[ilikemonkeys]

I've always wanted one. I"m a trackball kind-of-guy and never liked the mouse thing.

I do not design or work on anything even remotely graphic, but was curious now that the Bamboo is out and relatively inexpensive.

Any thoughts for a tablet noob?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[GTRacer]

A5 (6x8) is a sweet spot for most people. Stick with Wacom, and if you're not going to do anything that involves design/drawing, anything below the Intuos3 will be fine, though they'll still work well if you're going to draw.

 

[fabool]

If you're not going to use the tablet for drawing or other graphic applications then it might not be a good place to invest your money in. It's not that comfortable for normal computer use.

That said, pretty much any Wacom-brand tablet is great for drawing. I agree that A5 is a good size. I have an old A4 Intuos and while it's great, I find it a tad too large. Anyone want to buy me one of those smaller bluetooth models?

 

[GAD]

I have a Wacom that's I think 8x6 or so. It's the 4:3 ratio pro model.

I love it to death, but only when I'm editing photos. As a pointing tool for normal (other than graphic) work it's pretty cumbersome because you have to use the pen on the tablet.

If you hate the idea of the mouse, then I'd suggest looking into tablet PCs. They've come a LONG way. One of the guys that was a tech-editor for my book used one and it was awesome. He wrote all his notes write onto the document. He had a tablet version of Word or something and I was very impressed. BTW Wacom makes the technology for his tablet PC.

The main difference with a tablet is that you draw/write directly on the screen. One of those Cintiq monitors (also by Wacom) would be cool too, but they are pretty expensive as I recall.

GAD

 

[GTRacer]

If you have Vista (Home Premium and up) it's much easier to use a tablet for general stuff.

 

[geek707]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilikemonkeys /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've always wanted one. I"m a trackball kind-of-guy and never liked the mouse thing. I do not design or work on anything even remotely graphic, but was curious now that the Bamboo is out and relatively inexpensive. Any thoughts for a tablet noob? Thanks, Bill

Wacom tablets are the standard of the graphics industry, and once you learn how to use it a really powerful tool. It can do things that cannot be done with any other pointing tool.
I do not like it for non-graphics use, i think a trackball is a more practical device.
However if you want one anyway, just get a Graphire or Bamboo, and have fun.

 

[Braver]

wacoms are great for drawing, photoediting etc, and it's very intuitive. A5 is neat, big enough unless your screen is enormous, but for general desktop-use, smaller is probably fine as well.
it's just not as fast and precise as a mouse, and hard to hold completely still and hit really small buttons and such. I wouldn't recommend it for everyday computer use unless you get RSI a lot.

 

[ljs]

Hi there,

I'm looking for a wacom tablet for my gf and I'm kinda lost here. She would basically use it for her drawings (as a hobby) so no needs for a professional tool. The only requirement I am aware of is the possibility to put a model on the tablet and redraw it.

Thanks in advance

ljs

Could someone point me a model?

edit: It seems that I have to choose between the Bamboo fun tablet (small or medium) and the (pricey) Intuos3

 

[fabool]

If drawthru is your only requirement, then any one of Wacom's line will do. My old Intuos does have a somewhat useful feature for drawing through though. There's a transparent sheet on top of the tablet and you can slip your drawing under it to drawthrough. However, you can do this just as easily with the cheaper tablets - you just need to tape the drawing to the tablet; the pen can easily work through it. Some actually prefer taping a paper on top of their tablet permanently, as it gives them the familiar paper texture they're used to, when drawing with pencils.

I actually think that the differences between models have mostly disappeared in recent years. The absolute cheapest tablets may have less pressure levels (however, I've heard many talented artists say that it's not a huge loss), less function buttons on the tablet and you can't purchase additional tools (for example the airbrush tool), but that's about it.
A graphire or the new bamboo would suit her best, I think.

.. actually, I just browsed to the European homepages of Wacom and I see that they don't list the Graphire anymore - maybe they discontinued the line and replaced with the Bamboo. In any case, you can't really go wrong with any Wacom tablet - just pick the one you think is the best size and price for you (or her, in this case).

 

[ljs]

Thanks a lot for the thorough explanation fabool!

ljs

 

[bhjazz]

One of the big differences between the Graphire and Intuos is the pen: the Intuos unit allowed it to be used at an angle, which seems to me like it should be a regular feature for all of the stuff!
(Let's face it, who uses a pen or pencil at an exact 90 degree angle? Anyone? Anyone? Buehler?) In spite of the higher cost, the Intuos would be a better unit.

I had also read that the 6x8 is a great size, but if you're using photoshop the 4x5 is also pretty easy to use. If you really want to know before you buy, draw the two squares out on a piece of paper, then take a ball-point to them and see how big 4x5 actually is. I know when I was shopping it was a surprise.

Finally, don't forget about the desk space these things use. Unless, of course, you just disconnect it when not in use

.

 

[fabool]

Good point! I completely forgot about the tilt.

Just to put it more clearly. The tilt feature will detect the pen's angle and you can, for example, change the stroke by tilting the pen, much like you would with a normal pencil when you use the side of the lead to do wider strokes. The graphires/bamboos won't detect the tilt and just give you the normal stroke no matter what angle your pen is at.
If you want to get your computer drawing experience as close to traditional as possible, this feature might come in handy - it does require you to have software that supports it though, such as Photoshop or Painter.

Also, I just remembered that the Intuos (and possibly the pricier graphire/bamboo) come with a mouse. It is, however, complete junk (I doubt it has changed with the newed models) and not something you should see as a feature to pay extra for.

 

[GAD]

The mouse stayed in the box. It's useless IMHO and I have no idea why they even include one.

GAD

 

[GTRacer]

Don't forget that on a Intuos3 you can flip the pen and use it like an eraser. I love using that feature, saves me alot of time.

 

[Davesrose]

I'm a 3D animator and illustrator....so I like using the Intuos line. I like using a graphics tablet over a tablet PC or a Cintiq even. But when it comes to Bamboo vs Graphire vs Intuos....well you might want to just go by price and needs. The sensitivity, extra brushes, and programability of Intuos make it the best tool for graphic artists. Graphire is fine for sketching. I've never seen the Bamboo, so I can't comment on those.

For size, I would caution against the 4x6.....especially if you have a widescreen monitor. When I've used it, I've found it only useful for a basic input device but just too small to draw with. For my dual monitor setup, I'm still using my 9x12 Intuos 1. I find if I'm doing a lot of drawing, I do like having a large workspace from which I can use my arm. My portable Wacom is an Intous 3 (6x9). I've noticed that if I use it on my dual monitor, it seems to have too little area to have much control for such a large desktop. I notice that Wacom is now making tablets that are 16:9 ratio as well. If you have a bigger widescreen and the desk space, 6x11 might be the best.