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ASUS Eee Slate EP121 Wacom-enabled tablet with Photoshop

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Michael Firstlight

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Is anyone using the ASUS Eee Slate EP121 Wacom-enabled tablet for for photo editing using Photoshop and if so, can you describe pros and cons of your actual experience?

I asked this over in the PC forum but then realized there was this new forum for tablets :-)

Regards,
Mike
 
Wonderful to hear - the specs are great ...and they are in short supply! I don't think there is another slate like with a real Wacom screen on the market.

Regards,
Mike
 
OK, I bit the bullet and bought one from NewEgg - also ordered a better pen (Axiotron Digitizer Pen). I read so many user reviews and it seems like a solid buy for such a powerful i5/Win7 slate with a Wacom digitizer; I can't wait to use it with CS5!

Regards,
Mike
 
I am psyched and waiting with great anticipation! The Asus EP121 slate should arrive anytime today.

I love the fact that it supports SDXC cards; I am getting a 128GB SDXC Lexar card which will boost my on-board storage considerably in addition to the fast 64GB built-in SSD. This should alleviate most on-board storage concerns. For unlimited storage I self-host storage using a $99 PogoPlug unit that hang off my home router and gives me unlimited subscription-free cloud storage.

A quad-core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM running 64-bit Windows 7 and 4GB of RAM is a lot of power for a 12 inch tablet. The only down side to that much power is portable battery life most users say is between 3-4 hours (unlike my 10-hour iPad2), but heck, this is a real computer and no toy.

I have special plans for this baby. I shoot unteathered from my Nikon D300 using a small AA battery powered wireless USB 2.0 480Mbps transmitter (self-built) that needs the USB receiver to be connected to a Windows machine - this tablet should be perfect for that. With this I’ll be able to wirelessly capture large JPEG+NEFs to the tablet with fast like I presently do to my tower windows workstation (I also use Nikon Capture 2 so that will work as a nice live capture viewer and remote control unit – even should work well with LiveView on the tablet).

This tablet should also easily support the RemoteDSLR App on my iPhone – that iPhone camera remote control App requires a server module running on a Windows host machine and this tablet should support that. That will be a fun toy to play with.

The 3-4 hour battery life isn’t too much of a concern; I have a PCB Vagabond Mini-Lithium (really tiny) portable AC pack I use with my PCB Einstein strobes – that will easily power or recharge the tablet while it is in my camera backpack (the VML is so compact and has its own little sling pack if really needed).

For wireless network mobile use I’ll use the EP121’s Wireless N to connect to my Verizon iPhone 4 hotspot. I hear its only 150Mbps but I can accept that or plug in my 300Mbps USB dongle at times when I need more.

I need a tablet that can run Windows-based Lotus Notes and my AT&T VPN dialer for mobile and office use – this will do nicely. For in-office I sometimes need to connect directly to Ethernet so I got a small USB to RJ45 adapter that will do the trick. Now I’ll have a slate that is also a full mobile wired and wireless office.

I also picked up a USB to DVI 6’ cable that will give me the option to hook the tablet up to my large flat panel display when I want or need to at times.

I also own a StreamHD USB adapter that wirelessly streams everything on a Windows screen to my 50” HDTV – it should be interesting to see if/how that works. Alternately, I also have a HMDI to mini HMDI adapter that will give me direct wired.

I use Photoshop CS5 so one of the main reasons I chose the EP121 was for its built-in Wacom tablet and pen interface. I considered a 12” Cintiq that costs about the same, but I think this will be a better option for all I want to do with it. I read the EP121 display is actually better than the Cintiq in many respects and though not a replacement and ideal for PS users (I hear it is 256 pressure sensitive but doesn’t recognize some feature mostly of interest to people that sketch). I ordered an Axiotron digitizer pen as an alternate that has a supported button where the supplied pen doesn’t.

For a portable DVD reader/writer plan to use a very small and slim Lite-On ETAU208 USB unit. My first step will be to install Acronis 2010 and backup the entire pre-load to an off storage device – I read from some other users that Acronis works flawlessly with it. I don’t yet know if I’ll upgrade to Win 7 64 Ultimate though I might just wait until Win8 comes out to upgrade.

