The best computer peripheral I've ever purchased

Author's Rating:

Pros: Control, 2 scroll pads, 8 buttons, large size, looks great, long cord.

Cons: Price, not wireless

The Bottom Line: 
This tablet is a godsend for anyone doing serious work in Photoshop or similar programs.

Author's Review
I've been working with Adobe Photoshop since I was about 10 years old, mostly doing photo editing with a little bit of digital artwork on the side. I've recently been getting more into the artwork aspect of it, have recently spent hours upon hours of time drawing with a mouse (should I say trying to draw with a mouse?) After struggling with the awful control of a mouse, I decided to try out a tablet. I took the plunge with the Intuos3 6" x 11" tablet. Because of my background with Adobe Photoshop, some of what I say will have some technical Photoshop jargon, but you should get the gist. You can use the tablet with any program, not just Photoshop.

The tablet comes tightly packaged in foam, securing it from any shipping mishaps, as it's a delicate tool. Aesthetically, it's very handsome and will look good on any desk. Included with the tablet is a pressure sensitive pen, a mouse, some software, and extra "nibs" - pen tips that change the feel of the pen on the tablet.

Basic setup was cake - pop in the software, it installs the tablet, and you're good to go. More advanced setup is easy too, and is useful for serious users.

The Intuos3 has 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and you can use this sensitivity in your drawing programs as a variable for anything you want. I use it to determine the flow of my airbrush: the harder I press, the darker my lines are. The pen is tilt sensitive, so when you tilt it, the brush changes shape so it's angled as if you were really drawing.

I've been using computers for what seems like an eternity, and I must say, I'm damn good with a mouse. Being a serious computer user, I understand that there are some limitations for mice, and control is one of them. Trying to do real artwork with a mouse is almost impossible. If you're trying to do real drawing on your computer, a tablet is the only way to go. When I hooked up the Intuos3 and started using it, I was instantly astounded by how intuitive it is to use.

The sensitivity of this tablet is unbelievable; it tracks every little movement and you have infinitely more precision than a mouse. Try moving your mouse in a perfectly straight line, then try it with a regular pen. That's the difference. You actually have control over the pen. Your lines will be straight, outlining areas in a photo will be much closer, and you'll be able to do things the first try, unlike with a mouse where drawing a straight line takes multiple attempts.

Another nice feature is the eraser. The tablet detects when you turn the pen over, and uses this as an eraser. You don't even have to switch tools to erase anymore!

The Intuos3 not only has a large drawing area, it also has 2 customizable scroll pads and 8 buttons. These are where serious convenience (aka time saving) comes in. Right now, I have one scroll pad programmed to zoom in or out and the other changes brush diameter. My buttons are programmed to undo, redo, zoom to 100%, cycle through brushes (forward/backward) and hold ctrl, alt, and shift.

What this means for the average user is this: when I want to change brushes, I press a button and it goes to the next brush. If I know exactly what I want, I use the stylus to select it, otherwise I keep pressing the button until I find one I like. If I want to undo something I did, I press a button instead of hitting ctrl-alt-z on the keyboard. When I want to zoom in or out, I don't have to use the navigator and a mouse, I can just slide my finger over the scroll pad and it's zoomed in/out. When I want to go back to actual size, I press a button and it's there. It's so useful, sometimes I find myself giggling at how happy I am with this thing.

Tablets have almost no learning curve. Within 5 minutes, you'll be able to use it fairly easily, and within a half hour, you'll be doing things you never could with a mouse. After 2 hours of use, you're a pro and you can do anything you could ever want to do with it. The hardest part about using this tablet is the pen's side buttons, which are set to right-click and double click by default.

My only gripe with this tablet is its USB connection. If it were bluetooth, It'd be even better. Fortunately, though, the usb cable is plenty long enough and doesn't get in the way, so maybe I'm just being picky. You can comfortably hold the tablet on your lap and draw with it there if you want, without having the cord tug back at you. Also, it's kind of expensive, but I feel it's worth every penny.