Two amazing examples of tech, taken far too soon

I've been known to back a few of the wrong horses when it comes to tech. 

When some folks chose the Apple II, I chose the Commodore 64.

When the Macintosh and then the IBM PC were released in the mid 80's, I chose to think different and began my love affair with the Amiga.

Over its seven year lifespan, I bought every new model and pushed the boundaries of the Amiga's graphics and video capabilities. But while most 3d artists fell in love with the Newtek Video Toaster and Lightwave, I just had to be an individual and chose to master Impulse's Imagine3d and its little-known 24-bit framebuffer called the Firecracker.

And when I returned to 3d graphics in 2004 after a decade-long absence, I tried to learn to love industry leading 3DS Max and Maya, but instead I became infatuated with Softimage.

Today, Autodesk announced that the upcoming 2015 release of Softimage will be the last and that the program will be forever retired in 2016.

I've been in mourning ever since the news was confirmed and, to mark my grief, I remembered this photo I took a while back of an Amiga 500 I modeled in Softimage last year, region rendered on a Surface Pro.

I meant the image to represent the computing power of the tablet, but instead it's a snapshot of two under-appreciated technological marvels done in by consumer indifference and corporate mismanagement.

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The Amiga 500, modeled and region rendered in Softimage 2014 on the Surface Pro. Mental Ray, full anti-aliasing, two lights, 27,000 triangles, 110 objects, 95 textures and the Surface Pro didn't even break a sweat.

Given my track record, I also admit that I'm worried that the Surface Pro might someday join that sad roster consigned to footnotes in tech history.

Q&A: Manga Studio guru and recent Surface Pro convert Doug Hills

If you've added Manga Studio to your toolkit within the last couple of years, you've no doubt come across the fine educational materials created by Doug Hills (@DNHills), author of Manga Studio for Dummies and the Manga Studio Field Guide series.

Doug's easy to follow video tutorials were the principal reason I became interested in learning Manga Studio when I first bought my Surface Pro. (You can find those videos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLynyD-7entJ2Im0iFLlN3cLkA2eoq4oEb)

I'd like to believe that my constant Twitter badgering had something to do with his recent decision to purchase a Surface Pro 2. And I'm delighted that Doug consented to do this interview. Enjoy!

Surface Pro Artist: Where are you based? Tell us a little about your personal life. 
Doug Hills: I currently live in Upstate NY. I was born and raised in this area, but only recently came back. I had spent about ten years in Utah, (where my wife got a job teaching at Utah State University). It was a great experience to live someplace new, but we decided it was time to come back to the Capital Region. 

I used to be a computer programmer (it’s what I went to college for), but was pretty much miserable there. The company I worked for was great, but the insane hours were getting to me. My wife (Stacey) suggested that I quit, and just focus on making comics. So, I took a chance and did just that. I’m not nearly making the money I was making in programming, but my psyche has been thanking me ever since.

Stacey and I have been married for almost 14 years now, and we have a soon-to-be 10 year old daughter.

I'm 90% sure these were all done with the Surface Pro 2. The Donatello and Iron Fletcher ones, definitely. The CM Punk and Miles Morales ones we at least a hybrid of the SP and Mac. I had used the Wacom Bamboo Feel Stylus with the drawings, with my modified Hard Felt tip. (The one above) was a gift for a friend, who is a big Murder She Wrote fan. I wanted to do something fun, and for some reason making an homage of Iron Man's first appearance seemed to work. :)

How long have you been drawing comics and manga? How did you get your start? 
I've been drawing since high school (waaaay back in 1993), but that was mostly sketches of superheroes or my own creations. I didn’t start creating sequential art on a regular basis until 2001, when I created my first webcomic, PLACE NAME HERE. This was followed by CHIBI CHEERLEADERS FROM OUTER SPACE (created by Stacey and me), which we worked on for about six years.

I got my start by just starting my own comic. Once I found out that people were making their own comics and putting them on the web, I knew that was what I wanted to do. So, I did. 

What are some of your past credits? What projects are you working on at the moment? 
Aside from Place Name Here and Chibi Cheerleaders, I've done a few guest pages on some of my friends’ webcomics over the years. More renectly, I’ve been working on some comics with my friend Josh Flanagan. We did a short story for Top Shelf Comics called King Pete. We then started working on a story called Dixon’s Notch, and we were recently asked to do a short story for the soon-to-be-released book, SCAMThology. I have a few additional projects that are still in the development stage, but will hopefully be released soon.

Currently, I’m best known for my tutorial videos and guide books for Manga Studio.  I had written Manga Studio For Dummies in 2008, and am in the process of writing a series of new guide books that cover Manga Studio 5, as well as new tutorial videos.

Another gift for a friend, who asked for a drawing of Donatello from TMNT. I try to find something different when working on a sketch (instead of the usual fighting/action sketch), so I went with him doing some coding while watching Attack on Titan.

When did you begin using Manga Studio?  What attracted you to it vs. other digital art tools? 
I started using Manga Studio around 2006. I had heard about Comic Studio (as it is known in Japan) around 2004-2005, but I wasn’t able to check it out until eFrontier (now Smith Micro) got the rights to distribute the program outside of Japan. 

