Mouse vs. tablet

[Midgardsormr]

I actually like my Intuos3 better than the 4. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it, but the rougher surface texture of the Intuos4 bothers me. Also, I like the touch strips better than the wheel because I can just tap the top or bottom to scroll or zoom a little bit rather than having to have tight control over my fingertip movement. I haven't tried the Intuos5 yet.

[OldGuy]

I'm planning on picking up an Intuos5 Medium next month. I've never used a tablet before but I'm excited to learn. $350 (plus extras) is really more than I can afford. But if I buy a cheaper one, like it, then upgrade to this, it will end up costing more in the long run.

[Jaxilon]

I don't think you will regret it OldGuy. I have the Intous5 Large and love drawing on it although I'm not completely sold on navigating with it. In other words, I'm not in love with the whole touch thing. I use the wheel a lot to zoom in and out but other than that I haven't really gotten into the buttons junk. Maybe some of this will come with use and I'll warm to it but for now I just love drawing on it.

I would love a Cintiq and that Chineese entry looks great to me. If I didn't have a tablet already I would try for one. I'm very happy to see someone else get into the market because I also believe the prices are outrageous and there isn't a lot of justification for that seeing as most of the technology in those type of tablets has been around for years. The monopoly being broken would be a good thing imo and I'm sure I'll be getting something along those lines eventually.

[OldGuy]

I love living in a small town, but I sure do miss the convenience of a large city. I thought I'd like to see an "actual" intuos5 tablet but no one in town stocks them. Staples had a small but I really wanted to get a look at a medium.

Finally, I broke down and went to the local Apple store. I need Windows software, but I'm just looking plus I suspect that the tablet ships with software for both.

Me: Hi. Do you have any Intuos tablets in stock?
Apple Store Genius: <blink>
Me: It's a drawing tablet typically used with Photoshop.
Apple Store Genius: Sorry, we don't carry anything like that.
Me: <notices Bamboo tablet on shelf behind him> It's Made by Wacom. It's similar to that Bamboo but more powerful. <points>
Apple Store Genius: <asks a friend> "Do we have a Bamboo Intuos Tablet?"
Me: /facepalm <backs slowly towards the door>

Bestbuy in Salem (50 miles away) stocks them so maybe tomorrow.

Edit: Just wanted to add that this isn't a slam against Apple, but against unhelpful salespeople anywhere.

[mearrin69]

They may have them on the shelf but I doubt they'll be able to answer any questions for you. BB in Portland, where I got mine, had to look them up in their inventory system to find where they were. They didn't stock large, but I wanted medium anyway. I got the impression the guy didn't even know what it was.
M

[Eiliff Gunnbjorn]

Hi all, I'm new to the guild and new digital art. I've only ever in the past drawn free hand but am thinking of buying a graphics tablet to try my luck at digital map making. The thing is I wouldn't have a clue when it comes to buying one of these things and i don't want to end up purchasing something I later regret.
I'm not exactly a wealthy person so I am on a budget and i was just wondering if the cheaper tablets like the WACOM Bamboo Manga graphics tablet (WACOM Bamboo Manga graphics tablet | Pixmania UK) are any good and worth the buy or is it if I can't afford an expensive model then there's no point buying one at all?

[Viking]

Hi Eiliff,
I have a nice fancy tablet but I'm sure a cheapy would be good too. It is still a world above a mouse but you just have to make sure that it has pressure sensitivity which I think the bamboo has but I can't be sure. My advice would be to look for a used one online somewhere as even the old wacom 2s are still extremely usable.
-Viking

[Eiliff Gunnbjorn]

Thanks Viking, I'll look out for a second hand one then. failing that a cheap model but I'll make sure its pressure sensitive. Do tablets come with drawing software or do you have to purchase that separately?

[Midgardsormr]

The Wacom ones usually come with demo versions of several pieces of software, usually at least Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop Elements. The Gimp is a free, open-source Photoshop substitute that works quite well with a tablet.

The Bamboo line are good tablets. They tend to be rather small for my taste, but they work well. Just make sure you get one of the kind that works with a pen, not touch only. And depending on the distance to your USB port, you may want a USB extension cable, as the Bamboo's cord is typically quite short.

The biggest difference, functionally, between the Bamboo and the more expensive Intuos line is the number of levels of pressure sensitivity. The Intuos is much more sensitive, but you have to have a pretty refined touch to be able to detect the difference.

[Jaxilon]

I have an Intous 5 and I come from a draw by hand background myself. I used my mouse for about a year before getting a tablet partially because like you I didn't want to later regret it and partially because I didn't have the money.

Whatever you get you will adapt to however, that being said you want it to feel as natural as possible. It's not going to be the same simply because it doesn't smell the same The variety of brush tips you can select within the drawing package, the ability to set the "hardness" of the brush will all take a little getting used to. I agree you will want to pressure sensitivity as that's important. For instance if you ever do shading with a ball point pen...the evenness depends on your ability to lightly drag that pen back and forth. Unless you shade with lines all the time.

Most likely you will not want to draw holding the pen straight vertical either so having "tilt sensitivity" may be important to you. Plus, that's how it works with a standard pen or pencil.

Now my Intous 5 is the Large version because I wanted have the freedom to move my arm around more but honestly, most of the time, I don't need that size. In some cases, if I'm tired, I reduce the active area of the tablet just so I don't have to move my wrist a foot to select the "File>Save" options. So, I don't know that you need anything larger than a sheet of standard paper unless you are a professional painter.

So, for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents except that I will say I love using my tablet and it's galaxies better than drawing with a mouse. It's not exactly the same as drawing all natural but it has it's own advantages.