Right.
I've been using a mouse forever now. A couple years ago, a good friend gave me a WACOM tablet for making -MASS-
While a lovely tool, I suck at using it. To this day, I still suck at using it. I'd love to show you guys my pathetic attempts at getting used to using the WACOM, but they are so hideous that Satan himself arose from the inner core of Tartarus itself and smote the JPEGS into a steaming pile of ash. Then he wizzed on them, wagged his skeletal finger in my face and said "don't do that again"
So I gave up. Something I do on occasion. However, long ago at a comic convention I was able to try another piece of glorious equipment. A CINTIQ tablet. I think it maye be the greatest thing I ever had the fortune to play with for roughly 16 minutes.
I vowed that day to appropriate one of those divine objects and use it to make digital cartoons that did not look like shit.
Thus far, this dream has not happened. And for good reason. CINTIQ tablet costs 3000 fucking dollars.
I work minimum wage. I spent less than that to buy my shitty 1991 Corsica, and still spent my life savings. So there's no way in hell, with things as they are, I'm ever going to afford one of these. At least not with my student loans DEVOURING my tiny paychecks.
So, I have given up on that dream. Instead, I am now looking for alternatives.
One such alternative I read about was the "Panoview PI500" and the "Panoview PI700"
They only cost 400 bucks. Well within my price range. Well...not WELL within. But cheap enough that I can accumulate that money and purchase one.
The Problem: searching reviews for those products online is only turning up BAD reviews. Apparently these things melt, explode, die, malfunction, and run on BATTERIES.
So thats out of the question.
Another alternative was a tablet laptop pc. They too have a touch-sensitive screen. However, the majority of them seem to be either very expensive (usually 1000 dollars or more) or are way too small to be any decent for art, graphic design, or making bright gaudy cartoons with.
Searching on art forums, animation forums, and people interviewing professional artists hasnt turned up any useful information.
All across the internet, art and design websites have contests where they give away these things. But I've run myself ragged entering my own crap in contests online, winning jack shit, and increasing my work load, and honestly I'm sick as shit of doing it. :( It just gets me anxious and upset. SO I AINT DOIN' IT NO MO'
So I am asking for help. Normally I'd post something this 'mushy' on my actual blog but seeing as noone reads that thing except for like 3 people, I figured putting this here would yield more fruitful results. (its called denial, folks).
Those very very very very very few of you who are on this site and know anything about tablet pc's, touch-screen laptops, and other forms of flat cintiq-esque things, I need your advice, your input.
Whats a good deal? Where can I get the tool I want that isnt going to cost my another fortune? One that you KNOW works?
So if anyone out there can help me find a good alternative that doesnt suck, I'd be much obliged. If you're reading this, and know of an alternative, but dont have a newgrounds account, then just contact me via my AOL Instant Messanger email address.
And thats all I have to say, really. I'm sure this search is probably fruitless, but how will I know for sure unless I try.
I'm going to leave this NG journal entry up for as long as possible, so I have better chances of someone knowledgeable on this subject reading it and helping me.
Good day.
RWappin
I dunno man, if there are any drawing tablets that are cheaper there's probably always gonna be a REASON they're cheaper. :(
ZekeySpaceyLizard
SILENCE. I WILL NOT HAVE LOGIC SPOILING MY IMPOSSIBLE DREAM.