I was attracted to Manga Studio when I saw how natural the pencils and inks felt and looked compared to Photoshop. And, I was blown away when I saw the virtual rulers. That gave me the ability to do with my digital work what I was doing with pen and paper.

I had used many different art programs over the years, and while they were all very good, I could not get comfortable working with them. Manga Studio was the first one I really felt the closest to working with pencil and paper (with a few time-saving features that I couldn’t reproduce in the analog world :) ).

How many completed pages do you create per year? How does your digital output rate compare to traditional methods? 
Hmm. I don’t have a consistent gig (the joys of working freelance), it’s hard to say how many pages I get done in a year. I guess the cop-out answer is “as many as I needed to get done for a project.”

What matters to me is, “can I hit the deadline I’ve been asked to make?” And for the most part, I’ve hit my deadlines.

Since I’m almost exclusively digital, it’s hard to say what my digital-to-analog output rate is. Again, what matters is if I hit my deadlines. With that in mind, it won’t really matter what medium I use to accomplish that. So I guess the answer is: “they’re the same.” :)

This was a warm-up sketch. I wanted to change things up from drawing comic book characters, so I spent a couple of days drawing professional wrestlers. This one is of CM Punk.

What hardware and software do you use?  
Aside from the (recently purchased) Surface Pro 2, I use a 2011 MacBook Air, and an Wacom Intuos 4 Medium Tablet. I used to own a 1st Generation Cintiq, but eventually sold it. 

Software-wise, I use Manga Studio 5 and Sketchbook Pro. I like SBP for thoe times when I need to make a quick sketch that I can then port over to Manga Studio to finish up.

What attracted you to the Surface Pro?
Portability, first and foremost. I love my MBA and Intuos, but if I wanted to just pick up and go, it could get a little clumsy with cords and all that. The Surface Pro is great because it’s pretty much the tablet and a power cord. So, I can just put it in a small bag, head over to a coffee shop, and get right to work.

How does the Surface Pro compare to any of the other Wacom solutions you’ve tried? 
I’ve played with various Tablet PCs over the year. The Surface Pro is pretty much like those, with two major exceptions:

1) It’s much lighter than the other Tablet PCs, with much better battery life, and

2) The Surface Pro has a higher level of pressure sensitvity (1,024) versus the other tablets I’ve used (256). This is important to me because the increased sensitivity means I don’t instinctively press harder on the screen to register the pen strokes. This results in less hand strain than what I experienced when working with the older TPCs.

Regarding other Wacom products, I’d say they’re about the same. I’ve worked with Intuos-style tablets for 14 years, so I’m very comfortable with that kind of setup. Sometimes I even prefer sketching with the Intuos, as it keeps my lines (and therefore my gesture drawings) loose. That said, it’s nice to be able to draw directly on the screen, especially when I’m inking.

How are you using the Surface Pro? Has it altered your approach to digital comics? 
I’m primarily using it as an art machine. I purchased the 128 GB version, so there’s not a lot of space to put too many programs on it. That’s actually a good thing, as it reduces virtual clutter, and keeps the distractions low.

It hasn’t really altered my approach to making comics, outside of the ability to move, rotate, and zoom the page with my fingers (a nice feature in Manga Studio 5). That’s been very nice.

How difficult was the transition to Windows 8? 
Not difficult at all. I’ve been generally a Windows user (heck, my MBA was dual-booting Mac and Windows for a while). Aside from Metro (which didn’t take too long to adapt to), I was able to transition to 8 pretty easily.

What else are you doing with your Surface Pro? 
Answering interviews like this one. :)

Actually, I’m going to start experimenting with things like Livestreaming. That way I can do live Manga Studio Q&As while drawing. Beyond that, I’ve used it to check email and social media.

Any top tips for potential Surface Pro artists? 
I guess I would say try the Surface Pro for a few days before passing judgement on whether it will work for you or not, especially if you’re transitioning from a different type of hardware. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was liking it; it took about three or four days before I warmed up to it, and adjusted to how it worked.

It’s very easy to have a knee-jerk reaction to things like computer hardware. Sometimes it takes more than an hour to see whether it right for you and your workflow. 

Another warm-up sketch. I had never drawn Miles Morales before, so I thought I'd take a shot at him.

What would you change about the Surface Pro and/or Windows? 
Honestly, I don’t really think there’s much to change on either front. Hardware-wise, the Surface Pro about as minimalist as one can make it, and I personally like that. If I need a keyboard or joystick for additional keys, I can attach them. But, so far I’ve only needed the Surface itself.

As far as Windows, it does exactly what I need it to do: run Manga Studio and Sketchbook Pro. So long as it continues to do that, I’m happy.

Have you hit any walls with the hardware or software? 
I can (usually) adapt to whatever a computer and/or software provides me. Generally, if anything trips me up, it will be me. Then, it becomes real easy to blame the tools I’m using. It’s not the tools, it’s usually the person using them that’s creating the wall. :)

Are you eyeing any new hardware and/or software to add to your toolkit? 
I may check out the Cintiq Companion at some point, as I’d like to compare it to the Surface Pro.

Hope you enjoyed this conversation with Doug Hills. If you'd like to be featured in a future post, please drop me a line via the Contact Us page.

