wacom tablets

edX

edX

mac shaman
having gottena couple of pm's in the last couple of days from people who wanted more of my personal opinion about my graphire2, i thought it would be easier to just start a thread and let others pitch in as well.

1st - i bought my tablet with the idea of it being a drawing instrument. i'm not a pro artist or designer, but i like to entertain and satisfy myself with my artistic attempts. I had no idea that i would come to love it as much as a mouse, or rather mice. the pen makes a very interesting mouse and can be quite useful for a lot of tasks. i don't find it useful for browsing, where the 3 button scroll wheel mouse comes in handy, but at other times it works like a charm. i t is nice to use every now and then just to help keep the carpel tunnel away.

2nd - not being a pro, i don't own any of the apps with which the pen really uses all its features while drawing - things like pressure senistivity for broader or thinner strokes, etc. well, at least i don't own any that are osx native. all mine are os 9. i really haven't done much drawing with it lately, but you might remember my self portrait profile icon - that was done with the tablet and one of the apps that came with it.

3rd - sometimes when i boot into os 9, my mouse freezes. unplugging and replugging the tablet fixes the problem. it works great in osx, but seems slow in os 9.

other - i wish it had some sort of wrist rest or gel pad. i ripped the one off of another mouse pad and have it on the edge but it doesn't stay in place very well. i wish it had one built in.

while the small drawing area seems stifling at first, it isn't long before you adjust. and the small factor becomes a big plus. you aren't constantly reaching all over to move the curser or pen tip. it just takes a little adjustment to the relative distance as oppossed to real distance.

that's about it for now, ask any more specific questions if you can think of them and hopefully others will join in this as well.
 
In your personal opinion which one sounds/is better:

1) tablet
2) Scanner
3) Digital Camera

:D
 
as per usual Trip, you've asked a question that has a lot to do with what you want to do. i can't really answer that for you. since i know you enjoy web design, i would guess that the tablet or scanner would be more practical for you. and then it becomes a question of which you need to do more, convert hard copy to computer images or create your own designs. if you are more geared towards creating than copying, then the tablet would be more practical.

hey, just curious, anybody gotten or even played with the new Cintiq screen/tablet? not that i will afford one anytime soon, but i am interested in what people think of them?
 
i can see how it would appear that way.but keep in mind that i was really answering a couple of peope's questions. i suppose i should have quoted them or something. :D

at any rate, where are all the tablet users and their perceptions/experiences?:confused:
 
actually i think that's a good idea. as soon as any post to any thread contains an opinion, it should be moved there. then maybe people would figure out that's where opinion threads go. :p

hey, if themacko or trip want to move it, fine with me. :D
 
If themacko doesn't move it by tomorrow I'll move it for you.

Anyway: Ed: have you used your tablet with Photoshop at all? Illustrator? Painter? Can you throw a quick sketch together and post it? I'm getting into new drawing skills now that my graphics class is picking up in school, and I can't decide between a scanner for my sketches or a tablet for tech sketches.
 
I have used it with an old version of illustrator in os 9 and it works really cool. it automatically creates thicker and thinner lines with diferent pressure. essentially it draws the outline and automatically fills. even for simplistic artists like me this can be nice and time saving. I am pretty sure the latest versions of illustrator and photoshop support it in os x, i'm not positive. maybe someone else can clarify this.
 
Yea, Ed, i've used the Tablet in X with Photoshop 7, and it too creates Thinner and Thicker lines. (don't know my own Strength :p). It is pretty cool :D, takes a little getting used to (i only got my tablet 3 days ago), but i am pleased with it! and now i can use my Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer on my PC! ... What do you think to the mouse?! i don't like how you have little space to scroll, you can scroll outta the zone, without reaching the edge of the desktop, thats a bit annoying, but its cool, and with no batteries, ball or wire, its care free too!!

Neyo

PS: Ed, thanks for the thread (i was one of the peeps who PM'd ed for his views)
 
i don't like how you have little space to scroll, you can scroll outta the zone, without reaching the edge of the desktop, thats a bit annoying
Click to expand...

i'm not sure i understand what you mean here. you might want to play with your prefs ome as i can reach my entire screen easily if that's what you're talking about. i barely move my wrist to move my mouse from one corner to the next. and the scroll wheel doesn't have limits, so you have me confused.
 
im trying to use it as a substitute for the keyboard and it works faster than me.
it has some kinks i'd like to work out but drawing is my top priority
i use it in the mail app and photoshop 5.5
im going to get the intuos 9x 12 because i need the room. ink is still confusing even if you do get the hang of it. Otherwise, i am pleased with the peformance.
 
so apeintheshell - you're using it with ink. you say it's confusing, but what i want to know is if that is the only reason a person sees for upgrading to 10.2 anytime real soon, is it worth it? or should i wait till they get more bugs worked out?
 
Hey Thanks Ed!
I just purchased one and am playing with it now.
Man this thing is WEIRD! And I had no idea how shaky my hand is until I use it as a mouse... shesh! :D

Yeah it has a mouse and I'll be using that too - but for the time being I'm using nothing but the pen just to get the hang of it.

I can't really use it for drawing at the moment cuz it's too weird and I need to get used to it - but I certain can write my name and be legible with it vs a regular mouse! heh :)

I thought I'd be able to draw with it right out of the box since I've been drawing (very little, still learning) with pencil and scetch pad... not the same thing - pretty close tho.

One of the CDs that came with it came with drivers for OS 10.1 and it works fine, I'll take a look at the new drivers in a moment.

Now, to play with the included free software! And find out what is so fregging special about Photoshop Elements! :p :D :)

Thanks again Ed! :)
 
I trust you're using it in Tablet mode rather than mouse mode, otherwise you'll never get the hang of it.

I have an Intuos 2 and love it. I only tend to use it in photoshop and illustrator, though lately I've been mucking around with Corel PainterPro, which is pretty impressive.

And as for stability, crashing, and driver issues, it has a few hiccups, but I'd have to say its the most reliable device I've found so far. They still haven't implemented all the functions on the current drivers, but all the ones I care about are there.
 
Ed -

I don't think there are as many bugs as people suspect. It's just difficult to keep writing in the same window. It has a slow down on my iMac DV when i use it in ichat and mail. But for appleworks and textedit it works excellent.
It even makes moving around the windows a tad easier.

I think it's a good idea however to upgrade to Mac OS 10.2 anyways.
I couldn't get it in august cause i was broke, than i got it 13 days after my birthday in november and have no complaints.*shrug*

In photoshop 5.5 it has become easier to switch from one layer to the next where the mouse can lag several times.

I don't recommend it for internet explorer or any browser.
It would send my message before i got finished writing it.
And your lucky if you can write a whole sentence. Maybe three to five words.

Good thing i found my PS2 keyboard. =<)

I don't understand the send button in ink because where does it go?
it keeps your image though which i like.
well tooda loo
 
FYI: The send button in Ink sends the text you've written to the application that has focus. So if you're in Mail, and write something in Inkpad, then click Send, it'll transfer the text into Mail. You have to be careful you know where the focus is though, as it is very easy to write a whole message then send it to the address line! :p
 
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