What would you recommend?

I'm looking for something nice, but not super high-end, and it should work in most graphics programs. My budget is < $120, and output quality is important. (I want uber-smoothness, not jagged edges)

This is what I'm thinking about so far, but that may change depending on the feedback i get from you guys:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16883100011

It even throws in a cordless mouse for free, plus some version of photoshop. (I already have photoshop cs2, but no big deal)

Please advise.

Well um. I got one of those Graphire 3s, and it's kinda sorta defective. The plastic cover, advertised as removable, won't come up--despite repeated attempts by various people who all followed the instructions included, and the stylus frequently loses pressure sensitivity.

This may be an isolated case, but I can only speak for myself.

Are the wireless mice they use still those crappy "stylus-mice" or are they actual real wireless mice now?

It's still a felt bottom "sylus mouse" to my knowledge.

so I should pass on this one?

What would be a good model, IYO?

All Wacom tablets rock. I have a Graphire3 and I love it.

When choosing a size, know that it is more than just stroke size and working area - the tablet scales to fit your screen, so it you have a small tablet with a decently high resolution it will be difficult to control the fine movements on screen because you have fewer pressure points on the tablet than you have pixels on the screen. I used MBeggar's 4x5 Graphire2 this past year at school, and when I bought my own Graphire3 in the 6x8 size I noticed it was far easier to control.

The Intuous line is nice because the pens have tilt control, which can be very useful depending on the application (Painter 9 can make awesome use of it). You can have an airbrush that makes a cone when you tilt the pen to the side, or have a brush rotate to the side just like in real life. You can also buy one of the higher end pens for the Intuos line that has a small scroll wheel for quick adjustment of air pressure or whatever you configure it to. So you can have pen pressure control brush size and the wheel control pressure, just like a real airbrush. Or configure it to be anything you want.

If you're a graphics professional I wouldn't go with anything less than a 6x8 Intuos. If you just want to fool around or have fun or do a little graphics work, a 4x5 or 6x8 Graphire3 would be the best.

Aiptek also has a nice selection of tablets. They're more low end consumer though. Typically you can get twice the size of a Wacom for the same price. The pens aren't batteryless, they need a AAAA battery (yes, they make AAAA batteries, very small) and the eraser isn't actually an eraser. They have a lot of quick function buttons at the top that only the Intuos tablets have in the Wacom line, and they have the size advantage obviously. I'm told by a friend who has one that the pen tip depresses more than the Wacom pens, making it harder to use at angles. The Aiptek maybe depresses say 1/8" and the Wacom is 1/16" at most, or something like that.

Here's the solutions:

For the plastic cover, I had the same issue. You can't be nice to it. It's really, really hard. Just really pull at it, get some leverage, and it'll come up. Subsequent removals are much easier. Don't be afraid to break it, it's incredibly strong for plastic. All you have to do is grab onto one side, and just force it up as much as possible (a screwdriver may help). Once you pop that side up, the thing just comes right off.

And for pressure sensetivity, this usually occurs when you start photoshop BEFORE you plug the tablet in. PS doesn't detect the tablet on load, and thus, refuses to work with it. Always have the tablet plugged in before launching Photoshop.

I would assume similar issues would occur with other programs too.


As for the topic, I also highly recommend Wacom Graphires.

Remember when PADDs used to be science fiction?

Well, I tried. I only stopped trying when the tablet started to come apart and I could see inside. :p



Hmm, it's happened without that going on many times before. Sometimes it's totally random and only happens for a few minutes, sometimes it seems to be related to something else going on (once it lost sensitivity every time I opened iTunes, and regained it when I closed iTunes--but it's worked fine with iTunes all the other times). I really dunno.

Another problem I have is that the cursor seems to jump around the screen, or get uncontrollably jittery when it gets to within a certain range (usually about an inch) from the edge of the screen.

I have a 6x8 Intuos. It's really nice, no complaints here.