Wacom intros new Cintiq 15X stylus/LCD combo

Wacom Technology Corp. today introduced the new Cintiq 15X. The company said the Cintiq 15X is the world’s first pressure-sensitive interactive pen display for under US$2,000. The Cintiq 15X embeds a 24-bit color LCD monitor into a graphics tablet that enables users to work with an electronic stylus directly on the LCD screen.

By seeing what they’re doing at pen point rather than having to look up at a computer monitor, users get a more intuitive visual sense of their environment. Wacom said that the Cintiq 15X has been developed for photo image editing, painting, controlling presentations, medical, financial, CAD, 2D/3D animation and other applications.

The Cintiq 15X utilizes an active-matrix color TFT LCD display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The active area of the Cintiq 15X is 11.9 by 8.9 inches. Its overall dimensions are 16.3 by 14.4 by 2 inches. The stylus itself is cordless and batteryless, and incorporates a pressure-sensitive eraser.

New features in the Cintiq 15X include:

512 levels of pressure sensitivity (doubled what was previously available), along with a reduced pen starting force;

Reduced parallax technology, which allows the pen to be closer to the LCD screen itself;

Analog (RGB 15 pin) and digital (Digital Visual Interface, or DVI) connectors for easy hookup to PCs or Macs with old and new video cards;

USB or Serial table interface connections;

35 percent increased brightness, and an increased viewing angle of 160 degrees vertically and horizontally;

Accurate ICC color management profile, with optional photospectrometer available for custom calibration;

Reduced weight, 1.65 pounds lighter than its predecessor, while offering the same viewing area.

At $1,899, the stylus/LCD display combo runs less than half the price of its predecessor, the PL500. Look for the Wacom Cintiq 15X to hit store shelves in October. It’s compatible with Mac OS 8.5 or later (look for Mac OS X support real soon now).