Standing screen display size | 7 Inches |
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Screen Resolution | 1920x1080 |
Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
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Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch Small Tablet (Old Version)
Brand | Wacom |
Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
Pressure Sensitivity | 1024 Levels |
Operating System | Windows, Mac OS |
Special Feature | Pen |
About this item
- Have fun with photos and art with included downloadable creative software - Autodesk Sketchbook Express & ArtRage Studio
- Replaces your mouse and turns your computer into a digital drawing canvas
- Battery-free, pressure sensitive pen and digital eraser helps you to draw thicker and thinner lines depending on how hard you push on the pen
- Use your fingers to navigate, scroll, zoom your artwork with multi-touch gestures
- Four customizable ExpressKeys that put your favorite shortcuts like undo or copy/paste at your fingertips
- Connects to Mac or PC and works with any software program
- Small Compact size, 8.3-by-7.0 inches, is perfect for limited desktop areas and can be setup for both left and right handed use
- Work cord-free with Wireless accessory kit sold separately
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This Item Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch Small Tablet (Old Version) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | $99.00$99.00 | -42% $26.99$26.99 New Price: $46.90 | $19.99$19.99 | -6% $46.90$46.90 List: $49.95 | -7% $59.99$59.99 New Price: $64.95 | -21% $299.95$299.95 List: $379.95 |
Delivery | Get it Apr 3 - 10 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
For beginners | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
Easy to use | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
Light weight | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 4.7 | — | 4.3 |
Tech Support | 4.5 | — | — | 4.8 | 3.3 | 3.9 |
Touch Screen | 5.0 | — | — | 3.9 | — | 3.8 |
Sold By | Orange G (SERIAL N RECORDED) | Beach Camera Same Day Shipping | Andu US | Rustic Wholesale | FD Distribution | Amazon.com |
active surface area | 6.0 x 3.7 | — | 4.17 x 2.6inch | 5.98" x 3.74" | 6 inches x 3.7 inches | 8.82" x 5.83" |
operating system | Windows, Mac OS | Windows, Mac OS | Windows 7 or later, MAC OS 10.12 or later, Android 6.0 or later, Linux Ubuntu | Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OS X 10.10 Yosemite | Windows 7 & above, OS X 10.11 El Capitan | — |
connectivity tech | Wireless | USB | USB | USB-A | Wireless,Usb,Bluetooth | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
pressure sensitivity | 1024 levels | — | 8192 levels | 2048 levels | 4096 levels | 8192 levels |
model name | — | — | Inspiroy | One by | — | Wacom Intuos Pro, Medium, Black (PTH660) |
weight | 0.68 pounds | — | 105 grams | 0.95 pounds | 8.8 ounces | 1.54 pounds |
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Product information
Technical Details
Brand | Wacom |
---|---|
Item model number | CTH480 |
Operating System | Windows, Mac OS |
Item Weight | 10.9 ounces |
Product Dimensions | 3.25 x 2.72 x 0.16 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.25 x 2.72 x 0.16 inches |
Color | Black |
Manufacturer | Wacom |
Language | English |
ASIN | B00EN27U9U |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | September 4, 2013 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
---|---|
Best Sellers Rank | #454 in Computer Graphics Tablets |
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Product Description
Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch Small Tablet
Compact tablet is ideal for graphic design, drawing, photo editing, and more. Get hands-on with your artwork by using gestures to scroll, zoom, rotate, or flip through documents and photos.View larger Sketch, draw, and create on your computer. Create variations in line width and unique brush effects with the pressure sensitive pen and eraser
View larger
Express Yourself, Naturally
With the Intuos Creative Pen & Touch Small Tablet, you'll enjoy making digital art with the comfort, precision, and feel of working with traditional media. This tablet lets you create expressively and intuitively with your computer, whether you're sketching or drawing, editing photos, or coloring digitally. The tablet measures 8.25 by 6.9 inches, giving you a compact canvas for your digital artwork.
