Artist and Animators Unite!: W series thoughts....

[Worzyl]

On the W700 shipping thread, there is an interesting list of purchases being made. I'm interested in the experiences of artist and animators using these machines with professional packages such as 3DS Max, Maya, Softimage, Photoshop, Promotion etc. Although I wont be purchasing either of these machines*, I would be interested in how one finds the graphics card and cpu for rendering, the response times of the LCD for fast moving animated objects, as well as the tablet for drawing and painting.

*Reason for not purchasing is that I prefer non-widescreen laptops. I also use a desktop when I can for heavy animation/art work.

[Worzyl]

Hmmm...no one using their W700/500 for illustration, 3D or animation?

Seems similar to a poll I did:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=80131

No illustrators, animators or 3D modelers on that one either (but I came to the conclusion that they would of gone for a more powerful machine awhile ago anyway..).
It's really interesting that these laptops are built for these purposes in mind, but I guess that users on this forum are probably using the extra power more for photography, music and editing maybe?

[proaudioguy]

I don't understand why you think they are built for artists and animators. Everything I've read says they are built for CAD. Anyway there is no money in art or animation so how could they afford this machine? You also kind of diss'd the machine and by association the users in your first post so why would anyone answer anyway?

I will say this,....the wide screen on this machine is not an issue because it's every bit as large as a 15" 4x3 UXGA, but with extra real estate on the side. The screen is superior to almost every other screen I've ever seen. The only screens I've seen that can compete are the IPS screens in the old NEC monitors. IF the IPS or AFFS screens we all know and love had LED back lights and were as bright as this they would certainly blow it away, but at this point I'd have to say it's a tie. This screen is super bright but the contrast is also very high. There is a little light leakage on the bottom which is only noticeable on a black screen like when a movie is playing and there is a black bar ont he bottom. Still it annoys me, but it only leaks up to the edge of the task bar which I have set to double height. The viewing angle isn't too bad, but not IPS. When you look up from a low angle WHITE looks PINK. This does not occur at any other angle. It's very subtle, but I'm very critical. The color correction works very well. Black and white pics looks much like my IPS (which didn't need any color correction!). It took me 30 minutes to do this sort of color correction on my other TFT machines by eye. My video engineer friends tell me I have very good color. I had no idea different people had different sensitivities to color. I suppose when I go deaf I'll take up video or photography to make a living. The slide out screen is a piece of crap. The contrast is horrible and it's washed out. I'm not sure there's any way to correct this without replacing it, which I would consider if I could get a good quality replacement for a reasonable price. Still for holding your tools or a chat window it's totally fine. The Wacom tablet works just like a Wacom tablet. If you know how they work then you know how it works. It's no different. I find it a little awkward to use a 3x5 tablet to travel a 17" screen, but I'm sure the guys that use them all the time have no issue with it. I'll get used to it once I learn how to use AutoCAD or Vectorworks.

[Worzyl]

I don't understand why you think they are built for artists and animators. Everything I've read says they are built for CAD. Anyway there is no money in art or animation so how could they afford this machine? You also kind of diss'd the machine and by association the users in your first post so why would anyone answer anyway?

I will say this,....the wide screen on this machine is not an issue because it's every bit as large as a 15" 4x3 UXGA, but with extra real estate on the side. The screen is superior to almost every other screen I've ever seen. The only screens I've seen that can compete are the IPS screens in the old NEC monitors. IF the IPS or AFFS screens we all know and love had LED back lights and were as bright as this they would certainly blow it away, but at this point I'd have to say it's a tie. This screen is super bright but the contrast is also very high. There is a little light leakage on the bottom which is only noticeable on a black screen like when a movie is playing and there is a black bar ont he bottom. Still it annoys me, but it only leaks up to the edge of the task bar which I have set to double height. The viewing angle isn't too bad, but not IPS. When you look up from a low angle WHITE looks PINK. This does not occur at any other angle. It's very subtle, but I'm very critical. The color correction works very well. Black and white pics looks much like my IPS (which didn't need any color correction!). It took me 30 minutes to do this sort of color correction on my other TFT machines by eye. My video engineer friends tell me I have very good color. I had no idea different people had different sensitivities to color. I suppose when I go deaf I'll take up video or photography to make a living. The slide out screen is a piece of crap. The contrast is horrible and it's washed out. I'm not sure there's any way to correct this without replacing it, which I would consider if I could get a good quality replacement for a reasonable price. Still for holding your tools or a chat window it's totally fine. The Wacom tablet works just like a Wacom tablet. If you know how they work then you know how it works. It's no different. I find it a little awkward to use a 3x5 tablet to travel a 17" screen, but I'm sure the guys that use them all the time have no issue with it. I'll get used to it once I learn how to use AutoCAD or Vectorworks.

