Wacom promises tablet for creative pros this summer

Best known for its digital styli and pen-and-slate drawing slates for computer artists, Wacom is entering the standalone tablet game. According to its Facebook page, the company is responding to customer feedback and will release its first model this summer.

Wacom promises that the tablet will be geared to its creative clientele and include a digitzer pen, HD display, and "other valuable features that you haven’t seen in other tablets." What those other features are remain to be seen, but presumably they would be related to the design work that Wacom customers typically perform.

The company's move suggests that many of those creative professionals are not satisfied with the iPad (or other tablets). Adobe has released a version of Photoshop for the Apple tablets, as well as Adobe Ideas, a sketching app that is a complement to Illustrator, though these may not be enough for some users. Wacom doesn't specify what the customer feedback is that prompted its decision to start selling tablets, but its Facebook fans are speculating in droves as to specs, etc.

Wacom is taking a calculated risk that, in the ever-more-cluttered tablet market, there's room for a niche product with a specified feature set. Its clamoring clients will probably have to pay more for the privilege of specialization, but it sounds like they may be ready to bear the extra cost.

If you're a creative professional, would you buy a Wacom tablet? Are other tablets missing key features you need (and Wacom presumably could provide)? Let us know in the Talkback section below.

[Via TechCrunch]