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Tablet PCs and why can't I find one I like. Help?
sonictk
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So.
I have a Toshiba Satellite R15.
It's ancient, some of the key covers have fallen off, the specs are mostly rubbish (PM 1.6 Ghz, 2 GB RAM, Intel GMA 950) and I want a new one which I can actually use to just sketch real fast, like gestural drawing fast in Photoshop without the brush engine failing to keep up. Also I'd like one of the newer sensor boards with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity instead of 256, if what I've heard is true.
I hadn't really been keeping up with what was new for laptops and the like in recent years, but you know, I've had this laptop for almost a decade, so I thought by now I'd have a lot more choice.
Maybe I'm crazy or something but it seems all tablet pcs these days are oriented towards people in suits and ties rather than people who want to have a "portable cintiq" of sorts to draw. My Toshiba may be old and slow and ugly, but it has a 14.1" screen that still goes even till today. I can't even find any other tablet other than an old Gateway one which still has screens that large.
Also, who on earth thought it would be a good idea for tablet pcs to adopt widescreen size ratios?! I'm trying to draw here, not watch movies/play games! I want to be able to have freedom in both axes, especially since now the so-called "largest" screen sizes I can find seem to be 13.3". That's amazingly puny.
So anyway, I was looking at the Modbook (Modbook Pro seems kind of retarded with the MSRP that they're looking for, even if it has a 15" Penabled screen. I mean come on 2 Cintiqs' worth?!) but it's rather expensive, and couple that with the fact that just by looking through the forums, it appears to have a host of problems that Axiotron's non-existant customer support don't seem to acknowledge, I'm pretty hesitant about dumping that much cash on one of those.
Does anyone know of a slate tablet PC that's relatively large, (like 13.3" at least, if someone can find a 14.1" or even bigger I'll
you forever), has a relatively recent processor (Core 2 Duo would be fine) and doesn't have a whole host of horror stories related to it? It seems like the Modbook is about the only choice I have, and I might just stick to a convertible form-factor again if that's the case with a Toshiba M780 or something.
I'm just peeved that a decade on, no matter what, I'm looking to spend around roughly the same price I did back then for my R15 (or more, if I get a modbook) for something that's worse overall with respect to my needs. While things like the iPad get so much more attention instead. =\
[/whine]
(Also, yes I have seen the comparison of 256 levels of sensitivity vs an actual Cintiq video as well. All I can say is I've used both, and there is definitely a noticeable difference. It's really apparent when you do very quick sketches and your lines come out weird on the end of the stroke.)
EDIT: Oh, and if anyone has experience in swapping the processors/mobos of old laptops with newer ones, could you share your experience too? I'm toying with that idea as well for my R15, if only to save such a beautiful screen from going to waste. I know it's not easy, and I'd appreciate all the advice I can get on that.
I have a Toshiba Satellite R15.
It's ancient, some of the key covers have fallen off, the specs are mostly rubbish (PM 1.6 Ghz, 2 GB RAM, Intel GMA 950) and I want a new one which I can actually use to just sketch real fast, like gestural drawing fast in Photoshop without the brush engine failing to keep up. Also I'd like one of the newer sensor boards with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity instead of 256, if what I've heard is true.
I hadn't really been keeping up with what was new for laptops and the like in recent years, but you know, I've had this laptop for almost a decade, so I thought by now I'd have a lot more choice.
Maybe I'm crazy or something but it seems all tablet pcs these days are oriented towards people in suits and ties rather than people who want to have a "portable cintiq" of sorts to draw. My Toshiba may be old and slow and ugly, but it has a 14.1" screen that still goes even till today. I can't even find any other tablet other than an old Gateway one which still has screens that large.
Also, who on earth thought it would be a good idea for tablet pcs to adopt widescreen size ratios?! I'm trying to draw here, not watch movies/play games! I want to be able to have freedom in both axes, especially since now the so-called "largest" screen sizes I can find seem to be 13.3". That's amazingly puny.
So anyway, I was looking at the Modbook (Modbook Pro seems kind of retarded with the MSRP that they're looking for, even if it has a 15" Penabled screen. I mean come on 2 Cintiqs' worth?!) but it's rather expensive, and couple that with the fact that just by looking through the forums, it appears to have a host of problems that Axiotron's non-existant customer support don't seem to acknowledge, I'm pretty hesitant about dumping that much cash on one of those.