Experience Intuitive Control
The tablet's multi-touch surface helps you get hands-on with your artwork by using gestures to scroll, zoom, rotate, or flip through documents and photos. Its four customizable ExpressKeys put your favorite functions at your fingertips so you can personalize your tablet and create effective shortcuts as you work. This slim, reversible tablet is made for both right- and left-handed users.
Pressure Sensitivity for Varied Effects
With the included pen, the Intuos Creative Pen & Touch Tablet senses 1,024 levels of pressure so you can create variations in line width and opacity or unique brush effects in your favorite creative software. The ergonomic, battery-free pen has an eraser and includes two programmable switches for your favorite shortcuts. The included pen holder and rings can be exchanged to personalize your tablet's accessories.
Compatibility Information
The Intuos Creative Pen & Touch Tablet is compatible with Windows Vista SP3, 8, and 7 (32- or 64-bit), and with Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later (with Intel processor). The tablet connects to your computer via USB. A Wireless Accessory Kit is sold separately.
Boost Your Ideas with a Wacom Holiday OfferBuy any Intuos Creative Pen Tablet and get the Creative Starter Pack including
- Autodesk Sketchbook 90-Day Pro membership & 20% off annual Pro Membership after 90-day promotion
- Lynda.com online training library 30-Day membership
- Free Shutterfly 8x8 inch Photobook
Promotion Details
Purchase an Intuos Creative Pen tablet by February 28, 2015. Register your product and receive information on how to receive your Creative Starter Pack. (additional registration may be required). Redemption must be completed by March 31, 2015.
Compare ProductsCTL480Intuos Creative Pen Tablet (Small)CTH480Intuos Creative Pen & Touch Tablet (Small)CTH680Intuos Creative Pen & Touch Tablet (Medium)CTH480S2Intuos Manga Pen & Touch Tablet (Small)Intuos Pro Professional Pen & Touch Tablet (Multiple Sizes)Pressure sensitive pen (1,024 levels)✓Pressure sensitive pen and digital eraser (1,024 levels)✓✓✓Pressure and tilt sensitive pen and digital eraser (2,048 levels)✓Touch control to scroll, zoom, rotate, swipe and more✓✓✓✓✓Wireless kit included✓Includes manga & anime software✓Includes creative software✓✓✓Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the performance, quality, ease of use, value, and size of the graphic tablet. For example, they mention it works great, the build quality overall is good, and it's durable. That said, some appreciate the small size and say it allows for greater versatility.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the performance of the graphic tablet. For example, they say it works well with Inkscape, Gimp, and Sketchbook Pro. It also works well as a mouse replacement, and as easly as if you were using a track pad. Customers also say it's comfortable to work with and that the pressure pen works great right out of the box.
"...All in all this is a great device that works extremely well as a mouse replacement.**********Update 1/20/2015*********************..." Read more
"...It works great with photoshop (I use photoshop cs6). There is no lag with it and there is no 'shaky' lines when drawing...." Read more
"...The pen is a bit too light for my taste, but appears to work relatively well...." Read more
"been using it for years, still works great, since 2013!..." Read more
Customers like the quality of the graphic tablet. They say it's a high-quality tablet, with a good build quality. They also say it is durable, and comes in good condition. Some customers also mention that the tablet is comfortable and does well for what they have used it for so far.
"...movement than with a traditional mouse. This tablet is extremely well made and it has far exceeded my expectations...." Read more
"...All-in all the buying experience was horrid, BUT; the tablet is amazing...." Read more
"...Perfect size for drawing and will fit in a small backpack easily. Very sturdy build...." Read more
"...it without hesitation to anyone looking for an inexpensive, yet high-quality tablet." Read more
Customers find the graphic tablet easy to use. They mention that it's convenient, and the software is straightforward. They also appreciate the small size, which makes it perfect to set on their lap while drawing on their laptop. Customers also mention that the tablet comes with everything they need to get started, as well as some extra nibs for their pen.
