Wacom Graphire Pen & Mouse Set

Pros: cheap, durable, light
Cons: some problems with mouse & those little rubber thingies that are oh-so-important, poor ergonomics

I will admit that the graphire has problems. The mouse needs serious tweaking in the control panel in order to be useful, but once you get the speed right its fine. The plastic covering get scratched and there's no way to replace it. The usb cable is...

Pros: Sensitivity, ease of use; comes packaged with hundreds of dollars worth of free software.
Cons: No replacement plastic covering. Not 100% perfect for line art.

If there were ever a bargain for the pc artist, it's to be found in Wacom's Graphire Tablet, pressure sensitive pen & mouse set. Aside from offering a vast array of default options for everyday computer usage, the Graphire tablet comes bundled with...

Pros: Plug in while computer on or off. Great software. Can still use PS2 mouse.
Cons: Pen falls out of holder. Didn't work with XP. Need '98CD to install driver.

I purchased this item over a year ago and only now got the opportunity to install it. It would not install nor work with WinXP. But there may be updated drivers so that it can now. I will have to look.
It came with Adobe Photoshop5.0 LE!!
It...

Pros: Easy Set-Up, Small Leaning Curve, Superbly accurate, Mobile. Inexpensive.
Cons: Really stinks if you lose the pen :)

When I was working on my senior thesis, I was doing a short "Star Wars" movie. The post-production process required a lot of drawing on the already shot footage. I was using my regular mouse and spent hours working on the footage. Needless to say, my...

Pros: No cleaning mouseballs, attractive styling, pen is great for drawing, cheap.
Cons: Cord is rather short, mouse does not work very well, memory hog.

I wanted a tablet. I wanted one BAD. It was not going to happen, or so I thought. The average graphics tablet runs around a few hundred bucks, and as a college student, I don't have that kind of money.

But one night, as I was looking for...

Pros: Cheap, flexible, and very capable.
Cons: Low sampling resolution, DOS performance.

Take your mouse, open the art package of your choice, and sign your name. You can't, can you? Try drawing a human face. Unless you're some kind of rodent jockey, that high tech optical mouse with the 27 buttons is starting to look pretty clumsy now,...

Pros: Natural, comfortable, intuitive, liberating.
Cons: None

Tablets are great, they really speed up your work and make some applications much more effective or productive. If you haven't tried on, you should find a friend who has one and give it a try. If you are getting one, then you should get a Wacom tablet....

Pros: Well built and easy to install. Pen based input is so natural!
Cons: Possible driver problems, yet these are not significant.

I had used the Wacom Pen Partner for several years prior to moving to the Graphire Pen. I switched due to some apparent serial port trouble, which rendered my Pen Partner inoperable. The problem did turn out to be a break down in the Pen Partner. At any...

Pros: Easy to install & use. Very customizable. Comes with wireless mouse.
Cons: Small drawing area.

The Graphire is an excellent choice for the hobbyist graphic artist. Why not for professionals? The drawing area is very small for large applications. It's approximately 4" x 5". Otherwise this is perfect tablet.

The Wacom control panel,...

Pros: Awesome technology, extremely useful
Cons: Takes getting used to, most programs for PC

I have always been an avid drawer on my computer, so I was pleased to recieve this as a gift from my father. The device itself looks great, its sleek and sexy. Its not too bulky, and fits nicely on my desk. The pad comes with a cordless mouse and pen....

Pros: No AC Adapter needed, comfortable, easy to work with, easy set-up, nice software
Cons: Mouse tougher to use than pen

I've been using Wacom pads since I first figured out how impossible drawing is with a mouse. I picked up the newest entry, the Graphire, and am amazed at how this improves over an already good product. First, it's a bus-powered USB, so no more bulky...

Pros: just like drawing on paper, customizable, cheap, wireless!
Cons: takes getting used to!

i've wanted a wacom since back when it was first out, and when i finally got one early 2001, i was excited!!! like when i got my first markers for drawing! and all i did the first week was test test test the wacom pen!

i had read reviews...

Pros: Awesome control. Low price
Cons: Unneeded mouse comes with it.

I have heard of graphic tablets. Over the years I saw the ad's etc., they sounded pretty neat but… Why would I want one? I do just fine with my trackball mouse.
The search..
As I delved deeper into art, joined forums and studied...

Pros: wireless, feels natural, inexpensive, USB is good
Cons: so-so accuracy, terrible mouse

Despite a few flaws with the Wacom Graphire Set, this is one piece of hardware I couldn't live without!

Note that I am reviewing this product as it applies to creating graphics!

The Whole Set
The Wacom Graphire...

Pros: Makes navigation easier, indispensable for graphics creation
Cons: The pen dies if dunked in Coke by a toddler

I've always wanted a graphics tablet. I make web graphics - a lot of them. I was limited to the shapes available in my graphics creation software as I can't even write my name with a mouse. Graphics tablets were too expensive to make them realistic for...