Does anyone know of a slate tablet PC that's relatively large, (like 13.3" at least, if someone can find a 14.1" or even bigger I'll
you forever), has a relatively recent processor (Core 2 Duo would be fine) and doesn't have a whole host of horror stories related to it? It seems like the Modbook is about the only choice I have, and I might just stick to a convertible form-factor again if that's the case with a Toshiba M780 or something.I'm just peeved that a decade on, no matter what, I'm looking to spend around roughly the same price I did back then for my R15 (or more, if I get a modbook) for something that's worse overall with respect to my needs. While things like the iPad get so much more attention instead. =\
[/whine]
(Also, yes I have seen the comparison of 256 levels of sensitivity vs an actual Cintiq video as well. All I can say is I've used both, and there is definitely a noticeable difference. It's really apparent when you do very quick sketches and your lines come out weird on the end of the stroke.)
EDIT: Oh, and if anyone has experience in swapping the processors/mobos of old laptops with newer ones, could you share your experience too? I'm toying with that idea as well for my R15, if only to save such a beautiful screen from going to waste. I know it's not easy, and I'd appreciate all the advice I can get on that.
sonictk on
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EDIT: ohwait all 512 touchscreen digitizers are Wacoms.
Also consider tabletpcreview.com's forums to get the answer to your question. Those guys are pretty hardcore tablet users.
It is running a full os when attached..
Anyways the best tablet is 1200 lol
I actually did go to tabletpcreview before coming here, my question got a grand total of zero replies.
And no offense, but I just get the feeling that the people at CA aren't as knowledgeable about tablets as I'd hoped. I did look at some of the reviews their members did and they're not really comprehensive enough for me to get anything out of. I don't blame them, they're artists and just want to be able to draw without hassle. I know the feeling =\ In fact if anything I'm a little annoyed at Wacom for releasing so little information related to their Penabled line.
Has anyone ever tried replacing their old laptop's mobo/CPU with a newer one though? Or anything like that? It's surprisingly hard to find a lot of resources related to that beyond the "voltages must match" advice, etc. my casual googling didn't turn up any full-documented tutorials which would be nice for reference, I guess.
Oh, and seeing as I'm completely out of touch with processor technology, especially moreso for notebooks, I might as well ask...How are the low voltage Core 2 Duos? Are they worthless assuming I'm planning to work on relatively large PSDs (10000x10000px single layer benchmark, for example)? And what does Core i5/6/7/whatever introduce and compared to Core 2 Duo, is it significant?
Thanks for the replies so far though, I guess you can tell I'm pretty desperate for ideas. :P
EDIT: Oh, looking through the other thread, I saw a mention of the ST6012. Personally I think when something costs as much as a full-size Cintiq it ought to be better than it, and it just...isn't. I mean it's probably not aimed towards me, obviously, but really it just seems to be so gizmoed up with stuff that they then use to justify its price for people in suits and all I can think of is: what a waste. Plus it's only 12.1".
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I'm really hoping he's right though, because if not I will more or less be stuck with the Modbook.
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There is a huge difference between i7 vs core 2 duo.. One is dual core and the other at the high end has 6 cores. I think photoshop can use threading so it should make a difference with that program.
I think now it boils down to whether I can live with either the T900 or the Modbook, or whether I should wait for (yet) another generation of tablets to make their way into the market. But my R15 is so laggy
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They've got Wacom digitizers, they're the perfect size/weight for holding in one hand clipboard-style, and they're not made out of styrofoam bricks like some consumer-grade tablets I've seen.
Sure it might look corporate, but it's tiny sleek and excellent at what it does. If I ever got into drawing it'd be my first purchase. The only complaints I have with previous models (X40, X41, X61) are battery life and processor speed. My first impression was "wow, it draws even better than paper!"
Fewl Disclosyoure: I run an IT department and have about 25 of this series of tablets deployed for leasing agents to sign lease documents with, so I have extensive experience with them but am also biased. By "biased," I mean "hate anything that comes from Fujitsu Toshiba or HP/Compaq."
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Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
Don't buy the T900 until a few reviews come out and it's dropped in price. Looking for the lastest and greatest is a surefire way to get ripped off.
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
Witness the next generation of google-fu
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
And with no new HUGE SCREEN models that I know of to look forward to or anything, I don't even know if I should bother waiting for a new generation that may never come and take what's available now, or even just stick with my wild idea of replacing the processor/mobo in my current Toshiba somehow.
