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11/06/2003 07:34:13 PM · #1 |
Thing of getting a Wacom Tablet, but budget is low. The Graphire 2 tablet 4x5 is only $99. Is this worth it or is it better to save and get the 6x8 one at double the price? If you have one, is there enough workspace or are you craving more?
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11/06/2003 07:36:54 PM · #2 |
I have the slightly larger one, about A4 (Letter in the US I think) size.
I've not used the smaller one, but I would suggest that if you can afford it then go for the larger one, but if not then the small one will still do the job.
I haven't used it much lately as XP doesn't seem to like it much and the cursor shudders around all over the place and makes it about as accurate as using a mouse made of custard.
I should probably look on the net for a fix for this sometime.
Message edited by author 2003-11-06 19:37:34.
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11/06/2003 07:40:42 PM · #3 |
They are great, although I've only used older models.
If you are going to use it mainly for things like touch-up and dust-spotting the 4x5 is fine. If you plan to compose and execute digital paintings on it, you'll probably need a bigger one. Most of the time you'll just be moving the stylus in tiny dabbing or stroking motions; rarely a broad stroke of the brush across the page. I think it also comes with an optical mouse for convenient menu-based actions as well. |
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11/06/2003 07:43:04 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by Natator:
I should probably look on the net for a fix for this sometime. |
It is spelled M-A-C-I-N-T-O-S-H. I'm sure a Google search will turn up a suitable solution. (I'm using a Compaq Presario right now so I know whereof I opine...) |
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11/06/2003 07:56:52 PM · #5 |
They have reviews on them at //www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,2439925,00.html I had thought about getting one too! Hope this helps.
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11/06/2003 07:58:12 PM · #6 |
I looked at the Graphires when I bought my tablet -- got addicted to the 9x12 Intuos2 at work -- but I ended up shelling out the extra cash for the 4x5 Intuos2, which I highly recommend based on the pen design alone. MUCH more ergonomic and easier to use/hold, in my opinion -- the rubber grip is a lifesaver. The mouse is still in its box and has never been removed. I also figured that, even though I don't make much, if any, use of the pressure sensitivity at this point, I'd rather have the double-sensitivity levels of the Intuos2 over the Graphire.
Regardless, I highly recommend Wacom's products.
Message edited by author 2003-11-06 20:00:06. |
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11/06/2003 08:23:46 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Natator:
I haven't used it much lately as XP doesn't seem to like it much and the cursor shudders around all over the place and makes it about as accurate as using a mouse made of custard.
I should probably look on the net for a fix for this sometime. |
Have you tried switching it from "mouse mode" to "pen mode"? I find it much, much easier to control where the pointer goes when it's in that mode. It makes the pen motion dependent on the position on the tablet, not relative to its last position on the screen. It's much more intuitive.
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11/06/2003 08:28:21 PM · #8 |
I'm not sure what mode it is in, I'll check tonight when I am on the relevant PC (am at work now).
My tablet only has a pen, so it may be in "pen mode" anyway. If not then I'll switch and see how I go.
The problem is more that if you hold the pen absolutely stationary the cursor on the screen jumps around constantly, up to maybe 5 mm in any direction. It makes it impossible to do anything precise at all.
I should say here though that I think the problem is mine, and not a more general problems with the tablet.
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11/06/2003 08:43:45 PM · #9 |
My tablet only has a pen too. I've never used one of the ones that come with a mouse, so I'm not sure if the mouse is supposed to work on the tablet or if it's just a regular mouse that comes with it. "Pen mode" and "mouse mode" refer to the behavior of the cursor on the tablet, not to the hardware you're using. Make sure you have the most recent driver from wacom.com. I just upgraded to a new driver a couple of weeks ago, and my tablet is about four years old. There are several "precision" settings in the driver software; maybe turning them down a little will help.
Message edited by author 2003-11-06 20:44:20.
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11/06/2003 08:45:37 PM · #10 |
Thanks for the pointers there Kostia. I'll mess around tonight and see if it fixes the problem, as I do want to get back to using it as I much prefer it over the mouse (though it did take me a lot of getting used to initially I admit).
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11/06/2003 08:57:59 PM · #11 |
I don't use mine often, but I keep it connected for those times when it's the right tool. It's outstanding for online Pictionary-type games, for one thing. And I love the pressure-sensitive eraser for semi-transparent selections in Photoshop.
Message edited by author 2003-11-06 20:58:13.
