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sleyeu

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 18, 2009
325
0
hey!

im looking into graphics tablets and some software.

i will be doing it on a 27" imac

i have a few questions on this subject.


1. does a graphics tablet active area represent the whole screen of the imac 27" screen lets say, so 10% movement of the tablet means 10% movement of the screen on the imac. (if it is thats true, then its very awkward and fiddly)

2. I've been looking at the wacom bamboo fun small. (this is new right?)
and need to know if the surface is smooth and good to work with.

3. regarding the wacom bamboo, does the software it comes with any good?
compared to lets say GIMP? can i get any other free software to use?

4. any other brands i should look at? (live in UK) dont want to spend too much, bamboo fun small is ok but bamboo fun medium is too much...

5. my drawings arent going to be extremely detailed, but lets just say i want to work with photos at around 10-15megapixel size. Real life photos and files created on software.

thanks for your time!
 
Ola,
I own the old Bamboo(small)

1.This is up to you. There are 3 options - absolute positioning [left corner on bamboo = left corner of your screen] or "part" where you can define the area on your screen where you draw/navigate or use the mouse mode[pretty much like the trackpad ecxept using the pen]

2.Like I wrote before I own the old one [the surface from the old one is pretty good]

I can only say it´s much better than working with a mouse - give it a try.
 
I found this video helpful in choosing my Pen & Touch tablet. the kid reviewed it well. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rztp9J1n4s

1. I'm using one with my MBP 15.4in and it covers the area well. I was going to buy the Pen tablet, because I thought I didn't need the touch features since my MBP has that. But it nice that I don't have to move my hand from the tablet. Even though there is one of the Mac hand features not offered in the tablet, I think I chose wisely with the Pen & Touch.


2. Surface area is fair. Not as durable as the Intus4. I suspect that it wasn't since its half the cost. After one use, there was some wear on it.

3. Software is older version of PSE and Corel. I haven't tried either because I'm working in CS4. But I did download a few free drawing programs online works well with it. If you are on a Mac, your iMac has writing software, Inkwell. You can also try Gimp or Pixelmator.


Also I compared the surface area of the Craft tablet and Small Intus4 and there wasn't a huge difference including the Medium Intus4. I didn't see myself using it a lot since this is my first tablet. Overall I'm happy with my purchase. Amazon.com has it for less.
 
I have the Bamboo Small for a 15" MBP and it works well. I do not have experience with a tablet on larger screens, but other people routinely say that with 24" or bigger they find the medium or large sizes more comfortable, the small is just too small for that much screen real estate. If you limited the area of the screen that the tablet mapped to, it could work, but you'd be missing half of the advantage of a tablet.
 
thanks for input!

i thought this became a dead thread... :)


p.s.
that was a lol of a video
 
Sorry for the double post but I want to bump,

do you know if I can try out the bamboo in the shops? I'm quite pressed for time and I want to try before I buy... :(

also, how and how fast does the active area and nibs wear out? I've seen reviews saying it wears out relatively fast!..
 
Sorry for the double post but I want to bump,

do you know if I can try out the bamboo in the shops? I'm quite pressed for time and I want to try before I buy... :(

also, how and how fast does the active area and nibs wear out? I've seen reviews saying it wears out relatively fast!..

Most places I have shopped generally don't have a tablet out for you to try. Graphics tablets are generally considered a niche product, IOW "You know you need it for X, which means you've probably already done X previously, so you probably already know what you want." At least that is my take on the tablet. I have an old Bamboo Medium for photo retouching, and it is more than acceptable for my needs. I have owned it for at least 2 years now, and Im still on my first nib and use it quite alot. (I do not use it as my main input device like some, so your mileage might vary) Of course this is the old Bamboo, not the newer ones, so I can't attest to their longevity.

My opinion is 1. if youre pressed for time/money, just buy it and accept it may fail in a year. 2. If you want something that absolutely WILL last a while, just get a small or medium Intuos4 or 3, the extra money you spend will be piece of mind.
 
yes it will cover the whole screen... and check out for sum really cool softwares.. i cant remember the name... but u will surely find it on google
 
yeah I thought the kid was cute. lol

I agree with Abraxsis. If you're cash is low, get the Bamboo.
 
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