# Cintiq Alternative - Monoprice Monitor Tablet, under $400 US!!



## Zydala (Dec 8, 2013)

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=113&cp_id=11314&cs_id=1131401&p_id=10707&seq=1&format=2

I love Monoprice everything - cables, tablets, headphones - so I was totally elated to see this pop up. DEFINITELY a promising alternative.

My wifey got a cintiq for a christmas gift and she's been letting me play with it, I looove it and I'd super love it if this thing is as good as the monoprice tablet we have, then we wouldn't have to fight over her gift so darn much lol ;]~


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## gorgonops (Dec 9, 2013)

Oh my. That is quite exciting. I recently got one of their tablets, and I _love _it. I'd been limping my old Intous 2 along for nearly a decade, then I spent $60 on a monoprice tablet, and I'm not looking back. The pressure sensitivity is fan-freakin'-tastic. <3

Is this a newer thing? I don't have the kind of money to get one anytime soon, but I'm very interested to see what kind of reviews come along for this in the coming months.


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## Smuttymutt (Dec 9, 2013)

Yeah they sent me a newsletter about that one! I got excited! I love monoprice, mine outlasted my bamboo and worked so much better. Also I broke it (totally my bad) and talked to a chat rep and they sent me a new one! Looks promising! I asked their chat rep if I could use it with a converter since my computer doesnt take VGA and he said no =(

Im hoping some customer reviews say otherwise! (he didnt seem quite sure of himself) If you get one please review it! Especially since you have used a cintiq and could compare the two!


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## Lobar (Dec 9, 2013)

That is awesome.  Still more money than I can justify shelling out right now, but I'm going to keep my eye on the reviews for this thing.

All of Monoprice's other tablets are rebranded UC Logic tablets, so this is probably their new monitor tablet too.  If so, hopefully this means they start selling the 22-inch model too, which has an IPS display.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 9, 2013)

I saw TFT display and then knew why it's so cheap :/ having an on screen experience is better as I've used tablet PCs as well but the color shifting drove me nuts which is why I stuck with IPS display. Hopefully they do start selling IPS displays because the viewing angle can limit how you sit with it. 

Wacom definitely needs more competition though seeing how they have been fumbling with their lines of tablets, and quality issues in the last few iterations.


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## Zydala (Dec 9, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> I saw TFT display and then knew why it's so cheap :/ having an on screen experience is better as I've used tablet PCs as well but the color shifting drove me nuts which is why I stuck with IPS display. Hopefully they do start selling IPS displays because the viewing angle can limit how you sit with it.



Yeah that's the one big complaint I've seen as far as the review I saw from frenden: http://frenden.com/post/69444810884/review-monoprice-19-tablet-monitor-wacom-take-heed, but the first thing that crossed my mind anyway was that the display was definitely going to be the first thing that they'd cut back on anyway

as someone who has to struggle with a TFT display as it is right now I'd much rather just get this thing and a monitor arm and deal, though I will admit that my wife's cintiq has been quite nice in that aspect. just not the first thing I thought of white using it haha... I can see it being something important to remember for others though


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## Kaeko (Dec 9, 2013)

Also look up hanvon sentip. Took a little bit to find the correct drivers to convert to english!

But it's what I use and only cost me $500.


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## Schwimmwagen (Dec 10, 2013)

I am interested.

I'm using a small Intuos4 now, so I might see about getting a larger Monoprice for christmoose...


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## artonis (Dec 11, 2013)

I'd also like to suggest to people, especially those who are worried about color changes from viewing angle, to consider older Tablet PCs that sell for very good prices on ebay. 

Android tablets also are getting very real alternatives, too, at the very least for sketching and inking.

Personally, I have an older Tablet PC that I bought off of ebay for about 250, a Lenovo X61T, that is still very nicely suited for coloring and sketching work. Especially with a little memory upgrade and an SSD it turns into a little beast. Only 3D stuff is a bit iffy on it, since it doesn't really have the fastest CPU and GPU.
My version (But not all!) even comes with a 1400x1050 IPS display, and it has a Wacom digitzer.

I also have a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition (What a mouth-full) It's a bit pricier and goes for like 500-700, but it also has a Wacom digitzer, and it's extremely well suited for sketching and inking with the right software. (I use Sketchbook Pro for Galaxy, a version of Sketchbook pro specifically for the Note series, that came free with it.) It's fast and very portable, but i'd suggest getting the bigger pen from Samsung as optional addon, which is bigger and has an eraser tip, and uncommon for wacom tech pens is only like 10 bucks.
Coloring is a bit harder, since you only have so many layers and most software has rather limited layer effects.
But if you don't rely much on layers, it might work well for you too.

