Wacom’s latest tablet — that’s tablet as in professional art accessory, not so much iPad or Android — features a bevy of new features, including wireless connectivity and multi-touch support.
Wacom’s claim is that the new Intuos5 tablet is more ergonomic than previous models, with six to eight ExpressKeys (depending on the size of tablet purchased) and a touch ring along with multi-touch support. The ExpressKeys can be toggled to specific shortcuts, but that’s not where the customisation of the Intuos5 ends. The inclusion of multi-touch isn’t limited to just simple gestures, but extends to custom gestures for every application you use it for; so you could use one gesture within Photoshop for a specific action and the same action within Illustrator for a completely different shortcut.
The Intuos5 can also be converted into a fully wireless tablet with an optional $45 Wireless Accessory Kit, which includes a rechargeable battery for the kit’s RF module; at the PC/Mac end it plugs in via USB.
Wacom will offer four models of the Intuos5 from today; the $265 Intuos5 touch Small, $400 Medium and $550 Large as well as the $350 pen-only Medium model, which lacks the multi-touch capability. [Wacom]