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Wacom targets pro artists with new high-end tablets

The new tablets run Windows 8 and Android, respectively, and will be available in the fall.

Xiomara Blanco Associate Editor / Reviews - Tablets and monitors
Xiomara Blanco is an associate editor for CNET Reviews. She's a Bay Area native with a knack for tech that makes life easier and more enjoyable. So, don't expect her to review printers anytime soon.
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Xiomara Blanco
2 min read
Updated 8/23/2013 with detail on screen sizes
The new Wacom family of tablets have full HD displays. Wacom

Wacom is attempting to appease on-the-go professional artists with its pair of new high-end tablets. The Cintiq Companion tablet family consists of two 13.3-inch devices: the Companion, which runs Windows 8, and the Companion Hybrid, running Android Jellybean.

Each tablet features full HD displays with touch control, Wi-Fi connectivity, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and rear 8-megapixel camera, stereo headphone jack, and microphone. The pair also comes with the Wacom Pro Pen with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Though there are a few notable stylus-toting tablets, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Wacom's new devices are primarily geared toward artists in need of higher graphics capabilities than your average Android tablet.

Both new tablets feature front and rear cameras. Wacom

Designed with pro artists in mind, the Companion runs Windows 8 and houses a third-generation Intel Core CPU and Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU. The base Windows 8 version houses 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and the Windows 8 Pro version includes 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

Pricing for the Windows 8 version of the Cintiq Companion starts at $1,999, and the Windows 8 Pro version is priced at $2,499.

The Cintiq Companion tablets share some physical characteristics. Wacom

The Cintiq Companion Hybrid packs a lesser -- yet still impressive -- punch, running Android 4.2 and housing a Nvidia Tegra 4 CPU. The device functions as a traditional graphics tablet when connected to a Mac or PC, and works as a simple Android device when unplugged.

The Companion Hybrid also comes loaded with Wacom Creative Canvas, a new software for painting and sketching. The 16GB version's retail price is set at $1,499, and the 32GB version is priced at $1,599, with an expected mid-September release.

Wacom also announced a pressure-sensitive stylus for the iPad. Look for the Companion tablets to hit Wacom's online store starting next month.