"...The two finger scrolling with the touch feature is also really easy to use.After using the tablet for 4 solid months I still love it...." Read more
"...This tablet comes with everything you need to get started as well as some extra nibs for your pen if you need them...." Read more
"...It is still easy to use. Even if the touch feature worked perfectly, I probably still wouldn't use it." Read more
"...In my experience, it was a bit difficult to adapt to at first, I ended up unplugging my mouse so I had no choice but to use the tablet...." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the graphic tablet. They say it's a great product for the price. However, nib replacements are cheap, so if changing them often is not a bother, go for it.
"...This tablet gives you so much bang for your buck!..." Read more
"...Conclusion:Pros- Excellent Price Good Sturdy Build..." Read more
"...I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone looking for an inexpensive, yet high-quality tablet." Read more
"...Compared to other tablets, the price isn't too expensive. Overall, I am satisfied with this product and will continually use it!..." Read more
Customers like the size of the graphic tablet. They say it's not too small, yet still small enough to put on their workstation. They also say that the small size allows them greater versatility when finding a spot to put it. The size of surface is just large enough to be useful without forcing them to move. Customers also mention that it fits very well into their relatively tight work space. They mention that the drawing surface is very small but very accurate.
"...For under $100 you get advanced levels of art production in a small and easy to use package...." Read more
"...Like a carbon fiber bike, stiff, light and tight. The pen is on the skinny side, but I don't mind. Feels like a real pen to me. Not clunky...." Read more
"...Intuos Pen & Touch SMALL Tablet would be too small, but I'm quite happy with the size...." Read more
"...Pros -* Small size, perfect to set on my lap while I'm drawing on my laptop.*..." Read more
Customers like the appearance of the graphic tablet. They say it has some nice design touches, like the pen holder loop. They also say it's responsive, accurate, and incredibly smooth to draw on, making drawings really come to life. Customers say it provides advanced levels of art production in a small and easy to use package. They mention that it'll be quite suited for some graphics work.
"...For under $100 you get advanced levels of art production in a small and easy to use package...." Read more
"...slight inaccuracies with it actually drawing I can say it's helped to improve my art. It's going to help in many ways and I am glad I purchased it...." Read more
"Excellent drawing tablet. I was afraid the Wacom Intuos Pen & Touch SMALL Tablet would be too small, but I'm quite happy with the size...." Read more
"...Now, onto the good! This tablet just feels rich. It looks amazing, the color scheme is beautiful to look at; I love peering over and seeing it on my..." Read more
Customers like the drawing on the graphic tablet. They say the lines come out very smooth and nice, the pen strokes are smooth, and the interface is extremely smooth. They also say the surface is finer and a much more solid design. Customers say the overall tablet is very smooth against the pen and very easy to draw. They mention that the pressure sensitivity allows them to draw more realistically. Overall, customers find the tablet to be an efficient and decent graphic tablet that provides an impressive form of virtual to realistic painting.
"...It really is the most impressive form of virtual to realistic painting I have seen...." Read more
"...case work, the bundled software seems really cool and the pen and tablet seem very nice...." Read more
"I like the tablet, it's a smooth draw. It works well with Inkscape, Gimp, and Sketchbook Pro...." Read more
"...Pressure sensitivity, so you can draw more realistically---although to be honest, I haven't figured out how to set up this feature yet.*..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the sensitivity of the graphic tablet. Some mention that they love the senitivity and pressure with this tablet, while others say that there is no pressure sensitivity and the cursor acts all fidgety. The touch behavior took some getting used to, and the tablet is not a touch tablet.
