Lead: Caleb Goellner, who worked at Wacom for nearly two years. After he left, he got the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 tablet and hoped to provide you with a reliable and in-depth evaluation.

Wacom MobileStudio 16 is the Cintiq Companion I have been looking forward to.

Hello everyone! Now I am introducing a new tablet, Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 – Intel® CoreTM i7, 512GB SSD.

Advantages: It is a small monster that can handle anything. The stylus is very suitable for digital painting. The screen is very beautiful. The texture of the screen is very suitable for drawing without any offset or lag. It is very quiet when used.

Disadvantages: The battery can only last for about four hours, and the weight is heavier than I hoped. It is not equipped with a bracket, a protective cover or a connection accessory. The new touch ring setting is cumbersome, the replacement nib cannot be purchased, and the model The tablet is only equipped with three nibs.

I am a tablet enthusiast. In the past few years, I have had the privilege of trying almost every tablet in every major company. I have several Surface Pros, a Surface Book, an iPad Pro, some Yiynova tablets, some Monoprice tablets, and Wacom AES from Lenovo and Toshiba tablets, and of course Cintiq 12WX, Cintiq 24HD, Cintiq 27QHD, Cintiq Companion Hybrid (Android), Cintiq Companion and Cintiq Companion 2. I also owned the Cintiq 18SX - the first Cintiq! This is a special experience. I bought them and returned or resold them that I didn't like (or just because there was no room to put them). Currently, I only keep the iPad Pro and the new Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16.

I am not very good at using big tablets, I don't know how to use them, and I like clean desktops. I hate having a bunch of peripherals around. I never touched the keyboard or trackpad or other when I was drawing. What? For these reasons, starting with the Cintiq 12WX and the 13-inch Companion, I am passionate about smaller screens and tablets with buttons (digital pad keys). A few years ago I started digital painting on a first-generation iPad using a capacitive stylus (basically a metal pen with a rubber tip), but the product experience at that time was too bad, when I got me in 2013. When I was the first Wacom Cintiq, I was particularly pleased that even though it was not equipped with a high-definition screen, its digital pen was very good! The excitement continued with the Companion product line, but it was not smooth sailing. I will talk about it later.

Say goodbye to Cintiq Companion 2, then activate MSP16

In the past year I have been creating comics almost exclusively on my iPad Pro. I have a Surface Book that I used to like, but its stylus feels like a rubber-brushed glass (like the first-generation iPad), and I have to keep an eye on whether it is deformed when I draw. I also have a Cintiq Companion 2, which I have used to draw countless comic pages. I like my Companion 2, even if it is a little heavier, and the battery life is short, only about 3.5 hours, and its noise is really big, although it is not as loud as a hair dryer, but I also bought it in 2007. The MacBook is so loud. Overall, at that time, the Cintiq Companion 2 was the best product on the market I thought – the best stylus, the strongest configuration, the most portable. A year later, I had an iPad Pro. I started using MediBang Paint, the free Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint, to create comics. I prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio compared to the widescreen ratio on Companion (and Surface). Its portability, battery life and familiar interface make it my favorite device for creating comics. I draw a picture on the iPad and pass it to my CC2 to color it in the CSP. It's not a perfect workflow, but it works for me. Apple Pencil is not as good as Wacom Pen or Surface's current N-Trig (or Wacom's AES pen), but I prefer its limitations when doing line drawing.

When Wacom MobileStudio Pro was released (MobileStudio is not a model, but a brand), of course I have to have one. I always wanted to have a MacBook for writing, an iPad to read comics, but I am eager to have fewer and fewer screens in my life. I played with too many tablets, I just wanted a perfect version of Companion.

This is, or the version closest to it.

After using the 12-13 inch tablet for so many years, I purchased the 16-inch Wacom MobileStudio Pro out of the stupid vanity of the technicians. I want the biggest and strongest thing. If I am not obsessed with this thing, I have already bought a high-end 13-inch version. Any product with an i5 or better processor can kill it unless you paint on a 1200 DPI canvas or perform 3D modeling.

I need to create on 600 DPI pages using Clip Studio Paint EX, SketchBook and other painting applications. This Wacom MobileStudio Pro is perfectly suited for these tasks. This is a tablet belonging to the Warriors. Open the Wacom MobileStudio Pro box and you'll see a tablet, a box like a cigarette case with a digital pen and a screw cap with a replacement nib, and a USB-C power cord. There is also a beautiful microfiber cloth inside to wipe the screen.

