World's First All-in-One for the Digital Artist
Wacom, the world’spremier manufacturer of interactive tablets for designers and digital artistshas been expanding its range of much vaunted products over the years. They nowhave products that allow artists to work not only on external tablet surfaces,but directly onto screens with the Cintiq, as well as on traditional physicalsketchbooks with the Inkling. Out of these the Cintiq, with the freedom to workdirectly on screen is the most intuitive and is considered by mostprofessionals as the ultimate tool for digital art.
However, one aspect inwhich I think even the Cintiq is somewhat restrictive is that it still needs tobe connected to a computer like an external display to work. So despite itsamazing capabilities it is basically an external display with an Intuos tabletmounted inside – which is exactly how some recent DIY tablet makers have puttogether their own versions of the product. Nonetheless, seeing how theever-increasing competition to manufacture the thinnest, lightest “ultra-books”has enabled manufacturers to pack in incredible computing power into notebooksthinner than 1.7 cm, I think that marrying the two technologies together wouldbe the next logical step for the drawing tablet industry.
Working on this idea Idesigned a concept for Wacom’s first tablet that wont need an external computerto connect to - the Wacom Infinite. Like other laptops the Wacom Infinite hastwo main sections, top section for the screen, and the base for the keyboard,track pad and computing components like memory, CPU etc. However, since thetablet has touch input enabled and is mainly to be used for artwork I did notfeel the need for a tactile keyboard or track pad, ensuring that the basesection can be fully utilized for maximum computing power. When needed, theuser can either use an on-screen keyboard or connect one externally though oneof the USB ports or the in-built Bluetooth. A Lithium-Polymer battery similarto the one used in Apple’s MacBook Air as well as external ports are casedinside the lower beveled section of the screen section, connected to the basevia hinges on either side. These hinges also let the top section slide up/ downover a 45-degree angle range.
The screen is proposedto be similar in size as well as capabilities to the current Cintiq 21UX, butin a considerably thinner package; something I think will be achievable fairlysoon.
However, one aspect inwhich I think even the Cintiq is somewhat restrictive is that it still needs tobe connected to a computer like an external display to work. So despite itsamazing capabilities it is basically an external display with an Intuos tabletmounted inside – which is exactly how some recent DIY tablet makers have puttogether their own versions of the product. Nonetheless, seeing how theever-increasing competition to manufacture the thinnest, lightest “ultra-books”has enabled manufacturers to pack in incredible computing power into notebooksthinner than 1.7 cm, I think that marrying the two technologies together wouldbe the next logical step for the drawing tablet industry.
Working on this idea Idesigned a concept for Wacom’s first tablet that wont need an external computerto connect to - the Wacom Infinite. Like other laptops the Wacom Infinite hastwo main sections, top section for the screen, and the base for the keyboard,track pad and computing components like memory, CPU etc. However, since thetablet has touch input enabled and is mainly to be used for artwork I did notfeel the need for a tactile keyboard or track pad, ensuring that the basesection can be fully utilized for maximum computing power. When needed, theuser can either use an on-screen keyboard or connect one externally though oneof the USB ports or the in-built Bluetooth. A Lithium-Polymer battery similarto the one used in Apple’s MacBook Air as well as external ports are casedinside the lower beveled section of the screen section, connected to the basevia hinges on either side. These hinges also let the top section slide up/ downover a 45-degree angle range.
The screen is proposedto be similar in size as well as capabilities to the current Cintiq 21UX, butin a considerably thinner package; something I think will be achievable fairlysoon.
