Wacom : Widescreen Tablet Review
Having recently upgraded (or sidegraded maybe) from a laptop to a desktop based system, I was looking for something other than a mouse/trackpad for ergonomic reasons.
My Powerbook had been a trusty companion on the road for 18 months clocking up 63,000km of use in hostels, river valleys and airport terminals. One thing that you do arguably sacrifice with a laptop is good posture. Laptops are balanced on knees, bent over in connecting lounges and typed on at awkward angles. A mouse was only occasionally used in these scenarios as large flat surfaces were in short supply. However after a period of use, necks will start to ache and prolonged trackpad usage will be detrimental to your wrist. So to avoid this discomfort with a desktop, I decided to start using a tablet, more specifically the Wacom Intous3 A5 Widescreen Tablet. How does it stack up against a trackpad or mouse?
The Wacom Tablet
The tablet itself is quite large as there is a large lip surrounding the A5 pen area. The pen doesn't actually need to be touching the surface to be active. (even up to 1cm above the tablet) This can be a bit disconcerting at first but it makes sense for wear and tear on the surface. The Intous package included the tablet, the pen, spare pen nibs and Painter Essentials as well as the tablet drivers.
Once installed the tablet gives you any amount of options for customizing the sensitivity of the pen and tablet. One handy option is the ability to map a portion of the tablet to the whole screen. This is very useful as in reality, I rest my forearm on part of the tablet area so only 5/8 of the area is quickly accessible at any time.
The pen has a good weight and the modifier keys on the side means
I don’t have to give up my right click action. The amount of "give" in the pen nib means that it feels like a sturdy fountain pen in the hand.
There is also the ability to use the Express Keys which are a set of 4 buttons on either side of the tablet. These can be configured for any keystroke or macro. I decided to map Expose actions to the right hand side as I can then use the pen freely in my left hand and rest my right hand on the buttons. There is a Touchstrip which works in the same manner as a trackpad. If you want to zoom in or out in Photoshop or increase/decrease text size, you can simply run your finger or pen along the strip.
Pros
- The tablet is highly configurable from button shortcuts to sensitivity.
- Repsonsive to subtle movements and detailed Photoshop retouching and adjustment.
- There is a good user community for questions and tips.
- The ability to jump to a position on the screen by pressing in a corner of the tablet.
- For widescreen monitors, it is a good fit for aspect ratio.
- ExpressKeys are a great timesaver for instant access to shortcuts.
Cons
- The Touch Strips are slightly jerky in usage and can be accidentally triggered.
- There is a small interruption to your workflow as you get used to using a pen but looking elsewhere to see the results.
- The size of the tablet means the keyboard can only be placed practically behind the tablet.
Conclusion
I'm finding after using the trackpad for a month that my productivity has increased. I would not say the tablet is for everyone as some tasks, especially gaming, are more suited to mouse use. But for those looking for a more natural input device for detailed graphic work, it comes highly recommended.
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Congrats on the new tablet
Congrats on the new tablet man. Is that a new Intel iMac?
Nope....quite happy with the
Nope....quite happy with the PPC 20" loaded with RAM....Excellent little computer all round.
afterglow.ie - Icons, interfaces, illustration
great review
I've been thinking myself of getting such a tablet myself. How long did it take you to start being as productive as with a mouse. Does it feel really akward the beginning? Would a cintiq be much help or not necessary?
A bit akward at the start
It took me a couple of weeks to get the hang of a tablet. In fact, I hated it at first. The guy that talked me into making the switch kept reassuring me that I would love it and to give it a chance.
A couple of weeks later I was thanking him. :)
Terry Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
Great review!
I've been using a tablet for years and they just keep getting better. I'm on a Wacom Intuos 2 with a cordless mouse at the moment but have been eyeing your model.
Thanks for the insight.
Terry Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
I've gone from a Graphire 3
I've gone from a Graphire 3 to an Intuos 2 to an Intuos 3 over the last few years. It took a little white for me to get used to it but wouldn't be without a tablet now. I get so much more control with a tablet then I do with a mouse or trackpad.
I have mine at the side though, not in the middle. I couldn't do with it getting in the way of the keyboard.
