Wacom today announces Intuos5, the next generation lineup of tablets for professional photographers, designers and artists who wish to take their digital content creation to the next level. Superior new features include multi-touch gesture support for intuitive input, an Express View display to facilitate an efficient workflow and wireless capabilities for convenience and comfort. Combined with Wacom’s renowned pen pressure and tilt sensitive pen, the state-of-the-art Intuos5 inspires creativity through an immersive experience. Wacom will be showcasing the Intuos5 for the first time in the UK at Focus on Imaging (stand N9) from 4 – 7 March 2012.
With its ergonomic, ambidextrous design and bold new look, the slim-profile Intuos5 allows creative professionals to work in complete comfort. The professional matte-black, soft-touch finish and illuminated accents reflect a modern and durable design. To meet the workflow and workspace needs of Wacom’s diverse professional customer base, four Intuos5 models are being introduced. Three Intuos5 touch models, featuring both pen and multi-touch in sizes small, medium and large and one pen-only Intuos5 tablet in medium
The Human Touch
The addition of multi-touch to the Intuos5 provides a complementary input method to the pen that is natural to use in the creative process. One of the distinct benefits of multi-touch is its support of gestures to zoom, scroll, pan and rotate digital content, all while remaining focused on the creative process. Not only is the Intuos5 able to recognise standard Windows and Mac gestures, but customisable gestures can be created in supporting applications to make navigational input easier and stress free. For example, a customised gesture could be created to open a commonly used feature within Adobe Photoshop.
“The multi-touch interface in the Intuos5 is Wacom’s most elegant implementation of gesture support to date,” says Guido Möller, product manager professional brands of Wacom Europe. “Switching from pen to touch or to gesture based navigation is a liberating experience, allowing one to reduce repetitive motion and interact more naturally with the computer.”
Stay focused
Wacom continues to build customisable non-dominant hand controls into its professional tablets to help users streamline their workflow and be more productive. On the Intuos5, these include customisable ExpressKeys (six on small size and eight on both medium and large sizes) and one Touch Ring, with four-function toggle. These features allow users to place commonly used shortcuts and modifiers right at their fingertips, decreasing dependency on the computer keyboard while increasing productivity. The ambidextrous design allows right-handed and left-handed users to simply rotate the tablet 180 degrees for easy access to the ExpressKeys and Touch Ring.
To help users remember their application-specific ExpressKey settings without being distracted by the input device, Intuos5 comes equipped with Express View, a new Heads-Up Display (HUD) feature that displays the current settings on the computer screen. Lightly resting a finger on any of the keys reveals the settings on-screen and fades within a few seconds so as not to disrupt the creative process. “Express View modernises the user interface and is instrumental in helping improve workflow and boost productivity”, said Möller. “It allows users to remain focused on their work and concentrate on the creative process while providing all the benefits of a faster workflow.”
The Intuos5 Grip Pen
For creative professionals, the Intuos5 Grip Pen remains the heart and soul of the tablet experience. The Intuos5 pen registers 2048 levels of pen pressure and up to 60 degrees of pen tilt, allowing the pen to emulate the same feel, response and effects derived from working with traditional tools such as paint brushes, markers and pens. In addition, Intuos5 features Wacom’s proprietary Tip Sensor technology, which means that pressure-sensitive effects can start with an incredibly light touch. The Wacom pen expands the creative effects that can be achieved within software applications that support pressure and/or tilt sensitivity such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Painter, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro and many more. The Grip Pen also features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two side switches that can be customised for commands such as double-click and right-click.
Optional Wireless Connectivity
With the Intuos5, Wacom broadens its offering for wireless connectivity. Now, all sizes of Intuos5 can be converted to a wireless tablet by installing the Wireless Accessory kit, sold separately on Wacom’s e-store. The kit includes a rechargeable battery that charges through USB, a RF module that plugs into the tablet and a receiver that plugs into a USB port on the computer.
Pricing and availability
The Intuos5, available today, comes in four models: Intuos5 touch Small (£199.99), Medium (£329.99), Large (£429.99) and Intuos5 pen-only Medium (£269.99). Each Intuos5 can be extended with the Wacom Wireless Accessory Kit priced at £34.99. All prices are including VAT.
Find out more about Intuos5 at http://www.wacom.eu/index2.asp?lang=en&pid=8001 or have a look at the product video on Wacom Europe’s YouTube Channel at http://youtu.be/pOG-N5l9iOI.
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About Wacom
Wacom Europe GmbH is a subsidiary of Wacom Company, Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange 6727). Founded in 1983, Wacom is a global company based in Japan with subsidiaries and affiliate offices around the world to support marketing and distribution in over 150 countries. Wacom′s vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world′s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays, and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom′s intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world and provides business and home users with their leading interface technology to express their personality. Millions of customers are using its cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology.
The company also offers its products as OEM solutions to leading manufacturers serving incremental markets. Wacom′s interface technology, called Wacom Feel IT Technologies, is also offered as an integrated solution to strategic partners. Most Tablet PC manufacturers count on the advanced features and reliability of the brand to deliver a superior user interface experience.