Mouse vs. tablet

[Midgardsormr]

I learned to use mine by playing Neverwinter Nights for a couple of hours. Works quite well for that game. I tried it with Civ 4, but even though that's a point-and-click game, for some reason it just didn't work.

[Soljai]

Hello,

I thought I'd throw my 2-cents in as well. I have a Genius MousePen tablet. It's pretty good (for it's price) but if you have the money, you should really get a Wacom tablet. You don't need to get the latest and fanciest one though, just get what works for you, as far as price and your need for precision go.

[Aredhel]

Thanks for all informations...

[Midgardsormr]

There is evidently a cheaper Cintiq alternative on the market: FRENDEN • The Yiynova MSP19U Cintiq Alternative Swings for the Fences

That's a link to a blog post by an artist who reviewed it favorably. The Yiynova MSP19U is a 19" 1440 x 900 tablet screen for $570.

[Vancano]

There is evidently a cheaper Cintiq alternative on the market: The Yiynova MSP19U is a 19" 1440 x 900 tablet screen for $570.

Midgardsormr, that looks pretty sweet. I'd love a Cintiq but they are so expensive so a cheaper alternative is a good idea! I bought myself an Intuos3 about 4 years ago and have loved tablets ever since! I'd never go back to drawing or doing graphics without a tablet. However, I wouldn't mind upgrading it now though to a new Intuos

[Midgardsormr]

I actually like my Intuos3 better than the 4. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it, but the rougher surface texture of the Intuos4 bothers me. Also, I like the touch strips better than the wheel because I can just tap the top or bottom to scroll or zoom a little bit rather than having to have tight control over my fingertip movement. I haven't tried the Intuos5 yet.

[OldGuy]

I'm planning on picking up an Intuos5 Medium next month. I've never used a tablet before but I'm excited to learn. $350 (plus extras) is really more than I can afford. But if I buy a cheaper one, like it, then upgrade to this, it will end up costing more in the long run.

[Jaxilon]

I don't think you will regret it OldGuy. I have the Intous5 Large and love drawing on it although I'm not completely sold on navigating with it. In other words, I'm not in love with the whole touch thing. I use the wheel a lot to zoom in and out but other than that I haven't really gotten into the buttons junk. Maybe some of this will come with use and I'll warm to it but for now I just love drawing on it.

I would love a Cintiq and that Chineese entry looks great to me. If I didn't have a tablet already I would try for one. I'm very happy to see someone else get into the market because I also believe the prices are outrageous and there isn't a lot of justification for that seeing as most of the technology in those type of tablets has been around for years. The monopoly being broken would be a good thing imo and I'm sure I'll be getting something along those lines eventually.

[OldGuy]

I love living in a small town, but I sure do miss the convenience of a large city. I thought I'd like to see an "actual" intuos5 tablet but no one in town stocks them. Staples had a small but I really wanted to get a look at a medium.

Finally, I broke down and went to the local Apple store. I need Windows software, but I'm just looking plus I suspect that the tablet ships with software for both.

Me: Hi. Do you have any Intuos tablets in stock?
Apple Store Genius: <blink>
Me: It's a drawing tablet typically used with Photoshop.
Apple Store Genius: Sorry, we don't carry anything like that.
Me: <notices Bamboo tablet on shelf behind him> It's Made by Wacom. It's similar to that Bamboo but more powerful. <points>
Apple Store Genius: <asks a friend> "Do we have a Bamboo Intuos Tablet?"
Me: /facepalm <backs slowly towards the door>

Bestbuy in Salem (50 miles away) stocks them so maybe tomorrow.

Edit: Just wanted to add that this isn't a slam against Apple, but against unhelpful salespeople anywhere.

[mearrin69]

They may have them on the shelf but I doubt they'll be able to answer any questions for you. BB in Portland, where I got mine, had to look them up in their inventory system to find where they were. They didn't stock large, but I wanted medium anyway. I got the impression the guy didn't even know what it was.
M