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This is more of a curiosity, but I was wondering what professional graphics designers/artists are using now that tablet pcs have been much more common and powerful in the passed few years than they were in the past.
So, straight forward: are lots of artists still using tablets, or has there been a switch to tablet pcs?
Whatever the answer is, what model(s) are common/prevalent in your experience?
I have used both tablets and tablet PCs; for ease of reading I'll break the two out into separate paragraphs:
1) Tablet PCs: I've used both the HP TC1100 and TC4400s; both running windows XP tablet edition. The TC1100 was a complete nightmare - the GPU was way underpowered (if you wanted to project video you had to choose between the on-tablet display or the external display) and the CPU crawled. The TC4400 was much better, but still suffered from performance limitations (this was using Photoshop / Illustrator CS2) and size restrictions. The one nice thing about it was that you could draw directly on the screen (something you have to spend a lot more money on is you want to be able to do with a WACOM tablet). I will occasionally use the 4400 if I'm throwing something together and don't feel like dragging my macbook out of its case but don't really use that for much graphics work.
I have also dropped the latest version of Ubuntu on an old TC1100; this version has support for the pen but I don't know if there's support for pressure-sensitivity.
2) USB Tablet: I use an Intuos 4 medium-sized tablet for Illustrator / Photoshop (CS5) and, once I got used to it, can't imagine using anything else. The definition is much better than anything I can get from a mouse, the actions seem more natural, and I can choose different nibs for a different feel (pencil vs. pen vs. brush). With a nice long USB cable I can lean back and work (I rarely use the hotkeys on the side so I still have to lean forward to hit hotkeys but it's a fair trade in my opinion). It also means that I can use a more powerful computer (with my preferred OS) and have more working area than on the tablet PCs.
Long story short, I'd personally recommend a USB tablet like the Intuos 4 (the Intuos 4 has higher definition, larger sizes and more pressure sensitivity than the Bamboo) over a tablet PC any day. You get more accuracy (touch sensitivity and higher definition), better ergonomics (not hunched over a crappy little 13" screen) and much better performance (don't like the way it's working on your laptop? Plug it into your desktop.).
Most I know use a medium size Intuos 4. In the Cintiq route, I'd go the 21", I know too well the 12" model.
If is for pixel art, some retouching, etc, nothing too serious, even a Intuos Small could do. Or a bamboo Medium size, however they call it, not the smallest size.
If you want more precise line drawing, like comics inking, etc, I'd recomend a large tablet. The XL (works like charm) is cheaper than the cintiq, is like 800, way cheaper than the 21" cintiq, and for those used to wacom tablets already, might be even more convenient. Other than that, just go for a L or an A4 variant (wouldn't recommend the Wireless model), that is, the "M" models. For inkining or just having good stroke control, I personally wouldn't go lower than L size. Always depend on the space available in your work environment, table... large sizes require large monitors, too.(no 17" ones. A 22" would be ok)
I have had diferent opinions about this matter, but this is sort of a conclusion after working with practically all Wacom products.
Oh, and yes...Wacom all the way, in my opinion. And most other artists I know think this way.
Edit: When I said I used many Wacom products, I meant I have used (at home or work place) heavily several flavors of Graphire (1,2,4), Bamboo, an old Wacom 1 A4, Intuos 4 Small(S), Cintiq 12", Intuos 4 XL. The XL is great if you need a lot of accuracy, but many get back to the shop as people don't think well how much space does it use and what means to handle a so large tablet. Still, my best buy till the moment. Intuos 4 Small(S) is probably the best bang for the buck of these all, but I would better recommend a Bamboo fun (while the keep it being the only "MEDIUM" size of all bamboos, all others are "Small"). This is my recommendation for the majority of users. The features you loose for not being an intuos4, do not worth loosing the larger active area of this Bamboo (6.2" x 3.9" the Intuos4 S, while 8.5" x 5.4" the Bamboo Fun (medium size)).
Really, the control on what you draw is so much better at larger sizes. Still, it has a size it can play well with keyboard and mouse placement. And sort of 30$ cheaper than the intuos4 small. For more people needing illustration accuracy, might be better to go for the Large Intuos4 (L) . The Medium size of Intuos4 (8.5" x 5.5") has same active area than the bamboo fun! So, you see how the Fun is a great purchase (unless you know you badly need the intuos4 features), specially with the big price difference between Intuos 4 M and Bamboo Fun. So I'd go for a Bamboo Fun, or jump to the Intuos4 Large (L).
The cintiq 12", don't do it. I did. With that money you get a ton of great hardware components. In my tests,my XL is way more accurate. The res of the cintiq is too small, also it's all a bit too non comfortable. The 2.5 inches around screen borders being a non accurate area is no good in that small res, the dual screen mode at 1280x800 wont work well in many cards, just single screen mode, the calibration...you'd better draw always in same position, or you'll see not the cursor when you want it, and finally, like in all tablets, there's a lag between your stroke, the speed and response you get with traditional pencil and paper, and what actually happens in the cintiq. Like in all tablets, wacom or not, but is much more noticeable in a direct to screen device.
