Dumb, dumber and Apple buyers I guess?
$3500 will get 13.3in Mac tablet in your mitts
Years ago, El Reg ran stories concerning rumoured Mac tablets. Apple, of course, never made one and eventually released the iPad instead. But in 2007, US Mac upgrade seller OWC offered to convert an iBook into a tablet for you. Five years on, another company is having a go, this time with a 13.3in MacBook Pro. If you really …
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Thursday 4th October 2012 13:52 GMT Dave 126
>Dumb, dumber and Apple buyers I guess?
Its a niche product for people doing a specific job. It is basically an excellent portable Photoshop device. People (or more likely, their company) wouldn't buy it if it didn't save them time and money, and it will anyway be deducted from their tax bill. If you can point us towards an alternative device that does the same for cheaper, please do let us know.
- Etched surface for paper-like feel
- Low-sparkle, non-glare glass
-Wacom® pen tablet digitizer
- Pen pressure: 512 levels
- Recognition rate: 133 points/second
- Recognition resolution: 0.01mm
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Thursday 4th October 2012 15:53 GMT Robert Sneddon
There's the CintiQ 12WX from Wacom although it's transportable, not portable. Of course it's not limited to OS/X as it can hook into a PC as well to run a wider range of software such as 3D Studio, AutoCAD etc. The pen on the CintiQ 12WX reports 1024 pressure levels and recognition resolution is 0.005mm (both twice that of the digitizer fitted to the Apple) and it costs about $1000. Add in a MacBook Pro at $1200 and you've got a more flexible bundle (although not a unitary fondleslab) for two-thirds the price of the tablet plus another screen and a keyboard/trackpad.
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Thursday 4th October 2012 16:32 GMT Dave 126
Close, but no cigar
... the Modbook Pro can run Windows, too (like any Intel Mac, and Modbook will pre-install it for you as an option). Your bundle solution is certainly one to consider, but isn't a 'use it anywhere' package. Your suggestion is a viable alternative, and possibly better solution, for many situations, but not all. Its not only accountants who want to spend their time on trains productively.
The software you mention, 3D Studio and AutoCAD, as well as much of the rest of the AutoDesk stable, are available in OSX-native versions. Your point does stand, though: most mechanical CAD software isn't available for OSX, and even in Windows via Bootcamp certain other packages might not like the graphics hardware (Intel HD 4000).
http://usa.autodesk.com/products/mac-compatible-products
Before AutoDesk bought Alias, their Wavefront Studio software had a digitiser-based component, the idea being that the designer would start with freehand sketches before further defining the design through curves and into 3D. Presumably, this feature still forms a part of the package.
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Thursday 4th October 2012 17:47 GMT stu 4
recognition resolution
like the lcd wacom, what is the point ? I mean, I have a few wacom tablets - they are great. and the high resolution means you can draw very accurately.
however, as this (like the lcd wacoms) is effectively glued to an extremely low (in comparison) screen the high resolution is utterly useless.
never seen the point of these. I bought one back on 2004 (tablet with pressure sensitive wacom) and it was pants for the same reason.
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Friday 5th October 2012 12:59 GMT Anonymous Coward
3 grand for a photoshop tablet.. L M F A O
@ Dave 126
Yeah OK. There are a heap of alternatives that surpass this in technological ability, why the hell would you want this as a "photoshop" editing tool. I live in photoshop, and I can tell you, fuck that...no way.... no thanks.... I can barely use my two 27" dells as acceptable resolution... Stitch 6-10 36mp images together as a panoramic image, see how you get on using it on that toy eh?
As pointed out, Wacom have a better alternative screen, there are much cheaper and better devices around,...
OH... and photoshop doesn't need a mac to run on thanks, so you don't need to mortgage your house to get this gimmick.
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Thursday 4th October 2012 14:05 GMT Dave 126
Re: If you have the money, why not?
Jobs was talking about a UI for a general mass market consumer device... selecting telephone contacts, tapping out a an email etc. This is a tool for digital artists.
Various trades have their own input devices, from CAD jockeys' SpaceNavigators, to musicians and MIDI keyboards, video editors with their shuttle wheels, to those guys in Nevada who use a XBOX controller to pilot drones. Digital artists might use a pen digitiser. Anyone who has been to the cinema in the last decade might note that the sector has a bob or two.
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Thursday 4th October 2012 15:23 GMT Matt_payne666
a friend of mine just sold his original modbook... it was a lovely bit of kit and it does have its uses... its a niche product indeed, but because of that it has its place - and he sold his for more than he bought it 3 years back...
just a shame the thing was a bugger to use outside of design software... if you thought win7 was a bitch with a touch screen... try OSX10.6!! (I wonder if the new 10.8? is any better with a stylus??)
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Thursday 4th October 2012 16:08 GMT andreas koch
Very cool device with one drawback
While, if you want to fork out this amount of money, it is a wonderful piece of kit*, it has the drawback that it's missing an Apple logo.
So no one will know just how hip you are. A proper iPad will have a higher status.
*some people might even need it: Artists that can't work indoors for lack of "inspirational vibes" and such, for example.
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Friday 5th October 2012 00:07 GMT Dave 126
>the next generation of laptops will probably be touch screen anyway.
Yeah, they are capacitive multi-touch screens for using with your fingers, this Modbook is an accurate digitiser system. They are different things.
>But why... you may as well just have an 'Air' or an 'iPad'
You can't get full-blown Photoshop on an iPad.