Unpacking

The Wacom Pro Pen 2 has a new and outstanding nib. It has a "8192 level of tip pressure, supports tilt and multi-touch", which is four times that of previous versions of Pro Pen. This is a crazy number, and the use of this stylus feels great. But don't be ashamed of numbers unless you decide to become a robot. Wisely, this stylus is similar to the previous version of the Pro Pen (including a replaceable color circle that allows you to quickly recognize your stylus while you work). The biggest difference is that the side switch buttons are smaller and less prominent. It seems that the side buttons of each new generation of Wacom digital pens are becoming less and less obvious. Maybe someone has an opinion about it, but it feels good to me and you will get used to it. It feels good to use, I may have used all the pens on Intuos and Cintiq products, believe me, if you already have an old Cintiq pen, take it as a backup. Some older digital pens are still available on Wacom MobileStudio Pro, including the latest generation of Pro Pens and Grip Pens.

Wacom Pro Pen 2 left), PP2 and OG Pro Pen (right)

The screen is "UHD (3840 x 2160)", not a joke, it is basically the most desirable place outside of Surface Studio. It is said that Wacom MobileStudio Pro has an etched glass screen and uses a commonly used textured film on the glass. I don't know what it would look like to paint on etched glass. The texture film is still great. It doesn't affect the appearance of the screen, I like its slightly matte texture, which can cause some friction when using the stylus. Some evaluators hate its texture film, but just look at it and see if you care, it will make you feel energized.

Extended Wacom Pro Pen 2 box (left), replace the nib (right)

In addition, some new bonding processes are used for screen glass, and you'll notice huge differences. There is almost zero offset between the tip and the cursor, and you will experience the least lag in all digital painting tools. You won't notice anything. It just does what you want, like a traditional tool. This is the best device for digital painting. You can expect to see this technology on all future Wacom products, but the application on Wacom MobileStudio Pro is really impressive, and no product can surpass it.

Cintiq Companion 2 pack (top) and MSP16 box (bottom)

If you are a super sensitive person on LCD screens, you can create something on Wacom MobileStudio Pro - but only if you try. I noticed more comments about the iPad Pro, and this is just like a real knowledge seeker, deliberately looking for reasons to complain about the stylus. Don't worry about it.

Wacom Pro Pen 2 box tips. Manual / take the tip

Finally in front of the screen - the bonding process I just talked about basically eliminates jitter on the corners of the display. In Wacom technology in Intuos, Cintiq, or other tablets you've used (Graphire and Bamboo), jitter occurs when the cursor moves over an area of ​​the corner. The Wacom technology in Wacom MobileStudio Pro and later products has been improved, and you will not encounter this problem again. There is no need to deal with this problem anymore, especially when it comes to iPad Pro, Surface and other products with Wacom AES technology.

The tablet keys on this product are very rich and easy to use. There are eight programmable buttons on the 16-inch (six on the 13-inch) plus a touch ring. The new touch ring is different from the previous model. Prior to this, the touch ring was just a circle of buttons in each direction, plus a button in the middle. On Companion and this machine, the middle button is a Windows button, I don't like the Windows button. I hope it will disappear forever. I believe this is a requirement for third-party machines running the Windows operating system, so I don't blame Wacom. On the new Wacom MobileStudio Pro, users of Intuos Pro – or users of touch rings on 24DH or 27QHDCintiq – should be familiar with this touch ring. You can set different points, achieve different ranges of control, and implement sliding operations. This is very convenient for zooming in and out of the page or changing the size of the brush. I don't like these features, I want to go back to the old buttons, but at the same time I love this, I am so contradictory. It would be cool if you had the option to switch between different versions of Wacom. Product designers, have you seen these words? Hope to adopt.

Cintiq Companion 2 tablet button (left) vs. MSP16 tablet button (right)

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 comes with a pen holder that can be inserted in the Kensington lock slot on the top right side. I don't think I might use it, but I won't take it off. I can foresee that I might lose it on the go, but it is still useful now. I would prefer to be able to pop up more nibs, just like Cintiq or Intuos (they have more spare nibs), but I can still accept them.

