What a tablet
Written: Apr 06 '02 (Updated Apr 06 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: compatible with many programs, graphic versatility, traceable surface
Cons: small active drawing area
The Bottom Line: I would recommend this tablet to anyone striving to explore graphic arts. This tablet is an excellent graphics tool for those of us who aren't graphic mousers.
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| ahsitan's Full Review: Wacom Graphire2 (ET45ABRON) Stylus |
My husband has realized my frustration with drawing on the computer with a mouse for some time now. I am a person who will readily sit down and sketch something on a piece of paper, but when faced with a blank computer screen and a mouse the creative block sits in. As a Christmas gift, my husband sought to bridge the gap between the paper and the computer by purchasing a Wacom Graphire2 4X5 USB Tablet.
As the type of artist that enjoys having my hands directly on the physical artwork, learning to adapt to the graphic age has presented an everlasting challenge. The graphic pen on the Wacom tablet may just bridge the gap between physical and graphic arts. Making the transition has been an interesting task. I can only describe the experience similar to drawing with your eyes closed and an inkless pen. It is difficult to get used to the concept of looking at the computer screen as I draw instead of the drawing surface. Now if they made a tablet with Magnadoodle technology… I would be all set.
The many uses of this tablet include but are not limited to colorizing old black and white photos, removing scratches/imperfections from images, tracing photos/ images, painting, drawing, etc…I have only just begun to explore the capabilities of the tablet and I am amazed at what it lets me do.
The Wacom Graphire2 4X5 USB Tablet is an excellent tool for those of us who want to dabble or perfect our skills in graphic arts. The tablet is about the size of a mouse pad (8.2" x 8.4" x 0.4"). The active surface for drawing is indicated by a rectangle (3.65" x 5") in the middle of the tablet. The tablet has a transparent flap over the drawing surface that lifts to allow you to place images under it for tracing. And your only tether is a cord that extends from the back of the tablet to the computer (uses a USB port). The resolution capabilities are 1015 lpi.
Included with the tablet is a Graphire2 pressure sensitive pen with 512 pressure levels (has its own cradle at the top of the tablet). The pen has a programmable DuoSwitch and built-in eraser. The pen has the versatility of controlling the thickness and darkness of your marks by the pressure you exert with the pen. And it has the comfort and feel of a real pen.
Also includes is a three-button cordless, battery-free mouse. The mouse also has a fingerwheel. The mouse has a smooth surfaced bottom (no ball) so there are no skips. One thing that I really like about the mouse is that it isn’t tethered. I intend to replace my tethered mouse with the tablet mouse once I am able to clear enough space on my desk for every day usage of the tablet.
The uses for the mouse and graphic pen are unlimited. You can use either as you would use an ordinary mouse in any window or program you may be using. There are some incompatibilities listed below, but the capabilities appear endless.
Incompatabilities:
MICROSOFT ACCESS V2.0
MS PROJECT 4.0
QUARK EXPRESS QUICKBOOKS PRO 5.0
When using the pen to click or double-click, the screen cursor freezes. This may be rectified by jiggling the PS/2 or serial mouse to unfreeze the screen cursor.
Programs included with the tablet:
Painter’s Classic
Adobe Photoshop LE
The User's Manual: The user’s manual is very thorough and complete. Below are the listed sections in the manual.
1. Tablet Installation
2. Description of known problems, workarounds, unsupported features and compatibility issues
3. Corrections to the User's Manual
4. Information on downloading Wacom software updates
5. Information for ordering Wacom parts and accessories
6. Contact information for Wacom Technical Support
System requirements:
PC- PC running Windows 98, 2000, Millennium or XP; powered USB port, CD-ROM drive & color monitor.
Mac- iMac or PowerMac with Mac OS 8.5, 9 or 10.1; powered USB port, CD-ROM drive & color monitor.
I have not had any problems, so I can not comment on tech support.
The drawing surface is pretty small, but workable. Maybe next the tablet that I buy will have a larger active drawing surface. So far, I have no real complaints with this product and would freely recommend it to anyone interested in graphic pens.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ahsitan
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Location: Rochester, NY
Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I am a mother, a wife, and an avid reader.
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