In 2006, I bought a Motion Computing LE1600 TabletPC for drawing comics. I switched from ink and Bristol board to drawing in Manga Studio EX. Matt Feazell shot some footage of me using the system at SPX 2006:
Since then I have been asked many questions about this setup, especially as the price of used LE1600 tablets continues to fall. Here’s some thoughts for those who buy LE1600 systems:
- Don’t store the Motion Computing stylus in the built-in holster until the computer has fully cooled. Otherwise, the rubber grip could expand, loosen and fall off the pen body. Motion Computing fixed this issue in early 2007, but a used LE1600 might ship with the older stylus.
- Install TabTipTamer for super-fast response when drawing.
- Consider purchasing and installing a WriteShield for a paperlike drawing surface.
- If the USB ports ever start “failing,” disable power management on the USB hubs in Windows XP.
- Once or twice a month, the screen blanks out, displaying only solid white or black. To deal with this inconvenience, I have the power switch assigned to “Hibernate” mode in the Motion Dashboard. Whenever the screen blanks out, I pull the LE1600 power switch and wait for the computer to store its present state to the hard drive and turn off the power. I then count to three and pull the power switch again to turn on the computer and bring it out of “Hibernate” mode. The computer picks up where it left off, with no work lost.
- Make sure the Wacom Penabled driver is installed so that non-TabletPC applications can “see” the pressure sensitivity.
- A Targus Podium Coolpad protects your lap and props up the LE1600 at a comfy angle. Of all the LE1600 accessories I own, I get the most questions about the Coolpad.
At the time of this writing, I’ve drawn three comics, various sketches and a trade paperback cover on my LE1600. It’s a great little machine.
Thanks so much for these tips- I’m trying to snag a Motion Computing LE1600 off ebay, so I can use it for creating 2d animation. The Wacom penabled ability is a must-have feature for me, as I’m used to using my wacom graphics tablet at my desktop. Now I’ll be able to work on my animations anywhere- which means I’ll get a lot more done!
Right now I’ve been propping up a Toshiba Tecra M7 with a bunch of erasers. So I was thinking about getting that Targus stand on account of reading about it here, but.. How does it actually work? What’s keeping the computer mounted onto the stand, so it doesn’t just slide off? (ouch!) Also I wish I could somehow find out if the Targus stand is still usable if the computer in portrait mode, otherwise I might have to look elsewhere.
The Targus Coolpad uses rubber pads to keep the computer from sliding off. This YouTube review has a closer view of the CoolPad that shows the rubber pads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hFkH_89McI
The Coolpad columns are like “Lego” pieces. I took the four columns apart and restacked them to create two taller columns. The first 20 seconds of this video shows how I use the Coolpad for my tablet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzO6bgsADV8
This setup is stable for drawing in both landscape and portrait mode for my 4lb LE1600. I also had a 10lb “Desknote” laptop propped up at a lower angle on this Coolpad many years ago. The Coolpad should work in place of erasers, but see if a local store has one in stock so that you can see it in person.
Thanks.
Thank you so much for this information. I just hit the “buy now” button on ebay about an hour ago to purchase a used Motion Computing LE1600-T004 12″ Tablet. Wish me luck! I’ve downloaded all the things that you have suggested and I can’t wait to try everything out. I have a Cintiq 21UX at home and I love that thing. This is what made me decide to go this route, I really want a digital sketch pad. I so hoped that the Ipad was going to deliver on this front but good old Steve Jobs thinks a stylus stinks. I find this so hard to believe because apple/mac is suppose to be the artist/designers choice for making art, well at least that is what the apple people that I know tell me. I think this will hold me over until these types of devices become more common place. I’m really interested in the ASUS Eee Pad as well, but I am tried of waiting on vapor ware. I was able to pick up a MC LE1600 for $259 and if it does what I hope then I will be pleased as punch. I hope the thing is enough to run PS CS5, if not then I will either go Sketchbook Pro or Manga Studio, I too am making my own comic book so the video that you made really got me interested in Manga studio again (I have tried the demo but couldn’t get into it.) Thanks again for all the research and help you have put out there, it was what I was looking for! Peace-NickZ.