Wacom introduces WILL – the Wacom Ink Layer Language Standard

WILL enables users to capture, shape and share ideas; regardless of place, time and technology platforms.

PRESS RELEASE

“Ideas are going to change the world, not the hardware or software. People’s ideas are the real content that shapes the future”, says Masahiko Yamada, President and CEO of Wacom. 

Introducing WILL - the Wacom Ink Layer Language - Wacom invites the industry to join the initiative to make our world a more creative place. 

Human thoughts and expressions cannot always be captured by typing pre-determined signs and symbols from a keyboard. Handwritten memo or drawing (either digital or physical), is still the most natural way of capturing and expressing ideas. Today’s smartphones and tablets are starting to support note-taking and digital inking. However, they are still limited by OS, application platform and hardware boundaries. What we need is a universal and open standard for digital inking which will allow users to work across OS, hardware platforms and Cloud services. WILL is the initiative to create a seamless digital inking experience across every mobile device and ecosystem.

Wacom has been a leading supplier of pen tablets and interactive pen displays. Wacom has contributed to the evolution of creative: digital expressions, digital imaging, industrial design, games and movies. Creative professionals across the world are exploring and pioneering new horizons in digital expression. Wacom’s pen technology also enables smartphones and tablets to offer unique pen features for ideation and note-taking in mobile environment.

WILL is a logical step for Wacom to expand its commitment for creativity from the realm of digital expression to creative ideation.

WILL offers a new universal standard that creates a natural and high quality ink experience. It guarantees cross compatibility of ink data that enables users to freely communicate and collaborate across hardware, ecosystems, as well as the Cloud. WILL will bring digital inking to people as the most powerful tool of personal creativity and expression.

Technological Background

WILL is delivered by Wacom to partners as a Software Developer’s Kit (SDK) to integrate into their hardware or software, ecosystem or enterprise infrastructure – enabling everyone to speak the same universal inking language. WILL will also come with an ink engine with a variety of graphical tools and features that will run consistently on most existing platforms. Its innovative ink data format is an abstract language that describes strokes independent from any particular input technology. WILL contains a set of development Application Programming Interfaces (API), to make use of hardware features. This, in particular, is one of the strengths that Wacom has developed over 20 years in pen input technology.

WILL: Open for Partnership

Being a high level referential framework - a computer language - WILL is open to different input technologies including finger touch, various Wacom pens, as well as third-party pen technologies. Upcoming Wacom technologies will also include WILL support as an integral part of their feature set. 

Wacom has a long history of collaboration with a broad range of industry partners to deliver best in class solutions for business users and consumers alike.

Wacom invites hardware manufacturers, software and service providers, as well as system solution providers; to join the initiative and help their users benefit within the broad range of applications that they provide.

In addition to individual note taking, idea sharing and group collaboration; WILL could be used to create an unlimited canvas space for a global brainstorming, collaboration and project management.

As WILL will allow the integrating of metadata, one could also include a security certificate in a solution as well as enhanced ink-based workflow solutions on mobile platforms. Consumers will be able to share and memo on their travel diary, sign POs, integrate pictures and also show their location in mapping applications and services.

Future Outlook

WILL is the proof of Wacom’s commitment for human creativity. It will lead the evolution of IT tools toward digital stationery and everyday creative tools (paper, pens, ink and paint tools) with the power of digital technology. Based on Wacom’s inking experience and long history of business partnerships in broad areas, it will drive the evolution of digital inking standards. Wacom strongly believes that drawing and writing with a pen on a mobile device, will become a natural behavior in the future. WILL will bring human creativity to the hand of people in digital age, allowing us to create and shape the ideas that make the world a more creative place.

About Wacom

Founded in 1983, Wacom is a global company based in Japan (Tokyo Stock Exchange 6727) 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 interactive pen tablets and displays as well as of digital styli and solutions for saving and processing digital signatures. 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 people worldwide use the wireless and battery free pressure sensitive digital pen technology to operate their smartphones, media tablets or desktop computers and express their individual creativity. The company offers its products also 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.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2: the iPad I always wanted?

This brief review may seem a little out of place for a site dedicated to the Surface Pro and other Windows tablets and convertibles. But if you've read enough of these posts, you'll know that I'm fairly tech agnostic. Like many of you, I'm willing to look under any rock to find the ideal device to satisfy my creative urges. 

When the iPad was first introduced in 2010, I was primed for just such a content consumption device. But the touch interface and the many pens and art apps that were eventually released for the iPad hinted at a greater opportunity: the possibility of producing real work on a tablet. 

The Surface Pro and other Windows 8 devices I write about here have largely addressed the working side of the equation. But that productivity has come at a price: added thickness, weight, heat and shorter battery life. And truth be told, Windows 8 has yet to deliver the diversity of entertainment apps and the couch surfing elegance of iOS. 

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The Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and its tiny S-Pen. It includes an extractor and five replacement nibs.

At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 appears to be the tablet I always dreamed possible: roomy 12.2 inch screen, 1.45 mm thinner than the iPad 3 and only 100 grams or .21 lbs heavier. And to top it off, an ultra high resolution display (2560 x 1600) with a Wacom active digitizer. 

