The Cintiq Companion Is A Pretty Little Thing

The Cintiq Companion Is A Pretty Little Thing

“When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

~~~~~

Any veteran that has set up a Windows machine will probably tell you that computers can be a love-hate relationship, and the Cintiq Companion by Wacom, is no exception. I say this, and yet she is beauty, right out of the box. 

Getting it Photoshop-ready required letting it install all essential Windows 8 updates. A word of warning, optional update KB2955163 (specifically for Windows 8, not 8.1) broke my network driver. Once that was removed and Windows was fully updated, installing Adobe CS6 was a breeze.

Loading Photoshop CS6, on the Wacom Cintiq Companion

It is embarrassing to admit that I had issues with the colour calibration until I discovered the Intel HD graphics control panel. The greyscale was skewed, causing the Companion to display a wider range of greyscale than my Cintiq 21UX, and I did not clue into my gross error until much later when I realized the image was also over-saturated. Software calibration took care of it immediately, of course.

Editing in Photoshop CS6

Getting used to the new tablet takes time, I admit. It’s not the same to go from a 21″ vertical display to something on one’s lap. ::laughs:: After a good night’s rest to put such awkwardness behind me, I brought it with us during our family excursion. I have to say that it was pretty fun to work with it in the car; a wistful reminder of the precision skill I had acquired when drawing while riding public transit in university. (The more some things change… apparently the more some don’t. ::smiles:: )

I cannot say enough good things about the velvet lined, form fitting carrying case. It has a place to hold the pen’s carrying case, and a snug loop to carry only the pen if you prefer. I do believe their keyboard is designed to fit in the front pouch as well, although I have an orphaned ASUS keyboard that already fits the bill.

The final, perplexing hurdle seems to be one last Windows issue. There will be no pairing of Bluetooth devices until I discover which update broke that one. ::sighs::  There are of course, two USB 3.0 ports and various other ways to move data, but this I will have to wait to use that aforementioned keyboard, alas.

Still, I know what I will have with me tomorrow on the go… :) I don’t need Bluetooth to draw. <3