All in all I have great plans for this Windows tablet – I don’t think there is any other tablet on the market with that much power and features – just the Wacom feature alone does that not to mention it’s a real i5 CPU. I love my iPad2 as a reader and its long battery life – I’ll probably keep both for different uses.

I will update this to report if all of this works as I expect.

Regards,
Mike
 
I said I'd report on the Asus EP121 Windows 12" tablet...so here are some first impressions...

Stunning. That about wraps it up. It might be pricy compared to all of the others, but its worth every penny. I can see why these things are flying off the shelf and sellers can't keep them in stock.

The screen is gorgeous, bright, crisp, sharp - superb color. Touch screen is very excellent with finger or pen. Unlike my iPad2 Win pads have a cursor.

This may be a tablet form factor, but its a laptop killer - fast Quad i5, 4GB fast RAM, fast SSD.

Setup was easy including network connectivity. Ergonomics of hardware are very good.

Wacom screen/pen input perfect. I am so glad I went for this instead of the 12" Cintiq. Pen input is precise and responsive.

Able to effectively use the included Bluetooth keyboard for regular typing when the on-screen keyboard isn't enough. Added an MS Bluetooth Mouse easily.

Supports all of my SW so far (Win7 64-bit). Windows 7 is under-rated as a tablet/pen OS....just as good as my iPad2, just different (lacks a few gestures and support for certain apps). This is a real computer.

Fast as heck. Did I mention this thing rivals a desktop tower in performance?

Successfully connected the wireless 2.0 USB to directly capture images from my D300 using Nikon Capture 2 and View NX2 - works like a charm upto 40 feet and counting. Wireless capture of RAW+JPEG (large) 12MP files in about a second for each pair of images. View NX automatically displays the latest image captured. Also, nice to see LiveView on a 12-inch tablet (wireless).

Also successfully connected to a 50" plasma via a Warpia StreamHD wireless connect as well as via direct HMDI (via its mini HMDI connector. Direct connect afford high resolution but wireless Warpia StreamHD was still solid with no lag.

I plan to add a 128GB SDHX card for expanded storage.

Still loading software onto the 64GB SSD at about 30GB now with most of my major apps loaded. Just installed Photoshop CS5 going to go play with using it with the pen - More later.

Mike
 
Hello, thank you so much for giving us a review and the updates. I have been waiting for a windows tablet for a long time. I started with the HP tx1000 about 4 years ago and loved it and saw the potential and currently own a nook color rooted with android. I want something thin to fit in my jacket pocket to let me review photos instantly and you described exactly what i want to do, down to a homemade wireless usb, brilliant! This is why i want windows, so i can shoot easily to the computer and even control the camera using remote DSLR software. I have some awesome ideas i would love to possibly discuss with you sometime.

Anyways i am about to buy the ep121 and i noticed that Samsung is going to release the 7 series tablet possibly by the end of this month. I am looking over the specs and they are really awesome. There are a few downsides, mainly only 1 usb and only micro SD i believe, but the positives i think outweigh the negatives. It has a faster processor and i think better video capabilities, it is much smaller in dimensions and is thinner. Size is a big deal to me and it seems that the ep121 has a lot of unused space between the monitor and edges.

I guess i will have to wait for the samsung to come out to see the true stats, mainly on the battery life. Do you have any thoughts on this? Thanks
 
I've not looked at the Samsung yet (I'll go look now), but I expect a forthcoming crop of Win tablets and a flood by the time Win 8 comes out.

I think the EP121 is probably the rolls royce for a while yet - the differentiating factor is the Wacom display. If you don't want pen-based Photoshop then another unit might be more appropriate for you as it commands a premium. The EP-121's screen, while it doesn't go edge to edge, is still amazing in terms of brightness, color, touch and sensitivity.

I read every last review I could find - mostly prior buyer's reviews like mine. With tablets being non-returnable I needed to feel certain I was going to get something really great and I have to say the EP-121 far exceeded - I just can't say enough about it - its not jsut a laptop replacement, it is also a desktop replacement and replaced my iPad2 (I kept my iPhone 4 which still supports the few Apple apps that are worth it).