"...The combination of pen and touch is amazing. The touch feature is accurate enough to use as a mouse replacement alone and I find myself using the..." Read more
"...• This tablet is NOT a touch tablet - meaning you cannot use your fingers on the tablet like a laptop's touchpad. The CTH 480 offers this...." Read more
"...It features multi-touch and works very well with my computer...." Read more
"...The tablet is nice for my hand, I have a small hand though. I am left handed at that and found no issue with having it work for me...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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As a Mechanical Engineer I spend 6-8 hours a day in front of a computer, mostly using 3D CAD programs such as Solidworks and Pro E. These programs are VERY mouse heavy and require precise movements. I had always used a traditional mouse (because I didn't know anything else existed) with no issues until one day I noticed some pain in my right forearm. Thinking I was just tense that day, I powered through. The pain came back the next day even worse. I dealt with that for about a week, hoping it would go away or I could find a way to hold my mouse that would minimize the strain on my arm. I even tried mousing with my left hand for a week and the pain turned up there too! I turned to the internet for a solution and after a couple Google searches all roads seemed to point me towards a vertical mouse (Evoluent has some great SEO). Not wanting to drop too much money, I settled on the Lugulake vertical mouse for $11. For a single day I thought I had solved the problem because the pain was less intense in my forearm than it had previously been, but within a week the pain had moved from my forearm to my hand due to the new clamping force necessary to click the mouse and the new muscles that were now in a constant tense state. I knew this product would not work for me so I turned to the internet again and this time wound up at the trackball. I purchased the Kensington K72337US trackball and again I thought my problem had been solved. But after a week, the pain in my forearm returned with a vengeance due to all the finger movements necessary to operate a trackball. I began to panic. I make my livelihood off my ability to manipulate a cursor on a screen and thus far ALL my attempts at doing this seemingly simple task without pain in my arm had failed. After several more hours of research I was led to the pen tablet which is where my quest for painless computing has ended.
I purchased this tablet after reading good reviews and after a week of using this device nearly all my pain is gone (can you hear the hallelujah chorus?). My hand feels much more relaxed holding the pen than a mouse.
My biggest worry about switching to a pen tablet was a loss of productivity, but after a few days of getting used to using the tablet I believe I'm even FASTER with the tablet than I am with a traditional mouse (even with Solidworks). This is due to the fact that every point on the tablet is mapped to an exact location on the computer screen so with some practice you can move around the screen with much less hand movement than with a traditional mouse.
This tablet is extremely well made and it has far exceeded my expectations. Coming from a non-Adobe / Photoshop user I can easily say that this works well simply as a mouse replacement. In fact had pen tablet technology been around when Xerox first invented the mouse, perhaps we'd all be using these.
NOTE: If you're buying this as a mouse replacement there are a few things you should know before you buy.
1. Pen tablets work much differently than traditional mice. With a mouse, you move the cursor and it stays put until the mouse is moved again. With a pen tablet, the cursor is moved by HOVERING the pen over the tablet and where you touch the tablet is where you CLICK. This really concerned me when I first started using it because I was nervous it would cause my forearm to tense up to make fine movements. This was not the case, however, and believe me you want it like this. If you moved the mouse by contacting the surface you would have to make significantly more movements to move the cursor across the screen, thus increasing the toll on your hand and arm. The way this tablet is designed, once you "learn" your screen you are much faster and more efficient moving the cursor but it will take some patience to get used to.
2. The buttons on the tablet and stylet can be programmed to any key or mouse click you want. This, in addition to a key remapping software can make you much more productive.
3. In retrospect it probably would have been worth the extra money to get the Wacom Pen & Touch tablet just in case I ever wanted to use the touch feature. But with how well like the pen mode I don't think I'll switch.
BOTTOM LINE: I'm so thankful for Wacom and this product because it has saved my career. If you're experiencing any pain from a mouse (or simply want to join the 21st century), learn from my experience and get this as soon as you can. You'll be extremely glad you did.
*************Update: 4/23/2014***************
Shortly after posting this review I exchanged my pen tablet for a Pen & Touch tablet despite what I said earlier. The combination of pen and touch is amazing. The touch feature is accurate enough to use as a mouse replacement alone and I find myself using the best of both worlds with this device. I use the pen when I have any heavy mousing to do, but if I am just typing a report I can use the touch feature to mouse where I want to be without having to pick up the pen. The two finger scrolling with the touch feature is also really easy to use.
After using the tablet for 4 solid months I still love it. The wrist / forearm pain I was feeling is still gone, though some slight soreness happens if I use the device for 8 hours straight (as can be expected with any repetitive activity).