Thanks for the answers. That has given me a valuable insight:)
There's a couple of points that I need to clear up regarding the first paragraph you wrote:

I've read on some reviews that the laptop is good/built for artist and animators (which includes CAD), so I'm only going on what I have read and what has been bounced around by other people, hence the reason for my questioning.

I can't "diss" a machine that I really know nothing about. I also never got the impression that people wouldn't answer because of this. I just got the impression that people weren't answering due to not being in the animation field. (The poll etc..). So I apologize to all if it came out this way.

As for your statement about there being no money in animation - I'm not too sure why you said that. Animation is what I do for a living. It pays my wages and yes....there is a quite a bit of money involved. Those computer games and adverts ask for a fair amount especially when freelancing. As for saying that we can't afford to buy the laptop, we can end up paying quite a bit of cash for the packages in the first place which can sometimes amount to more than the laptop itself depending on what you use. (It's over £2000 for MAX - also the license you have to pay...).

That's really interesting about the slide out screen. Do you use this as your main computer, or do you have a desktop as well?

Thanks:)

[t140568]

I don't understand why you think they are built for artists and animators. Everything I've read says they are built for CAD. Anyway there is no money in art or animation so how could they afford this machine?

I believe it's reasonable for the OP to say "...using their W700/500 for illustration, 3D or animation?" Several of the programs ISV certified for the W700 are related to 3d/animation/etc.
Also, I disagree with you when you say "...there is no money in art or animation..."

To the OP: I am just as curious to know the answers to your questions as I'm looking to pick up a W700ds in the relatively near future.

[proaudioguy]

I know a lot of out of work graphic artists. That's why I say that. If there's no work, then there's no money. If you are well established with clients and working then it obviously pays well. The thing is HOW MANY people are doing this and making a great living at it and can afford all the tools you mention without resorting to piracy and/or another means of income? I know there are thousands of Nurses, thousands of clerks, thousands of bank tellers, but I just don't see that many graphic artists. It's a niche market, and a very small industry when you look at the world as a whole. 100s of kids per year come out of Full Sail (and that's just one such school) looking for a job in that business. Most of them are not making any money in that field. The same goes for the audio industry. Someone that is established can make a lot of money but for every person working full time in this field, there are 100 either doing it as a hobby or dreaming about doing it but having no success. It's a very small industry

I do not own a desktop machine at all. I have been perfectly content using my X32 for 99% of what I do when I'm OFF work. When I'm working I need more power. The W700 and my X60 Tablet are my current work computers. I use them simultaneously. Problem I'm having now is the W700 screen is so good, and the computer loads web pages SO fast, I'm having a hard time going back to the X32.

[Worzyl]

@proaudioguy:

I don't know the people that you know, but the people that I know are doing fine making a living out of it. I've been in the animation industry for nearly thirteen years now, so I know well enough how it works right down to the days when I was getting paid "per foot"(in measurements) rather than a set wage working in the UK, Australia to name a few. Only last week, an artist friend of mine had just set up another games company. Another friend of mine purchased his 2 grand Max last year. I could go on but I wont. If you don't see a lot of graphic artists, does not mean that the market is niche and they can't afford the tools they need. Of course your right that not everyone is going to purchase a legit copy of Max, Maya, Cubase for their art, as well as not everyone will purchase a legit copy of excel for their spreadsheets if their job requires it. (sorry - never heard of Full Sail).
However, I don't know what country your based in so maybe things operate differently in regards to the artists you know. *edit* - just saw your USA tag.

