Graphics tablets - peoples experience with them?

[otheos]

Wife's got the Intuos A4 tablet with various pens/tips and I don't know what else. She's into painting (professionally) and I think the tablet is the only way.

For use instead of a mouse, well the A4 is mapped to the whole screen so you need to move the pen from one side to another to see the pointer do the same on the screen. Well the drivers are 100% configurable and you can use it as a regular mouse, or remap the tablet or 1 million different settings for different programs, you name it it does it.

It offers pressision but if you're not into painting/graphics, I don't think it's worth it. It is a professional tool not a gismo (at least the Intuos).

[SithLord075]

Tablets are awesome tools. I'm using a Wacom Intuos. It's excellent for designing free-hand graphics and it works beautifully with programs like Photoshop, Painter and Flash. It's also a neat alternative to the traditional mouse. I'm earning an AA in Interactive Media Design, and I find myself using a tablet in just about every class.

[CMonster]

Man I wish I could afford one of those!

[binarygirl]

I have the Wacom Graphire. I love it. If you are not going to be really hardcore into graphics and such you might enjoy this. It is does include a mouse and the pen has 512 levels of pressure sensitivity so you can use it in Photoshop and Illustrator for pressure sensitive drawing. I got mine from staples.com with a coupon for $75. (http://www.binarygirl.com/binarygirl/deals/deals.shtml) http://www.wacom.com/graphire/index.html
It's worth it. All the features are listed at the link above. Good luck! Let me know if you end up buying.

Thanks,
Robyn http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[NDC]

I don't do much graphics work but are they a really useful alternative to the mouse? I think holding a stylus would be much more comfortable than a mouse? Could I still use the mouse with the tablet plugged in? The tablet is USB by the way.


There is no way that you can compare a mouse to a tablet when it comes to precise control! I use a Wacom Intuos 8x6 for home and a Wacom PL-400 LCD TFT tablet for work... and let me tell you.... once you use a tablet for graphic tasks, it feels like a right handed person using his left hand when using a mouse for graphic tasks!

[Jonty]

I can get an Aiptek 6000 Graphics Tablet at a good price and I was wondering whether they are just a bit gimmicky or are in fact useful.

I don't do much graphics work but are they a really useful alternative to the mouse? I think holding a stylus would be much more comfortable than a mouse? Could I still use the mouse with the tablet plugged in? The tablet is USB by the way.

Any tablet users out there!!?? Thanks in advance for any info.

[Jonty]

Thanks for all your input on this one.

The spec is similar to the Wacom Graphire, thanks for that link Robyn - you can see the Aiptek at: http://www.aiptek.com/Products_HyperPen-6000.htm
I can buy this for £59.95 (about $84, this might seem dear to you guys in the US but its a good price over here! All our computer stuff is expensive! I don't know why!).
I've tried a variety of mice but they are all uncomfortable, thats why I'm looking at the tablet.
I'll let you know if I get it, I'm having a little more think about it!! I always have to do this!