Inklet trackpad tablet app for MacBook is Wacom's worst nightmare
By Richard Lai 
posted January 12th 2010 11:25AM
posted January 12th 2010 11:25AM
posted January 12th 2010 11:25AM
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Is there a link to the software? (or am I missing something?)
Thanks
@werty1432k
http://tenonedesign.com/inklet.php
@WestleyP lol yeah thanks I found it after I asked, thanks though :)
Does this also work with the Magic Mouse
@werty1432k
Very cool. Too bad I have the older mac book pro.
@Xega
As long as you're comfortable gluing your $80 mouse to a desk.
Just how accurate is the macbooks pad compared to a 200$+ wacom tablet though?
@(Unverified) the pogostylus is pretty thick at the tip.
@(Unverified)
I'm willing to bet it isn't as pressure sensitive as a Wacom and, on the Intuos series, you also get tilt sensitivity. Plus a much bigger drawing area depending on tablet size.
OTOH, I see this as really being useful on those capacitive touch Tegra and Snapdragon tablets that were showing up at CES.
@(Unverified) I'm sure it is nowhere near as sensitive, but this definitely eats Wacom's lunch on the Bamboo Pen and Touch Tablet.
@(Unverified)
look at the video, its pretty dam accurate
@trainwrecka
Cue obligatory "that's what she said" joke....
@(Unverified) Even if it works great it doesn't matter because it's only a tiny trackpad. This might threaten the bamboo line from wacom, but nothing else. Like the bamboo this isn't much more than a toy.
@(Unverified)
Does it really matter. It's $25 vs $200. It's good enough. Buy a new MacBook and you're practically getting a Wacom tablet for free. Thank you, Ten One Design.
@Riles&Average White Boy
bamboo competitor? really? but who the hell can spend more than 2 minutes working with that thing? where do you rest your hand? on the laptop? on the table? on both? just try to figure out, you can only use a little space in the top-left corner without breaking your hand.
come on, i know it is for apple macbooks, but apple didnt make it, you dont have to be stupid fanboys with this
Looks really cool.
Bringing the Sexy Back.
@WestleyP
:-) 100% agreed my friend. i would say this would be great for the people who don't have the money for a Wacom tablet.
@WestleyP
Them other tablets don't know how to act
@216
YEA
@Sieg
The people with PRICEY Macbooks have the money for wacoms
Awesome! I have waited so long for something like this for my MacBook Pro!
Imagine if Pogo ported this over to the yet-non-existent Apple "slate" device. Oh man...
@mhope Btw, Pogo, if you do that, I want my cut. A million would be fine. :)
@mhope Why buy a slate if you can do this:
1) Sketch
2) Write
3) Navigate (using ~tilda key)
For MBP owners a slate is now becoming further and further away from a need.
@mhope
Why would they port a tablet-mimicking app to an actual tablet device? Makes no sense. Apple's supposed slate device will do all of this and more out of the box.
@justit
I guess because I don't own an MBP, but use a HP TC4400. And I use my Wacom penabled tablets primarily for illustrating, haha.
My comment was definitely made in complete disregard for the market at large, never mind MBP users ;)
@ebelp
Well, if that's the case, then that's great! Though I haven't heard any speculation of the alleged tablet having an active digitizer with pressure sensitivity.
SO. In the event that it does not, it -would- be great for Pogo to make said innovation. In the event that it does? Then you're right, all the better.
Now, in the interest of not turning this thread into an Apple 'tablet' debate, I'll gently remind us that all any of our points, mine included, are completely founded on hypotheticals, and hardly worth mentioning until we know whether or not there will be a tablet in the first place.
@mhope
seeing as the "ISlate" is a glorified big assed Ipod touch (by all accounts) and not a proper computer, don't hold your breath
Does the trackpad have pressure sensitivity or just the crappy simulated sensitivity?
@kevio
The track pad no, the Pogo Sketch Stylus yes.
@7egend
It does say that there's pressure sensitivity, but I'm not so sure that it's in the stylus. It might be a software hack that can sense the area of touch on the trackpad.
The reason I say this is because this uses the standard Pogo Sketch stylus, which definitely does NOT have pressure sensitivity, according to its FAQ page. http://www.tenonedesign.com/sketch.php
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that they've found a way to record the area of the touch itself, and then they turn that into a faux pressure data.
However they're doing it, it's definitely not an active digitizer like Wacom.
That's one of those why didn't I think of that.
Wondering if there would be such app for Windoze as well.
@ascenvia I would love to have this type of thing, it would make me regret not getting a tablet less! 2nd choice would be an iPhone app that connected to the computer and acted as a touchpad input (may be out there, but I haven't seen one yet).
This makes no difference to Wacom. Their tablet surfaces are designed for the wear and tear of a hard point stylus scratching away for a couple years. You would destroy your MacBook's trackpad if you do any kind of serious drawing on it. Same principle for any slate device. The surfaces are just not designed for that kind of beating.
@saposmak Destroy a glass pad? Is this a rubber tip or diamond tip?
@saposmak
I think that Wacom has little to worry about, considering that a trackpad is not a 21 inch Cintiq display ;)
@justit The Wacom stylus has a plastic tip (several actually, they're replaceable), and although the trackpad is glass and it's scratch resistant, believe me, there is no way it could replace a Wacom tablet for serious hours-a-day drawing. You will soon have an ugly (irreplaceable!), worn-down trackpad for saving yourself $170.
@saposmak Careful. He's a little sensitive.
@saposmak
You wouldn't use this for hours a day (if you are that dependent on pen input, buy a dedicated input device). It's for people who want occasional use. It's a great idea!
@Canucker I agree with you. Just scoffing at the whole idea that Wacom is suddenly "shaking in its boots".
@saposmak
I'd have to agree with you on that. The people that spend money on a Wacom tablet or Cintiq unit would never give this more than a quick look to see that it does not do what they want.
It more of the same Engadget doomsaying. Like the Google navigation app killing off Garmin and TomTom, or a bunch of other predictions of demise they have made that never panned out at all.
@saposmak time will tell, still worth my $20. If the MBPs were plastic you'd have a good case.
So - I'm guessing this will work with GIMP?
iSketch will never be the same. I'm in.
yep. And thinking about a Apple Tablet thingey -- mmmm.
This is AWESOME... dragging around a physical tablet with a portable workstation isn't always an option. This is going to change the way I sketch out ideas. who cares if it's not as sensative or perfect as an Intuos... it's ALREADY BUILT INTO MY FRICKIN MBP.
$200+ for drawing input? idk... $25? CHA-CHING!
@DirtyBirdNJ
Agreed, this would be perfect for minor photo touch ups, digital signatures, whatever you would be doing *on the go.*
@mhope Well, there's the whole idea that it's not as good and would be better suited to "on the go" usage... but personally I don't want to spend the extra cash or desk real-estate to get a tablet.
Even though this isn't as "nice" as the wacoms I think this is better suited to somebody like me... a more casual user.