Graphics Tablet

justinitus

justinitus

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Name
Justin
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Hi All

Have decided to get myself a graphics tablet and narrowed it down to three Wacom models:

Bamboo Pen
Bamboo Pen & Touch
Intuos S

Does anyone have any advice/recommendations/experience on these models or tablets generally? Do I need the touch facility or will just the pen do? What about function keys, are they necessary?

I'm not looking to work at lightning speed with this, just a bit more accuracy than my mouse gives.

Its being paired up with Elements 7. Thanks in advance :thumbs:
 
Dont know much about the bamboo but the intuos is great! I'm thinking of getting the intuos 4, you'll be fine with just the pen
 
I've just had a similar dilema and in the end ordered the Pen & Touch after a fair amount of research. It should be delivered tomorrow, so can't comment on whether better than an intuos4 small - there's quite a lot of difference in price though! Found that pixmania were the cheapest for the Pen & Touch - about £65 delivered, which I thought was good.

My brother's just ordered an intuos4 Large today, so will have a play around with that too - but I don't think I need an A4 one for touching up photos - he needs it as he's a graphic designer.

Go for the Pen & Touch (better to have both functions rather than just Pen) - if you don't get on with it, you could either return to the retailer or sell on here for a very small markdown - nothing to lose really. At least that was my thinking.

Will let you know what its like if you still haven't decided by the time mine arrives.
 
I wouldn't mind knowing if you get wear and tear on the tablet after a while - similar to laptop touchpads, do they get polished and worn over time or quite resilient?
 
I have an Intuos 3, don't use it a lot because I can't be bothered sitting in front of my PC. Have to say build quality and accuracy are superb when I do use it :D
 
If you're going to go for the Intuos4, I suggest pushing for the Medium size - not so much for the extra pen room (nice though that is) but for the little screens next to each expresskey. I can't see how you'd ever remember what each key does in each application otherwise!
 
The trouble with the bamboo kit is that you HAVE to keep the mouse set for right handed use. Just that the single tap for clicking on icons and such like becomes disabled when the mouse is set for left hand operation. No good at all for me as I'm a southpaw! (I just can't seem to use a mouse with my right hand).
If I wanted to use the Bamboo as it was meant to be used, I'd have to change the mouse button back to right hand operation every time via Windows, and when I'm not using the pad I change the mouse back to left handed operation. A lot of faffing about, one I got bored of very quickly thus rendered the pad obselete very quickly. Settings for the pad and the mouse could not be changed independently as one would affect the other.
And yet a Genius Pen Pad I bought for 9 quid in a stationary shop let me use the pen for single click operation AS well as leaving the mouse for left handed operation.
So if you're strictly a left hand mouse user, the Bamboo simply become useless.
 
The trouble with the bamboo kit is that you HAVE to keep the mouse set for right handed use. Just that the single tap for clicking on icons and such like becomes disabled when the mouse is set for left hand operation. No good at all for me as I'm a southpaw! (I just can't seem to use a mouse with my right hand).
If I want to use the Bamboo as it was meant to be used, I'd have to change the mouse button back to right hand operation and when I'm not using the pad I change the mouse back to left handed operation. A lot of faffing about, one I got bored of very quickly thus rendered the pad obselete very quickly. Settings for the pad and the mouse could not be changed independently as one would affect the other.
And yet a Genius Pen Pad I bought for 9 quid in a stationary shop let me use the pen for single click operation AS well as leaving the mouse for left handed operation.
So if you're strictly a left hand mouse user, the Bamboo simply become useless.

*** Oh, what happened there? Sorry for the double post ***
 
Ian D J said:
The trouble with the bamboo kit is that you HAVE to keep the mouse set for right handed use. Just that the single tap for clicking on icons and such like becomes disabled when the mouse is set for left hand operation. No good at all for me as I'm a southpaw! (I just can't seem to use a mouse with my right hand).
If I wanted to use the Bamboo as it was meant to be used, I'd have to change the mouse button back to right hand operation every time via Windows, and when I'm not using the pad I change the mouse back to left handed operation. A lot of faffing about, one I got bored of very quickly thus rendered the pad obselete very quickly. Settings for the pad and the mouse could not be changed independently as one would affect the other.
And yet a Genius Pen Pad I bought for 9 quid in a stationary shop let me use the pen for single click operation AS well as leaving the mouse for left handed operation.
So if you're strictly a left hand mouse user, the Bamboo simply become useless.
Click to expand...

what OS are you using? im not sure i get your issue to be honest unless you swap the mouse buttons?
 
When would you use touch as against the pen. I`m looking for one too and thinking it`s mainly for use with Photoshop for cloning etc
 
Well, thank you all for the replies and advice :thumbs:

I read each and every post and, despite being a "southpaw" I do actually use my mouse right handed - I just write with my left.

So, after much flicking back and forth I plumped for the Bamboo Pen and Touch. I picked it up yesterday and it installed without hiccup and seems to work very well indeed.

However, its not as intuitive as I thought it might me, the touch pad part is fine but I just cannot seem to get used to the pen!!

It's early days, I'll practice with it and review my choice again in a week. Thanks for all the advice again chaps :D
 
justinitus said:
Well, thank you all for the replies and advice :thumbs:

I read each and every post and, despite being a "southpaw" I do actually use my mouse right handed - I just write with my left.

So, after much flicking back and forth I plumped for the Bamboo Pen and Touch. I picked it up yesterday and it installed without hiccup and seems to work very well indeed.

However, its not as intuitive as I thought it might me, the touch pad part is fine but I just cannot seem to get used to the pen!!

It's early days, I'll practice with it and review my choice again in a week. Thanks for all the advice again chaps :D
Click to expand...

same as me then, lefty for pen and righty for mouse.

i guess its personal preference but i actually find the pen quicker to use than the mouse a lot of the time?
 
neil_g said:
what OS are you using? im not sure i get your issue to be honest unless you swap the mouse buttons?
Click to expand...

Hi Neil :) It was Vista (now using Windows 7). But that's just it, by leaving the mouse button for left handed operation, I lose the "click on icon" function on the pen. So I have to swap the mouse back to right hand operation every time I want to use the pen.
And there's no way to re-adust settings using the pen software itself if I leave the mouse on left hand setting. I spent ages trying to find a way around it but to no avail.
 
I have an intuios3 11x13. It is a great piece of kit. Forget the mouse option it is rubbish and you will just bin it!
 
Ian D J said:
Hi Neil :) It was Vista (now using Windows 7). But that's just it, by leaving the mouse button for left handed operation, I lose the "click on icon" function on the pen. So I have to swap the mouse back to right hand operation every time I want to use the pen.
And there's no way to re-adust settings using the pen software itself if I leave the mouse on left hand setting. I spent ages trying to find a way around it but to no avail.
Click to expand...

cant you just tap with the pen? or is that what youre talking about?
 
Another :thumbs: for the Bamboo, great piece of kit, using it with windows 7, hardly touch a mouse now :)
 
neil_g said:
cant you just tap with the pen? or is that what youre talking about?
Click to expand...

Yep to your last sentence. I can still draw using the pen, but the tap function is disabled (it transfers over to that side button on the pen which isn't very intuitive to use).
 
Has anyone got an intuios and a bamboo ?

I quite fancy getting a bamboo for use with the laptops but if it is nowhere near as good as the intuois then I would just be disappointed.
 
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