Monoprice 19-Inch TFT, 2048 Levels, 5080 LPI, 16.7M Colors Interactive Pen Display Monitor (110707)

I bought mine just after Thanksgiving, during a great sale. Regardless, my aim was to not pay high end price of competitor (like Wacom). And, truthfully I have no comparative data to share. Facts: However, I am willing to share the truth and facts about the device, and how it met my needs. Anytime the word knockoff is used, is it used correctly. Those who use the word really mean a lower priced, lesser bells and whistles version of something they've heard about or have encountered. Maybe even a desire of theirs without the willingness or budget to buy that particular one. For me this was not the case, I just wanted the experience, and hands on. I needed to know if I would) like working digitally, if I could learn and adjust to not drawing on paper. (I'll touch upon that later) So, obviously I was only willing to pay for what might turn out to be a minor flirtation a lesser price. In reviews you'll encounter words like parallax, glare, optimum viewing angle. Let me assure you that every one of these devices has a parallax of some depth, basically your pen draws on a surface that is different then the projected result. In the case of this Monoprice, you're drawing on a sheet of glass that sits above the surface showing your rendering. Of all that's is made of this if I had written this review in the first week, I probably would mention it. Since, I waited until I became familiar with the device and the programs I use with it, it deserves zero mention. Nobody draws on top of their pen, so it actually works in your favor, once you get one and use it for awhile you'll understand what I mean. Glare, seriously is just managing your light source. Being back lit you'll find yourself drawing with softer light, and sometimes none. (Preference) This device does have a OVA, easily gotten used to, and not as small as it may have been talked about in past reviews. (Again, I waited) Those being the facts, let me add that I find no need to move on from this device at all, it works for me. There isn't a reason, the quality of what I can produce already is the same as my counterparts who use more expensive equipment. Lets not forget you are the artist (still), you're trading away your use of actual paper, Etc, for use of digital tools. Pros: Sturdy, adjustable, out of the box (If you have a program that is capable for pen use) works better than you can imagine. It was well worth the price, and I use it 6 out of 7 days a week for hours. Battery life is as advertised, charges fast no complaints about pen. I'd like a higher end compatible pen that has felt tips to be made for this device just to have. It has met my needs and then some, I'll explain since it has little to do with the physical device just in how it works, behaves. You know how you complete a drawing, step away from it, then come back to your desk and then you see it. A glaring mistake, the foreshortening of a figure isn't nailed. Working digitally has gotten rid of that "ah crud" felling you'd get when that happens. Sometimes I can fix with out even redrawing, hard to explain unless you're familiar with magic wands, lassos and other tools that Photoshop or Manga Studio have, both of which you should own or buy with this device. This device has actually had a unrealized affect on my confidence, and exploration. I've drawn things I couldn't without this device, truly I've done amazing things in a short time that I wouldn't have done on paper. In conjunction with my ability, tools, programs and knowledge of use, this device has opened doors up for me already. You'll have to only decide if you're willing to travel down the digital path, and know that this device works in the same way as those higher end ones. You can keep your bells and whistles, and I'll keep the extra $1400.00 dollars I saved in buying this one. Cons: In the manual it won't tell you that inside the holder are some items, like extra nibs, and removal tool. So, when I contested that I was missing some items, and another holder showed up I was baffled. Until I cracked it open and revealed what I was/wasn't missing. (I know, should of been under Pros:.) I guess I made out, no biggie they said. I got a reinforced VGA connection so I have no problems there. Although, my biggest complaint would be USB connection not being reinforced, floats and moves. Taking away something I wish I had, the ability to put device in my lap and draw in more comfortable positions. Since I've yet to purchase a articulating arm, because of fear that being left handed and having to draw with counter pressure weighs on my mind, nobody has sufficiently answered if this would be the case. Lastly, is calibration limitability that comes on the provided disk. (Six points) Personally, I did a work around, knowing that Hunion was the actual manufacturer of this device I downloaded their nine points of calibration, without issues. Sometimes, I recalibrate for the sake of it. The interface pen program that has the controls for calibration, could come with usage stats but doesn't. File that under easily doable wish list, meaning it could keep stats of use, how long you drew, battery life between charges, Etc. My guess is this wasn't even thought of, well now it was, maybe you'll get on it. Call it a smart interface, it will tell you when you should charge, recalibrate, and such.In closing I'm willing to answer any questions anyone may have here is a link to my twitter feel free to ask me about device, and related matters. https://twitter.com/MulrooneyTodd (You'll see my work too.) HOPE MY REVIEW IS HELPFUL TO YOU....------ Todd Mulrooney

