Gary Sheynkman
02-07-2005, 06:00 PM
<img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/I3FamilyRGB.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Input Device<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> <a href="www.wacom.com">WACOM</a><br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://wacomdirect.wacom.com/wacomdirect/">WACOM Direct</a> <br /><b>Price:</b> $329.99 USD<br /><b>System Requirements:</b> PC or Macintosh computer running Windows 98SE, 2000, Me, XP, or Mac OS 10.2.6 & higher; powered USB port.<br /><b>Specifications:</b> Tablet Dimensions: 13.6" x 10.3" x .5"; Active Area: 6" x 8"<br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><li>Very accurate and sensitive;<br /><li>Programmable keys ;<br /><li>Easy to use.<b>Cons:</b><ul><li>Useless mouse.</ul><br /><b>Summary:</b><br />We often ask ourselves “how did they do that?” Usually the answer involves tons of costly equipment, but it does not have to. Thanks to some brilliant people at Wacom and some software from Ulead or Adobe, you can create wonders.<br /><br />Read on for the full review!<!><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>Disclaimer</b></span><br />Unfortunately I am about as good of an artist as an eight-year-old. Although my stick figures are amazing, they are still a work in progress so you will not get to see them. Since I can’t demonstrate the true potential of this product, I will let the features speak for themselves.<br /><br />A lot of thought on the part of Wacom went into packaging this product. Not only will you get the uber brush set (more on that later) but you also get some nifty software from Corel and Adobe. Let’s dig in.<br /><br /><span><b>The Hardware</b></span><br />The package includes the tablet itself, a stylus, tip replacements, a mouse, the software bundle CD, and the driver CD. Since this product is aimed at professionals as well as amateurs, the build quality is fantastic. The tablet itself was very solid and passed any kind of “creak” test I attempted to administer. The tablet is anchored by four rubber strips and since this device is USB powered, it only has one cord sticking out from the corner. Speaking of the corner, there are cord openings on both sides of the upped left corner to ease placement within your workspace. It amazes me of the little things these people think of. The tablet itself is very ergonomically shaped. My wrist felt very comfortable on the slope leading up to the touch sensitive area. The buttons near the upper corners of the device have a nice tactile feel while the scroll pad was just a touch of genius. This kind of “elegant solutions” mentality rubbed off on the other pieces of the device. The pen did not feel flimsy and the buttons on the pen had a nice *click* to them. The mouse also got the design treatment, although it lacks the comfort of your average Microsoft or Logitech mice. It felt a bit too small to be comfortable over long periods of time, but there is a reason why it is so odd. Wacom makes several sizes of these tablets and while I have plenty of real-estate on my “medium” model, the smaller model would definitely have issues with a big mouse over a relatively small contact area.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/I36x8_UpwToolsRGB.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 1: The pen is mightier than the mouse. This puts the touch real-estate in perspective.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/I36x8_wHandRGB.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 2: The ergonomic design of the tablet allows for hours of mentally frustrating work without any physical consiquences.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/I3GripPen+Mouse.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 3: The design is very elegant and I really enjoyed having the cloth bottom on the pen holder and the mouse. Desk scratching be gone!</i><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>The Software</b></span><br />The primary piece of software that comes with the tablet is the configuration application. There are three input devices that allow you to control buttons on the tablet, the pen, and the mouse. You can create a preset for every application you own. The process of creating presets is fairy simple. All you have to do is go through the drop-down menu for the corresponding key and select the function you want that key to perform. These functions can include opening certain applications as well as replacing keyboard shortcuts. There are also sensitivity controls for the touch strip as well as the stylus. The eraser end of the stylus can be programmed as well, but it is most useful in drawing or editing applications. To ease you into these functions I’ve prepared a number of screen captures to show you just how easy it is to use this application. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/wacom2.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 4: The stylus is very customizable. Every style of hand movement can be accounted for.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/wacom1.JPG" /><br /><i>Figure 5: There are myriad possible combinations for the keys. Every application you use can have its own.