All in all this is a great device that works extremely well as a mouse replacement.
**********Update 1/20/2015*********************
I have been using this product as a mouse replacement for over a year now and I can say that I am pain free. If you are on the fence about getting one you should definitely pull the trigger. Your health is worth so much more than any product. I don't think I would be able to continue working as a Mechanical Engineer were it not for this product. I will say that now that my pain is gone I occasionally use a traditional mouse for some specific work with Pro E, but 90% of my work is done with my pen tablet. And when I do use a mouse I limit myself to using it for 30 minute stretches.
If you're struggling with RSI you know how scary that issue can be. This product, along with improved posture (which is key for RSI) has helped me gain my back my confidence that I can be an engineer for years to come. If anything changes with my satisfaction with this product I will be sure to post another update. There were some questions as to which specific model I purchased and I bought the Small Pen & Touch model.
The pen is battery free which is a HUGE plus since you won't have to worry about charging it or replacing any sort of disposable battery.
The stock product comes with a power cord which isn't the longest and if I had to pick one thing to complain about that would be it, BUT there is an easy fix for that, you can just purchase a USB extension cable to go along with it, this one is a very good one: AmazonBasics USB 2.0 Extension Cable - A-Male to A-Female - 9.8 Feet (3 Meters) . This will make the cord longer and give you more slack to play with.
Alternatively you can purchase the wireless kit that wacom makes for this tablet to make all the cords unneeded. Wacom Wireless Accessory Kit for Bamboo and Intuos Tablets (ACK40401) However with this option you will have to worry about charging it from time to time.
This tablet comes with everything you need to get started as well as some extra nibs for your pen if you need them. It works great with photoshop (I use photoshop cs6). There is no lag with it and there is no 'shaky' lines when drawing. This tablet can also be used as a track pad similar to what you may find on a laptop. It features multi-touch and works very well with my computer.
It is also windows 10 compatible for those who are wondering!
If you have any questions about this product, feel free to ask me and I will answer to the best of my knowledge! And if this review was helpful to you, please consider leaving a positive rating!
Easy to adapt to. After an hour I was able to use the pen as accurately as my mouse and now I am better with the pen than the mouse itself.
Cost efficient in the sense that you get what you pay for. You are paying for a tablet that acts as a mouse and allows you to control art programs brushes with the pen. It really is the most impressive form of virtual to realistic painting I have seen.
Exercises the whole wrist, I myself have carpel tunnel and I haven't had any painful experiences with this, yet.
Very accurate; the tablet's pen acts as your cursor, but it also maintains direct relation from tablet area to screen area.
About the same size as a regular mouse pad, so it doesn't take up more space.
Very fast. It's response time is very quick, not much delay at all(I believe the delay was 0.003 Seconds)
Hover or Sketch. The pen works even when it's not touching the tablets surface directly as well as when it is. You do not need to press down on the tablet surface with a lot of pressure either. I like to just let the pen flow on the surface to reduce scratches and pressure sensitive areas.
Those are the main things I would like the point out. The only downside I can point out is that when you are setting up the aspect ratio for the tablet, you cannot place the area where you want it exactly. It auto-snaps and there is no way to turn it off as far as I know. This isn't a huge deal, but if you want to use only a small portion of the tablet, you're going to have to put that area into the center of the tablet, and it's still close to using the whole thing.
There are many, many, many more amazing features this product offers. I could not possibly explain them all. If you have ever been curious as to what it would be like to replace your mouse with a tablet for gaming or casual computer use or even for visual design, I would strongly recommend this one or any of Wacom's other pen and touch tablets.
Top reviews from other countries
Detecta la presion de la pluma , multitouch, se adapta perfectamante con la familia Adobe y otros programas de dise;o.
Lo he probado en Mac OS y en windows , en ambos funciona bien , pero funciona mejor la interface en Mac OS
Some things to note:
1.when I first connected the tablet to the computer, the touchpad wouldn't function well. Be sure that you install the wacom drivers from the official website and reboot your computer before you decide that your unit is malfunctioning.
