Next generation Cintiq?

[Zirngibism]

Hi,

Anyone know about when Wacom is going to come out with a new large Cintiq model?

I brought up this topic about a year ago, and thought I'd resurface it to see if there's any new info.

I realize that Wacom probably wouldn't want to advertise that the new model is on the horizon for fear that people will hold off on buying the current Cintiqs, but still... are there any clues?

See, I've been eying (and saving for) one for a long time now, and I wouldn't want to get one now only to find out that a new one with better resolution/performance/cooling/durable screen/widescreen, touchstrips, etc... to come out right after I got mine. I'd rather continue waiting a bit.

But I wouldn't want to wait too long. I don't think a better one would be worth waiting a couple years, you know what I mean?

So, did anyone go to a trade show or something, or have any other kind of info about when it's coming?

Thanks!

[Arshes Nei]

I noticed that they're still backlogged on accessories for the intuos4 I think once those issues clear up, I wouldn't be surprised a bit later a new cintiq may be headed this way. That is if they're also doing screen improvements. I'd think if they made a new one it would be compatible with the intuos4 like the current Cintiq is with the intuos3.

I think if they did see one at a trade show or such unless they had permission from Wacom, they can't squawk.

[Zirngibism]

Yeah, I had thought that they sort of synced the Intuos series with the Cintiq when it came to new generations/technology...

I'm hoping they'll bring a new Cintiq up at around this coming Christmas... think that's too soon?

[Arshes Nei]

I looked up Amazon's shopping history on the Intuos 3 and Cintiq (but I believe there was another model of cintiq that was the large one too)

Both were released about the same time or available on Amazon June 17 2003.

Not sure what technology they'd integrate (besides the increased pressure sensitivity as well as the better express key layout) I know that monitor tech has improved so it will be interesting to see what would be put in there.

[col000r]

well, now that the new bamboo is out... Added multi-touch gestures would certainly be a plus too.
So c'mon wacom, release a new cintiq with touch-wheel and multitouch-gestures!

[dontask]

the new CintiQ will come out next year, all the spec. are top secret at the moment, but sure it won't let you guys down ta

[BlackARK]

Well I hope they don't release another Cintiq until the next Intuos version....I just copped an Intuos3 12x19 for SUPER CHEAP (because I already have all the different stylus for my 6x11) and I'm loving it, it's almost purely sexual, hehe . I decided against the Intuos4 line at this time simply because the difference between the I3 and I4 is mostly design related rather than performance. The Intuos line was a sweet advance compared to the regular Wacom serial tablets, the Intuos2 line was an unnecessary iteration. Intuos3 is again a considerable advancement with the 6D art pen and rotation, touchstrip and widescreen dimension models, but the I4 is ok for anybody else who isn't already an Intuos3 owner. I personally would like to see a large, widescreen Cintiq, but I would rather wait to see a true advancement in Wacom tech rather than hop on it now and then a year later they come out with a new tablet technology with freakin' pens that are once again not compatible because of some microscopic hardware change (Intuos airbrush...Intuos2 airbrush....Intuos3 airbrush.....Intuos4 airbrush.....all the exact same shape and function, just an annoyingly different hardware frequency costing you another $100 each go-round....at least they could do is change the shape slightly), it's a bit ridiculous from a progressive design point of view. I'm waiting. A Cintiq would be real nice at my home office right now, but still it's an investment worth being smart about.

[Brashen]

You call doubling the sensitivity pressure, giving us twice the amount of buttons and a rotational wheel that is configurable mostly design related?

[BlackARK]

Originally Posted by Brashen

You call doubling the sensitivity pressure, giving us twice the amount of buttons and a rotational wheel that is configurable mostly design related?