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11/06/2003 09:16:19 PM · #12 |
I have a Wacom Intuos 12x12. Heres my review on it:
THE SIZE
I think my 12x12 is a bit too big. I mainly use it for small sketches and touching up pictures. I would recomend the 9x12 if you want a larger model for 2 main reasons:
1.) Its big enough.
2.) the 12x12 is a square, and so in "pen mode", it does not correlate with the monitor very well. Moving the pen left and right is just fine, but up and down is off, because its larger up and down on the Tablet than on your screen. Thus, the pen moves a bit slower when you move up and down. Get me? This would make tracing stuff all distorted. However the 12x12 model does feature a cool thing to fix this problem, called QuickPoint mode. Basically, the bottom part is disabled, so the active area correlates with the screen just fine. Also in QuickPoint mode, there is a small box in the bottom corners about 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, which is a mini version of the tablet. So you can move around the screen a lot faster with it[like the screen scaled down] |
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11/06/2003 09:16:57 PM · #13 |
PEN AND MOUSE
The pen is wonderful. My only complain about it is that it could be TOO sensitive sometimes. In size mode, i'd press lightly and draw thin lines, but at the slightlest amount of pressure, the line gets thick. This can be easily fixed by setting the pressure sensitivity to low or medium though. As for the mouse...its not that great. I'd prefer my optical mouse. Since my original mouse is on the desk and still active, using the Tablet mouse is like using 2 mouses at once, so i'd have to turn over my other mouse or just disconnect it. Also, I find the Tablet mouse too sensitive and hard to configure, since you have to configure its sensitivity in the Wacom settings, as well as your desktop settings
THE SOFTWARE
The software in my opinion is INCREDIBLE. It allows for soo many settings. You can have different settings for different applications. For example, in Photoshop, I have my pen buttons set to the "[" and "]" keys, which change the brush size. But in my other apps, I have it set for right-click. There are many other settings you can play around with. The software is great. |
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11/06/2003 09:17:47 PM · #14 |
IN CONCLUSION
In my opinion, if you're just going for:
Best for its price - Graphire3 6x8 ($199)
Best for retouching/editting photos or drawing small stuff - Intuos2 6x8 [new Platinum]($299)
Best for large projects in the area of graphic design - Intuos2 12x12 ($519)
Price is not an issue, just want the coolest one - Cintiq15x[you actually draw on the screen. used as a separate monitor. I dont have it thought. thats all i know about it] ($1899)
Sorry I posted separately, but I wrote too much and it wouldn't fit! |
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11/07/2003 02:04:48 AM · #15 |
I have the Graphire 2 and it has completely replaced my mouse since day one. It isn't too small, if I need to edit a precise section of an image, I just zoom in.
I don't care about sensitivity (the pen is, but I don't think it is an important feature), I rather set opacity values. Perhaps it is me, just cannot get the right feel for pressure.
It has been very stable, kept working.
Working with it and determining screen position has become second nature.
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11/07/2003 05:13:17 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by Patella:
I looked at the Graphires when I bought my tablet -- got addicted to the 9x12 Intuos2 at work -- but I ended up shelling out the extra cash for the 4x5 Intuos2, which I highly recommend based on the pen design alone. MUCH more ergonomic and easier to use/hold, in my opinion -- the rubber grip is a lifesaver. The mouse is still in its box and has never been removed. I also figured that, even though I don't make much, if any, use of the pressure sensitivity at this point, I'd rather have the double-sensitivity levels of the Intuos2 over the Graphire.
Regardless, I highly recommend Wacom's products. |
I've had the Intuos2 4x5 for over a year, and I love it - having chose it over the larger tablet because of the price. I use it regularly in a wide variety of applications, and have never wished that I had gone with the larger one. I rarely use the mouse since the pen does everything I need, and the sensitivity has proven to be wonderful for use with my artwork. Highly recommend the Intuos2. |
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11/07/2003 11:33:35 AM · #17 |
I have a couple of graphire 2's and they are great. I don't find the small area too much of a restriction, but I only use them for photo editing. I don't do much in the way of original creating, brush work or artwork - I'm sure the larger pads are ideal for that sort of thing
I use them with win 2000 Pro, and winXP without any problems.
Message edited by author 2003-11-07 11:33:59. |
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01/18/2004 06:10:06 AM · #18 |
Did people check out this site? Is Wacom, and the tablet, but this is tips and tricks on using PS and tablet (or not, if you don't have one). Learned quite a bit of info and tricks. Some which seem to blur the DPC rules and make some things look possible in the Basic editing.
Wacom tablet tricks
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