You'll Want This Wacom Cintiq

Did you hear that? That’s the sigh of longing from thousands of creative pros pining after the new $2,499 Wacom Cintiq 24HD.
Each model in the Cintiq line combines a tablet and a display. Though more expensive inch-for-inch than Wacom’s other tablets, Cintiqs are ideal for people uncomfortable with the disconnect created when you draw on one surface (such as the Intuos tablet) while looking at another (your monitor). Just don’t expect to tote it to a coffee shop for a sketching session—the Cintiq 24HD weighs almost 65 pounds!

The $2,499 Cintiq has a 1920 x 1200 HD display with an active area that measures 20.41″ x 12.8″. You can customize its incline and height to suit your ergonomic preferences without losing sight of your work, thanks to the 178° viewing angle. You can also color-calibrate the display.

Like its predecessor, the Cintiq 21UX, the new 24HD registers 2,048 levels of pen pressure. The Cintiq 24HD comes with three pen tips: the Standard nib, the Stroke nib, and the Felt nib. On the main unit, you’ll find programmable ExpressKeys and finger-sensitive Touch Rings.

The Cintiq 24HD, which works with both Macs and PCs, will be available in October 2011.