Clearly, the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is designed for the power tablet user and at $749 for the 32 GB model I've been testing, it's not cheap. But compared to the pricing of the 32 GB iPad, a $150 premium seems reasonable for the additional screen size and Wacom tech. 

Battery life is outstanding (at least 10 hours) and the fanless tablet is still very cool to the touch. The faux stitched leather back has been ridiculed by some, but I personally think it feels great in my hands. I saw one review criticize its weight and just had to laugh. If this is heavy, what does the reviewer think of the Surface Pro? 

I'll let other tech blogs quibble about Android's suitability for business use and the merits or weaknesses of Samsung's heavy handed UI choices.  I personally don't care for any flavor of Android I've ever tested, including plain vanilla. Customization is fine, but Android options are out of control. I find the whole experience confusing and redundant. But frankly, that's all very secondary.  

I have two simple ambitions for my ideal tablet: entertainment consumption and digital art creation. No faux office apps for this guy! 

I'm a big digital magazine and comic reader and the reason I've always lusted after a bigger screen tablet is to avoid having to read reduced pages.  

For example, an issue of 3D World magazine is printed at 8.7 x 11.8 inches. To read that on an iPad, the page has to be reduced by 34%. On a Surface Pro, the page width must be reduced by 40%! On the Galaxy Note Pro, the page width only needs to be shrunk 25%. (Page height will fit with only 13% reduction on the SGNP; I'm still pining for a tablet with the aspect ratio of paper rather than 16:9 video). A 9% size increase may not seem like a lot, but when you're looking at fine magazine print it makes a big difference in readability. 

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Comixology's Comics app running side by side on the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 vs. the Surface Pro 2. Though only 15% larger, size matters.

It's difficult to justify the $750 price tag for only e-reading, but until Amazon can come up with a larger sized, bargain priced Kindle Fire HDX, the Note Pro 12.2 is the best option magazine and comics buyers. (If you're a Marvel Unlimited subscriber, be aware that the Android app doesn't scale single pages correctly on the Note Pro's high resolution screen.) 

On the digital art creation side, the only widely known app available for Android is Autodesk's Sketchbook Pro.  Coming from the Windows desktop version, however, this edition feels slightly undercooked. Basic settings such as dpi are missing and file handling is a bit of a mystery. For example to load a file, you must first select Gallery which will display previously saved SBP projects. Over on the right side of the Gallery page, you click on a dropdown to select New from image. Then you click on the source directory and finally navigate to your picture. 

Forced to draw with the S-Pen stylus in Sketchbook Pro, I really missed Manga Studio's brush stabilization and the control offered by the replacement pens available for Windows tablets.

Drawing with the S-Pen is very smooth and responsive, but overall I felt a lack of control perhaps due to the tiny size of the stylus. Wacom compatible tablet pc pens will work on the Note Pro, but the pointer doesn't align perfectly with the pen tip. Every replacement pen I tested had the same issue: drawing takes place slightly below the nib, making it next to impossible to draw precisely. 

If you don't mind Sketchbook Pro for Android's quirks, and you have small hands or are accustomed to the S-Pen from other Samsung devices, this tablet is great for sketching on the go. Unfortunately, if you've been spoiled by Windows desktop apps like Photoshop or Manga Studio and/or prefer a heftier stylus, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 won't quite cut it.

UPDATE: Make sure to read the comments section for a great list of alternative paint apps to try as well as some S-Pen calibration tips. SurfaceProArtist readers are awesome! 

I can't recommend this device for serious artists, but for light doodling and entertainment consumption, it's the best tablet available and I would love to see Samsung take another crack at the Windows platform. 

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Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 (32GB, White)

Too low to display

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Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 (32GB, Black)

$749.00

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HP Introduces New, Ultra-Mobile ElitePad and ProPad

Redesigned and Upgraded 64-bit HP ElitePad, New HP ProPad Series Redefine Mobility and Security for Business

PRESS RELEASE

BARCELONA, SPAIN--(Marketwired - Feb 23, 2014) - HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced two additions to its leading business tablet lineup, both of which are available with a broad set of accessories to help transform tablets into total business solutions that increase mobility and security.

• The HP ElitePad 1000 has been upgraded with a brighter and more durable touch screen with a 16:10 screen-aspect ratio, 4G connectivity(1) and 64-bit capabilities to go along with its world-class design and HP Smart Jacket accessory ecosystem.
• The new HP ProPad 600 offers essential productivity with on-the-go, long battery life, and versatile Windows 8.1 and x86 compatibility for legacy applications.(2) 
   

HP also launched the HP TX1 POS Solution, a sleek yet durable HP ProPad based point-of-sale (POS) solution that bolsters HP's world-class portfolio of retail solutions for tablets that help businesses deliver a secure and simple retail experience to their customers.

Tablets have taken a central role in business with 21 percent of employees requesting a tablet from their IT managers.(3) The changing nature of work -- including an increasingly diverse, tech-savvy workforce and the evolution of the traditional workplace -- has led to growing demand for light, flexible, powerful mobile devices such as HP tablets that both support a work/life blend and lock in to an organization's IT infrastructure for manageability and increased security.