Not too sure what type of audio you do, but it's interesting to know that the laptop is sufficient enough when your work needs more power.

@t140568:

I'll scan around the web for artist/animator experiences and try to put something up.

[proaudioguy]

The single largest technical arts college in the world.
http://www.fullsail.edu/

I'm in central FL. The market in general is flooded with technical, artistic, and show people. This is the home of Disney and NBC/ Universal. Full Sail isn't even the only school of it's kind in the area.

Your industry is small and specialized in the grand scheme. Working in retail, or in the medical field, or as a hair dresser is far more common. There are a lot more lawyers and accountants than graphic artists.

I am an audio engineer. I work in live sound, as opposed to a recording engineer that works in a studio, although I do a bit of that now and then. I've been doing this for 25 years and making a pay check at it for about 18 of those. Chances are I've worked with someone you have heard on the radio or TV. I specialize in system design and optimization, as well as mixing. I use software tools for analysis. In fact, I work for the software company as an instructor teaching other audio engineers how to get the most out of the software. That is where I recently met another poster here, audiogeek. The software I use is about to have a major update that multiplies it's capabilities to the point where the limits are set by the hardware. With this new machine I am able to do so much more than my X32. Part of the reason is the programmers have moved a large bit of the heavy lifting off the CPU and placed it in the graphics processor. This was one of the main reasons I wanted a machine with 1 GB VRAM. I could have got 2GB for a little less from Alienware, or waited for the next gen Mac Book Pro, but I could not stand going without the trackpoint......lol. As it turns out this machine is so capable, I am considering taking a class on Vectorworks (used in my industry as well as A-CAD), and photoshop as I am a bit of a photog buff. The photography is more of a hobby though. I just spent the evening playing with PS7 on this machine and finally got it to heat up enough to feel warm on the bottom and get one of the fans going. It worked quite well though. Far faster than any previous machine. I placed the scratch file on a second HD and I think that helped too.

[Worzyl]

There will always be far more medical and retail workers than animators and no one would dispute that. I'd be pretty worried if there wasn't.

Were straying off topic here from the original question.
It's gone from "What's it like using a W700 for illustration and animation" to "Full Sail, niche markets and hairdressers...".

Funny that you mentioned the Alienware systems as I had a look at those before I found out about thinkpads. I liked the power that they had and had considered one of those, but I have never physically seen one. I really wanted to feel the weight of the machine as they seem quite heavy. My 15 inch toshiba laptop get's heavy and cumbersome along when carrying all my other gear when travelling. But it usually stays in one spot after I reach my destination.

So the laptop was only a little warm when using photoshop? That's good. My current laptop shuts down pretty frequently when I'm using PaintShop Pro, where you could probably fry an egg, sunny side up on the bottom as it get's that hot!(however it's an old model from 2003). I've never used used or had a trackpoint. It sounds like one of those functions that once you use, you can never do without it.

@t140568: (and to anyone else)

http://gamedeveloper.digitalmedianet.co ... ?id=549711

Looking at the integrated wacom pad, I wonder how comfortable it is for the left handed artists out there...

[proaudioguy]

The wacom was clearly placed for "right handers". I would also have liked the extension screen on the left OR on both sides (he he). I'm so used to the tools being on the left it was taking me a bit to get used to them being on the right. These are minor gripes for me since I'm right handed.

This unit is very heavy but I use a rolling bag so it's not an issue. If I was carrying it on my back I'd be very sore. I had an X32, X60, and the W700 and all the power supplies in my bag on my last trip. The power supply of this unit is huge.

My son just bought the Alienware. He loves it. Alienware is owned and operated by Dell. That was not always the case.

The track point is something that you will hate with a passion if you are used to track pads. If you can take the time to get used to it, you will not want anything else. I have the mouse sensitivity all the way up and the TP set to the lightest touch.

[t140568]

The wacom was clearly placed for "right handers". I would also have liked the extension screen on the left OR on both sides (he he). I'm so used to the tools being on the left it was taking me a bit to get used to them being on the right. These are minor gripes for me since I'm right handed.

I gotta say, I'm not looking forward to the toolbars-on-the-right aspect of the machine. A screen on both sides would be optimal, indeed!