| As for the tablet itself,
there are several changes. Gone is the programmable strip at the top
of the tablet surface. Now, you have several options for programmability,
but these are no longer anywhere on the tablet surface directly. Instead,
you now have the Tablet Keys, located to the left and right side of
the tablet surface. These keys are designed to mimic several keys on
your keyboard. By default, they are set to Space, Alt, Ctrl and Shift,
but they are customizable for a number of settings, such as modifier
keys, keystrokes and clicking. On the inside of these keys is the touch
strip. Its purpose is for scrolling or zooming in different applications
and can be controlled with the finger or pen and is also programmable.
Additional Notes
In working with the mouse, I noticed that it’s not as ergonomic
as its predecessors. In some ways, it feels almost like holding a block
in my hand. I felt it was bottom heavy and not as smooth to move around.
Another issue is the side buttons. Due to their proximity, they can
be accidentally triggered, such as when surfing the web, causing you
to jump forwards or backwards when you’re not expecting it. In
this instance, I found that the simplest solution is to disable them.
When you’re finished working on a task with the tablet, make
sure to remove the pen or mouse from the working surface. If you don’t,
it’s likely to interfere or prohibit screen cursor positioning
when working with other devices.
Known Issues and Workarounds
Zooming with the Touch Strip
When using the Touch Strip to zoom in Adobe Photoshop and other Adobe
applications, the document will always zoom around the center of the
document window.
In my experience, this issue appeared as a result of accessing
the Alt key in Photoshop. Several times when I did this, the cursor
would zoom in and out in an erratic fashion. As first, I thought something
was wrong with the software until I realized that the heel of my hand
was contacting the touch strip, causing the zooming problem.
Windows XP - When installing on systems with multiple
users
If you install the tablet on a system with multiple users and the tablet
only works on the primary user desktop, reboot the system.
Safe Mode - Support for USB tablets
If your PC was not configured with a USB keyboard or USB mouse, it may
not support USB devices while in Windows Safe Mode. In this case, your
tablet will not function in Safe Mode.
Options
One option for the Intuos 3 is the Airbrush, which is a digital pen
with the feel and control of a real airbrush. Features include a top-mounted
fingerwheel to control ink flow, a pressure-sensitive tip and eraser,
and a programmable top button. Unfortunately, one of these wasn’t
available at the time of this review, so I wasn’t able to test
it.
Artists working with the pen have occasionally said that it doesn’t
feel like they’re actually drawing with a pen or painting in the
way that they’ve become accustomed. One way of compensating for
that is to use papers that have different textures and to tape those
to the surface of the tablet. The paper will create a type of friction
as you draw/paint which can increase your comfort level. This could
be useful for creating different effects, such as a ragged look when
drawing with charcoal or the look of canvas as you paint.
Conclusion
Overall, I like the new tablet and the feeling when working with it.
Having reviewed tablets of different sizes (9x12 and 4x5), this tablet
is best suited to my style. It’s also an excellent choice if you
have a laptop as it fits comfortably within a 12x16 inch case. If your
case is any smaller than that, it could be a tight fit, in which case
the 4x5 tablet would be a better option.
System Requirements
A PC or Macintosh computer running Windows 98SE/2000/Me/XP or Mac OS
10.2.6 & higher with powered USB port, CD-ROM drive & color
monitor. nik Color Efex Pro 2 IE requires Adobe Photoshop Elements 2
(included) or Photoshop 7 & higher. Corel Painter Essentials 2 requires
Windows 2000, XP, or Mac OS 10.2 & higher.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing for the 6x8 tablet is $329.00. For a full list of tablets and
options, visit http://www.wacom.com/productinfo/index.cfm
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