"Our tablets and mobile ecosystem continue to evolve to meet the growing transformation of the workplace," said Enrique Lores, senior vice president and general manager, Commercial PCs, HP. "The line between work and life has blurred to the point that it's now a true blend, where employees increasingly require stylish, business-ready mobile devices that don't make any sacrifices to productivity, reliability or security."

HP ElitePad: The premier business tablet
The sleek, new HP ElitePad business tablet features Windows 8.1 and 64-bit x86 compatibility to allow businesses to adapt to changing business needs and stay competitive. HP's thinnest tablet ever -- just 9.2 mm thin and weighing 1.5 pounds -- the HP ElitePad is elegantly designed with a stunning direct-bonded 10.1-inch diagonal Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array (WUXGA) multitouch panel that is outdoor viewable. This is mated with a durable, scratch-resistant, antismudge, easy-to-clean Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 display screen. Staying productive while on the move is made even easier with an optional Qualcomm® Gobi™ 4G LTE modem, a product of Qualcomm Technologies Inc. The HP ElitePad also features a CNC-machined aluminum unibody chassis that is engineered to withstand MIL-STD 810G testing(4) and up to 115,000 hours of reliability testing through the HP Total Test Process.

The HP ElitePad is backed by a complete accessory ecosystem that ensures maximum productivity, security and ease of use. HP Smart Jackets such as the Expansion Jacket can extend battery life while expanding connectivity options, and the Productivity Jacket offers a substantial productivity boost with a built-in keyboard, USB ports, an adjustable stand and more. HP Smart Jackets also offer a customizable tablet experiences for specific business uses. This includes a Security Jacket with multifactor user authentication through smart card support and a fingerprint reader to prevent unauthorized access, and a Retail POS Jacket, which is included in the HP MX10 Retail Solution.

IT managers can rest easy giving employees a tablet that fits seamlessly into the existing IT environment with enterprise-ready HP Client Management, which provides the flexibility to use optional industry-leading management solutions from LANDesk, Microsoft and others. Business data stays secure with enterprise-level security features including HP Client Security, HP BIOS and the optional HP Security Smart Jacket. Plus, with the optional HP ElitePad Service Tool,(5) the HP ElitePad becomes fully self-serviceable so businesses can keep sensitive data and devices in-house -- and save both time and money.

HP ProPad: Everything business needs, everywhere business happens
The new HP ProPad is built for businesses whose employees spend as much time out of the office as in it. No matter how long the day gets or where work takes them, employees can stay productive with the latest Intel® Atom Quad-Core Processor,(6) long battery life, Windows 8.1,(3) preloaded HP apps and up to 64 GB of storage -- plus a microSD expansion slot for 32 GB(7) more space. The HP ProPad also will be backed by a growing accessory ecosystem, starting with the HP TX1 POS Solution, which gives employees a customized, productive tablet experience.

The HP ProPad is a connectivity hub featuring Bluetooth 4.0 and integrated HP ePrint software,(8) allowing users to remain productive no matter where they work. In the office, employees can share files, photos and videos with the built-in micro-HDMI and a stunning 10-inch high-res WUXGA Corning Gorilla Glass display,(9) or share to a wireless display via Miracast.(10)

The HP ProPad also includes security features to keep business running smoothly. Microsoft Defender provides enhanced protection against virus attacks and other threats, while a software-based TPM(11) solution protects against identity theft and certificate-based hacks.

HP TX1 POS Solution: Take business to the next level. 
The HP ProPad is supported by a range of accessories led by the HP TX1 POS Solution, a sleek tablet-based offering designed for small business retailers -- including hospitality and restaurant retailers. The HP TX1 includes a sturdy stand that securely holds the tablet upright, turns and tilts with ease to capture a customer's signature and can be easily detached to take the tablet on the go, along with other essential accessories to complete sales transactions professionally yet comfortably.

In addition, businesses can integrate the full functionality of the Windows 8.1 HP ProPad, as well as other business productivity applications, seamlessly and securely. Plus, the HP TX1 POS Solution is backed by HP's hardware warranty to give businesses peace of mind so the focus can be on growing the business. 

Pricing and availability

• The HP ElitePad is expected to be available in March for a starting price of $739.(12)
• The HP ProPad is expected to be available in April. Pricing will be set closer to availability.
• The HP TX1 POS Solution is expected to be available May. Pricing will vary by configuration.
   

