Wacom Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社ワコム
Kabushiki gaisha Wakomu
TypePublic (Kabushiki gaisha)
TYO: 6727
IndustryComputer input devices and software
FoundedJuly 12, 1983 (1983-07-12) in Ageo, Saitama, Japan
Headquarters
Kazo, Saitama
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Nobutaka (Nobu) Ide
(President & CEO)[1]
ProductsBamboo, Intuos, Cintiq, MobileStudio Pro, PenPartner, Volito, Graphire
RevenueIncrease ¥109 billion (2022)
Decrease ¥13 billion (2022)
Increase ¥11 billion (2022)
Total assetsIncrease ¥73 billion (2022)
Number of employees
1,069 (2022)
Websitewacom.com
Footnotes / references
[2]

Wacom Co., Ltd. (株式会社ワコム, Kabushiki gaisha Wakomu, /ˈwɑːkəm/) is a Japanese company headquartered in Kazo, Saitama, Japan, that specializes in manufacturing graphics tablets and related products.[3] As of 2012 Wacom generated sales of approximately 40.7 billion yen with 785 employees.[4] The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

History

The company was founded in 1983.[5] The name Wacom came from an abbreviated variation of World Computer (ワールドコンピュータ, wārudo konpyūtā), with the syllable "wa" (Japanese for harmony).[4]

The company released its first pen display in 1992[6] and was the first company to make pens without a cord.[7]

Products

Wacom produces two categories of graphics tablets: those with a screen ('pen display') and those without ('tablet'). In addition, the company provides software for computers and software to interpret pen data. Some pens have an eraser on the rear end.[8]

Cintiq

A monitor with the Dutch Wikipedia displayed. A large cable is plugged into the right side of the monitor. The Cintiq is standing upright on a desk, and lower down on the image is a digital pen and the pen holder.
A Wacom Cintiq 13HD.

Wacom's professional pen displays are under the Cintiq line[9] which allow for drawing directly on the screen like drawing on paper,[10][11] which are more expensive than other Wacom products.[12] The Cintiq Companion is a portable variant of the Cintiq displays.[12]

Intuos

Intuos graphics tablets are smaller tablets, without displays. The Verge calls them a "great introduction to digital art."[13]

Other products

In 2011, the company released a tablet-less pen, which allowed for drawing on any piece of paper, but was criticized for being inaccurate compared to a normal photo scan.[14][15] The Wacom One, released at CES 2020, has a 13-inch, 1920x1080 display. The Verge labeled it as Wacom's "most affordable tablet to date," being priced at $400.[16]

Wacoms other tablets, Bamboo,[10] and Graphire, are both without screens.[17]

Wacom partnered with Magic Leap to create collaborative mixed reality design tools, announced in 2018.[18]

Technology

The pens use a movable tip to determine the pressure,[19][20] and the tablets use patented electromagnetic resonance technology, a type of faint radio signal,[21][22] called Electro Magnetic Resonance.[19][23][24] This method does not require batteries in the pens.[8]

Criticism

Wacom has been criticized for their high cost of professional displays.[25] The company has also received criticism for collection of user usage data,[26] which Wacom says is "for quality assurance and development purposes," where the data is anonymized.[27]

Software

The Wacom tablets are linux based. They do have the capability to run Zorin OS16.

References

  1. ↑ "Nobutaka (Nobu) Ide Assumes the Role of Representative Director, President and CEO, Wacom Co., Ltd". Wacom. Tokyo, Japan. April 2, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Annual Report 2022" (PDF). Wacom. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Wacom Investor Relations:Frequently asked questions". Wacom.com. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Wacom | - Investor Relations - FAQs -". May 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  5. ↑ "India's 10 Most Influential Tech Leaders to Follow in 2022". Tycoon Success. December 2021. pp. 16{{subst:en dash}}17. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ Pogue, David (May 2, 2012). "The Joy of Drawing on Glass". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Yares, Evan (May 25, 1993). "Wacom SD-421E". PCMag. Vol. 12, no. 10. p. 294.
  8. 1 2 Mathews, Craig F. (2004). Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tablet PCs. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que. pp. 12, 66. ISBN 0-7686-6191-9. OCLC 57706162.
  9. ↑ Lee, Dami (January 8, 2019). "Wacom's $649 Cintiq 16 bridges the gap between hobbyists and pro creatives". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Sholin, Marilyn (2009). The Art of Digital Photo Painting: Using Popular Software to Create Masterpieces (1st ed.). New York: Lark Books. pp. 11{{subst:en dash}}12. ISBN 978-1-60059-101-3. OCLC 213301758.
  11. ↑ Sammon, Rick (2007). Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography 2.0. New York: W.W. Norton. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-393-32914-8. OCLC 71312817.
  12. 1 2 Streed, Michael W. (2017). Creating digital faces for law enforcement. London: Academic Press. pp. 129{{subst:en dash}}153. ISBN 978-0-12-805279-2. OCLC 971035475.
  13. ↑ Lee, Dami (March 6, 2018). "Wacom's new Intuos tablets are perfect for the beginner doodler". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  14. ↑ Houston, Thomas (August 30, 2011). "Wacom Inkling system converts your ink drawings to digital scribbles". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  15. ↑ Schulman, Jacob (November 28, 2011). "Wacom Inkling review". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  16. ↑ Lee, Dami (January 7, 2020). "Wacom's $400 tablet is its most affordable yet, and adds Android compatibility". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  17. ↑ Milburn, Ken (2004). Digital Photography: Expert Techniques (1st ed.). Sebastopol, Calif.: O'Reilly. p. 22. ISBN 0-596-00547-4. OCLC 54983155.
  18. ↑ Lee, Dami (January 17, 2019). "Wacom and Magic Leap are creating an optimistic vision of the future of productivity". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Lewis, Peter H. (April 23, 1991). "PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Next Best to a Brush". The New York Times. p. C10. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  20. ↑ Lewis, Peter H. (July 25, 1995). "PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Electronic Pen With Its Own Eraser". The New York Times. pp. C8. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  21. ↑ Austen, Ian (August 23, 2001). "NEWS WATCH: PERIPHERALS; For Artists and Photographers, Pen Is Mightier Than the Mouse". The New York Times. p. G3. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ Pollack, Andrew (March 17, 1991). "Technology; Positioning the Electronic Stylus". The New York Times. Section 3 p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  23. ↑ "EMR™ Pen Technology" (PDF). Wacom.
  24. ↑ "United States (expired) Patent US4878553 describing the technology" (PDF). Freepatentsonline.com. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  25. ↑ Weatherbed, Jess (September 28, 2022). "The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 introduces slim bezels and a customizable pen". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  26. ↑ Lee, Dami (February 6, 2020). "Wacom tablets are sharing your app usage with Google Analytics". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  27. ↑ Lee, Dami (February 7, 2020). "Wacom says it's not spying on its customers, and users can opt out of data collection". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
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