Profile for alm - What tablets are people using?

alm aka Alex Manning is a 29.21 year old boy, has been a member since April 19, 2005, has scored 35 submissions, giving an average score of 3.43, helping 1 designs get printed.

Apr 20 '05 by alm
26 Comments
Watch this
Share:

What tablets are people using?

I'm just interested to see what tablets people have. How much do you need to spend to get something decent?

Freeek on Apr 20 '05 at 4:59pm

i'm using my old 4x5 CalComp Creation Station that i got around 6 years ago. its just as good as a wacom, though it's not usb. if i had money to spare i'd get a basic graphire (~$100), just for ease of use. also the buttons on my pen died recently, but i didn't use them that much anyway.

Robotron5 on Apr 20 '05 at 5:18pm

Must admit thats a question i was going to pose myself that and what packages to use too. Who uses a Mac? im guessing it's going to be high with designers. I'm currently using my wifes iBook and would appreciate any pointers.

alm on Apr 20 '05 at 5:20pm

I have an A4 Trust one, though I think I might be better trying to sell it on ebay and getting a basic A6 Graphire like you said.

dave.adms on Apr 22 '05 at 10:13am

i'm thinking of getting a tablet too. a wacom graphire a5

though i doubt if it would really help me with my designs or maybe should get me a scanner first.

mezo on Apr 22 '05 at 10:25am

Wacom tablet > mouse

(the smallest, yet efficient, one is $99)

I'm so spoiled, I can't function with a mouse at all. In fact, it's been disconnected from my system for 3 years. Sometimes, I use it as a weapon against salesmen. It gets great speed when spun around like a lasso, even though the aim is iffy.

Jaycee on Apr 22 '05 at 10:48am

lol! i've never had a tablet, i do all my work wit ha mouse. it seems to work though.

isachi on Apr 22 '05 at 12:17pm

Same here :D No tablet~ Good old fashion mouse

JiuNoon on Apr 22 '05 at 12:49pm

Mouse for my free sketching, laptop touchpad for illustrator/Flash stuff. Not easy, let me tell you. Getting married soon so can't afford a tablet... Or reflexive pronouns...

disenamour on Apr 22 '05 at 1:00pm

I have an Intous 6x8 tablet but I rarely use it. I don't have enough USB ports on my computer and it is a hassle to have to turn off my computer, unplug my mouse, plug in the tablet, andturn the computer back on every time I want to use it.

grayehound on Apr 22 '05 at 1:04pm

I have an old Wacopm Intous 2 at work and an even older ArtPad at home. Both are the smallest sizes, which work great for me. The big ones made me move my hand too far to switch a tool or move a toolbox. I'll use the mouse for general design stuff, but when I use PS or Illustrator, I switch to the tablet.

dave.adms on Apr 22 '05 at 3:52pm

make you move your hand too far?

dude, i've been planning and saving to buy me a good tablet for months your seriously making me doubt buying a wacom graphire A6

what sizes are you talking about?

dave.adms on Apr 22 '05 at 4:08pm

fuck it

Naboolou on Apr 22 '05 at 7:31pm

i have a small wacom that i bought a couple years ago but I still get along better with a mouse.

btw, i'm using a 17" flat panel imac with Illustrator and PS CS.

glong2005 on Apr 23 '05 at 9:20am

I tried using a Wacom tablet about ten years ago, but wound up ditching it because it didn't really match the way that I draw -- I would turn the tablet to get some sketching 'right' and wind up drawing on the wrong part of the screen.

If I had serious money to burn, I'd invest in one of the new tablets with a display built into them, like a Wacom Cintiq -- http://www.wacom.com/lcdtablets/index.cfm -- did you see Genndy Tarkofsky using one in the behind the scenes reel on the Star Wars: Clone Wars DVD?

alm on Apr 23 '05 at 9:58am

I've had a go at vector work in Illustrator and my Trust A4 isn't that bad. I quite like the fact that it's big but it's so tempting to rest your wrist on the tablet which really screws you up if you need to move your hand while drawing. I think next time I'll try a Wacom A5 but I'll keep going with this one for now.

grayehound on Apr 23 '05 at 10:15am

dave, both my tablets are around the 6x8 size, the smallest ones out there. I like the big ones for big freehand drawing, but I usually end up doing that the old way, anyhow.

GetFunky on Apr 23 '05 at 8:21pm

does anyone remember the "light pen"? i'm probably dating myself asking this...., but comadore 64 had a "light pen" that allowed you to draw directly on the screen, & it would register what you drew. They had them in 1984! that's way more advanced then a tablet.

computer companies are slacking....

I don't want a tablet. I want a freaking light pen.

kevindujour on Apr 24 '05 at 2:05am

I have a cheap small tablet here, but I prefer the mouse for the illustrator work.

I don't sketch on the computer... I use paper. And a pencil (SHOCKING).

grayehound on Apr 24 '05 at 5:40pm

Light pen? I remember LiteBrite, if that helps

I saw Wacom's new draw-on tablet at the HOW conference last year. Verrrrrrrryyyyyyy cool..

http://www.wacom.com/lcdtablets/index.cfm

3 days later

natazilla on Apr 28 '05 at 8:18am

i use a mouse

mezo on Apr 28 '05 at 8:56am

LITE BRITE. LITE BRITE. Turn on the magical shining light! Crap. Thanks, grayehound...

What is with you anti-tablet people? It's FAR more natural using one than it is to use a mouse. And a lot less annoying since there's no clicking involved. I'm using mine RIGHT NOW!