Most helpful customer reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Not so fast, buyer beware!
By Tucson Reader
I’ll start off by saying this is a remarkable piece of equipment. As has been stated by everyone else, it’s heavy. Very, very heavy. Don’t even think of getting it unpacked by yourself. I thought I was going to need medical attention after I did. Once setup, it’s simple to get up and running. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it once I get over my anger with the following…
I received mine with a dead pixel. I use an i1Display Pro to calibrate and color quality is important to me. I feel the panels used in this product are not of high quality. They say it is 92% of AdobeRGB, but is that good enough when you see a big fat black pixel in your expensive investment? I contacted Wacom and the reply I got regarding the dead pixel was “The warranty of a Cinti24HD due to blown pixel is that there needs to be a number of pixel not working clustered in the same area.” (the typo’s are them, not me). My Dell monitor has a 0 dead pixel warranty and for the cost of this unit I would expect the same. I bought directly through Wacom and if I could do it again I would not. First off you have to agree to a 16% restocking charge. I should have known right then something wasn’t right. I would suggest buying from a reputable dealer who accepts returns of a product you are not happy with. In my eyes I have a defect and I’m basically stuck with it. Maybe no one else will ever get one like mine, but I think it’s important to be aware that if you do, you will more than likely be unhappy about the way Wacom will handle it.
Other than that, I do like the unit. Like I said, it should be fun once I get over my anger about the defects in my unit. I’m being generous giving it 3 Stars the way I feel right now. I just want to be fair and I want others to be aware of the possibility you may not end up with the the perfect product everyone else seems to be getting.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Beautiful and invaluable investment!
By Jessica A. Entis
This is a preliminary review, since I just received my 24HD tablet last night, but already it seems worth the large cash investment. As a bit of background, I’m a professional animator and illustrator who does a fair amount of freelance work from my home office. I use an Intuous3 tablet at work, and I love it and have never had a problem with the disconnect between tablet and monitor. That said, nothing quite beats being able to work directly on the screen. I’ve owned the 12WX Cintiq for a few years, and while I’ve enjoyed the Cintiq experience of drawing directly on the screen, the working area is simply too small and flawed (there is a terrible mouse shake on the edges of the screen that has been noted by many reviewers on the 12WX’s product page) to allow me to do what I really need to. After lusting after the 24HD since it’s debut last October, I finally bit the bullet and invested in it.
This Cintiq, first of all, is ENORMOUS. It comes very well packed in a huge box; the risk of any damage during shipping is minimal, and there are good picture instructions for removing it from the box safely (it weighs in at close to 70 pounds, so it’s recommended you get a friend to help you move it from the box to your desk). Its working area is the same as a 24″ widescreen monitor, with a healthy border around the outside for all your programmable express keys, which have been redesigned to be even more functional (I’m relieved at the lack of the touch strips, which I always end up disabling). The industrial design is great; unlike the 12WX, which had cables and adaptor bricks spilling all over the place, all the cabling is already hooked up out of the box and is neatly contained inside the Cintiq’s support arms. Only three cables stick out the very back: power, USB and video. It’s a nice, clean design that’s very easy to hook up. I was up and running in less than 5 minutes! There are instructions included for how to disassemble this setup if you ever need to swap out or replace the cables. There’s also a new pen design that’s quite nice, and all the various nibs are neatly stored in the pen’s stand so you can never lose them.
The Cintiq’s screen itself is gorgeous, with an interesting soft texture to it that feels more like paper than you’d expect. Apparently it’s a special coating that CAN become scratched if you allow grease and dirt to build up on it and then use the pen, so I’m going to take pains from the outset to keep the screen very clean and free of oils from my hands. I’m happy to report the the mouse shake flaw of the 12WX is completely gone; you can draw all the way up to the edges of the screen with no problems, and the pen sensitivity, at over 2,000 levels, is the best I’ve used yet from Wacom. Color also seems very accurate, though I don’t do a lot of fine color work that requires advanced calibration, so I can’t speak as much on that area.
Because of its size, this Cintiq has the bonus of completely replacing my monitor, and so is now my primary computer display, which certainly makes my video card a lot happier! It was designed with this use in mind; the clever weighted base and support arm design allows the screen to sit completely upright as a monitor for normal use, tilted down into your lap as if it were a large drawing pad, or any angle in between that you could want.
Bottom line, this is an amazing product that will definitely boost my workflow. As I use it more I’ll be able to speak to durability and other details of it, but for now it’s made quite an impression. Good job, Wacom!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Worth every penny and more!
By b_h_bloomer
As the flagship model in Wacom’s Cintiq line (and pretty much all the rest of their tablets), I was expecting a high-end, professional product. What I got was a dream come true. The look and feel of this thing screams luxury, with solid machined aluminum armature, silky smooth satin finish screen, and a sturdy (and heavy) counterweighted base. As other people have stated, it is a mammoth machine, so make sure you have the desk real estate. It also functions perfectly well as your primary monitor (in fact it defaults to this setup the first time you turn on the tablet). Initial setup is a breeze, and I had no problems installing drivers or updates. The included digitizer stylus functions flawlessly, and the replacement nibs in the pen holder are a big bonus, although as of writing this I have used the same felt tip nib everyday for three weeks and it still looks brand new. It also performs perfectly with any sort of digital media creation program you could wish for: Photoshop, Painter, GIMP, Open Canvas, Sketchup, Alchemy, Sketchbook Pro, Sculptris, Zbrush, and Blender just to name a few.
I have found the ergonomics of this tablet to be very pleasing. I slide the base of the device to the edge of my desk, and then “hang” the tablet over the edge and into my lap. This position is very comfortable, which allows me to focus on my drawing and painting instead of how much my back hurts! The screen itself is bright and vibrant, although it doesn’t match up to the iMac’s screen in terms of brightness, resolution, or color clarity. I have yet to run any color calibration software on it, but from what I’ve heard from other 24hd owners, that usually takes care of the problem.
The only thing that I find even remotely “negative” about the tablet is the noise of the fan, which is negligible, and only really “loud” upon startup. It soon quiets down to a manageable level, and I’m sure it’s necessary to keep the internal components cool. The top of the 24hd does get a bit warm after hours of continuous use, but this too is only a minor issue. Also, the screen takes about a minute to warmup and reach it’s maximum brightness.
Overall, I have been very pleased with my purchase. I have used other “lesser” tablets at computer stores or at friends’ houses, and I must say that I am extremely glad I waited and saved up to get the 24hd. It outperforms all others I have tried, plus my friends are all green with envy when they come over! They always ask me if they can draw on it. In closing, if you are a digital artist who has always felt confined by your toolset, or if you have longed for a time where the only thing that limited you was your talent, then I HIGHLY recommend that you get yourself a Cintiq 24hd. It’s very big and very pricey, but it’s a worthwhile investment that is bound to pay for itself in the long run!
Happy drawing!
Side note: I went through tekserve.com to order mine. They are a fantastic computer hardware company based out of New York. They sell the 24hd at MSRP ($2600), they have loads of cheap shipping options, and their customer service is top-notch. I HIGHLY recommend them!!!
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
No. HD is very relative standing for “High” definition. to them high definition is anything. It says it has a regular VGA out for hd monitors so you should be good, as long as your hd monitor isn’t 20 years old.