2. the replacement nibs are on the plate in the back where you can slide of to replace the cloth/fabric pen holder. A lot of people seem to have trouble with this for some reason.
3. when trying to remove your nib from the pen, insert the tip into the silver hole after you slid open the panel, and tilt the pen so that the silver hole sort of "catches" onto the nib. Then you can pull the pen, and the nib is removed. Unfortunately, this leaves a bite mark on the nib, so that might not be the best solution.
4. as good as wacom market the product to be, it's not pen and paper. At least on this model, there is still an observable amount of lag between the writing on the tablet and the appearance of ink on your monitor. This can be experienced even with an i7 4700hq.
In conclusion, is this product perfect? No, there are some minor flaws here and there. Do those flaws greatly detract from the writing experience? No. Is this tablet worth the money? Definitely.
Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch medium tablet model CTH680 review.
The Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch tablet was ordered on December 30th from Amazon.ca, arrived on January 3rd. Shipping was free.
The Intuos was in a box about 50 percent larger stuffed with a bit of brown paper. Neither boxes had any obvious damage, both were spotlessly clean. Opening the Wacom Intuos box I found:
A tablet wrapped in two protective papers, one a thin black fabric of the type used for gardening that prevents weed growth, the other a white material similar to some flooring underlay, except much thinner and is often used for wrapping electronic goods.
A USB cord that had caps and a twist tie.
A pen held in place by two black foam discs.
A small black paper box similar to the style of a CD case. It contained numerous papers having offers of dubious quality and or worth, a CD or DVD of drivers. A small plastic bag with a small black nylon fabric the size of an unfolded clothing tag. It has several holes along two edges, and a small black rubber ring that appears to be a replacement for a small blue rubber ring on the pen. A quick start guide.
A thin pressed paper holder that is used to protect and hold all the items.
Absent from the package is any real documentation that informs how to change pen nibs, what the fabric with holes is for.
Absent too is the software disc. Instead you are given a code on the driver disc and this is used to download the software. When registering you are given a choice of which software of the four offered for this model. The Wacom website says you only have one chance to get this right, if you don't select all the ones you need, you won't have an opportunity to fix the mistake.
As soon as I plugged in the tablet Windows 7 downloaded the latest Wacom drivers and installed them. This occurred without any surprises or problems. I was told I should restart the system, but also if I wanted to download the software I needed to register the tablet. I chose to register before restarting.
I downloaded all the software, which included:
Painter Lite
Photoshop Elements 11
SketchBook Express v6.2 (Autodesk)
Color Effects Pro 3.0 Wacom Edition
The software didn't factor into my buying decision. I already have Photoshop although it's an elderly edition it suites almost all my needs and my wallet. Even so I installed Photoshop Elements 11with the hope that it will have the ability to import my Olympus E-PM1 raw files. It does.
If, during this process I was offered to download the Intuos product manual, I didn't notice it. Nor can I find it on my system so it doesn't appear to have been installed during the automatic driver installation, and it doesn't come with a printed manual. Eventually I went looking and found it here:
[...]
I believe the statement of models covered is in error, as it does not mention this model, but as far as I can see there is no other manual that covers the model, and it mentions the model number numerous times throughout. Except where it states what models the manual covers.
It is an oversight on Wacom's part to not download the manual when the drivers are downloaded and create an icon somewhere. Perhaps on the desktop. It's one thing to not include a printed manual, it's quite another to make customers search for them on their website. Especially when some customers have broken their pens trying to replace the nib.
The main reason I purchased Wacom was because the other tablets were an unknown. This was a hard choice since I already have a Wacom tablet, but there are no drivers for Windows 7. There is nothing wrong with the old tablet or pen. Which is annoying, to say the least.
My purchase price point gave me two choices, the Intuos Pen and Touch medium or the Intuos Pro medium. The pro gives higher resolution, reading speed and includes pen tilt. The tablet also has more switches including some that are configurable to specific applications. My model has 4 and they are currently set to act as CTRL, SHIFT, ALT and the Windows key.