As a note, I have a Cintiq, but I hardly ever use it anymore and I am even considering selling it.


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## cybunni (Dec 18, 2013)

Oh man I was so excited but it has such bad reviews ><


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## Schwimmwagen (Dec 18, 2013)

Hey Zy, if you use a Monoprice tablet (that isn't a cintiq alternative), what would you say about it?

Christmas is nearing so I'm really tempted to see about grabbing one.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 18, 2013)

cybunni said:


> Oh man I was so excited but it has such bad reviews ><



Kinda not surprised. Then again I had people who went with the Monoprice regular tablets have a limited lifespan, though in all fairness the intuos 4 and 5 tablets have been dying out due to crap USB ports in about a few years too.


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## Zydala (Dec 19, 2013)

Gibby said:


> Hey Zy, if you use a Monoprice tablet (that isn't a cintiq alternative), what would you say about it?
> 
> Christmas is nearing so I'm really tempted to see about grabbing one.



Very very nice for the price  I bought this model for my girlfriend to replace her old intuos 2: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10841&cs_id=1084101&p_id=5553&seq=1&format=2

If you're used to wacom tablets it takes a bit of time to adjust but otherwise we never had a problem with ours at all. She used it daily for hours for about a year and a half before she moved on to the cintiq. Good starting tablet for sure.



cybunni said:


> Oh man I was so excited but it has such bad reviews ><



where are the reviews you're seeing? I saw frenden's who said it wasn't bad compared to the other alternatives and he'd recommend it, and the one on the website doesn't seem too disappointed. Just curious about the links


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## Lobar (Dec 19, 2013)

Gibby said:


> Hey Zy, if you use a Monoprice tablet (that isn't a cintiq alternative), what would you say about it?
> 
> Christmas is nearing so I'm really tempted to see about grabbing one.



I have a basic Monoprice tablet also and they're an absolute steal for the price if you don't already have a Wacom.


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## Schwimmwagen (Dec 19, 2013)

Lobar said:


> I have a basic Monoprice tablet also and they're an  absolute steal for the price if you don't already have a Wacom.



OH DANG that pricing.



Zydala said:


> Very very nice for the price  I bought this model for my girlfriend to replace her old intuos 2: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10841&cs_id=1084101&p_id=5553&seq=1&format=2
> 
> If you're used to wacom tablets it takes a bit of time to adjust but otherwise we never had a problem with ours at all. She used it daily for hours for about a year and a half before she moved on to the cintiq. Good starting tablet for sure.



Yeah I'm considering one to replace my small Wacom so I can go a size up with a Monoprice, I'm just not sure if my Intuos 4 small is superior in function. I think I can manage a bit of adjustment, and I'd have to anyway if I was going to get a medium Intuos!

Though it's got 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and the intuos has double that... Not sure if it should worry me.

But considering the price I'll give it a go anyway. Thanks bunches!


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## Lobar (Dec 19, 2013)

Gibby said:


> OH DANG that pricing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The 8"x5" and the 10"x6.25" both have 2048 levels of pressure if that's a sticking point.  Better LPI, too.

edit: They've changed their tablet lineup a bit since I last looked, and some of the 10"x6.25" ones are only 1024 levels.  Get this one.  It also has hotkeys now, which is nice because mine doesn't.


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## Schwimmwagen (Dec 19, 2013)

Lobar said:


> The 8"x5" and the 10"x6.25" both have 2048 levels of pressure if that's a sticking point.  Better LPI, too.



OOH

Gonna try that out, thanks!

Either way even if I don't like them I think I can live with it giving the prices. Wacom's prices for Intuos tablets are 2hi4me.


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## Neon Rain (Dec 19, 2013)

Ive heard lots of good things about Monoprice


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## Rinz (Dec 19, 2013)

Gibby said:


> OH DANG that pricing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


When I switched from my Intuos3 to the Intuos4, I didn't really notice any major difference between the two.

Edit: I realize that I actually posted that without mentioning its relevance! The Intuos3 had 1024, while the 4s introduced 2048.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 19, 2013)

Rinz said:


> When I switched from my Intuos3 to the Intuos4, I didn't really notice any major difference between the two.
> 
> Edit: I realize that I actually posted that without mentioning its relevance! The Intuos3 had 1024, while the 4s introduced 2048.



I did, it had that awful fattened stroke in about every program like PS, Sai due to the near zero pressure sensitivity introduced in the 4. The thing is, it also depends on the program you used. Not every program was even setup to use 2048 and defaulted to legacy. I am glad they introduced the Pressure Curve in later drivers. It drove me crazy how you couldn't get a proper tapered stroke in those programs.


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