Q101 The Alternative
Q101 (formerly on Chicago radio @ 101.1 FM) The Alternative - Chicago's New Rock Alternative - Everything Alternative - Chicago's Alternative - Gen X - Generation X
We all love technology, don’t we? The beeps, the boops, the touchscreens, the Bluetooth, everything that makes our world wireless, our data given to us at high-speeds, and the form & function the arouses our eyes, and opens our wallets. Does anyone even remember the days before mass e-mails, Facetime, and digital signatures? It seems like ages ago, the stone age. Video conferencing? Quad-core CPUs? Witchcraft! Shenanigans!
But no, the amazing leaps and progressions with digital technology has been one of the most amazing feats and advances the human race has seen in the last 40+ years. To be the age of someone who was alive during World War II must be mind-boggling, to see the changes in the world. To hold something like an iPhone in your hand, and all the things from even 10 years ago, all in one device that size, still blows me away. To see computers with 1 Terrabyte (TB) Hard drives or more compared to when I was 5 years old, and my dad’s computer was a Tandy with a 5MB hard drive that was the size and weight of a cinder block is something I still cannot wrap my head around. Thinking about it almost doesn’t make sense, Does it?
Do you use a tablet? You should…it could change your life. Alright, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It could drastically change some things you do though. Check these out if you’re thinking of picking one up:
Wacom, a company that specializes in design tools and tablets, has changed up their prior stock of drawing tablets, with new designs, capabilities, and software. Wacom’s Bamboo tablets are some of the most affordable design tools on the market, and that’s a good reason for you to check them out for yourself.
The 3 Bamboo tablets that are available from Wacom range from use for someone who just likes to doodle on photos or make drawings, to those who are serious about design, and digital editing, inking, and coloring.
Bamboo Connect
The Connect is for those casual artists, who may use that tablet to edit something funny onto pictures of their kids, or just want to add some fruity brush strokes to something for a laugh. It has a light, battery-less pen, it’s left/right handed for you southpaws, and has a draw space of 5.8 inches, by 3.6 inches. This Bamboo tablet comes with Autodesk Sketchbook Express, and if you’ve got the most recent version of Microsoft Office, it’ll link up with it for digital inking possibilities.
Bamboo Capture
The Capture is the next model “up” from the Connect, and does include a few more features for the more constant user. It’s still got the light, no battery pen, but this tablet also has multi-touch ability, with 16 different touch points in the 5.8 inch by 3.6 inch draw area.
Same space as the Connect, but as you see, it has those extra tweaks mentioned before. Also containing 1,024 (yes, thousand) points of pressure for anything from fine pencil imitation, to broad stroke brushes. The Capture has Autodesk Sketchbook Express, like the Connect, and also includes Adobe Photoshop Elements. The Capture also has a port on the side to plug in a wireless module for those who feel too restrained by a cable.
Bamboo Create
The Create is the biggest of the 3 new design tablets, measuring in at 8.5 inches by 5.4 inches. This is the one best recommended for the serious artist, or designer, allowing for the widest “brush stroke” path, and includes a nifty little extra on the flip side of the draw pen, and eraser.
The Create is the biggest, and most expensive of the 3, but definitely the best value, with the largest draw base, double-sided pen, and includes Autodesk Sketchbook Express, Adobe Photoshop Elements, AND Corel Paint Essentials.
These are 3 great tablets, and no matter who you are, there’s one for your level of interest. From affordable, to a decent investment, they provide aid, and ability to the occasional, to the pro users.
The Wacom Bamboo tablets are $79.95 MSRP for the Connect, $99.95 MSRP for the Capture and $199.95 MSRP for the Create. A separate wireless RF module is available for the Capture, and Create for $39.95 MSRP.
By Q101 Blogga “Comicbookjockey”, a guy with too many opinions, and too little time. He’s crass and articulate, and enjoys hot sauce, talking about nerdy stuff, and cleaning up after himself. Too see and hear more: The Twitters, The Website,The Blog, The Email
Think you have what it takes to be a Q101 Blogga? Prove it: http://bloggas.Q101.com
The iPad has dominated the tablet market for the better part of 2 years now, with its ever-popular trademark Apple style, and operating system, and ease of use and operation. Now, Microsoft is looking to bring Seattle rain on the Cupertino, California labs of Apple with an upcoming piece of what’s labeled as competition, The Samsung Series 7 tablet. With a release date of October 2nd, it is guaranteed to cause more than one spit-take. I’ve got a breakdown of the specs for this iPad challenger, and it’s nothing to sneeze at. Unless you are allergic to reading this article, in which case, you may want to think about getting a tissue.
First off, this smooth operator has a glossy, capacitive 1366 x 768 resolution screen. It’s great for playing back your favorite You Tube videos of kittens. The screen comes in at 11.6 inches, complimented by a front facing 2 megapixel camera with light sensor. And that’s not the only camera on it, with a 3 megapixel rear camera. Also, with a whopping 1.6 GHZ Core i5 processor, given a helping hand by 4 GB of ram, and a 64 GB solid state drive, which is a type of hard drive that does not have any moving parts. They are faster than your average disc-storage hard drives, but lack the technology currently to have massive storage space, and are not recommended for powerful applications or programs, but are perfect for tablet computing. It also has your typical on-screen keyboard, and a very interesting handwriting application. Finished off by Wi-Fi, a USB 2.0 port, and a micro HDMI port, this tablet is a shockingly powerful piece of hardware.
What’s Making It Work?
Out of the box on the scheduled October 2nd release date, the Series 7 will be running Windows 7. But, that’s not what this was built for.
At the recentMicrosoft Build conference the big thing that had the 5,000 attending developers ready to crap their pants with excitement, was that each and every one of them got a Samsung Series 7 slate, with Windows 8 on it. For free to all the attendees. Now, Windows 8 does not have an official release date yet, rumors are late this year, early next year.
As you can see from the video, Microsoft is making a huge push for multi-touch interfacing, and “touch tiles”, and those 2 things are perfect for tablet computing.
Are you antsy for Windows 8? Can’t wait to get your mitts on it? Well, search no further! What appears to be some of the developers from the Build conference have decided to cash in on tech nerds, and compulsive 1st to own people, by putting a few of the tablets they were given at the conference on E-Bay. A few with bids in the $2,000 dollar range, and then there are a few with a reserve of $3,500 dollars.
Of course, I would not suggest for you to sell your car, your stamp collection, or your wife to buy one of these tablets on E-Bay. Sure, it would be great to be the only person you know, or look at on the street to have it, but wait! I have a simpler, cheaper solution for you, sitting there, reading this, sweating with anticipation…….
Go buy the Samsung Series 7 Slate when it’s released to the public for $1099.99, and then go home, giggle yourself dizzy opening the box and setting it up for the first time. Once you’re done flailing around like a Christmas morning child, go to Microsoft directly and download the free developer’s version of Windows 8. Heed the warnings, however. It IS A BETA. That means it might not be stable, and you’re using it at your own risk, and with risk to your current hardware, and operating system. Please don’t take this warning as something to be feared, just cautious. It CAN happen, not WILL. That’s why it’s a beta.
This looks like direct competition for Apple’s hold on the tablet market, as Android goes head-to-head with the iPhone. Will the bright and colorful touch interface of Windows 8, combined with the massive mobile power of the Series 7 slate, knock the iPad down a peg? We’ll see. I’m ready to see the tale of the sales a few months from now. Are you?
By Q101.com Tech & Gadget Blogga Comicbookjockey
Want to be a Q101.com Comic Blogga too? CLICK HERE
There are currently no events to display.