Touch Screen Drawing Made Affordable with iPad

It's amazing to think that just a few years ago the notion of touching a pen or hand to a display, in order to directly manipulate creative content, seemed either futuristic or at least entirely cost-prohibitive.

The iPad (and iPhone too) have completely changed the game by making direct artwork manipulation via touch screen interface something most artists and designers can actually afford.

Comparison

Let's compare what might have been your best option only months ago. Assuming that you already have a desktop computer and you wish to add direct input to your kit:

Desktop Software and touch screen interface option - to be fair I chose the low end options:

Product	Cost	Notes
Wacom Cintiq 12WX	$999	their larger device is $1,999
Corel Painter essentials 4	$49	their full Painter 11 product is $299
TOTAL	$1,048	for a tethered desktop direct-edit solution that a person may consider.

That's no small chunk of change to add a tethered desktop direct-edit solution to your existing computer rig.

Now, with the iPad you could gain similar functionality with:

Product	Cost	Notes
iPad wifi	$499	their most expensive model will be $829
Autodesk SketchBook Pro	$7.99	iPad version, for iPhone it's only $2.99
PogoSketch stylus	$14.95	arguments can be made about accuracy compared to Wacom, other stylus competitors available and will blossom.
TOTAL	$521.94	for mobile direct-edit solution that a person may consider.

In other words approximately $526 cheaper (or half the cost) entry point. And it's mobile!

There are certainly variables that may cause this kind of comparison to vary. However, the bottom line is that artists and designers can look forward to cheaper ways to get in "touch" with their artwork production. I can't wait to see how this evolves in the coming years.

PCMag: Apple iPad video review

Here's a great early overview...

PCMag: Apple iPad video review from PCMag.com Reviews on Vimeo.

PCMag's Tim Gideon takes an in-depth look at Apple's first tablet, the iPad, prior to the April 3rd launch. Check out iWork, Maps, iBooks, and other apps and read the full review at www.pcmag.com

Charlie Rose on The iPad, With David Carr, Michael Arrington and Walter Mossberg

Despite the various "glaring omissions" that have been well debated in the past week, I agree that the iPad will be a success. It may not fully blossom, past the early adopters, until a v1.5 or v2, but it's going to be very popular. As a UI designer I want one to develop for, as a consumer I want one because it looks so fun to play with. Anyhow, this Charlie Rose segment (presented in iPad-reistant Flash) sums things up well:



Found via: TechCrunch