About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP delivers solutions for customers' most complex challenges in every region of the world. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) 4G LTE module is optional and requires separately purchased wireless service contract. Check with provider for availability and coverage in a specific area. Connection speeds will vary due to location, environment, network conditions and other factors. 
(2) Not all features are available in all editions of Windows 8.1. Systems may require upgraded and/or separately purchased hardware, drivers and/or software to take full advantage of Windows 8.1 functionality. See microsoft.com. 
(3) Vertic, 2012 
(4) MIL STD testing is pending and is not intended to demonstrate fitness for U.S. Department of Defense contract requirements or for military use. Test results are not a guarantee of future performance under these test conditions 
(5) Requires purchase of HP service tool. Additional information about HP's self-maintainer program for customers located in the United States and Canada is available atwww.hp.com/partners/SMprogram. Customers in Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific can work directly with their sales account representative to understand what self-repair program options may be available.  
(6) Quad core is a new technology designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology.  
(7) Up to 32 GB of expandable storage. MicroSD card sold separately. For Solid State Drives (SSD), GB = 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less. Up to 10 GB of system disk is reserved for system recovery software. 
(8) Requires an internet connection to HP web-enabled printer and HP ePrint account registration (a list of eligible printers, supported documents and image types, and other HP ePrint details is available at hp.com/go/eprintcenter). 
(9) High-definition (HD) content is required to view HD images. Resolutions are dependent upon monitor capability, and resolution and color depth settings. 
(10) Miracast compliant devices are tested to operate with Miracast routers. Utilization requires proximity to a Miracast router, which is not included with the purchase of this tablet.
(11) A subset of the TPM 2.0 specification version v0.89 as implemented by Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT). 
(12) Estimated U.S. street prices. Actual prices may vary. Pricing and availability for U.S. only. Global pricing and availability upon request.

Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Intel and Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Bluetooth is a trademark of its proprietor and used by Hewlett-Packard Company under license. Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Used under license.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the need to address the many challenges facing HP's businesses; the competitive pressures faced by HP's businesses; risks associated with executing HP's strategy and plans for future operations; the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the need to manage third-party suppliers and the distribution of HP's products and services effectively; the protection of HP's intellectual property assets, including intellectual property licensed from third parties; risks associated with HP's international operations; the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its suppliers, customers, clients and partners; the hiring and retention of key employees; integration and other risks associated with business combination and investment transactions; the execution, timing and results of restructuring plans, including estimates and assumptions related to the cost and the anticipated benefits of implementing those plans; the resolution of pending investigations, claims and disputes; and other risks that are described in HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, and that are otherwise described or updated from time to time in HP's Securities and Exchange Commission reports. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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Photoshop 14.2 pen pressure without Wintab drivers

One of the pleasures of running this site is that I get to take some credit for passing along tips and tricks given to me by readers who are far smarter than I am.

That's definitely the case with this find by eagle eyed reader Graham Mackarel, who let me know of a quiet post on the Photoshop Help site that eliminates the need for Wintab drivers in the latest versions of Photoshop CC (14.2x).

Wacom calls its Wintab drivers "Wacom feel IT" and the latest version (7.1.2 released in October, 2013) has exhibited calibration issues (http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2013/10/7/wacom-updates-feel-it-drivers) and doesn't work with new hardware like the Asus Vivotab Note 8 (http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2014/2/11/developing-asus-vivotab-note-8-review). For N-Trig tablets, we spotted an obscure 32-bit only Wintab driver from Sony which we were also able to apply to Acer's Aspire R572G. (See http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2014/1/5/sony-n-trig-devices-now-pen-pressure-sensitive-in-32-bit-photoshop)

Now with this fix, which enables RealTimeStylus functionality, users of Photoshop CC won't have to download anything to see pressure sensitivity in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of that software.

Simply create a text file called PSUserConfig.txt containing the following:

# AllowRTS
uRTS 1

Place this text file in the Photoshop Settings folder: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC\Adobe Photoshop CC Settings\

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When pen pressure is unavailable, Photoshop displays a warning if you attempt to use it in a brush control.

The next time you run Photoshop, pen pressure will be recognized.

I tested this technique in 32- and 64-bit Photoshops on the Surface Pro, the Sony Flip 15A and the Acer Aspire R7-572G. I deleted calibration data and uninstalled any Wintab drivers to ensure that the two wouldn't conflict.

If you'd like to read the full Adobe post on RealTimeStylus, including instructions for disabling it, check out http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/tablet-functions-dont-photoshop-142.html.

The advantage of running your tablet pc without Wacom's drivers is that you will now be able to use a higher resolution calibration using the method we first reported here. Wacom's installation uses only 4 pt. calibration and overrides any TabletPC calibration you may have already performed.

Of course, if you run any other software that requires Wintab support, this fix isn't for you. But it's a good sign that we may soon be leaving this early 90's technology behind.

Clip Studio Paint update available for download

Celsys has posted its first update to the English and Chinese editions of Clip Studio Paint, the downloadable version of the popular paint package distributed worldwide as Manga Studio.

Although I haven't seen received any confirmation, we can presume that Smith Micro will soon offer this update to Manga Studio users. It's been difficult to predict the future of updates to either product since the developers decided to bifurcate distribution and banned Smith Micro from selling a downloadable version of the program. Despite selling only physical versions, Smith Micro has been able to continue to post electronic updates (most recently version 5.0.4)

There have been four releases of Japanese editions of Clip Studio Paint since it was first published in English last fall. Besides many stability improvements, version 1.3.1 introduces a variety of 2D/3D LT features, such as LT layer conversion, line extraction and tone gradient.

A full description of new features and changes can be found here: http://www.clipstudio.net./en/dl/release_note.

Even if you're a Manga Studio customer, it's worth downloading the free Clip Studio Paint 1.3,1 trial so you can become familiar with the new features while MS is being updated. To date, the two programs are nearly identical except for slight translation differences.

Download the Clip Studio Paint here.

Asus Vivotab Note 8: you get what you pay for

First, a rant:

I’m not the target consumer for the Asus Vivotab Note 8.

