I recently replaced Classie with another COZI TV favorite, Magnum P.I. (I’ll snap a picture today). I was also offered the chance to play with a loaner Cintiq 13HD, and used it to get all Ted Turner up in this piece.

At home, I have the 13HD’s predecessor, the 12wx. In terms of screen real estate, the new one is similar. Although its diagonal measurement is 13.3" vs. 12.1" for the previous model, the new aspect ratio (16:9 instead of 16:10) means that the screen is wider but not perceptibly taller than the 12wx.

However, the new display is a little sharper (1080 pixels high instead of 800), with better contrast. Another improvement is that the 13HD surface doesn’t seem to get as warm as the 12WX. At home I use a glove with the fingers cut out to avoid sweat. In the hour or so I played with the 13HD, my hand remained cool and comfortable.

One other benefit of the new model is that the bezel (area around the screen) is much smaller, making the new unit much more portable if I were inclined to take it anywhere.

All in all, it seems like a worthy update, and since older Cintiq’s tend to have decent resale value, I can probably upgrade for the difference of a few hundred bucks. But will I draw more? Maybe if I take it to work!