Yesterday’s Tech: Wacom Cintiq 21UX FirstLook

Tweet

Wacom made a huge splash over two decades ago when they introduced the Cintiq, the graphics tablet that the user interacts with more directly, i.e., no longer needing to learn how to draw on the desk while looking at the monitor.

The technology has improved since then—higher resolution, better color, more pen sensitivity, etc.—but the appeal of the Cintiq is exactly the same: you can draw directly on the screen as if you are drawing on paper.

RainyDayMagazine folks use graphics tablets all the time, and have always wanted a Cintiq, but the price had always been prohibitive. When the iPad came out, we made do with that, but it didn’t have as much Photoshop features as we liked. Portability aside, the painting/drawing experience on the iPad was far inferior to the Cintiq (size, pen-pressure sensitivity, etc). So our Cintiq lust continued.

We find our treasure

Wacom Cintiq 21 UX (2nd generation)

We have discovered recently, to our delight, that some of those older Cintiqs have been on the used market for pennies on the dollar. The main reason is because of the discontinuation of Cintiq driver support. Local graphic arts studios have been off-loading their older Cintiqs at prices low enough that we finally could afford one!!!

After watching Craigslist and FB Marketplace for a few months, we landed a model (DTK2100/K, Dec 2010) which, while no longer supported by Wacom for OSXs later than 10.5, will be perfect for our purposes.

After a bit of negotiating, we made the deal. When we went to pick it up we didn’t expect it to include all of the original packaging. That it came in the original packaging was fantastic, as you would expect, but we weren’t sure the the gi-normous box would fit in the car, LOL 🙂

Luckily it did, barely, and only because we didn’t invite anyone else to join us on the pickup!!!

Unpacking the package

When we picked it up, we were so excited that we didn’t even check the contents before handing over the money. The guy we bought it from looked trustworthy enough, and besides, his face was on the website of the graphic arts business. Still, we kinda sorta hoped we didn’t pay for a box of bricks, and it turns out we didn’t.

Everything inside was neatly stowed. It was actually like we were unboxing a brand new unit!

Pack it up, pack it down

If we should decide to “pass it on” sometime in the future, the re-packing sequence was conveniently printed on one of the flaps on the box. From looking at the diagram, everything seems to be in the box: stand, accessories, Cintiq screen.

Those graphic designers, they know how to, uh, design graphically…

Move over, kids, the new guy needs room

The Cintiq 21UX is a lot more substantial (aka heavy) than we expected. Good thing we’ve got plenty of large work surfaces around the RainyDay office for the initial setup and testing.

It was also kind of surprising to see how much room a 21-inch screen takes up when laid flat. Clearly we’ll have to either rearrange our existing gear or setup another work surface for this new device. 

Connectors & Drivers: the tech version of Shoots & Ladders

Besides needing to find the proper driver to support the unit, we will also have a small challenge to physically connect the device to the computer. Coming off the screen is one cable with three connectors: DVI-I, USB, and power. Included in the accessories box is a DVI-I to DB9 adapter. 

We could either:

1. directly connect up the DVI-I to the Mac, or
2. use the appropriate adapter to connect to the newer Macs with a Thunderbolt or Display port.

We thought about stringing together a few adapters to make it work (aka a lime-lime-lime in the coconut thing), but in the end decided to just order the right adapter and lessen any possible hiccups.

NOTE: DVI-I is NOT the same as DVI-D. They look similar, but the DVI-I cable will not connect to the newer DVI-D connectors, and so the appropriate adapter would be needed 🙂 

The Cintiq came with its own stand that allows the angle of the Cintiq to be easily adjusted to whatever you need/want. This is a key usability factor, as the proper angle reduces glare, increases working comfort, and saves desktop space when not in use.

Size Compare

For readers wondering just how big the Cintiq is, we have placed it next to the 9.5-inch ipad for scale.

Clearly the Cintiq offers a huge amount of work surface. And while it is not anywhere close to being portable as the iPad, the tradeoff both in size and cost are worth it.

Of course, it does require a computer to power it, and you can’t bring it onto a plane and watch movies on it (you can watch movies on it, just not on a plane), but that’s another tradeoff we are willing to make.

We’ll have the Cintiq hooked up in the Setup write-up.

In the meantime, readers interested in an iPad alternative for photo-retouch, graphic arts, and other similar applications should consider some of Yesterday’s Tech as an option to the “latest and greatest.”

It can save your bank account from getting a chunk taken from it, give a 2nd life to some awesome tech, and save it  from the closet or the landfill.

Links to items mention:

• Wacom Cintiq
• Mini DisplayPort to DVI-I adapter