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I don't know, man. I think upgrading your existing tablet is impractical. Your best options may be either to (over)pay for a ModBook, or just get a conventional laptop and a wireless Intuos 4. I did that in the past with a Graphire Bluetooth and it worked well. Then maybe get the new 21UX for home? The upgraded 21UX is amazing. I played with one at PAX East and it blew me away with how responsive it was and how perfect the surface felt.
With all the non solutions available at the moment maybe you should just build a PC and power source into a backpack and run a 12WX out of it.
If you ever find a genuine solution to your problem, let me know, because I'd also be very interested.
I was originally considering just getting a full-size Cintiq, but I do want to be able to bring whatever I buy around as a laptop, since I'm hoping to use it in school/work as well.
Also I already find 13.3" small, a 12WX would literally be ugh for me.
I'm actually thinking of finding a way to get my current laptop to act as a Cintiq of sorts, but I have no idea whether it's even technically possible, and even if I could get past the fact that it doesn't do VGA-out, how on earth would I get it to be recognized as a digitizer screen?
But anyway, have you owned a Modbook? Or did you get to test it out or something? I'm most likely to get that, but hearing all the issues on the Axiotron forums is a bit disheartening, especially with regards to installing Windows 7 and getting the tablet drivers working on it.
I'm still scrounging around though, hoping there's some obscure model out there that I've missed. No luck so far =\
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No getting around that. It's a bit small, but also the resolution is limited to 1200x800. Bear in mind the ModBook has the same resolution. You'd have to step up to the very expensive ModBook Pro.
I've never owned a ModBook, and it's too pricey for my limited portable art needs. I played with them several times, extensively at Macworld. I found the drawing to be smooth and responsive. I didn't play with any handwriting recognition, but the on-screen keyboard was poor. It's definitely a drawing tool. My only experience is with Mac OS on a ModBook. I'm sure that's the only supported configuration too. And with the Apps you're mentioning, it sounds like you'd have to have a working Windows installation.
The Modbook Pro looks nice, but I think it's out of the question (2 Cintiqs 21UX's worth I mean seriously who are you kidding) for now. A 15" slate would be such a good size though...
I don't mind the screen having a lower DPI, though, I mean right now I'm at 1024x768 on the 14" and it's reasonable. Not a fan of teeny-weeny icons when I need to click them. :P
Nice to hear the experience with the Modbook though. I have a question about its surface though, is it super smooth (e.g. Toshiba, Fujitsu) or does it have a friction surface? (Like the Intuos4, basically) Or somewhere in-between?
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From what I've seen, the available Penabled drivers are still from 2008. So I'm guessing Wacom expects OEM licensees to make their own drivers? Also, Boot Camp is the most orthodox way to install Windows natively. It allows you to make a partition where you can install Windows (XP, 7). Once the install is complete you then use the Snow Leopard DVD to install Apple-created software to enable a lot of the native features, such as video, wireless, trackpad, ambient light sensor, and other drivers.
The Pro is waaay overpriced, but Axiotron does mention having Windows 7 preinstalled at the bottom of their ModBook Pro page. Perhaps drop them a line and ask if that's something they'll offer on the standard ModBook.
It's been ages since I've used a Toshiba or Fujitsu tablet, but I recall the ModBook surface being on the smoother side, sort of similar to my Cintiq 12WX. There wasn't a lot of friction, but it wasn't slick either.
Honestly though I don't see myself using Snow Leopard in its current incarnation as it is, so I'd opt for the clean install of Win 7. But again, I need to try and find more information on this and what other issues I can expect to face when doing this. And as long as I get the pressure sensitivity working, I don't really mind losing webcams, light sensors or any other frivolous stuff.
That's a minor disappointment, I guess. I was hoping Chemically strengthened Axiotron® ForceGlass™ with anti-reflective coating and etched paper-emulating surface actually meant something good. :P
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Think of Snow Leopard as a utility to install Windows 7 directly. It's not emulation or virtualization. But it makes installing Windows a lot easier and provides drivers for Apple's components in Windows.
I think they improved the coating since I last used a ModBook. It may be better now. I mean, that description sounds a lot like the new glass on the Cintiq 21UX, which feels great. The problem with all this is it's so important to be able to feel this stuff in person. I've never even seen a ModBook outside of an Axiotron booth. Do you even have a place to demo a ModBook in your area?
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