Wacom
Ageo, Saitama, Japan | |
Headquarters | , Japan |
---|---|
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Nobutaka (Nobu) Ide (President & CEO)[1] |
Products | Bamboo, Intuos, Cintiq, MobileStudio Pro, PenPartner, Volito, Graphire |
Revenue | ¥109 billion (2022) |
¥13 billion (2022) | |
¥11 billion (2022) | |
Total assets | ¥73 billion (2022) |
Number of employees | 1,069 (2022) |
Website | wacom |
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]
Wacom was the first company to make pens without a cord, which it introduced in 1991;[6][7] it released its first pen display the following year.[8] Its products were initially targeted at professional artists, but by the late 1990s it aimed to expand to home users as well.[9]
In 2001, the company partnered with Sony to introduce a Vaio laptop with built-in touch functionality.[10]
Products
Wacom produces two categories of graphics tablets: those with a screen ('pen display') and those without ('tablet').[11] In addition, the company provides software for computers and software to interpret pen data.[7] Some pens have an eraser on the rear end.[12]
Cintiq
Wacom's professional pen displays are under the Cintiq line[13] which allow for drawing directly on the screen like drawing on paper,[14][15] which are more expensive than other Wacom products.[16] The Cintiq Companion is a portable variant of the Cintiq displays.[16]
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A person drawing on a Cintiq tablet.
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A Wacom Cintiq 13HD.
Intuos
Intuos graphics tablets do not have displays.[17] The first version was introduced in 1999, replacing the earlier ArtZ line.[18] It is available in an entry-level version and the more advanced Intuos Pro.[19] In 2018, The Verge called the entry-level models a "great introduction to digital art."[20]
One
The One series of products is targeted at beginners, and features versions both with and without screens.
Other products
Wacom also makes the MobileStudio, a pen display with an inbuilt computer.[17]
They have also made other lines of graphics tablets, such as the Bamboo and Graphire, which were both screenless.[14][23] 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.[24][25] In 2018, they partnered with Magic Leap to create collaborative mixed reality design tools at CES.[26]
Technology
The tablets use
Criticism
Wacom has been criticized for their high cost of professional displays.[32][improper synthesis?] The company has also received criticism for collection of user data,[33] which Wacom says is "for quality assurance and development purposes," where the data is anonymized.[34]
In early 2024, the company was criticised by artists for using AI-generated images in its advertising material.[35] The company replied in a post on their blogs on January 9, stating that "using AI-Generated images in these assets was not" their intent.[36]
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Annual Report 2022" (PDF). Wacom. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Wacom Investor Relations:Frequently asked questions". Wacom.com. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "Wacom | - Investor Relations - FAQs -". May 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "India's 10 Most Influential Tech Leaders to Follow in 2022". Tycoon Success. December 2021. pp. 16–17. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
- ^ Yares, Evan (May 25, 1993). "Wacom SD-421E". PCMag. Vol. 12, no. 10. p. 294.
- ^ a b Gebolys, Debbie (October 5, 1994). "Graphics tablet gets smaller". The Columbian. p. 9.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Craig (December 7, 1997). "Pen strokes of genius". The Columbian. pp. 51–52.
- ^ a b Rogoway, Mike (August 2, 2001). "Wacom pens a licensing deal with Sony". The Columbian. p. 33.
- ^ a b Nicholls, Beth (August 15, 2023). "The new Wacom One budget range continues an annoying tech trend". Creative Bloq. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ OCLC 57706162.
- ^ Lee, Dami (January 8, 2019). "Wacom's $649 Cintiq 16 bridges the gap between hobbyists and pro creatives". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ OCLC 213301758.
- OCLC 71312817.
- ^ OCLC 971035475.
- ^ a b Stapley, Jon (November 23, 2022). "The best Wacom tablets available". Creative Bloq.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia. p. 56.
- ^ Aldred, John (September 7, 2018). "DIYP reviews the Wacom Intuos - The ultimate editing travel companion for photographers". DIY Photography. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Dami (March 6, 2018). "Wacom's new Intuos tablets are perfect for the beginner doodler". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Harris, Mike (December 12, 2023). "One by Wacom review". digitalcameraworld.
- ^ Lee, Dami (January 7, 2020). "Wacom's $400 tablet is its most affordable yet, and adds Android compatibility". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- OCLC 54983155.
- ^ Houston, Thomas (August 30, 2011). "Wacom Inkling system converts your ink drawings to digital scribbles". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Schulman, Jacob (November 28, 2011). "Wacom Inkling review". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "EMR™ Pen Technology" (PDF). Wacom.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Weatherbed, Jess (September 28, 2022). "The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 introduces slim bezels and a customizable pen". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Lee, Dami (February 6, 2020). "Wacom tablets are sharing your app usage with Google Analytics". The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ https://boingboing.net/2024/01/10/artists-upset-after-wacom-uses-ai-art-to-market-artist-gear.html
- ^ "A Response to Community Questions Concerning Wacom Using AI-generated Art in US Marketing Assets - Wacom Blog". January 9, 2024.