It’s important to get that out of the way up front because as I sit to write this post, my ambivalence about this product has almost nothing to do with its design or implementation. The AVTN8 is a very nice, reasonably-priced entrant into the Windows 8 tablet arena. And since it’s one of the few such devices to include a digitizer, let alone a Wacom digitizer, it clearly demands to be covered in this space.

My misgivings are all about the real world use case for this product. Judging by the enthusiasm around the AVTN8’s announcement, the obvious popularity of the Dell Venue 8 and the anticipation for the upcoming Lenovo Thinkpad 8, Windows artists are clearly clamoring for a small drawing tablet.

But my question is why?

Setting aside portability, I'm afraid that too many of you are simply looking at price and failing to consider the corners that had to be cut to achieve its ~$300 price point. Moreover, I'm concerned some have ignored the deeply discounted original Surface Pro while waiting for this spring's round of 8-inchers.

My message is simple: even at the current US price of $679, the Surface Pro 4/128 is a much better value for artists than the $329 Asus VivoTab Note 8, which has no ports, much lower resolution, a slower processor, half the RAM and one quarter the storage.

Is the AVTN8 worth buying in addition to a Surface Pro or other Windows tablet? Perhaps, but even then I struggle to see how often you will actually use it. Many of you have mentioned that you really enjoy Samsung's line of Android phablets and are accustomed to working on their smallish screens with an S-pen. But since the AVTN8 has no phone capability, will you carry this around in addition to a phone? If you're going to toss it in a backpack or briefcase, wouldn't a 10-inch tablet fit just as well?

By comparison to Android or iOS devices, the biggest selling point of the AVTN8--its ability to run full Windows 8.1--is also its biggest disadvantage. Everything I've thrown at it so far seems to run ok on the tablet (it even ships with Office Home & Student 2013). But how long do you really want to look at desktop interfaces on an 8-inch 1280 x 800 display?

This entire category of devices is only a glaring reminder of how immature the Windows Store environment continues to be. Where is the Modern, touch-friendly version of Office, Microsoft? Why haven't popular iOS paint apps been ported to Windows yet? Why aren't Sketchbook Pro and ArtRage sold through the Windows Store?

I'll stop ranting now, because I know I risk sounding like Paul Thurrott. If you've got the spare cash lying around and aren't going to try to use the AVTN8 for critical artistic work, go for it. But if you feel like you can't afford the Surface Pro but you really need a tablet to pursue your creative endeavors, please think long and hard before taking this plunge.

Now, on to the review:

The $299 Asus Vivotab Note 8 (M80TA) was first announced at CES 2014 with a March release date. It showed up in the Microsoft Stores unexpectedly on Sunday, selling for $30 more. Yesterday, it was pulled from the Microsoft online site and isn't available for sale anywhere else that I can find.

It's unclear whether this now-you-see-it, now-you-don't release was a mistake, but as of now we can only assume that the product will go back on sale soon. A 64 GB version is also due in March, although a price has not been announced.

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The sudden arrival Sunday of the Asus Vivotab Note 8 at Microsoft Stores in the U.S. took everyone by surprise. I picked up this 32GB version for $329.

Given its budget pricing, packaging of the AVTN8 is very spartan. The included quick start guide contains only two instructions: press power to turn the tablet on and charge it for 8 hours prior to initial use. That's it. The Asus US site doesn't list or contain any additional technical information for the product either except for a press release issued for CES. Fortunately, the AVTN8 has only three buttons and an SD card slot, along with a micro USB port and headphone jack.

The plastic bezel along the sides of the screen add a somewhat cheap feeling to the product. The volume (left) and power buttons have no discernible markings. To power the device on, you need to hold it down for five seconds.

Unlike other Windows tablets, the physical Home button is along the opposite side (top left when the Asus logo is at the bottom in portrait mode). The SD slot comes loaded with an 8 GB card that contains a recovery partition. This is a very nice addition in a 32 GB device.

Unlike the Surface Pro, the Asus' default orientation is portrait mode, with the logo at the bottom of the screen. That logo isn't a home button like on the Surfaces or iPad and it took me a day to figure out that the button along the upper left side is the physical home button. Power is on the top right side and beneath it is a volume rocker.

The stylus slot is located in the lower right back and the pen fits so snugly you can easily miss it. If you keep your finger nails clipped short, it can be extremely difficult to pry the pen out of the silo.

A big calling card for many of you is the dedicated stylus slot. It makes losing a pen less likely for sure, but forces the stylus to be little more than a pointing stick.

The stylus fits so snugly into the Vivotab Note 8's back that you may break a fingernail extracting it. 

Powering up the AVTN8 requires holding down the power button for at least five seconds.

When I test Windows 8 devices, I usually will set them up as new desktops, but this time around I chose to sync my Surface Pro 2. That eliminates the need to redo mail, contact, and social network settings. And the layout of the Start screen is also preserved, although individual apps still need to be reinstalled.

I neglected to write down the exact space available upon that first boot, but there were a little over 16 GB free on the 32 GB C:\ drive. Asus mercifully includes an 8 GB SD card mounted as D:\ which includes a 3.26 GB recovery file.