I got this back in the summer and use it every day for work, so I've had time to review it. This tablet exceeded expectations: I was taking a mad gamble buying this thing based on all the negative reviews I had read. But it was just under $400 so I had to take a chance.Quirks (these aren't really "cons" per se, but rather things to consider before buying so you know what to expect.):- There is a speck of dirt under the glass. Fortunately it's in the corner outside Photoshop's canvas area, but it is something other reviews point out and you might be in for an annoying surprise.- When laying down a stroke, it sometimes "hiccups"/blobs and there are stray phantom clicks- NOT good if you need to create clean lines. In Manga Studio 5, the stroke will randomly go off to the top left corner. These things happen about once every few minutes- keep your fingers on Cmd+Z. I could have probably returned the tablet to Monoprice for this but just decided to live with it (I'm crazy!)- The stroke wobbles when I lay down a line slowly. It isn't much of a problem while painting, but definitely is for line art. I don't know if this issue is recent or has always been present, because I just recently started paying attention to fine lines in my art.- There is a lot of space between the glass surface and the actual pixels underneath, so it will look like your pen is hovering above the cursor. No way to fix this in Mac. That's something I got used to pretty quickly.- It only comes with RGB cables, which are a joke. You have to purchase a DVI cable (plus a mini displayport adapter for Mac) separately.- Low resolution/not HDMI compatible. If you're used to retina-display Macs it might be an annoyance.- VIEWING ANGLE. Even after many hours of calibration, the colors aren't accurate, and this is magnified by the poor viewing angles. Solution: Mirror the display on your main monitor or in Photoshop, go to Windows>Arrange>New Window for (filename.psd) and drag the new canvas to your main monitor to check the color accuracy. A workaround, but it gets the job done. Aside from the pen stroke issues, this is the worst issue with this hardware (probably because I like to draw with it in all sorts of positions- should be ok if you have a monitor arm or other stationary setup). If you're doing any kind of color work, you NEED to check it many times throughout your process on a calibrated monitor. If this will bother you, do not get this tablet.- The USB cable easily falls out of the port on the tablet.- DO NOT TRY TO TAKE APART THE STYLUS!! I did this assuming it was constructed like my Intuos pen (which easily came apart) and accidentally ended up ripping the battery cables out. Oops. (good thing is that I now have eight pen tips that I'll never use because they don't wear down on the glass surface)- The programmable buttons on the pen can only do right, left, and middle click. I ended up just turning them off.- I may just have a firm hand, but one of the pen nibs began falling out. Replaced it with a new one and the problem went away.Pros:- Good size- Amazing price- Sturdy construction- Inexpensive pen replacement (the replacement pen was a little different than the one it came with, but the quirks that I mentioned above did not go away). I also haven't had to recharge the pen in the ~4 months I've had this replacement pen.- The adjustable stand is really nice.- Doesn't get too hot- Pen nibs don't wear down on the glass surface- Can act as a regular non-display tablet: just turn the power off. Still cheaper than a large Intuos!- Good pressure sensitivity- I haven't managed to scratch the glass surface yet after about 6 months!- If I had a kid that was getting into digital art, this would be a perfect tablet for them. Cheap and sturdy.Verdict: "My First Cintiq"This is a perfect introduction to digital art at a great price. If it weren't so cheap, I would recommend just saving up for something with less quirks or getting a traditional non-display tablet. It's carried me through the first six months of my professional career. I will most likely end up selling this and putting the money toward a more reliable tablet display.

I am very disappointed in this product.I had it for less than a month and did not work as easily as was stated by several reviews.Set up was long and really confusing, manual says one thing and computer says another.This lead to me having to restart several times, uninstalling and re-installing the software for the tablet. Nothing made it work properly.I had removed all Wacom drivers and I still had issues of jittering, going off screen, loss of pressure sensitivity, and the cursor moving in random spots. I even had a few tech savvier friends help and they were even confused. Even looking online didn't seem to help to figure out what was wrong. Another issue was that I could not get into the tablet drivers to change the settings on the pen to adjust them to my liking.The viewing angles are less then to be desired. It's rather hard to find a sweet spot for colors and viewing on it.I draw a lot and this was too slow for how fast I sketch and line my art. It's fine if you go slow, but when you work at a faster pace this can be rather annoying.My final verdict DO NOT BUY.Get something better and save yourself the hair pulling out.