PC Tablets (Drawing, Wacom)

[EIR Loe.307]

Does anyone here have any experience with drawing tablets for the PC? I've been thinking about getting one for a while now. The one I REALLY want is $1k but that's way in the future.

I'm looking at a Wacom Bamboo model MTE450CCS for $70 as a starter tablet. Wacom is the only brand that I know of. :rolleyes:

Any feedback on how well they work etc. would be great. Thanks. :thumbsup:

[EIR Loe.307]

I picked up the Wacom Bamboo today. VERY nice tablet. It just plain looks cool. It looks like a much more expensive item. It works well but there are some issues with Gimp (Open source photoshop alternative). Hopefully there is an update to fix the glitches so I can continue to use Gimp. The tablet works very well as a pointing device as well. You can use it like a mouse. It has a touch pad on it that has the zoom and scroll features and 4 buttons that are user defined built in. The feel of drawing with the stylus is very natural as well. This should be getting HEAVY usage. :D

http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/bamboo.cfm

[JoStream]

I was thinking of getting one myself, and I looked at the same entry product line by Wacom. The low price made me unsure whether it is suitable for design or just playing around.

And as you said, the others are very expensive. Good to know that its a useful product, I might pick it up myself soon :D

Can you use it as a replacement for the mouse? If you can, how much more effective, or natural, is it in comparison?

[Ryan]

I've never cared much for using one of these things for drawing. But can it be used as a writing tool?

I write much faster than I type, and I'm wondering if it can be used rather than a keyboard in applications such as MS Word or MS OneNote. Can it turn the scrawl into actual type, similar to on a palm pilot? For all my class I still take my notes the old fashioned way with a pen and paper, but I would like to have all my notes on the computer, keeps things much more neat and organized, but I don't have time or patience to re-type all my notes after class.

[JoStream]

I've never cared much for using one of these things for drawing. But can it be used as a writing tool?

I write much faster than I type, and I'm wondering if it can be used rather than a keyboard in applications such as MS Word or MS OneNote.

You probably could, but if you really want to get things done take a crash course in typing. Only then will you appreciate the beauty of nailing 70-80 words a minute ;)

The only way you can write faster than that by hand is if your hand isn't human :lol:

[EIR Loe.307]

Ryan: Yes you can use it to write in many MS programs instead of typing. If you have "one note" even better.

Jo: You can use it as a replacement for the mouse. The pen has two buttons that are programmable (the pen is battery-less) that can be set to left and right click functions. The pad itself also has a few programmable buttons and a touch pad. I'm not sure if you can adjust the touch pad but it works as a zoom and pan feature inside many apps by default. As far as feeling natural in the mouse replacement, you'll have to get used to it. It feels natural to draw and probably write with for sure.

The pen is detected just above the pad and the pad itself symbolizes the screen. (ie. the upper left of the pad is ALWAYS the upper left of the screen unlike a mouse that picks up where you left off when scrolling.) You hover the pen over the pad and get in position and then you use it similar to a mouse from there.

[saltysurprise]

They're only 80 bucks?!?!?!?! Hell, I'd be stupid NOT to get one!:lol:

I wouldn't know what to do with it, but that seems like a bargain!:lol: I suppose I could draw Mansel-like mustaches on Rosie O'Donnell pictures, Stink-lines around Courtney Love, and Fangs and Horns on Samuli! Perfect!:D That's worth 80 bucks:thumbsup:

[EIR Loe.307]

Hell, you got a Mac, it should have come with one. Hehehehe :thumbsup: