Adesso CyberTablet M17: the monitor / tablet for Macs and PCs

Can't wait anymore for Apple to launch a Mac in tablet format right? Well cast your glassy-eyed gaze in the direction of this Adesso CyberTablet, a 17-inch monitor which Adesso claims doubles as a tablet for your Mac or PC. The electromagenetic tablet features a 13.3 x 10.7-inch "active area" with 1280 x 1024 resolution said to "work great" with all your Adobe CS2 faves such as PhotoShop and Illustrator. The bundled software also brings handwriting recognition and more to pen emails and markup Office documents. So how does it work? No idea, so why not give 'er a go for a mere $1699. You didn't really need that fully spec'd $1,299 MacBook anyway. Now someone get Michael Caine on the horn -- we found his hand.

[Via CrunchGear]

[black @ Sep 7th 2006 9:21AM]

Does it come with that floating hand too?

[Cam @ Sep 7th 2006 9:23AM]

I'm pretty sure that the pen in the hand is a Wacom pen. I'm using the same one on my Intuos 3 right now...

[Stu @ Sep 7th 2006 9:27AM]

Personally I'd rather get a Wacom Cintiq. If only I had the cheddar.

[Ad @ Sep 7th 2006 9:36AM]

It looks exactly like the Wacom pen. Maybe they have licensed the technology from Wacom. AFAIK Wacom holds pretty much all patents for it's tablet technology and if someone wanted to create a competing tablet, they would have to develop their own approach (and that's why Wacom pretty much holds a monopoly on the high-end tablet market).

[Rob @ Sep 7th 2006 9:49AM]

But this is HALF the street price of the Wacom Cintiq! As a graphic artist, I've always wondered if something like this might speed up some of my work. Wish I could try one for a few hours...

[Shogmaster @ Sep 7th 2006 9:50AM]

They didn't license anything from Wacom (something bery obvious if you bothered to go to the link and read the specs). The pen for this thing (probably looks nothing like the one in the picture, which indeed looks like an Intuos 3 pen) require a AAA battery inside. Wacom's pens are battery-less.

What's incredible is that these bozos who can't even get a picture of their own pen in their web site has the gall to charge even MORE for this thing than Wacom's already rediculous price for their LCD tablets. There's the new 17" Wacom DTF-720 that goes for $100 LESS list than this unknown quality Johnny come lately. Nice way to try to break into a Wacom's iron-grip monopoly in this market, geniuses.

Also, their website is quite suspect. The buy link for the tablet takes me to an ad pop up and a url squatter site. They mention nothing about the color depth the LCD supports (probably an 18bit color cheapy LCD). And the software support list for the LCD tablet mentions "Metacreations" Painter but not Corel Painter. Metacreations sold Painter to Corel like 7 years ago! Nice....

No, I don't think anyone sane is gonna pass up Cintiq 21UX or the new DTF-720 for this bastitch...

[Ryan @ Sep 7th 2006 10:50AM]

Cintiq 21UX FTW!

[Chris @ Sep 7th 2006 11:20AM]

Kudos on "The Hand" bit. Vague 25 year old horror movie references will always draw a giggle from me.

[unimog @ Sep 7th 2006 2:32PM]

Rob - How is $1699 "HALF" the price of $2199?

[Shogmaster @ Sep 7th 2006 3:43PM]

The numbers:

Wacom Cintiq 21UX: $3000 list, $2500 street / 21" 1600x1200 24bit color LCD / 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, pen tilt + rotation sensors / battery-less pen / supported by every major art software.

Wacom DTF-720: $1600 list, $??? street / 17" 1280x1024 18bit color LCD / 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, no tilt, no rotation on pen / battery-less pen / supported by every major art software.

Adesso M17: $1700 list, $??? street / 17" 1280x1024 ??bit color LCD / 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, no tilt, no rotation on pen / AAA battery require in Pen / Pen supported by fraction of art softwares.

[Twist @ Sep 7th 2006 4:41PM]

It is nice seeing someone competing with Wacom finally. I can't wait for the side-by-side comparisons to see how this thing compares against a Cintiq.

[Kyle Mistry @ Sep 7th 2006 4:53PM]

Is it me, or does that look like an Wacom Intuos3/Cintiq stylus being used? It does look just like the one I'm using on my Intuos 3...

Poor product placement, or just a blatantly stolen design?

[DrThaddeusVenture @ Sep 7th 2006 7:18PM]

Of course this does have the advantage of not being made by the moonies/Wacom.

[Jamie @ Sep 8th 2006 2:08AM]

nice to see them using a competitors pen :P

[ricera10 @ Sep 10th 2006 5:06PM]

The list price of the Wacom is actually $2500...

This thing isn't very amazing, especially since Wacom has had tablet screens for a while...

[Koa @ Jan 19th 2007 1:30AM]

The pen resembles the Intuos/Cintiq pen, but is not one. It is simply similar either by design or by chance. It is a bit thicker to accommodate the AAA battery. I have found some rather reliable online retailers (BestBuy http://www.bestbuybusiness.com/bbfb/en/US/adirect/bestbuy?cmd=catProductDetail&showAddButton=true&productID=BB10659210&websrc=FRBB10659210 ) that have this thin in stock Street price seems to vary between $1100 and $1400. This does make it quite a bit cheaper then the WACOM Cintiq. It would compete well against the New WACOM DTF-520 and DTF-720 tablet displays if anyone knew about it. same relative drawing space and weight, roughly the same power consumption and pen response accuracy only with more levels of sensitivity. Then again have fun trying to find anyone selling a WACOM DTF-720. I know I've tried only place so far was ByteWize (http://www.bytewizecomputers.com/products/7/37/477/13771 ) in Canada and they want a little over list price US for it (as of 1/18/2007). B&H photo did tell me that they would be carrying the new WACOMS though, but didn’t have a price yet.

[Artsy Fartsy @ Aug 4th 2007 12:40PM]

Are there any *actual* reviews for this Adesso thing anywhere? As a Flash storyboard artist, I'm really interested - It's basically a Wacom DTF 720 with twice the pressure sensitivity (The M17 has 1024 levels instead of the 720's 512 levels) and, I'm assuming, a battery pen since Wacom has a patent on this application of coil-induction technology.
People on forums have said that the Wacom DTF 720 lists for anywhere between $1599 and $1699 and I've been able to find one (one!) place that actually appears to sell them, but that's for $2200 and I can't find that place anymore. Beside that one overpriced mirage-outfit, I've never seen with my own eyes any other source anywhere where it appears to be possible to actually *buy* the thing.
In contrast, I can order this Adesso with better specs literally right now for $1110.59 from pcsuperstore.com. That's around $500-600 less than the vaporware prices and $1100 less than the one real-world price I've been able to find for the Wacom DTF 720.
"On Paper" it's a noticeably superior product for way cheaper than the Wacom. But I wouldn't want to pull the trigger on one until I've read what someone - *someone* - who has used one has to say about it. How fast does the pen run through juice between charges? Does it have tilt sensitivity? Frankly, if I could get just those two questions answered, I'd seriously have to consider buying one right now.