In the cintiq's positive side (less points but strong ones, depends on your needs) some people do need to paint like in traditional way, direct to screen (I'm a traditional painter, but I don't mind), it is actually a really good tft screen, could have kept it (sold it) just due to the sRGB good profile, the great colors needing little adjustment from default, rare thing in a tft screen. I was pretty able to do professional work with it after some config, and I was happy with it. Just does not worth the price, and even if it were cheap, I'd go anytime after all my tests and usage, towards an L or XL intuos4 model.
The cintiq 21" , that's gotta be different(have not tested). Enough resolution to be accurate for line art, the 2.5 inches of non accuracy in the borders matter less in such a big screen... I bet is a good purchase, but again, too much money for my pocket (2000$ !) to get maybe less accuracy than with the XL (790$, even cheaper than the 1k of the 12")
About the scratches and dust problem for cintiqs and intuos that floats everywhere on the internet... I have never ever scratched my tablets. I have seen work buddies ruin a pair of those, but doing really a savage usage of it (including football activities).The dust...never a prob, although I cover the cintiq and xl, when not using. But I'm careful with stuff, generally, every person is a different world, as with ergonomics. If you press quite when you draw no matter what you are using, then you can have the problem. Some people don't even know how strongly they press against the surface..
Oh, and..it shows my age, but I have owned a Kurta tablet...The first tablet for artists, or one of them. Also Bestbuy and Genius. I'm an old artist.
Hoping this 2c opinion (from personal experience) might help someone.
"Disclaimer" : I have written before about Wacoms, slightly different opinions. I just change my views as I get to get more products, certain tests, usages, etc. Always my latest post on the matter will be more "accurate".
Like lawndartcatcher, I'm a died-in-the-wool Wacom Intuos user. No other tablet comes close for professional use.
The fundamental difference between a tablet PC (or an iThing-type tablet) is that the pressure, tilt and rotation of the pen can be used to control parameters such as brush size, opacity, scatter and flow very intuitively. Both Bamboo and Intuos offer pressure-sensitivity, but the Intuos pens are more sensitive and have considerably more functionality. There are Bamboo tablets that also work as multi-touch trackpads, much like the Apple trackpad, and if you're a bit mouse-phobic, or just tired of trying to draw stuff using a high-tech bar of soap, they're a fantastic alternative.
All that said, the cream of the crop are the Wacom Cintiq displays. They're pricey, but the smaller 12" Cintiq offers the ability to draw directly on screen with all of the pressure, tilt, etc., sensitivity that the regular tablets offer. It'll run you about a grand US. Cintiq doubles as a second display, so you have a really powerful addition to your workspace. (If you are still working on a single-monitor setup, take my advice: get a second screen immediately. You will never look back!) Check out any of Bert Monroy's tutorials on Revision3.com to see the big Cintiqs in action.
For what it's worth, I'm a Cintiq user.
In a weird way, the best thing about Cintiq is its stand. The stand has rollers in the back and a quick-release so it can go from "second monitor" to "drafting board" without any effort at all. This means that even though it's only 21", I can get much closer to it and it feels much bigger. The drivers are much better than they used to be (at least for 64-bit Windows users, I can't speak for OS X). Occasionally Windows will get confused and think the other monitors are touch-screen and the Cintiq is a "dumb" monitor, but this occurs less and less with each driver update.
Cintiq really only has 2 drawbacks but they really stand out due to the aforementioned rapid flexibility of the stand.
The big problem is the thickness of the pressure plate in between the stylus and LCD. No matter how good the calibration, I can always see a slight gap between my pen and the cursor. If I ever have to upgrade or trash the prefs file, I find that I calibrate 3-4 times before it feels "ok" again. This is where the easy-adjustability of the stand is a double-edged blade. The moment you move or rotate your Cintiq, your viewing angle changes and your careful calibration profile is obsolete. This is why "ok" is in quotes in reference to calibration. I usually end up calibrating several times until I settle on a calibration that works mediocre at most viewing angles. Otherwise I have a calibration that is spot-on at 1 angle, and no good at others. If I intend to draw from a specific position for an extended period, I will usually calibrate specifically for that session.
My other gripe is the relatively low resolution. Unfortunately it runs at 1600x1200 - which may not sound terrible, but on a 21" drafting board that is mere inches from my face I often find that the image is simply not as sharp as I desire.
Despite the above, there is no chance I'd trade it for any iPad|Android|Blackberry device. They're just not in the same league. It would be like trying to compare a surgeon's scalpel to a pocketknife. Different build quality. Different precision. Different purpose. (and yes, different price)
I've played around with some tablets just for kicks. There are cool tools for a quick sketch - I wouldn't have a problem carrying a tablet instead of a paper pad for plane flights. I just can't imagine that anybody who is serious about their craft would attempt to replace a Wacom with a generic tablet.
Edit: Corrected resolution description.
