Gadget Review #2 The Wacom Intuos3

Like I said in my last post, I am waiting until I have used a gadget for several week, maybe months before I review it. So it's been over a since I got my Wacom Intuos3 graphics tablet (thanks Trav!) and I'm ready to sit down and tell you what I think of it.

You'll have to excuse the awful desktop photo, but I am too lazy to snap a new picture of my much cleaner desktop just to show you my Wacom.


I have the 4x6 Intuos...not very big, but as you can see from my desktop I really don't have much room.

What's in the box?

The Tablet, a stylus,a mouse, and a cd with drivers and some extras for use with Adobe photoshop/elements.

About the Tablet.

My tablet is again a 4"x6" rectangle. That is the working surface of the tablet. The overall size is about double that and is encased in a clear Lucite housing. Very stylish. On the left of the working surface are 5 programmable buttons and a "track pad" that is a narrow,vertical rectangle. Again, these are all programmable, I choose to use then for actions like, undo, creating new layers,and closing files. I use the little "track pad" to adjust the zoom. But the shining glory of the Wacom Intuos is the fact that it is sensitive to 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, AND it can measure tilt on the stylus. What does this mean? Well, it translates to the ability to actually DRAW with the stylus and get results like you would with say a pencil, or you can even do calligraphy very easily thanks to the tilt recognition.


About the Stylus (aka the pen).

The stylus is a wonderful piece of work to hold. It just feels at home in your hand and has a cushy grip to boot. The tip of the stylus is designed to allow you to swap out tips (also known as nibs) to create a different feel. I use one quite frequently that actually feels like a felt tip marker when working, the others are more "hard" and feel like using a pen. The opposite end of the stylus has a nub that functions as an eraser when working in Photoshop or other applications.
There is also a rocker switch on the side of the stylus that can be used to perform various fucntions. I use mine to increase and decrease my brush size.

The mouse.

The Wacom also comes with a mouse for use on the tablet. It is a typical mouse...except it like the stylus requires NO BATTERIES to function. I ended up ditching the mouse though because I am pretty particular about mice....And the Wacom mouse didn't make the cut.


Being someone who has always had their fingers into art in one fashion or another I find the Wacom as a logical purchase for anyone who is an artist as well as a techie. I have lately been using the Wacom for retouching photos and it has been a godsend in my workflow!!


I know this was as short review, but why would you want to read 800 words that will conclude in the same way as 200 will, and that is with me saying...GO BUY A WACOM!!!

And for those who are curious.. A Wacom Intuos3 4x6 can be had for $175 right now on Amazon!

See below for an example of "sketching" done on the Intuos3: *click for full size*