The USB cord is 3.3 feet long and not really long enough for me. I used my Kindle cord instead which is longer and fits snugly into the socket in the tablet. According to some reviews the included cord does not fit snugly into the socket and can be a problem.
A wireless module is available but I don't currently see the need, except that it would make it easier to put away without needing to unplug the USB cord. I don't like plugging or unplugging cords all the time. Sooner or later there will be a failure, either with the cord or the socket. Usually the socket and I did read a review that complained of the flimsiness of the USB socket and it's failure.
Changing the replaceable pen nib is done via the back of the tablet, there is a small hole under a removable panel. It is used to capture the nib and withdraw it from the pen. The replacement can be slid in. The Intuos Pen and Touch does not come with replacement nibs or a desktop pen holder. The pen is held in a loop of nylon fabric on the top of the tablet. There is an additional replacement nylon fabric and a small black rubber ring for the pen. Since they are black rather then blue, I assume the intent is for minor customization. Very minor.
If I had to do this again I'd probably purchase the next version up, the Intuos Pro PTH-651. While it costs 50% more, it comes with many more customizable buttons and a four position touch ring, so I wouldn't have to take my hands off the tablet and pen as much, which can really break the work flow. The Pro comes with a desktop holder and replacement nibs. The table has over twice the resolution, the throughput is higher and the pen has tilt sensing plus or minus 60 levels. I don't think I would necessarily notice the higher resolution, 2000 lpi is already pretty high resolution, nor do I know if the tilt sensing would be useful to me.
The Intuos Pro is wireless, so you have one less annoying USB cord. I'm always horrified at the snakes nest of cords under my computer table. I'm certain they're reproducing, whispering "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated".
The Intuos Pro is black and over all larger than the Intuos Pen and Touch although the active area is only a bit larger. In my humble opinion, the Pro is better looking, for what it's worth. While I could send back my Intuos and get the Pro, I think I'll save the money and perhaps put it towards a copy of Corel Painter.
Is a tablet really necessary? For some graphic work, I think so, yes. There are some things which are extremely difficult to do with either a mouse or trackball type mouse. Drawing. Try drawing decent circles with a mouse or trackball. While I may not do some of these a lot, I stopped trying because using a trackball mouse was simply too difficult and I was not getting any better with practice. A graphics tablet can be used in Vue for the editing of terrains and painting of ecosystems and the pressure tip allows more control with less work. If I use the pen switch in Vue the pen seems to get grabby and moves the object you are painting. This is going to require more practice and I need to play with the pressure and painting ecosystems more.
I'm also happy to have another input method. On some days I can't stand the thought of touching my mouse, my hand and arm ache terribly. This allows me to switch back and forth. Although a graphics pen tablet isn't as handy as a keyboard and the trackball I glued to it, it does come with an onscreen keyboard that I can use to enter in text. It also comes with a handwriting to text tool, which appears to work well, even on my scribbling although I don't see myself using it a lot, perhaps not at all.
In the end, I purchased the tablet for graphics work, and in that it should work well, but like anything, it will take some time to master.
I wrote this review shortly after receiving the tablet. At this point I am sure I should have purchased the Wacom Intuos Pro Pen and Touch Large Tablet (PTH851 or medium PTH651) instead, or at the very least the wireless accessory kit. The USB cord is getting tangled in other USB cords. It's really annoying. The reason for now wanting the PTH850 is the larger area but more importantly more switches that can be used as keyboard shortcuts without having to take my hands off the tablet. But still, that's a lot more money for not a whole lot more functionality.
So, if I had to purchase a tablet again, I would get a Wacom, but probably the Pro version with more programmable keys.
IMHO, the Pro version could use even more programmable keys. Double the number and a shift to get even more.
I made a simple case for my tablet. I used dark blue vinyl seat covering material and sewed it together by hand. It prevents dust and dog hair from settling on the tablet. I also made a simple cover for my keyboard out of left over material.