because when i was researching whether or not i should buy the 21ux, online reviews were few and far between and didn't really answer my questions. i hope this is of some use to those still on the fence about buying it. i don't make any claims as to the validity of information found in this review as these are just my user opinions.

the power, interface with graphics card, and the usb connection all stem from a single thick cord that comes out the back center of the display... this is actually a fairly elegant approach and doesn't create a great deal of clutter on your desk top. you can connect the display with DVI or VGA, but if you're willing to pay this much for a monitor, you'd be shortchanging yourself if you didn't also have a DVI compatible card to drive it.

the display sits on a spring-loaded stand that allows you to draw on it at comfortable angles. it can be tilted back to nearly horizontal and tilted up to a slight angle from perpendicular (it actually really irks me that you can never get it to be completely vertical). you can rotate the display as well, although this is only really effective with it tilted back enough so that the corners of the display clear your desk. movement is very slick and easy. trucking the whole thing backwards and forwards requires a little more attention, but it's mostly very easy to handle despite its large footprint. you can remove the display from the stand and mount it on VESA compliant products (although i'm not sure how you could draw on it effectively without the included stand). you can't telescope the stand, so you're at the mercy of your desk height in this respect.

the 21ux is much lighter than any CRT, but it's plenty hefty in its own right too. although theoretically possible, it's probably not a good idea to use this in your lap... it's just way too big and unwieldly (not to mention the back gets warm, the power cable comes out from the center of the thing, and you're not supposed to cover the ventilation holes).

at the top of the display is the power button and status light. Behind the screen on the top right are five buttons for operating the display's controls via an onscreen menu. It's an almost impossible endeavor unless you take a moment to look behind the display and figure out what buttons you should be pressing, but i don't think most people will ever have a need to tweak the factory settings much. there are some options for color profiles and such, but that's not a huge concern for me since i rarely do any print work.

the drawing surface melds seamlessly into the bezel so your hand or pen never snags on anything. it's probably this aspect of the screen that makes it look much larger than it actually is. "touch strips" and "express keys" adorn either side of the display. these can be customized to replace simple keyboard commands and program specific functions. although these are a good idea, i find that i rarely use them... if you know your keyboard shortcuts, you might as well leave your offhand on your keyboard (which can be a bit awkward, but still faster for me). of course, others with different workflows may appreciate the integrated keys more than i do.

Wacom quality oozes from the 21ux. It's a beautiful product with marvelous fit and finish. you won't find any frills like usb/firewire ports or memory card readers built into the display, but, all in all, it's a nice, capable package.

i have always been skeptical of an LCD panel's reliabitily for creating graphics, but the technology has improved and there are instances where some exceed the performance of CRT monitors. is the 21ux one of those instances?

the color reproduction is better than most LCD monitors i've come across... i consider myself fairly picky when it comes to this, but i'm pretty satisfied with the 21ux (although i wouldn't say that it is among the best color you can find or anything). the black levels are pretty convincing and some quick photoshop tests show acceptable distinction between black and very dark grey. the specs aren't the best, but i find the display to be bright and very clear. when looking at photographs, it's almost as if i'm looking through a window at the real thing when comparing side by side with my current CRT. i was also concerned with quality of color gradations and whether they would be smooth enough, but i haven't found it to be a huge problem although it can crop up in some instances. of course, remember that i don't have the resources nor inclination to perform any real tests to back up my impressions.

one thing that has been keeping me away from LCD displays is response time. i am disappointed to say that this is where the 21ux falls hardest for me... i have no real numbers to go by, but i'm guessing it's probably in the 25ms range at best, if not quite a bit higher. i suppose this shouldn't be a surprise with a display this large and considering all the other things that Wacom had to get it to do that is more important. certainly, response time is not a big deal if you are using it for work (which is probably why you're interested in it), but if you plan on using it as your sole display to also play games, watch movies, etc., then you may want to look into getting a second display to handle those tasks. tumbling around in a 3d program's viewports can be a bit dizzying after a while although it's something i've grown accustomed to and it's hardly noticeable with movies. of course, others may be more sensitive to response time than i am, but by no means is this a complete show-stopper. something that may be related to this is the presence of a slight input lag. dragging windows around quickly, for example, does not feel as instantaneous as it does on my CRT.

the display runs natively at 1600x1200 (a "normal" monitor aspect ratio instead of the squarish ones you'll often find on most consumer panels) and at 60hz. now, i know that refresh rates are a bit different on LCD monitors than CRT... 60 hz on a CRT absolutely is intolerable for me. the 21ux fares better although i can detect a tiny bit of flickering... i suppose comparable to my CRT's 75 hz range (of course, it could be the result of something totally unrelated too). it's not really an issue when drawing or painting, but i find it makes long term text reading a little less pleasant than it could be despite the nice clarity and brightness. again, this is something that may not bother others at all. i don't find myself particularly fatigued from looking at the screen for long periods of times while drawing/painting.

when the screen is completely black, it's surprising to see that the screen is not as evenly lit as i expected. fortunately, this has little bearing on quality of images shown. just another limitation of LCD technology itself with large displays and not a serious problem with the product.