The pen
I've had a Graphire for years now. Note: a Graphire without a number. The only problem that has kept me from using it all the time as opposed to just in Photoshop or Alias is the button on the pen itself. I'm just wondering how easy is it to activate the pen switch by accident? I'm constantly making clicks I did not intend to make with my Graphire pen.
http://restiffbard.com/
Congrats Cian!
Cian's site is listed in the Jan/Feb issue of Layers Magazine, page 16, in the "Web Watch, More Cool Sites For Creatives" section.
Eric
www.photoshopsupport.com
I like the pen as it feels
I like the pen as it feels natural in the hand and is weighted towards the nib. You make a pinching motion to trigger the button and it is easy to rotate it in your fingers so it will not be in the way. On a slight more negative note, the weighting of the pen means using the top end as the eraser involves rebalancing the pen in your hand before turning it over. Not a big deal and I picked up the method in about 5 days.
afterglow.ie - Icons, interfaces, illustration
I've been using a Graphire 2
I've been using a Graphire 2 as a mouse replacement for years now. I find it much easier to use, even for general computing, but definately when working. It's almost infuriating going back to a mouse when using photoshop.
I've been looking to upgrade to the widescreen 6x11" intuos 3, but for some crazy reason, here in Australia, the RRP is MORE than larger A4 (9x12")
one question
im doing a lot of webdesign in photoshop.
that means pixel accurate selections, often pushing the mouse only 1 mm to get to a certain coord. without having to keep zooming in and out.
while i understand the tablet is very good at precision strokes and shapes
i wonder, how precise is when it comes to do pixel pushing for websites?
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the best often die by their own hand
just to get away,
and those left behind can never quite understand
why anybody would ever want to get away from them
I like my Tablet.
I have been using an Intuos 12"x18" tablet with Painter classic for 4 years. No problems getting used to it. Loved it the first time I used it and still do. I use it in full screen mode for both drawing and general computing and don't find this a problem.
two handed method
I've been using a tablet for years as well, although not as a complete replacement to the mouse. I started with a huge 9x12 Intuos, which was cool, but WAY bigger than I needed and really just choked desk space. I think you only need size to accomodate your largest 'stroke' as a pixel painter.
Now I use a little 4x5 Intuos (I think that's the size). Plus, I'm left-handed, so for photo editing or illustration, I've got a pen in one hand and my mouse in the other. A killer productive combo when you've got a five-button mouse with scroll wheel, plus a pen with an 'eraser' and a couple buttons. Too bad I don't have one more hand for the keyboard...
I'm left handed as well but
I'm left handed as well but my strongest hand is my right for mouse work so it's great that you can switch between the pen/mouse as the task dictates. I tried placing the keyboard to the right of the tablet but the widescreen nature of the tablet pushes it quite far. That meant every time I needed to type two handed it meant twisting my upper body into an awkard angle which would get painful after a few days.
afterglow.ie - Icons, interfaces, illustration
im thinking about getting a
im thinking about getting a graphire tablet soon (6 x 8). would i be making a mistake in purchasing the graphire instead of waiting another year or so to save up enough for the intuos? ive used the small tiny graphire and thoroughly enjoyed using it, but i dont wanna cut myself short of any options i might need later down the road.
Intuos A4
I own the Intuos 3 A4 and love working with it, it is alot larger then i expected it to be due to the side parts. I ended up having to put it on the keyboard pull out section and the keyboard on top of the desk, suits me just fine. I find the graphics tablet excellent for working with and is getting my straight distinctions throughout college due to the minor details i can work on with ease.
- Liam
love the tablet
i've had a Graphire 2 for a while now - it is very good for detail work, but definitely not for games - LOL. i did try it on a few games, just for laughs - that was funny stuff!
i don't think i could get used to holding the pen off the surface though. but i see why it would be good - my tablet surface it getting a bit scratched up. i think i'd prefer to just get a piece of acetate or something to lay over it to protect it. anyway - i'm going to get a new talbet soon, hopefully. something larger and with a nicer pen. ^_^
Homemade wide format
I own an Intuos 12x9 and I have enjoyed it for years but I feel that it's too big. Recently I put the keyboard right on the tablet, at the top, and secured it with some velcro. It saves me space and leaves a "widescreen" ratio area for work. I have gotten used to it and work perfectly this way.
I am however considering the one you got. And I also wonder if anybody here has worked with the one that has a screen on it, the one you work directly on to the monitor.
Peace