Concept Design Equipment Shoot-out: Part 1

I have been reading a lot about the new new in computing technology for designers. This technology has had a strong foot hold in 2D (visualisation) and 3D (detailed design) parts of the design process over the years. However the computing technology has now moved into the holy grail of design. The concept design stage. This has lead designers to learn new ways of designing or applying their trade. But does this new technology actually help designers do better work, or hinder them? It has been said that poor designers often hide behind technology.
Thus I have decided to write a review as well as its practical application in the design field as I have actually manage to get myself into a position to try them all out!
I have with me the 3 different types of concept design and sketching equipment. A traditional sketchbook, a Wacom Tablet, and a Tablet PC. I plan to talk a little about each as well as do a comparison of each as a design tool over time.
First a little background. First came CAD or computer aided drafting. Lead by AutoCAD it basically was a 2D drafting tool for architects and designers. Then about 10-15 years ago, with new more powerful computing technology, the design world was introduced to 3D CAD. Also called 3D modeling, it herald a new way of doing design, and boasts a much faster time to market.
With today’s fast computing technology and miniaturization, we now have Tablet PCs and Laptops for fast 3D modeling and design sketching on the fly. When the first generation Tablet PCs had a lot of pen lag due to poorer processing power, the Tablet PC computer can now keep up with humans. The lines drawn on the Tablet PC touch screen are now almost able to move as quickly as the pen!
Stay tuned in the next couple of days as I will talk about each different tool in detail as well as my experiences in the following days.
On to Part 2!