The pen holder offers a variety of options

In terms of shape, I like this way. It's black and the border is thin, pulling you into work and helping you get into the flow. The chrome material around the shortcuts has the gas field of Captain Fazma in Star Wars. I couldn't fit in at first. But in the long run it helps to find the button. This is by far the smoothest mobile version of Cintiq, which is a very good thing.

What to talk about next? The configuration of Wacom MobileStudio Pro is basically the same as that of MacBook Pro. Choose a processor and the size of the hard drive you need to start your cool work. The configuration of my Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 is very high. NVIDIA® Quadro® M1000M graphics card with i7 processor, 16 GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, 4GB GDDR5 VRAM (a great graphics card that can be used for 3D model design or very cool games). My Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 also comes with an Intel® RealSenseTM 3D camera and scanning software, but I haven't used them yet, I am planning to try it out. The previous camera on Companion was like a flip phone, so this is a huge improvement. The camera on the Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 is as good as the camera on the current mainstream laptop or tablet, so remember to bring a hat when you wake up at 6 am by video call, your boss or customer may see You look bad when you get up.

Oh yes. Let's talk about what other people have talked about. There is no bracket attached to this thing. I use this instead. Once the new bracket is released, I might buy an official Wacom product, but I don't know when. On the other hand, there is a handle on the back of the Wacom MobileStudio Pro16, which is very convenient for you to carry or hold the tablet. If you drop Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 or immerse it in water, there will be a very interesting graphical command to show you what will happen. Don't do these two things.

Bracket connection (left), grip-y (right)

Wacom MobileStudio Pro does not come with a protective case. It's very wide and can't fit into a 15-17-inch laptop bag, which is very funny. It doesn't actually have the earlier Companion or Companion 2 width, so it can fit into most 13-inch bags, but some will be exposed outside the bag. It is said that there is a suitable cheap package, but I still only use the previous Companion 2 package to install it, cover the excess with the flap of the bag.

The Companion 2 is placed on the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 for size comparison

The product weighs 4.45 pounds. Compared to the iPad Pro or Surface/Surface Book (or the 3.75-pound old Companion 2), the Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 has a distinct feel in the backpack, but the impact is not that great and it is worth it for me. Some people may criticize its weight, especially when putting a tablet on the thigh for painting. For these people, I want to say: stop putting the tablet on the thigh for painting. This is not good for your back, please think about your own future.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 has a USB-C interface and a Micro SD slot

Last topic: connections and other accessories. Like Companion 2 and traditional New Emperor products (such as the new Cintiq Pro 13 and the upcoming Cintiq Pro 16 – which are also good choices for comic creation), Wacom MobileStudio Pro can connect to any PC or MAC. There is a $70 accessory called Wacom Link that can be connected via USB-C, Mini DisplayPort and traditional USB. In the evaluation I have seen, no one said that it is not possible to connect the MacBook Pro to Wacom MobileStudio Pro via a USB-C cable, but I still can't do it after doing this. So if you buy Wacom MobileStudio Pro for connectivity, you should pay attention to this. I guess that after a year, the USB-C converter will be much cheaper, which is not a headache. In my opinion, Wacom MobileStudio Pro should be equipped with a stand and Wacom Link. Companion 2 is equipped with these two things, yes, this product of course does not include the keyboard, so if you need, you have to buy another Bluetooth or wired keyboard. The product also comes with a Wacom brand bag with only 3 replacement nibs (2 standard nibs, 1 felt tip), but not in the Wacom store, so cherish it.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 inch or 16 inch? Which one should I buy?

This is a question, right? For most people who write comics, I recommend the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 – Intel® CoreTM i5, 128GB SSD model. It's powerful enough to handle any comic work, as long as you can accept 128G. Between the cloud storage and the Micro SD memory card slot on your tablet, you can work with it if you want to save some money.

Of course, if you want to buy the i7 model - 13 inches or 16 inches - they are star luxury cruise ships. I really can't lower my full-featured Wacom MobileStudio Pro16 standard. Wacom has done a great job in designing its main tablet, providing users with a powerful, value-for-money experience. If they can make these things lighter, the battery's battery life is longer, with more accessories, it will be more competitive than Surface's machine. I have high hopes for its future and I am very pleased with it now. This is my new device. If you look at the market, you know that this is the best device.

Responsible Editor: Electricity Internship