Is a tablet useful?

not registered yet · 3 Feb 2008, 02:57

Well I've been using Wacom tablets for years and I've never worn a pen tip out - the plastic protective covers to the old tablets could get a bit hashed, but not the pen tips.

P: akzidenz

robmoors · 3 Feb 2008, 02:58

Yeah you can damage some tips which simulate fine liner, and markers and such but the good old wacom tip is pretty much bastard proof. Heck I could know I love chewing on it with my front teeth

Jackson · 3 Feb 2008, 02:59

OK, cool.... that explains why replacements are so hard to find. Thanks guys.

I'm like a kid at Christmas this week- I can't wait for the postman to deliver my new toy!

Edson · 3 Feb 2008, 03:01

jackson, just in case you need it, BH Photovideo in NY sells spare pens...

monsterzero · 3 Feb 2008, 03:01

I've been using mine for a year and haven't needed to change the tip.

Also, the Intuos comes with extra tips in the box. Not sure about the other models.

Jackson · 3 Feb 2008, 03:02

Thanks Edson, akzidenz and monsterzero.

Jackson · 3 Feb 2008, 03:03

My £34.99 Wacom Volito 2 arrived - I'm messing around with it at the moment. Surprisingly it's fairly easy to navigate around, using it to open IE, click on links in this forum, clicking and dragging text, etc is simple. There's definitely something very intuitive about holding a pen, even if like me you're used to gripping a mouse 12 hours a day. Messing around in SU is also surprisingly easy and logical, but I quickly realised the lack of a zoom scroll wheel meant I wouldn't use a tablet to work in SU, Autocad or any program where scrolling or zooming are nessesary. I know some of the high-end tablets have scroll wheels which would possibly make a mouse-less setup possible.... but not for anywhere near 35 quid.

Writing in Photoshop is a little tricky- it looks like I'm writing with my left hand, but still better than I can with a mouse so that's progress already. Accuracy is OK, but there is slight lag between pen and screen, but not as much as I expected- especially from the 2nd cheapest tablet in Wacom's range.

So far, so good, part 2 of the review to follow!

not registered yet · 3 Feb 2008, 03:04

Signature on a Wacom Intuos 3

P: akzidenz

Jackson · 3 Feb 2008, 03:06

Have we got a competition going on here?

Damn, this thing's addictive, I don't want to pick up the mouse!

Masta Squidge · 3 Feb 2008, 03:08

@monsterzero said:

You can check out my youtube videos for a glimpse at how I work with a tablet and SU.

That was you?? I must have watched those videos 100 times trying to sponge up everything i could from them.

Nice work.