I am an illustrator and animator (@inkshift) with over 14 years of experience working for Disney & Cartoon Network here in Portland, OR. I've also been a Wacom user for over 20 years, so let me open this review by saying they really knocked it out of the park with this new Cintiq 22.This is also my 4th Cintiq, so you judge for yourself if i have a problem or not ;) I have the 27” pro at my office as well as the new 16 and a super old 12” in addition to a handful of tablets dating all the way back to the late 90s.This Cintiq 22 is part of their new line of more affordable Cintiqs Wacom started rolling out this year and it really seems to be the golden mean between the smaller 16 and the larger Pros. Full disclosure: Wacom DID provide me this unit for review purposes but I hereby solemnly swear all views in this review are entirely my own and 100% my own opinions.First off: the pressure sensitivity is beautiful and virtually indistinguishable from my 27” pro, which cost over twice as much. As you can see in the attached timelapse of an illustration I did on this 22, each line came out exactly like I wanted it: smooth tapers, no shaky lines, no blotches, weird unintended textures or weird ends to my strokes.The included Pro Pen 2 is a solid, comfortable pen and really helps you feel the 8192 levels of pressure. You can also the new Pro Pen slim if you want a sleeker pen but i prefer the stubbier feel.Secondly, the overall build quality and polish impresses, it is very solid and the design is professional and clean. Small detail but important to me: the power button is easily pushed and feels pleasant and responsive.The entire machine feels very sturdy while not being too heavy. I kind of wish they brought back the side buttons they had on the 12” and 21” but I can see how it makes sense ergonomically and aesthestically to leave those off. It should be noted that this 22” doesn’t come with a remote or a bluetooth keyboard, which is not a deal breaker for me because my 27” came with the remote and I never use it.It DOES however come with a fantastic, preattached stand! The new stand is sturdy, stable, lightweight, solid metal with non-slip rubber grippy feet, easy to use and highly flexible. Wacom REALLY came through for its users with the stand this time, as I have not been a fan of the stands of the past: they’re either huge, expensive, cumbersome and awkward to operate or they just have the little fold out legs, which are simply insufficient for long term use and you’d need to invest in an extendable arm that can keep your Cintiq suspended/supported.One difference between the pro line and this newer, more affordable line is that these units do not have a bonded glass display. THis means that there’s a tiny bit of space between the pen and the screen and that generally means there is more parallax (the offset between the cursor and the pen), but it was not noticeable to me once I calibrated it properly. The screen has an anti-glare surface which feels nice and smooth, not slick or slippery at all with just the right amount of texture to it.Another difference between this 22 and the pro line is the Adobe RGB colour range. This Cintiq sports a 72% Adobe RGB vs a 97% for the pro line, but I don’t think you will be disappointed (or honestly really notice? I didn’t) unless you’re super tuned into colour and colour correction or need the most accurate representation possible. But at that point, you should probably be investing in the pro line.Like I said, I also have the new 16 which is also great but felt a bit small to me and became cumbersome very quickly for when I needed a number of palettes/windows open. At 22”, (21.5” viewable), that is is not a problem here at all.Wacom has paid great attention to detail in packaging as well as the attached power cords: it includes a British power plug free of charge, as well as 2 different orientations of power cords: horizontal and vertical. As you can see in my unboxing clip, I’m a little surprised by the amount of power cables at first glance but upon further inspection it all makes sense.Setup was very easy: 3 cables as seen in the picture. The HDMI cable is a welcome addition compared to the 3-in-1 cables, which are a bit messy, cumbersome and require complete replacement should ONE of them have an issue.Things to note!I didn’t bother adjusting the pressure curve settings because they were great out of the box, but I did change the click speed and I also deactivated Windows Ink (I use windows 10). I don’t understand what Windows ink is for but all it seems to do to me is make you unable to drag/select text in input fields.Conclusion:All in all, this is a beautiful and affordable piece of equipment. It is technically part of their ‘budget’ line but there is nothing budget about the size or the quality of this device. The size, design and build quality exude class and quality and the pen and pressure sensitivity are best in class.While the unit is not small, it strikes a perfect balance between spacious and compact. It doesn’t take over your whole desk like my larger units nor does it break the bank at $1200. I would definitely recommend this to the professional on a budget or a very lucky/forward thinking student or hobbyist.PROS:- Buttery smooth & responsive pressure sensitivity- Smooth but not slick anti-glare surface- Solid build quality and professional look & feel- Comes with a sturdy, stable and flexible stand- Great size with room for longer strokes and all the palettes/windows you may need open- Stays cool even when working on it all dayCONS:- “Only” full HD (1920 x 1080) vs the 4k of newer models but I have the 4k model as well and I haven’t been bothered by any potential pixelation. All my illustrations are all made at 600 Dpi and I haven't noticed any problems.- Mine had 1 dead pixel but I only notice it when I look for it. I streamed a commission earlier today in my Inkshift Facebook group and didn't notice it once.