shouldn't be too much of an issue...it just depends on what your preferences are size-wise.

In my opinion, there is nothing other than Wacom. I've had the same 6x8 Intuos 2 for 7 years and it still works perfectly....has a few scratches here and there, but these things aren't indestructible. A cat jumping up on it will still scratch it. ;) They are 100% worth the investment...and I think most professionals would stand up for that argument.

As for tablet PC vs. regular....I always considered the tablet PC sort of a "sweet gimmick", it's awesome but isn't really NECESSARY. If you have the money and like that quality of life it gives, then spring for it...otherwise the much cheaper regular tablets just make more sense to me. But I've been using them for along time, it could just be a "if it aint broke, don't fix it", kind of thing for me.


-D

[Demo]

I have little info on any other brands besides the wacom, i do have a Cintiq
12wx and love it alot but mine was a gift, so im not sure id drop around a $1000 for it unless i had a lot in the bank but it is a good little tablet and the screen has plenty of space to work with imo, the screen problems i think are completly rediculously exagerated. iv had mine for around 6 months and have piut it through the paces and have yet to devolop a scratch any where on the screen although i do clean the surface every fey days and put a cloth over it when im not going to use it for a while.

[Xeom]

Wacom because they have the patent monopoly on the non battery pens sadly.

[paberu]

+1 to the 12" Cintiq, I find the size pretty comfortable for home use, plus it is very light so you can sit in a couch or a bed and sketch on your lap. I'm pretty sure all those technical issues have been fixed since I haven't noticed any on mine.

[ArtZealot]

Not in my experience. I just dropped $2500 on a Cintiq 21ux, and after only a week of use, it's developing scratches on the surface. Not to mention the rubber pads on the front legs of the stand are coming unglued. Needless to say, I'm highly disappointed. Add that to the fact that Wacom refuses to address the issue, and it's frustrating as all hell. I'm not returning the tablet. But I am looking to get a good screen protector, and I vow to never purchase another Wacom product again.

As a counterpoint, i've been working on my Cintiq21ux for about 2+ years and havent had any problems really. It has a few dings here and there, and i don't blame artastic for being pissed in that predicament, i'd be pissed too. However, in my experiences the 21ux or 20wsx is worth it's money.

The only problem i've had is, like artastic, the actual surface of the screen pops up maybe the width of a needle up from the glued down surface at the bottom-middle of the tablet. I only notice it though, when i try to notice it. It doesn't affect drawing at all. Nothing, in my opinion, beats drawing on the screen. Some may prefer the tablet feel of the non cintiq, classic wacom tablet, but a cintiq i think is as close to feeling like traditional art as any hardware will get you. I wouldn't go with anything else than wacom.