WACOM CINTIQ 21UX USB (Data Port) 21.3" Pen Display - Graphics Monitor with Digital Pen

Pros: The reviewer beneath me is incorrect. The LCD panel in the Cintiq 21UX is an IPS panel. It's just a different type of IPS panel than the ASUS model he prefers.

Wacom chose an IPS screen with a low contrast ratio because they knew you'd be 6 inches or less from the screen 90% of the time. If you spent that much time that close to an insanely bright screen, your eyes would hurt and you'd get headaches very quickly. It would pretty much be unusable for it's purpose.

Even the 24HD has only a 550:1 contrast ratio.

Though honestly, every company measures contrast ratios differently, so they're not universal. One company could measure a screen at 50,000 and another measure the same screen at 50 million. So contrast ratio is not that big of a deal when purchasing a TV/monitor. Don't be guilt tripped into not buying something that will work better for you.

Cons: I had to post this review because someone didn't do their research. Googling "cintiq 21ux ips?" gets you a link to the Wacom EU forum with Wacom answering correctly.

Other Thoughts: Wacom is coming out with the 22HD at the end of this month. I'd wait for it.

Pros: It's a monitor attached to a tablet... and I didn't have to put it together!

Cons: A 550:1 contrast ratio for a piece of hardware designed to do art is sad at 2 grand. The difference of contrast between colors at any given time. To put it in perspective, the Asus ProArt IPS Monitor also featured on new egg is 50,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio.

Color Gamut is the other monitor feature you need to pay attention too. The Cintiq boasts 16.7million, the Asus ProArt IPS Monitor boasts 1.6billion. Most monitors you see at the Egg or your local brick and mortar are made using TN which gets about 16.7million for the color gamut. Reason for this is that they are cheaper to make, but they sacrifice on contrast, color gamut and viewing angle. Compare an IPS Monitors viewing Angle to that of a typical TN and you'll notice that at certain degrees you'll lose the clarity of the picture.

By the way you can make your own Cintiq monitor for cheaper with a better monitor... it's just a lot of work. Bongofish is the forum I think that has detailed information on how.

Other Thoughts: For about 1500 dollars I could of gotten an
Asus Pro Art 24inch IPS - 50mil:1 Contrast Ratio, 1.6billion Gamut, and a full 178W:178V viewing angle = 500USD

Extra Large Intuos - 18x12 inch = 768 dollars
Total 1268 USD

Wacom Cintiq = 800 dollars more... for less in the long run.

If your dying to have a monitor tablet, I'd say make one, otherwise, buy the IPS monitor and an intuos be happy make art.... <3

Pros: I'm a digital painter. I've been using a Wacom 4 medium for 2 years now. I used this cintiq and I found it very high quality. You do get what you pay for. The hardware stand is very nice and the rubber feet do stick. The screen brightness is average, but then you dont' want your whites washing out. I found it very easy to make long, consistent strokes and it really is quite intuitive to use.

Cons: That being said, I feel its not $2000 better than a standard tablet of the same size. A normal tablet is also highly intuitive once you get used to it. I made better lines, but I think its simply because the area is larger than my tablet. Its a good device, and I'd like one, when I make twice as much as I do now...

I was also left with the feeling that the pressure sensitivity isn't as high as with the tablet, but that should have more to do with the pen...so its probably settings.

This will take alot of desk space, will block your view to your other monitor, and the other thing to think about you can't really use your keyboard to fire off hotkeys and the cintiq at the same time. Hotkeys are an essential part of my working process.

It also is heavy ~10-15 pounds or so.

Other Thoughts: This device its about....10=15% better in feel than a tablet. It will not solve your inability to make quality marks. If you really feel that hardware is holding you back consider a larger traditional tablet first. If money is no object, then by all means you won't be disappointed.

Also using a smudgeguard glove or similar product is essential here. Your hand will smudge oil and stick to the glossy surface of the tablet, giving a traction and feel that is akin to drawing on glass. It sounds like a detail, but how your hand slides over the surfice is a huge issue for an artist.

Pros: Best piece of gear I've ever bought. Works amazing for detail work and it's so realistic you almost forget you're working digital. I went to wipe off the eraser crumbs for the first week I was using it. Totally worth buying since it's one of the few pieces of tech gear that actually holds it's value. The older ones still sell for as much as the new ones.

Cons: The weight and the price are the first things that come to mind. This sucker is HEAVY!

The max resolution could be higher and it could come with an HDMI option, but that's kind of nitpicky.

Other Thoughts: This sucker gets hot after using it for a while and the oil from your hands gets on it too. Invest in a glove to draw with and you'll be good to go.

Pros: - The button layout is definitely better than the old version.

- The stand works pretty well, feels solid/steady.

Cons: - Next to my Apple Cinema 24" display, the Cintiq does not measure up at all in terms of screen quality. It's extremely dim in comparison (come on Wacom, if you're going to release a new version of $2k hardware then use an LED screen!).

- I find the hardware menu system extremely confusing.

- The touch strip on the back is absolutely worthless.

- Included software is a little lackluster.

Other Thoughts: I'm very happy with how it feels to draw on it and how accurately it works (with simple calibration). Overall, despite some design misfires, I think this is a great purchase for anyone who plans to do a significant amount of tablet work. And really, what other options do you have? It's the only game in town.

Pros: Wacom product design has a really nice feel to it. High quality plastics, the fit and finish of everything is great. The monitor stand is well thought out and allows you to rotate the screen to your hearts content. The software and customization options for the buttons on the sides are very good. It's pretty easy to test the device out, figure out which settings you'll like, and go into the Wacom utility and tweak everything for maximum efficiency.

Cons: First off let's start with the display panel. My model is four years old (still performs like new) - so it's possible that they've updated the display on the new ones to at least have a little bit more consistent color -- however, looking at the specs for the new one, the brightness and contrast ratings for the 21UX have remained the same. The contrast is 550:1 -- I'm not a scientist so I can't tell you what this means except for forget about using this monitor with any sort of daylight involved. A side-by-side comparison with my Dell 2408WFP is just disappointing.

The other thing that is really super important to consider before dropping 2 g's on this sucker is usability. To get the most out of the tilt/swivel stand you are going to need about 4'x3' of unmolested desk space. You can pull the display out of the stand and use it on your lap, but then there's neck stiffness issues.

Other Thoughts: Just so there's some credibility to this review, I'm not a rich gadget freak who really doesn't need to be buying this... I'm a professional illustrator and motion graphics artist, and I use my computer for this stuff anywhere from 5-12 hours a day regularly. I love Wacom products, I think they're great, although definitely overpriced, and I really do like this interactive display. For me, if using this display added any advantage over just a straight pen tablet, it would be worth the money, it would even be worth the $2700 I paid four years ago. But that's the thing -- the pen tablet and monitor combo, while less cool, is much more usable, even for intense illustration and fine detail work. It's not even a matter of "bang for the buck" -- the plain tablet and high-quality monitor setup is just better. :( Sorry guys I know it's not very cool.

Pros: I've waited for this new version to come out for over a year now. I'm a first-time Cintiq user and absolutely love it!! I never though I'd rotate the board but I do. I catch myself trying not to smudge my drawing. Due to this board, the jump from paper to digital was much easier than I had imagined.

Cons: Not much to complain about here. It does get warm after long periods of usage.

Other Thoughts: I haven't found much use for the side buttons yet--still utilizing my keyboard at times. I will attempt to switch over at some point. The monitor works great with Manga Studio EX 4.0 Take a break every 45 min.