Ummm.....yeah, but to be clear on my point of view though, I'm primarily a Painter user and maybe Photoshop users see things differently. I'm pretty sure the increase in sensitivity is cool and noticeable for a few brushes, but after trying the I4 extensively for myself I didn't see a stellar advancement in that area over the I3. I can say that releasing the I4 without this feature would have been a mistake for several reasons one of them largely labeled "MARKETING". The buttons with the led displays along side was a feature that I also payed absolutely no mind simply because I've been comfortable using the keyboard and have become very proficient with utilizing hotkey functions over years. I saw no speed increase in my workflow using the buttons compared to panning/scrolling the screen with the spacebar, rotating on the fly just by adding the Alt key and releasing both to immediately resume using my brush. They can double the amount of buttons again and I will still smoke the workflow time with a keyboard. This area is actual a user preference issue because I rarely used the ExpressKeys on the I3 anyway. If the tablet goes wireless in the future, all those shiny new buttons will definitely be a plus though. Now the rotational wheel (which I consider to be a nice hybrid of design and performance) is a cool aspect, but not enough to have me migrating over from a position that I'm already comfortable in with the I3. I'm pretty sure the next Wacom iteration of their professional graphics tablets may be what influences me to upgrade, as I said before.....I'll wait. To reinforce what I've stated in another post, if you don't own a Wacom already, the Intuos4 Large is probably the sweetest deal they've got going right now, the dimensions and the textured surface pretty much made it hard for me to put down

[Jabo]

I'm with you there. It's funny, but at the moment I'd rather change from Int3 to the new Bamboo Fun than to Int4. I've never had any trouble with the pressure-stuff on the Int3, so doubling all those specs is not important for me anyway. I also never use the ExpressKeys, nor the TouchStrip, because I use my tablet mousepad-style next to my keyboard anyway.

BUT … seeing the Touch-stuff on the new Bamboo made me jump in glee! Because THAT's a feature that is handy. Turning the canvas in Photoshop while the pen is still in my hand, nice! Zooming in and out, GREAT.

Too bad the Bamboo has really low resolution and sampling rate. I still haven't found a store to try it out, but I figure it's not a big thing. It's just too bad that they didn't wait to implement Touch into the Intuos4. Having all the Intuos specs and the Touch of the Bamboo would be the perfect tablet.

[yaku]

If they were to release a new cintiq I would just about DIE, since I finally gathered the money to get the current model. If they were to release a new one next year the least they could do is give some sort of deal for cintiq users since the "lowered" price for the regular cintiq is still laughable (for how expensive it is). I doubt it will happen since there's nothing for them to gain from that.

Wacom needs some serious competition; it might be state of the art and whatever but they know they can slap and keep forever a $2000 price for technology years old because there's no other company that can give a decent fight.

[BlackARK]

Wacom is not gonna give out any deals, ever. No value customer program, no frequent flyer miles, nada. (Their model is almost as if they're doing us a big favor by merely existing and to be honest, they are.) Once again I mention the Intuos airbrush design (I know ya'll are sick of hearing about it), when we step up to a new tablet and don't plan on using the old tech again, we should at least be able to send the old Intuos line Airbrushes in for 50% off upgrade pricing. I think this would be considered an exceptional move by a lot of customers, we don't have the old one just sitting around and we were able to maximize the investment with the trade-in offer. Wacom will now have an airbrush they can recondition and refurb with the latest tablet frequency. They'll cement customers in even more because this promotes cult-level loyalty over time. A slightly foul move by them is the fact that they released the I4 so close to the Win7 launch without the capabilities of the Bamboo described above knowing well in advance that touch sensing tech could possibly be a big hit on the market. Now current I4 owners will look at Bamboo users and covet a function that was most likely being tested and approved by their R&D department before the I4 went into production......

Originally Posted by Jabo

BUT … seeing the Touch-stuff on the new Bamboo made me jump in glee! Because THAT's a feature that is handy. Turning the canvas in Photoshop while the pen is still in my hand, nice! Zooming in and out, GREAT.

