Great quality graphics tablet (Wacom Intuos3 A4 USB)

Member Name: pruecheese

Product:	Wacom Intuos3 A4 USB
Date:	16/03/09 (110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable, good results

Disadvantages: Scrollwheel a little too sensitive, takes up fair bit of deskspace

Having done art at school and college, I was constantly doodling and drawing. I never ventured into painting though - too messy, too much margin for errors, too long for it to dry (I'm an impatient perfectionist if you can't tell already). However, I soon got into digital art, firstly pixel by pixel in MS Paint, but later drawing with various 'brushes' and 'pencils' in more advanced imaging software.

I bought my first graphics tablet, but went for a cheaper brand, an A4 tablet at the £90 mark. As an introduction to drawing, it wasn't too bad, but you get what you pay for and after the second replacement breaking within a few months of getting it, I decided to splurge a bit more money on something that would last.

After scouring the net, it seemed Wacom was the name to look out for. I saved my pennies and eventually invested in the A4 Intuos3 - I need space to draw, having tried out the smaller models, I couldn't deal with the limited A6 workspace. It was pricey to go for the bigger one but definately worth the money. It was easy to set up, the preferences panel made it easy to customise any options - such as how your cursor scrolls, what the side buttons do, what the shortcuts on your pen buttons do.

Using the pen is much like drawing on paper. It takes a little while to co-ordinate your hand and eyes when you're not seeing your drawing on the tablet, but on the screen (the Cintiq nails this, but at a much higher cost). However, the ability to draw so realistically onto a computer screen is perfect for me. I can experiment with watercolours, oils, pastels - and erase at mistake by flipping my pen upside down and rubbing it out, much like you would pencil on paper (bar the annoying little bits of eraser left on your work!)

The large size of the tablet allows me to have it sat on my lap too, handy when working for several hours on a piece, as I can curl up on an armchair and draw instead of being hunched over my desk. The buttons either side of the tablet save having to move the cursor around to zoom in, and any other shortcuts you want to set up with them. One downside is that the scrollbar seems a little too sensitive, and I've accidentally scrolled in or out without meaing to on several occasions. The mouse comes in handy too as it works on your tablet, so no need to clutter your desk even more (handy, given the large size of this tablet)

My Wacom has lasted me years, despite going through several housemoves and being dropped a couple of times - the quality compared to the cheaper brands definately speaks for itself. I've yet to replace the pen nib with any of the spares included either, the smooth surface doesn't create too much wear, and the handy storage 'bucket' stops me from misplacing it. The pen is much more hand-friendly than the one of the cheaper brand I went for too, the shape and rubber casing makes it much more comfortable, especially when drawing for a long time.

Even as a home-user simply using this for a hobby, I definately think I've got my money's worth - so for someone who requires a graphics tablet for work, I would definately recommend Wacom.

Summary: Would recommend for anyone serious about digital art

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