The IPS display is very nice; as seen in the screenshot below, color reproduction is nearly identical to the Surface Pro 2. I've seen some users complain that type is a little blurred, but it perfectly acceptable to me. At the default scaling, desktop fonts are too small, so I scaled up the UI to 125%. You can go higher, but you will sacrifice a lot of screen space as a result.

Side by side (head to toe?) with the Surface Pro 2.

Pen driver, calibration woes

As the first Windows 8 device that defaults to portrait mode, there are clearly bugs that need to be worked out with pen drivers. The device can only be calibrated in portrait mode. Attempting to run the calibration tool in landscape mode will only provide registration points for the top left half of the screen.

As we've discovered over the last few months, Wacom digitizer sensitivity varies widely . On my AVTN8, the entire right side requires more pressure than the rest of the screen. This makes hitting the top right calibration points next to impossible with the standard stylus. By contrast, I had no problem touching the targets with the Surface Pro pen.

Once calibrated, neither pen could access within a few pixels of the right screen edge, so I reset my custom calibration data and am running my AVTN8 with the default calibration. 

The tablet also has issues with the Wacom Feel IT drivers. Installing these results in input axes being reversed. In other words, when you move your pen left or right (along x), the pointer will move up or down (along y). I tried with the current set of drivers (October, 2013) as well as July. Wacom has reportedly told users that it is aware of the issue and working on a fix.

This means that Photoshop users will have to use that software without pressure until the drivers are updated or Adobe enables a Tablet PC mode.

As you're no doubt tired of reading, I'm no fan of Adobe's cluttered UIs on tablets, so I didn't bother loading any CC software onto the AVTN8. Instead, I loaded the tried and true Clip Studio Paint (Manga Studio) and Sketchbook Pro. Both run surprisingly well.

Even with toolbars and menus minimized, available canvas real estate can feel cramped. This is okay when working with single figures as shown in the examples below but it will take a lot of panning and zooming in and out to work on anything more complicated.

Though it's cramped, the tablet runs Clip Studio Paint (aka Manga Studio) and Sketchbook Pro very well. Of the various pens and nibs I've tried, the lowly Surface Pro pen seems to offer the most consistent results.

Five minute @Sketch_Dailies #Sherlock. Working at 800x1280, 600 dpi; finding it difficult to get fine control.

Screen coating: smudge magnet, pen impediment?

The AVTN8 display is the most difficult-to-clean tablet that I've ever used. I was shocked to see that after my first hour or so of setting up the device that the screen was so smudged it looked like I had been eating a greasy burger. Wiping it down took many passes and I had to try a variety of cleaning cloths to get it to be smudge free.

Against the standard stylus tip, the surface feels gritty and rough. In some areas, particularly along the edges, it's next to impossible to register a mark. Other pen and nib combinations don't require as much pressure nor do they feel as rough. However, softer nibs like on the Wacom Feel drag uncomfortably on the coating.

You'll notice in the photo below that the lines drawn with the Feel and Flex nibs are more curved, particularly at the ends of the strokes as I lighten pressure. Notice how the ATVN8 stylus strokes are much lighter because that pen requires much greater pressure.

The hard nibs on a Wacom Tablet PC pen and the Surface Pro pen yield much more consistent results. Notice how much closer and regular the lines are, especially with the Surface Pro stylus. Unfortunately, this means living with a bit less screen friction than I would like (the feedback feels a bit like skating on ice).

One thing I've noticed after three days of drawing and cleaning is that the standard stylus is feeling less rough. It's possible that the screen coating will dissipate over time and it will be easier to clean. That may also mean that it will be possible to transition back to softer nibs after repeated use. Only time will tell.

Working at 600 dpi resolution to test the different pens and nibs. Each crosshatch was drawn at pixel size. The picture above is zoomed out to show each pen I tested. The Wacom TabletPC pen with plastic nib and the Surface Pro pen gave the most consistent results. Notice how light the strokes are with the standard stylus (middle). The soft nib of the Feel stylus and the Flex nib on the Fujitsu pen tend to drag on the screen's coating, resulting in all the fish tails at the end of strokes.

The pens I tested in the example above. The Asus stylus is reminiscent of a large plastic olive pick. Surprisingly, I found the Surface Pro pen is the best suited for drawing on the Note 8's display coating.

Now that I've installed Clip Studio Paint, Sketchbook Pro, ArtRage 4, Sketchable, Fresh Paint and Office, available storage on C:\ is down to 12.5 GB. I'd advise replacing the recovery card with a 32 or 64 GB SD card and dedicated for Documents. Also make sure to set up a SkyDrive (or OneDrive) account. Keep an eye on Windows Store apps which can only be installed to the C:\ drive. In my experience, Windows will always start to act up once available space on C:\ dips below 10%.

Conclusion

As I telegraphed in my rant up front, I can't recommend the Asus Vivotab Note 8 for serious work due to its limited RAM and storage, small screen and driver issues.

However, if you temper your expectations up front and want it for light sketching and ideating on the go, you could do far worse. The AVTN8 is far better for sketching than any capacitive tablet. And with a driver update or better Windows Store apps, the tablet could get even better in the future.

Just please, please, please know what you want and what you're getting into: sometimes you do only get what you pay for.