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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@mhope Agreed. This is definitely worthwhile for the occasional sketch when you're on the go and don't have your drawing tablet with you. Obliterates the paper napkin drawing cliché.
No artist works on that small a surface when it comes to tablets.
Its a cool idea, and has its uses, but Wacom Intuos4 competition it is not. Not yet anyway.
Does the $25 price include the pressure sensitive stylus, or does that cost extra? (their website is hanging so I can't check)
Whoever thinks this can replace a Wacom tablet never actually needed a proper tablet at all. So yeah, I think I'll stick with my Intuos3.
It's not a replacement -- but for 25-bucks it's a heck of an "emergency" sketchpad for anyone who doesn't have a touchscreen laptop. Which I guess is all Macs. They aught to think about adapting this to pre-Win7 laptops, too.
Does it come with a stylus or do you have to buy the stylus sketch separately?
@droopy1592
Stylus is extra (14.95). Can find one at any stationary store (or can make one). If you want the signature feature, its available from the same company for $6.95 as a stand-alone app (Autograph).
I think their 'pressure sensitivity' is a software trick. I used to program device drivers so I've been able to look at a number of drivers for various capacitive touchpad/touchscreen devices and I cannot find even a single reference to pressure information, unlike WACOM devices.
What some of them does give you, though, is the AREA of the point-of-contact. So, more pressure means a larger point-of-contact area- and they interpolate this with the speed and direction of the stroke to simulate pressure sensitivity. I think this is how WACOM is able to get 15 levels of pressure sensitivity with their capacitive digitizers (in the new Bamboo tablets).
Don't know how well it will compare against the tried-and-tested WACOM EMR solutions, though.
@AmbiDextrose
It appears (based on the demo) to work on coverage. My fingernail draws a thin line and my finger a fatter line. A stylus (with a flexible tip) would handle this transition (fingernail thin to finger fat) nicely and would in fact be pressure sensitive (same as when you barely touch the pad with your finger as opposed to press or smudge with it).
I don't think wacom has anything at all to worry about....maybe their low end graphire line might slightly suffer....but really do they care? They will always be the leader in tablets as long as they continue the way they have. Using a nub eraser looking thing on your trackpad will never replace a 8x10 paper textured pad with a pen that gets thousands of levels of sensitivity.
Well perhaps Apple will put a larger area and have actual pressure sensitivity in newer model macbooks...I think this would be ideal.
yay, time to play with facebook graffiti.
There is no way wacom is threatened by this at all, however your headline did just get me to read the article. I just bought an intuis 3 and I have a macbook and a pogo stylus. The big difference is that the tablet is pixel to pixel the same as your desktop. It is much more like using a pen. There is much better sensitivity in the tablet as well. If you read this article and though, "I will go buy a pogo stylus" as a cheap way around getting a tablet that you really need save yourself the $25 and just go straight to the tablet. I have now wasted $25 to just end where I should have gone. If you want something fun to play with that has no professional value to you go hog wild with it.
@chrissthomas
"The big difference is that the tablet is pixel to pixel the same as your desktop."
Actually, I think Inklet lets you map the entire screen onto the trackpad as well.
hahaha, wacoms worst nightmare, too true.
can you imagine them putting out such a crappy product?
its stuck to your laptop (which you wouldnt want to use for that kind of thing in the first place)
and its in a horrible location.
nightmare indeed.
Makes me want to pick up a new macbook. Pretty awesome. Alas, no money for a new computer.
Ludicrous, having your writing recognized word after word takes 3 times as long as simply typing it.
But for some doodling it might be usable, but it will not compete with a wacom, and if people are that cheap they would not have a macbook to begin with.
Also: it should be freeware, it's a simple obvious simple thing.
@Wwhat If you can re-write this for less than $25, and are willing to give it away, please do so....
@chrism238 I'm lazy and self-serving and only code stuff I use myself (in as far as I write code).
But when I slapped something together I've been known to share it, for free, like so many do.
@Wwhat
Or, you just can't code.
Very cool, but I'd never use it.
ive been using them both since monday its great, im giving my wacom to a family member i dont need it around me :D
PC Tablet draws where the tip of the pen is actually touching the screen.
you can try it out your self for free now!
they have a demo that works for 40 seconds then shows you a screen that says this is a demo for 20 seconds. which is a little annoying but you get a feel for it and you need to use your finger nail or a Q-tip that you have made a little damp so it conducts. Then you get the simulated pressure sensitivity, I went a bit further and chopped of the other end of the Q-tip and stuck it inside a pen. This didnt work untill i conected a little bit of wire to a part of the damp Q-tip to where i could touch it.
It was an ok experence i have a wacom on my desk and i understand that this is a clever hack but it is pretty smart, it has it's place because you can do a little painting like activity on the go and all you need to bring along is a stylus.