Computer Graphics World

Graphics Add-in Board Shipments Decline Jon Peddie Research (JPR) revealed that the estimated graph- ics add-in board (AIB) shipments and sales market share for Q2 2011 came in below the last quarter, at 16.1 million units compared to 19.01 million for Q1 2011. The AIB report tracks graphics boards, which carry discrete graphics chips. They are used in desktop PCs, workstations, and some other devices, such as scientifi c instruments. They may be sold as after-market products directly to customers, or they may be factory installed. In all cases, they represent the higher end of the graphics industry as discrete chips rather than integrated processors. The evolution of the graphics market has resulted in two major super-categories of graphics AIBs: those that carry Nvidia graphics chips, and those that carry AMD chips. Nvidia GPU-based boards declined slightly by 0.1 percent from Q1, while AMD-based boards increased 0.1 percent for the same period. Sales of AIB products have been directly impacted by the rise of integrated CPUs from Intel and AMD, which have increasingly powerful graphics. Shipments during the second quarter of 2011 behaved according to past years with regard to seasonality but were lower on a year-to-year comparison for the quarter. Q2 was down from the previous quarter by 15.2 percent, and the 10-year average for the quarter is -11.2 percent. JPR's forecast for the coming years has been modifi ed since the last report and is less aggressive on AIBs due to the NEWS: GRAPHICS BOARDS Wacom Launches Cintiq 24HD for Creative Pros Wacom has rolled out the all-new Cintiq 24HD interactive pen display, engi- neered to meet the high demands of designers, illustrators, animators, video editors, and other creatives. The new 24-inch HD (1920 x1200) widescreen display provides realistic color for color-critical work. The ergo- nomically designed counter-weighted stand allows users to adjust the incline and height of the Cintiq for multiple working postures, even allowing the display to extend over the edge of the desk and fl oat just above a user's lap. Furthermore, the frame around the screen is designed to be a resting place 6 PRODUCT: TABLET October/November 2011 for the hands and arms, providing easy access to the Touch Ring and shortcut and modifi er Express Keys located on both sides of the tablet. The device touts 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and 40 degrees of tilt control. The pen offers near- zero (one gram) starting pressure and virtually the same natural feel and feedback a user would experience when working with traditional brushes or pens. Additionally, the new Cintiq 24HD delivers a wide color gamut, appealing for photography and design professionals who demand accurate and spectacular color representation prolonged worldwide recession and the impact of embedded graphics on the low end. In terms of market share, market leader Nvidia lost share by 0.1 percent from the fi rst quarter, while AMD's market share increased 0.1 percent for the same period. On a year-to-year basis, AMD lost market share by 0.8 percent, while Nvidia gained 1.1 percent of market share. Obviously, these are not huge moves in the market, and Nvidia still leads in unit shipments. Over 16 million AIBs shipped in Q2. Nvidia was the leader in unit shipments for the quarter, elevated by double-attach and GPU-compute/CUDA sales. The AIB market is fueled at the high end by the enthusiast gamer—small in volume (approximately three million a year) but high in dollars (average spend for an AIB is close to $300). The AIB shipment volume comes from the performance and mainstream segments. GPU compute is adding to sales on the high end. The workstation market is smaller in unit sales than the enthusiast segment but characterized by even higher average selling prices (average spend for an AIB is $415). For the year, the AIB market is expected to hit $13.8 billion, down 33 percent from 2010 due to a pullback by consumers and a gradual decline in ASP. The JPR AIB report, which costs $995, covers seven regions and reports on the value of AIB sales and units in those regions. when drawing or editing with the Cintiq pen. (It is compatible with popular color- calibration devices.) The Cintiq 24HD is priced at $2499.

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