I kinda need to pick a birthday present and I have picked a nice tablet. No, it's not a pill. I want to get a Wacom Graphire4 6x8 Bluetooth tablet from Canada Computers. I plan to use this on my mac to create vectors and other art.

Is this a waste of money? Is the Graphire4 a piece of crap? Has anyone ever used a tablet before, and can maybe give some advice? Did I just rip my socks? I would like to hear your opinions on the subject

Well i've got a wacom tablet at my aunties. I can't use t because it uses a magnet to draw the image so it responds even when you're not touching the tablet. And it's really annoying

Not sure about this one though

I've used a graphire tablet before (the (too) tiny/small one), they work good. The thickness is something to get used to I guess (I couldn't in the short time I used it )... Can't really compare it with others though.

Personally I would buy the normal version (which is also a lot cheaper). Bluetooth is nice, but for a tablet which needs to be next to your keyboard and pc anyways to be able to work decently with graphics (I don't see how you can design stunning stuff from inside your bed ) a bit useless. The battery powering the tablet and bluetooth connection also drains pretty fast and after a while you'll be annoyed by it and you'll be using USB anyways...

I've never used any graphics tablet in the past, but I entirely agree with Cookie's comments on the bluetooth and battery.

Edit: Although, my view on any graphics tablet is that you probably won't use it as much as you think and it probably wont be as entertaining or fun as you thought...

I think in order for it to be worth using it should have some sort of display on it (so you can draw directly where you want to draw) as I'm sure it will make life a hell of a lot easier than having to draw at a random location then move it to the right position only to realise that it doesnt fit, so you have to draw it again etc.
The downside to having a display is the (what I assume would be considerably large) cost.

In my personal opinion I would recommend spending the $250 (or $200 for the non-Bluetooth) in another way, but if graphics design is really your thing then I suppose you should go for it...

Dunno about the existance of a graphical tablet with buildin screen... (or maybe that is what a tablet PC is ), but the graphical tablets usually detect the pen position even before it touches the tablet. Thus your mouse on the screen moves accordingly (that is, if you have a decent graphics tablet and pen).

Still, it is indeed something you need to get used to to be able to work properly with it though... It is very ackward the first time you use it. The reason being, I think, is that if we write or draw something on paper, we all look at what we're writing or drawing. With a graphical tablet you shouldn't do that, instead you need to look at your screen while you are drawing, which is very unnatural.

It is like a mix between using a mouse and looking at the screen (we are all used to that) and drawing on paper and looking at the paper and pen (which we are also used to do without even thinking about it)...

Indeed, the reason why I only used a graphical tablet for a short while was exactly because the novelity wears of pretty quickly. It is cool to use it to draw your autograph or something, but if you're not a true designer or something there isn't much/frequent use for it...

But, I would be extremely happy if someone gives me one as a present, that's for sure (it is afterall a cool thing, and sometimes usefull, to have... compared to other gadgets!)


all IMHO of course...

Socks are substantially cheaper than graphics tablets.

I was always in the "the NEXT thing I buy will be a graphics tablet" group. I've only used them a couple of times but they feel so natural, you become the artist you always wanted to be. Further, Wacom are about as good as tablet brands get, I think. I recommend a thorough googling and looking over their site before making a decision.

i've got one! £10 from game. lmao, its fun!

its easier to cut things out etc with it but i don't really do much photoshopping or digital art so don't really know what to say about it.

IMO if you'll use it lots, its worth it.

Thanks for the responses guys

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
The battery powering the tablet and bluetooth connection also drains pretty fast and after a while you'll be annoyed by it and you'll be using USB anyways...

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I have the same one you want to get, but not Bluetooth (but the only difference between the models is that one is wireless ). It works very well, and I really like it.

I have a wired Graphire 4. I don't even use a mouse on my computer anymore... Once you get used to it, there's no turning back.

Highly recommended.

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Dunno about the existance of a graphical tablet with buildin screen...

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Originally posted by Volv

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Dunno about the existance of a graphical tablet with buildin screen...

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Wacom's Cintiq 21UX interactive pen display combines the advantages of an LCD monitor ... By using a pen directly on the screen, you work much more quickly and naturally.
Webpage (Clicky)

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Originally posted by Val
They also build them into notebooks and stuff.

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
or maybe that is what a tablet PC is

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Originally posted by Voldemort

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Originally posted by Val
They also build them into notebooks and stuff.

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that's a tablet pc

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
or maybe that is what a tablet PC is

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how about this?

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Originally posted by Val

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Originally posted by Voldemort

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Originally posted by Val
They also build them into notebooks and stuff.

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that's a tablet pc

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
or maybe that is what a tablet PC is

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oh whoops, I thought the Cintiq was basically like a tablet PC/moniter. My mistake.

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Originally posted by Verte
how about this?

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Originally posted by CookieRevised

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Originally posted by Verte
how about this?

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cool... But that is a normal pc with a touch-monitor (thus not a tablet pc either) since the screen can't rotate around and lie flat on the keyboard (notice the two swivel points instead of one in the middle).

Tablet pc = pc with touch-monitor which can be handled like a piece of paper/book. It is like a big PDA.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/evaluation/about.mspx

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Ah, wait, your absolutely right.... I thought it was a laptop, but it is a clip-on thing for a laptop screen... cool