</i><br /><br /><span><b>The Other CD</b></span><br />The Intuos comes with a very good software package. The CD includes Adobe’s entry level Photoshop software, Elements 2.0, as well as Corel’s Painter Essentials 2.0. The jewel in the bundle CD crown is the Photoshop brush set developed by Wacom. This plug-in allows brushes in Adobe products to become pressure sensitive. This allows for a very realistic airbrush effect that I have no talent to display. Yet another pleasant surprise came from the inclusion of nik multimedia filters for Photoshop. There are 75 filters included in the package that can be applied all at once or selectively with your Wacom pen. All in all, I was satisfied with the bundle. I did not expect to get Photoshop CS with this so I was not surprised when I got Elements. I must commend Wacom for going to different companies for their software. It would be very easy to include Illustrator with the package, yet Wacom was true to its mission and gave you the Corel drawing application instead. Now let’s see if all these things work!<br /><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b> The Experience of Owning One</b></span><br />Prepare to make some room for your tablet on your table. The best setup I found (considering the fact that I am right-handed) is to have the tablet to the right of the keyboard at a slight angle. This allowed my wrist to be comfortable when I was using the tablet. If you are only planning on using this device once in a while, you can always store it somewhere. Set up takes seconds. I will go through the process with you now. Plug the USB cord in. Install the software. Yes, it is that easy. The keys are even preset with some common keys such as Ctrl and Alt and Space. <br /><br />Most people will use the tablet for artistic purposes, but since it is so versatile I tried to spend a month using it as an integral part of my interaction with my computer. There are two modes for the stylus: Pen and Mouse. Outside of creative applications, the mouse mode was very handy. In this mode, a small flick of the wrist was enough to move the cursor to any corner of the screen. Dragging and dropping is a breeze with this device. The rocker button on the side of the pen allows of a right click or a double click. This is very convenient when you are too lazy to tap the tablet twice. I also set the keys on the tablet itself to start my commonly used applications. I even went as far as setting presets for Winamp and Firefox in order to make my life easier. You are probably wondering about the mouse. You would think that it would be more convenient to replace your mouse with the one provided. Unfortunately this is not the case. The mouse is not only poorly shaped, but it is also slower. A cheap Microsoft mouse will not only do everything better, it will also give you pretty red lights to look at. In the end, though, the split second that it takes to put the pen in the holder and transfer that hand to the keyboard just got me. The mouse is just a faster device in that sense. As a new way to navigate your desktop, this pen comes up a bit short. <br /><br />The performance, however, justifies all costs. Let me establish something, I am not on Wacom’s payroll but will now attempt to make you drool over this product to make you realize how good this is. When a product reaches its third generation, it should have ironed all the quirks out. Although I haven’t used the previous generations, I have yet to find anything wrong with this one. Photo editing in Photoshop was a breeze. This was largely due to the pen mode. When the pen mode is switched on, everything changes. The touch sensitive area becomes a replica of your screen allowing for unparalleled precision. You can set the sensitive area to be in portrait or landscape mode. You can also limit the usable real-estate on the touch area. If you want you screen to correspond to one square inch on the tablet then you can easily do that with the configuration utility. The touch area is sensitive enough to give you the ability to trace images that are on regular paper. The brushes provided really do work well. If you are a professional designer or just a hobbyist this device will serve you well.<br /><br /><span><b>No Bad and No Ugly, Just the Good</b></span><br />We live in a time where few products deliver upon the promise of the creators. Only a few years ago technologies that are available now were only available to the upper echelon of professionals. With the Intous3, all this changes. Sure, it's not a replacement for your trusty mouse and keyboard, but it is a revolutionary step in allowing digital creativity to spread to the masses. This product really delivers in terms of quality and features. It is worth every penny even if you are just starting out. There are plenty of sizes to choose from as well as alternate models to try out. Now go buy your Wacom tablet and create!<br /><br />[i] Gary Sheynkman is an extremely good looking guy who lives in Chicago and is planning on attending Kelly School Of Business for his finance degree. He enjoys talking about himself in third person as well as playing around with any digital media toys he gets his hands on![i]