A mouse is either on or off, 100% or 0% sensitivity, clicked or not clicked. You will NOT be able to get the same level of detail and workmanship using a mouse that you can with a tablet. It’s odd using a tablet at first but you’ll get used to it. Almost everyone on this board uses one…and you can probably tell from the quality of work displayed the ones who aren’t. my 2 cents.
Chees3mz, I have, it works…
wayniac is right, any tablet will benefit better quality work and greater flexibility. 
Thanks Jason, wayniac, Chees3mz, marcus and n-drew for your feedback and sound advice.
Yesterday, HP Singapore just launched a Tablet PC TX1222AU promotion that cost < US$1,000. It is not a true breed Tablet as this are using Touch-screen pen instead of through tablet sensing technology. This pricing is offered to Tertiary student only and I am getting one for my teenage kid. So, may try it out on Z-brush to see how it goes…
Nevertheless, with this price, it is tempting and a very good deal… AMD 64 X2, 160GB Harddisk, 1GB RAM, Lightscribe DVD Writer, webcam and biometric security login, Wifi abg and bluetooth… 5-in-1 media reader… and extra 6-cell battery… Nvidia 6150 128MB graphics card… You guys may want to check it out. It is called the HP entertainment Notebook but I guess would not be too powerful to do any rendering…
If this don’t work, I guess I would get a powerful PC+Tablet.
Jumping on this thread to ask how important is it to have a good tablet?
I’ve heard Wacom is the way to go, but I recieved an aiptek hyperpen 8000U as a gift. I don’t know how that fares in the world of tablets… it functions like I’d expect a tablet to function, but then again, I’ve never really used any other kind.
Would buying the $330 6x9 Wacom Intuos (that’s what I’ve been recommended) really make a difference that’s worth it?
I love my Wacom tablet. Most would recomend an Intoes… however as there are other versions…
Persionally I use a 4x6 Intoes tablet with my 17’ notebook and its a nice travel combination.
Also if you have the ability… check the magizine… 3d World ed. 91 with the mechanical grasshoppers on the cover… they compare the intoes, cinteq and as couple other non wacom tablets and give their “opinions” on them.
Actually a non Wacom was the winner
I live by my Wacom tablets for sculpting.
-K
Wacom!
Hehehe, I thought the title should be, “Do you NOT use a tablet?”.
Carpal tunnel aside, a tablet is so much more natural to the human physiology. I have gone to carrying my EXTRA tablet in a bag so that when I go to others machines I can plug in and be comfortable.
And Chees3mz, there is nothing unfortunate about your purchase unless you don’t use it. That size is great for starting out and portabilty.
Agreed… I bought the 4x5 Intos for the portability.
It will be making the journey to SigGraph with me next week 
i think wacom may be overestimated.
the genius 9x12 won the tablet shootout in 3d world mag.
jin
And computerarts, the sister publication of 3d world gave them a bad review:
http://www.computerarts.co.uk/reviews/hardware/other/mousepen_8x6
Note that Wacom have a number of patents regarding tablet tech, including the one they use to make their pens battery free. Genius and other tablets have pens that need batteries, which are not only a pain to replace but also make the pen unbalanced to draw with.
And this is Genius we are talking about, the same people who make all those shoddy but cheap mice and keyboards you find all over the place. You really wanna buy a tablet from them ?
I just looked at the magazine- 3d world was saying the Genius PenSketch 9x12 was superior to the other tablets. The publication you posted seems to be reviewing the MousePen 8x6. Same company, sure, but they’re different tablets nonetheless.
I can’t really vouch for either, I haven’t tried a Wacom or a Genius, but I read a couple reviews today and it seems the only real problem the Genius PenSketch 9x12 has is with the mouse. For a tablet that’s $130 off of newegg, it seems somewhat worth it.
Ah my bad then…
Anyway i’m not trying to steer anyone into buying either one of the two, sorry if my post came off that way. The best judge is of course the guy who is gonna be using the tool after all
i would still buy a wacom, coz i had 2 non-wacoms and they were ****. especially the battery stuff sucks like donkey balls. it sounds harsh but thats my opinion.
and there is a reason why “professionals” use wacom. its not just for fun.
meh. battery exchange is NOT a big deal with me. i’ve had wireless keyboards and the hassle of swapping is few and far between. change a battery, big whup.
the real issue is performance and if you can get the same degrees of sensitivity and it works and it’s HUNDREDS of dollars cheaper, hey, i’ll put up with a batter change any day.
besides, it’s a frickin’ tablet. this isn’t rocket surgery people. it either works or it doesn’t. technologically, it’s just a hair more impressive than the wheel. and wacom has ridden a looooooooong looooooooooong way on its laurels.
it’s about time that it give way in terms of marketshare to competition so that it is just another player among many manufacturers… like mice manufacturers.
i wait for the day that a tablet is as generic as a mouse and people stop “swearing by” wacom.
jin
its not just the swapping/replacing but also the balancing of the pen.
Happy wacom user here. If you can’t afford a graphire then give the janky off brands a try and see how you like them. Just whatever you do, don’t use a mouse.
Btw, I just got my graphire4 tablet yesterday and its pretty sweet. Im having a fun time fooling around in photoshop so far. Havent tried it with Zbrush yet though. It feels a little weird at first, but its definately so much better than a mouse for drawing or detail work because of pressure sensitivity.
thanks guys.
I think I will find graphire in my city.
BTW- how much a graphire costs in US?
From personal experience I’d say a tablet is a must have item for 3d of any type, but especially for digital sculpting. As someone who’s had Carpal Tunnle Syndrome and ended up unable to do anything on a computer for 6 months, I’d say be most careful of using a mouse for long periods of time. As a matter of fact I still wear a brace on each wrist and probably alwys will, but I did have a mega case of it.
All those small slow movements in 3d wether it be in zbrush or in a poly app are realy bad news over time. Especially so if you do long sessions like I used to. Think of it less an investment in your art, and more an investment in your health. Sorry if I come across as ‘preachy’ but CTS is vastly overlooked in 3d and last thing we want is a plethoa of cases.
So any tablet (even a cheapo one) is better than none. Although there is a world of diference between a cheap one and a good wacom. I use a A5 Intuous 3 which is perfect for the style and way I work.If you can get a chance to try difference sizes out as some people prefer larger A4 tablets while others find A5 etc better.
Wayne…
Thanks wayne.
I was not totally away from computer, though with zbrush yes because of only 512 mb ram in my laptop.
Do you think we newage geeks can survive without computers even for a day ? lols 
I understand what you are saying because I am facing the same problem as you mentioned, actually I was never able to make great detailed models probably because I used mouse always. never gave me smooth results.
Thats why I thought tablet is a must now. but I have no experience with it at all.
So it will take me some time to catch up with it, I just dont want to waste another 6 months learning zbrush 3 and how to use tablet.
any how my mouse sucks.