If you don't need the Wacom capability and you want smaller, then maybe the Samsung unit will make up for the EP 121's only wish list item which is more than 4.5 hours of battery life.

Regards,
Mike
 
I looked - the new Samsng's battery life is claimed to be a LOT better - a big plus. Downside is only 32-bit Windows and 2GB of RAM (maybe they'll offer alternatives). The EP121 comes with 64-bit Windows and 4GB of RAM - its the 2GB that would nix the Samsung for me, but hopefully they'll offer a more beefy config and make it a very nice option - especially if they can get the price down significantly.

One thing I really like about the the EP-121 is that istsupports SDXC memory cards. With these Win units only offering upto 64GB SSDs, being able to insert a fast 128GB SDXC card allows me to use the 64SSD for the OS and all of my apps (I used 40GB to load everything I have), then use the 128GB SDXC for all of my data. Some gutsy people have cracked open their tablets and replaced the factory SSDs with 180GB small form factor SSDs, but that invalidates warranty and no guarantee its not going to foul up the unit.

These units are very good, but I can think of ways these companys can improve on them even further - one is to include a trackpoint device and two buttons on the edge of the tablet for when wants to use a mouse rather than touch (not sure if Lenovo licenses that to others - it will be interesting to see what they include in their new model), at least 8 true hours of battery life, models with 8GB of RAM and 200GB+ SSD, a built in stand that flips out the back, VESA mount attachment, 64-Bit Windows Pro/Ultimate preload option, and a snap in/out battery to be able to continue working when the first is exhausted. Further off inclusion of WiDi would be even more awesome.

Regards.
Mike
 
They do have a 4gb version, i am not sure about the 64bit. That would be nice. They do have a 128gb SSD so that is pretty good. Stats below. I didn't know if you pulled out the hard drive of the ep121 that you would void the warranty, i wanted to upgrade the hard drive to a 128+. I love your idea of using a 128gb SD card. I am mixed on the SD vs Micro SD. The samsung will have micro SD, i don't know why they aren't listing it. I personally love the Micro SD, all of my devices use it. My Nintendo 3ds, my phone, my nook color.. i know i can do the adapter to use normal SD and i know that normal SD are cheaper and more reliable but to me i don't mind having just Micro SD.

The Samsung has a 11.6 vs the ep121's 12.1 screen. Samsung is brighter i believe.. but the viewing angles may be better on the ep121? Not sure about that. I like that the Samsung is almost 2 inches smaller in width. I plan to put this in my jacket so that will be helpful.

Another thing i really want to check out is the limit of the ram on the Samsung. If it can go over 4 gb's to 8gbs that would be awesome. Overall, performance in handling software is the most important thing to me. If the ep121 is faster, i will get that, but i don't think it will be. My knowledge on processors is very limited but i hear alot of great things about the samsung's processor and it is almost identical to their new samsung 9 series laptop.

Samsung Series 7 Tablet Specs

11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display
Active digitizer pen (Wacom)
400 nits brightness (extremely bright)
Intel Core i5-2467M processor (1.6GHz)
4GB of DDR3 RAM
2MP / 3MP front and rear webcams
light sensor
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
USB 2.0 port
Micro HDMI out
SIM card slot for 3G data
0.5 inches thick
2.03 pounds weight
7 hour battery

Samsung Series 7 Tablet Model pricing

64GB SSD + Windows 7 Home Premium $1,099
64GB SSD + Windows 7 Professional $1,199
128GB SSD + Windows 7 Home Premium + Dock + Keyboard $1,349
128GB SSD + Windows 7 Professional $1,349
 
I agree, there are so many things that can be improved. With my HP tx1000, the 2.5 hour battery life was brutal, especially when trying to upload 30+gbs of photos from my canon 5d. Along with performance, hard drive space is very important to me. My goal is to shoot directly to the computer, or unload them ASAP after the shoot to ensure that the photos are off the card and safe. I think i would feel safer importing photos to the SSD hard drive instead of the SD card.

I remember looking at the ep121 when it first came out but i couldn't get past the 64gb hard drive. With programs installed and windows i can see it tough working on 30gb, but doable.

I LOVED the asus transformer design, i wish they made a beefed up version with windows on it. It's such a great idea to build an additional battery into the keyboard.. genius!
 
They both sound like very capable tablets; the 128GB SSD of the Samsung is a definite improvement along with its better battery life. It sounds like the smaller form factor will meet your specs better too.

I am not sure you'd go wrong with either; both are expensive but I don't expect anything in this serious class of tablet to come in under $900-1000 or more minimum. Hopefully you can find some early user or industry web reviews that tell the unbiased pros and cons of the device to know what you are getting either way - I like the reviews on NewEgg and Amazon for that reason and looks for the corroborating facts coming from multiple reviewers - that provides a good warm and fuzzy or reveals the warts. I also read Maximum PC and Tom's Hardware (online) as well as Fudzilla, PCMech and Legion Hardware (all online) to get the reputable independent early test reports. Here is one from Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/samsungs-series-7-slate-pc-hands-on/

Regarding the screen quality of the EP-121, that one has a brilliant, super crisp, bright and perfectly color calibrated screen - I am amazed by it. It profiled perfectly with my Spyder Pro. I expected it would given its high end Wacom pen screen, but I was even more impressed when I saw it in person.

Regards,
Mike
 
I just learned the Samsung also has a Wacom screen, that is impressive. I wonder if it also uses Gorilla Glass for the screen like the ASUS.

Mike
 
Does anyone know what computers out there have pressure sensitive Wacom displays? Are these good for photo color adjustment?

I have been looking for a new computer for Photoshop and came across this VERY interesting post. I have been close to purchasing an HP 8740w Elitebook with a Dream Color display since it is an IPS with a wide color gamut and has 10 bits per channel where nearly all other laptop displays don't seem to have this spec. Now that I have learned that there are Photoshop proficient computers with pressure sensitive IPS Wacom displays available, I'm seriously re-thinking what I get for photo editing.

I can't seem to find color gamut and bit depth info on the slates discussed in this post. Does anyone have any links with this information? Are people generally more satisfied with their ASUS and Samsung Slates than a laptop with a Wacom graphics tablet?

Thanks for the great insight!
 
The color and crispness of the ASUS is outstanding. The ASUS IS a Wacom tablet.

Regards,
Mike
 
Interesting, Tom's Hardware said this about the Eee Slate: "Overall, the display seems sub-par as well. There's nothing wrong with choosing a particular panel technology for its strengths, but the AFFS screen is not what we expected. The viewing angles are similar to what we get from competing IPS solutions, but color production is noticeably lacking." Have you tried getting color matched prints using the Eee Slate?

I'm also now considering the Lenovo X220 since it has a Wacom display as well. I'm more concerned about the capability to edit photos than portability, although I don't want to be confined to one room in my house with a desktop.
 
Yes, I calibrated the EP-121 with a Spyder 2 pro and get the same high quality matched prints on my 24" Epson 7880 as I do off my 24" desktop monitor (I use CS5 for all of my work as well).

Regards,
Mike
 
That's great to hear. These Wacom enabled slates and tablets look like great photography tools. The only thing I might like is a wider color gamut, but maybe it isn't such a big deal. Thanks for the info.
 
I think you are correct to look at the Lenovo as I have the previous model and extremely happy with for photoshop cs5. I must admit I have never printed from it as I have a desktop but do submit to photographic groups for critiques and nobody has said my colours are incorrect which they would if a problem. I haven't been won over by these tablets yet and have an Asus tablet 101mt which I use for travellling as it is light but have never put photoshop onto it and only use picasa for e-mailing.
--
fredyr
 
Thanks for the feedback on the Lenovo. I have a Wacom Intuos3 and have been very happy with it. The ability to do editing directly on a the pressure sensitive LCD of the X220 sounds very appealing. Have you had any issues using the stylus and screen on the Lenovo?
 
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