Wacom claims a 170 degree viewing angle. i have found it to perform pretty well in this respect compared to other LCD screens, but, as you might expect, this doesn't mean that it's perfect within 170 degrees. there isn't any color shifting that i can see, although the display is definitely at its brightest and best when you're sitting right in front of it (which you kind of have to be in order to draw on it, right?).

i have found a stuck red and green pixel... one is unfortunately closer to the center of the screen than i'd like. i'm not sure what exactly Wacom's policy is concerning dead pixels, but apparently their quality control is supposed to prevent any pixels being permanently either black or white. a flaw apparent to me on my display are some tiny smudges (?) that seem to be underneath the drawing surface. thankfully they are faint and few and mostly out of the way, but i'm surprised given the quality of the rest of the product. these defects may be enough to convince some to demand a replacement, and that may be understandable considering the price, but they don't bother me when i'm working and aren't as distracting as the stuck red pixel.

other than dealing with a few minor driver and dual monitor issues, installation wasn't too difficult.

so what's it like to actually use? quite nice! when using a regular graphics tablet, even after years of practice, there was always a "distance" between what the hand was doing and what the eye was seeing on the monitor. being able to draw right on screen feels much more natural for obvious reasons. interestingly, it has almost become "too natural" in that i have the same annoyance i have when working with a real pencil and paper... not being able to see through my hand to see the image underneath!

is it a replacement for traditional pen and paper? no. this is more natural than working with a tablet but there are a number of caveats. the surface is touted for having a more paper-like surface... but it honestly doesn't feel a whole lot different from my Intuos tablet other than a very tiny bit of grit (it's not going to fool you into thinking that you're drawing on paper).

there is a tiny, but perceptible distance between the point at which you place the pen tip and the cursor displayed beneath on the screen. this is understandable considering the technology, and it really is a very small distance that only becomes an issue with the very tightest of detail work. thankfully, there are some calibration options to compensate for this.

i was a bit disappointed to find that there was a tiny bit of lag between the actual pen stroke and it being drawn onscreen. of course, i'm talking about the same very miniscule lag that is apparent on all graphics tablets (although I'm not sure if the lag is more pronounced on the 21ux). i suppose i was just hoping that the Intuos 3 technology would address this. there also doesn't appear to be any increase in performance as far as sensitivity goes... it seems no worse nor better than a regular Intuos tablet, however, things are a bit more restrictive on the 21ux because you're not supposed to press down too hard lest you risk damaging the screen. it's more forgiving than i make it sound, but worth noting. still, it's definitely Intuos tech... those who claims a product with half the sensitivity is just as good are kidding themselves.

being able to draw directly on the screen has improved my accuracy with strokes, but still isn't perfect (i still find myself undoing some strokes several times before finally making the one that i was aiming for). you can trace through normal weight paper without too many problems, and you can even use straight edges for your drawings by using them right on the screen (although i would be careful).

drawing with the monitor upright is actually not as bad as it might sound because the stand is plenty sturdy. the screen becomes warm after extended use, but not to the point of any discomfort. the screen surface is smooth to the touch, and is surprisingly smudge-resistant considering your hand is in constant contact with it. ergonomics in general seem pretty good. it's nice not to have to have a tablet in my lap anymore and any reason for me to not use the mouse is probably a good thing whatwith all the wear and tear its use has inflicted on my wrist over the years. the stylus pen itself is nicely contoured and is an improvement over past designs (even if i still never use the eraser side).

so am i a better artist for having bought this? well, i certainly do think i am more productive. it's easier to work longer just because some of the little frustrations of using a tablet are gone (or reduced). putting ideas to paper- er, screen, is easier and faster, and the whole process is more enjoyable. i may have refined some skills through this extended practice, but this product is a testament to the fact that there is no replacing real ability. a part of me was hoping that it might unlock some innate power for digital painting... it certainly makes it easier, but it doesn't necessarily make it better. this should be readily apparent from the plethora of amazing artists out there who do just fine with regular graphics tablets (and in some cases with just the mouse!).

would i buy it again? yes. it's not perfect, but it's become an important part of how i work. if you do a lot of drawing/painting on the computer then i definitely recommend it. it's not cheap, but, as others have pointed out, it's a fairly reasonable price considering what you essentially get is a very large, high quality display and the capabilities of bigger than Wacom's largest graphics tablet all in one. if you already own a tablet then it may be hard to justify, but i think you will enjoy the advantages, and i find it hard to believe that anyone would be very disappointed with their purchase.

questions or comments? any glaring mistakes i've made? please let me know.