(Thanks for this update, I never really paid the Bamboo any mind until now.)
http://www.wacom.com/bamboo/bamboo_pen_touch.php
Oh, but wait, the tech (tablet, stylus, and touch capability) is available to the consumer for a mere $99. Yes, it's true, $99, a price that happens to match just one single specialty stylus we would need to buy to unlock a few of our Intuos functions. There is a slight pattern going on here. Now walk with me for a second on this....but first check this out:
http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1199
This link shows a Tablet PC released last year with a combination of entry level Wacom Touch/Pen tech. Last year. So I think it's safe to assume that if Wacom has the nerve to introduce a new I4 Cintiq that has this same capability now revised and tuned, and already have on the market the current Bamboo model, unless they have some hidden feature in the current I4 tablets that let the users magically access a touch feature through a driver upgrade (totally unlikely), the current I4 users might get a little pissed. Rightfully so, seeing that the Art/Design community put them where they are today:
http://www.wacom.co.jp/corporate/en/history.html
Nice perk for the average consumer who just wants to drool over their PC's new touch capability and the fractional percentage of the Art/Design crowd who are gonna pay a hell of alot more for an I4 Cintiq over the cost of the current Cintiqs for this "innovational advancement" that the former can have for only $99.....lock your doors and close your windows, it just might be some violence in the streets.
I'm a Wacom loyalist, I use mine daily and don't see my future in art without one. I know they run a business and in order to do that successfully, money has to come through the door. Yet, if they make an I4 Cintiq like the one I described above, I personally would be wary of any of their advancements in the future and be hard pressed to know when to buy from them. The could also smooth it over by bringing to market an I4 Touch, but only if the current I4 owners can trade their tablets in for a comfortable upgrade price, then Wacom could refit those with touch capability for resale.
Oh, I'm sorry, did what I just type make sense? My bad.

[Arshes Nei]

Out of curiosity are you part of their consumer/ survey panel?

[BlackARK]

Nope. I'd be happy to be on it though, but I think I hardly qualify when there are much more experienced users for this. It's no secret my views are heavily opinionated, hehe, mostly the result of taking a break from work while staying at the PC and still talking shop in a way. I also hack and tune everything tech/mechanical when I see room for improvement, not to mention having the gall to finally try my hand at chess this year, and we all know how that can affect your perception in all areas of life after a while.......

[314es]

I'm also considering purchasing a Cintiq but with the release of this new Bamboo I think I'll just get one of these (because its cheap and has the same sensitive pressure of a Cintiq) and wait it out... see if Wacom decides to put a new Cintiq with 2k sensitive pressure and touch...
Only sucks that the Pen&Touch doesnt come in M size... I would really rather lose the software bundle and get it in black instead of that weird silver.

[seanscarmack]

theres always going to be something better, way of life.

[BlackARK]

Originally Posted by seanscarmack

theres always going to be something better, way of life.

Wow, so true. Keep in mind though, that before innovation and advancement, there is always "strategy". Have you ever seen a bumper sticker on the back of an old beat up truck that states:
"Youth and skill will never outdo Old age and treachery"
Lemme put it like this:
Wacom has been around for a long time.
I will assassinate someone over desecrating my Wacom, setup, immediately. However, I also can peep when a chick is trying to get a government check by poking a hole in the rubber. You understand? If you don't, I'll be glad to tell you, and when I do, you'll be pissed to find out that YOUR tax dollars are supporting her......well, mine too, dam. Ugggh, maybe I lost you for a minute there, Imma explain after these chicks leave, I'm totally lookin' like a supreme nerd right now, BRB.....

[Zirngibism]

Originally Posted by dontask

the new CintiQ will come out next year, all the spec. are top secret at the moment, but sure it won't let you guys down ta

Awesome, it's great to get some kind of estimate! Where did you hear this?

Originally Posted by BlackARK

I will assassinate someone over desecrating my Wacom, setup, immediately. However, I also can peep when a chick is trying to get a government check by poking a hole in the rubber. You understand? If you don't, I'll be glad to tell you, and when I do, you'll be pissed to find out that YOUR tax dollars are supporting her......well, mine too, dam. Ugggh, maybe I lost you for a minute there, Imma explain after these chicks leave, I'm totally lookin' like a supreme nerd right now, BRB.....

...huh?

[LosPescados]

Originally Posted by Zirngibism

Awesome, it's great to get some kind of estimate! Where did you hear this?

I fear he is just saying something. That was his only post and I haven't heard a thing about a new cintiq coming out.