Looking for a tablet

[Recursion]

Hey,

I'm looking at graphics tablets for my PC to start out on and was looking for recommendations?

I was looking at the Wacom Bamboo (http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/bamboo.php) at around £60 from most stores but i'm not very clued up in this area.

Thanks :]

[Johno]

That's probably the best you will get for your price range, wacom tablets are the best really :)

I have an old wacom tablet upstairs and it is pretty good :)

[MrPinkPanther]

What a coincidence. I had the old "bamboo one" and it broke a few days ago so I just got the new bamboo earlier today from PC world for only £40!

At first I was dissapointed with it because it seemed really unresponsive but I've installed the latest drivers now and it seems they've sorted that because it works like a dream now. Buy one.

I'm no artist or graphics designer but I managed to get the hang of it pretty quickly and I just drew a tree :P
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1382/treev.png

[Barmi]

Hey,

I'm looking at graphics tablets for my PC to start out on and was looking for recommendations?

I was looking at the Wacom Bamboo (http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/bamboo.php) at around £60 from most stores but i'm not very clued up in this area.

Thanks :]
Wholeheartedly recommend it. :)

[Johno]

You may be better looking at the Wacom Bamboo One A6 Pen Tablet, as it is more of a beginners tablet.

You are still getting the name and quality of Wacom plus you can get it for almost half the price of the other Bamboo tablet :)

[Barmi]

Pretty Bamboo. <3

http://img.skitch.com/20090518-tnhjf6em716u45772genj4bm1q.png

[MrPinkPanther]

Thats the one I had before but I found the black glossy bit at the Top got dirty really quickly and in between the buttons loads of dust and dirt gathered. The pen broke in the end which is why I got the Bamboo one. All in all I think I prefer the bamboo one, its smaller, looks better (IMO) and the pen feels smoother.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4117/090518145358.jpg

[Barmi]

Thats the one I had before but I found the black glossy bit at the Top got dirty really quickly and in between the buttons loads of dust and dirt gathered. The pen broke in the end which is why I got the Bamboo one. All in all I think I prefer the bamboo one, its smaller, looks better (IMO) and the pen feels smoother.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4117/090518145358.jpg
1) original size blurry pictures for teh lose.
2) I've had mine for months with no dirt issues other than a few fingerprints. And the nibs on all Wacom pens will need replacing at some point.

The buttons on the Bamboo are handy; scrolling and zooming with that little ring, and four nifty buttons to do what you want. As it's already been pointed out though, it depends on your price range. You won't make a bad buy with either of them.

[Recursion]

To be honest, it looks like I get quite a bit more for £20, better looks, 4 buttons, a touch ring and a much higher resolution.

I think ill order the Bamboo now >:]

[MrPinkPanther]

1) original size blurry pictures for teh lose.
Yup, mobile phone pic ^^


2) I've had mine for months with no dirt issues other than a few fingerprints.
I had mind for a year and I had major dirt issues, its like on my mobile phone where it all gets stuck in the cracks which are too thin to clean and because its black it shows up clearly I found.


And the nibs on all Wacom pens will need replacing at some point.
It wasnt the nib that went, it was the whole pen. I wasn't really stating that as a bad point for the Bamboo because it will happen with all of their products including the "one" I was just saying it because thats really why I got the bamboo one.


The buttons on the Bamboo are handy; scrolling and zooming with that little ring, and four nifty buttons to do what you want.
I found them a pain more than anything but each to his own. I just find it quicker to click "zoom in" or whatever. Its like on a keyboard where people use CTRL + TAB, I find it much easier to click, especially on a Graphics tablet where its all relative to the screen so you dont need to scroll or anything.


As it's already been pointed out though, it depends on your price range. You won't make a bad buy with either of them.
Yeh, don't get me wrong, I loved my Bamboo but I think the Bamboo one is cheaper and more compact and so far has given me an overall better experience. I'm only bought it as a stop gap though, I intend to upgrade to an intuos in a few months.

[Recursion]

I got the "Bamboo", it's being delivered on Thursday. I won't use the buttons so much for zooming etc but more shortcuts and things like that, as you say, keyboard shortcuts are a lot easier to use in Photoshop.

I also like the idea of using it to write notes and things on the Desktop (Microsoft Ink Desktop), writing on Excel sheets and things which will come in handy, so the eraser on the pen should hopefully work well. :)

Looking forward to getting it!

[MrPinkPanther]

Fair enough, if you use shortcuts then its good for you. The only shortcut I ever use is CTRL + C, V and X and I only use those on the Internet. On Flash or whatever I just click undo.

[Barmi]

Fair enough, if you use shortcuts then its good for you. The only shortcut I ever use is CTRL + C, V and X and I only use those on the Internet. On Flash or whatever I just click undo.
Using clicks for everything is bad for productivity. Why do you think God invented shortcuts? If I'm in Photoshop or Illustrator, I zoom and and out a lot. I use keyboard cuts for most things, and I have Quicksilver to make navigation that little bit quicker. Make use of shortcuts, particularly the tools shortcuts in Adobe applications.

[Recursion]

It came and im just getting used to it.. I love it even as a mouse replacement!

Anyone want to recommend any apps for drawing and stuff? :]

[MrPinkPanther]

Using clicks for everything is bad for productivity. Why do you think God invented shortcuts? If I'm in Photoshop or Illustrator, I zoom and and out a lot. I use keyboard cuts for most things, and I have Quicksilver to make navigation that little bit quicker. Make use of shortcuts, particularly the tools shortcuts in Adobe applications.
As I said, it's down to personal preference. Why should I have to use shortcuts if I don't want too. For me atleast it takes longer, the distance to move my hand on a tablet to click an icon on the computer is less than that to click the button on the tablet.


It came and im just getting used to it.. I love it even as a mouse replacement!

Anyone want to recommend any apps for drawing and stuff? :]
I use Flash for some nice freehand drawing. I don't know if you use Flash or Photoshop but I find Flash is a lot more manual than Photoshop and I prefer it personally. But I believe both support pressure on Graphics tablets.

[Recursion]

I like Flash because it smooths the lines etc.. I was just drawing in Photoshop actually better than I do in real life haha, ill give Flash a try too :]