I bought one of these a month ago, so now that I've put in some hours on it, I thought some of you might find it useful to hear my thoughts.
I've been wanting to get a Cintiq for my home office for a long time, but I wanted something I could easily move from room to room, because I tend to work in every room of the house and not just in my office. The companion is really cool but just way too small---better for quick sketches and drawings than heavy duty professional use. And the others are just big and clunky.
So what sold me is that you could get a no-stand version of the new Cintiq QHD. Instead of a stand, I got this desk, which I could also move around the house and pull up to any couch or chair. I didn't bother to install the wheels on it and I can still slide it around fine.
So what you probably want to know is, should you get it? The answer is maybe. Sorry. I do like a lot of things about it, but first, the things I think that could be deal-breakers for some people:
-It's big. This isn't specifically a problem, in fact I wanted something bigger, but the problem with its size comes because of the distance between the glass and the screen, and the color shifts at acute viewing angles. If you work very close at all, the edges of the screen get a little funny and difficult to use.
-It's heavy. Don't expect to rest it on your lap, even though it's nearly the perfect size for it. Although there have been times when I'll lean the back end against the edge of my desk and the forward edge will sit on my lap. This gets uncomfortable after a while, but isn't too bad for short stretches.
-Touch is terrible. Most of the time it just doesn't work, and the palm rejection is iffy when it does. Seriously, unless it's a driver thing that they are going to fix in a couple weeks (always possible with Wacom), do not waste extra money on the touch.
-Speaking of wasting money, don't pay for fast shipping on Wacom's site. If the site says ___ days shipping, you need to add 4-5 days to whatever that number is, because Wacom takes so long to process your order before shipping. And that money is non-refundable.
-The cables are really long. This is something you'd think would be nice if you're using it multiple places, but the only cable that needs any extra length is the power cable. I don't like having to wrap the super long cables up every time I want to move it.
-The usual Wacom customer service and driver garbage: if you want any new Wacom hardware to work like it's supposed to, you'll be spending time clearing off every trace of old driver files, and probably some time on the line with Wacom customer support. And like any company that has a near-stranglehold on their market, Wacom as a group have limited patience for their customers.
So do I like anything about it? A few things I love:
-It looks nice with the solid surface.
-The screen color accuracy is better than I've seen on a Cintiq so far.
-The magnetic remote for the on-Cintiq buttons is a stroke of genius. This is probably my favorite thing about it. I'm moving it all the time depending on what angle I'm working at, and it's great.
-Being able to lie it nearly flat on a surface is really nice.
-It's a Cintiq and has the pressure, tilt, and rotation sensitivity that have become indispensable to me.
Some day, if Wacom comes up with something that is lighter and a little smaller so I can use it on my lap, then I'll put this up for sale immediately. That said, the fact that it's a Cintiq has saved me many hours already, especially in the drawing stage of projects. But you might be able to find a Cintiq that fits your needs just as well without the extra size and cost. If you, like me, favor semi-portability on something that is more of a serious pro tool than the companion, then you might not have any other option.
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| My usual evening workstation, at the couch in front of a movie or TV show. Note the baby blanket in the background, giving the place a much-needed boost in professionalism. |
So what sold me is that you could get a no-stand version of the new Cintiq QHD. Instead of a stand, I got this desk, which I could also move around the house and pull up to any couch or chair. I didn't bother to install the wheels on it and I can still slide it around fine.
 |
| The Cintiq hangs off the edges on the left and right by about 3-4 inches on each side. |
-It's big. This isn't specifically a problem, in fact I wanted something bigger, but the problem with its size comes because of the distance between the glass and the screen, and the color shifts at acute viewing angles. If you work very close at all, the edges of the screen get a little funny and difficult to use.
-It's heavy. Don't expect to rest it on your lap, even though it's nearly the perfect size for it. Although there have been times when I'll lean the back end against the edge of my desk and the forward edge will sit on my lap. This gets uncomfortable after a while, but isn't too bad for short stretches.
-Touch is terrible. Most of the time it just doesn't work, and the palm rejection is iffy when it does. Seriously, unless it's a driver thing that they are going to fix in a couple weeks (always possible with Wacom), do not waste extra money on the touch.
-Speaking of wasting money, don't pay for fast shipping on Wacom's site. If the site says ___ days shipping, you need to add 4-5 days to whatever that number is, because Wacom takes so long to process your order before shipping. And that money is non-refundable.
-The cables are really long. This is something you'd think would be nice if you're using it multiple places, but the only cable that needs any extra length is the power cable. I don't like having to wrap the super long cables up every time I want to move it.
-The usual Wacom customer service and driver garbage: if you want any new Wacom hardware to work like it's supposed to, you'll be spending time clearing off every trace of old driver files, and probably some time on the line with Wacom customer support. And like any company that has a near-stranglehold on their market, Wacom as a group have limited patience for their customers.
So do I like anything about it? A few things I love:
-It looks nice with the solid surface.
-The screen color accuracy is better than I've seen on a Cintiq so far.
-The magnetic remote for the on-Cintiq buttons is a stroke of genius. This is probably my favorite thing about it. I'm moving it all the time depending on what angle I'm working at, and it's great.
-Being able to lie it nearly flat on a surface is really nice.
-It's a Cintiq and has the pressure, tilt, and rotation sensitivity that have become indispensable to me.
Some day, if Wacom comes up with something that is lighter and a little smaller so I can use it on my lap, then I'll put this up for sale immediately. That said, the fact that it's a Cintiq has saved me many hours already, especially in the drawing stage of projects. But you might be able to find a Cintiq that fits your needs just as well without the extra size and cost. If you, like me, favor semi-portability on something that is more of a serious pro tool than the companion, then you might not have any other option.