ZBrushCentral

Is this Wacom worth the price?

Hi everyone…I just found this Wacom online, new, at a store near my house. It is only $79.99 (+ tax), which is definitely in my price range. I want your opinions on whether this is a worthy investment. It is only 4x5, and I would like to know if that’s a bad thing or not…I’ve never used a tablet, but really want one.

I would like any advice as soon as possible…I don’t want the store to run out before I can get one.

Thanks! Slosh

Here is the description from the Circuit City website:

Wacom Graphire4 Tablet with Pen and Mouse (CTE440BCCS)

Tablet: This 4” x 5” tablet features two programmable ExpressKeys™ for convenient mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts, plus a handy scroll wheel. The integrated pen compartment and separate pen stand keep your pen handy. The transparent photo frame lets you personalize your pad with photos and artwork.

Simple to use: Using this tablet is easy and fun. Every point on the tablet has a matching point on the screen. When you move your pen over the tablet the cursor moves in precisely the same way on the screen. Clicking is as simple as touching your pen tip to the tablet.

Pressure-sensitive pen: This pen features an amazing 512 levels of tip and eraser pressure sensitivity for incredible control. Patented cordless, battery-free technology delivers a natural feel and superior performance. Two programmable buttons right at your fingertips give you even more control.

Cordless mouse: Three programmable buttons and a fingerwheel maximize flexibility and control. There’s no ball to gum up, so you’ll always enjoy smooth, accurate tracking.

Software bundle: This package includes Adobe® Photoshop® Elements® 3 for digital photo editing and compositing and Corel Painter Essentials 2 for creating natural media art and organic effects. Nik Color Efex Pro™ 2 GE lets you selectively apply high-quality photographic enhancements.

Go for it. You’ll find a tablet really helps sculpting in ZB. The software bundled with it is pretty good … Elements is currently on version 4, but you should find v3 is cool. Painter is fun too, though this version is a cut-down version of the full app. You’ll probably dump the mouse, though … the one I got with my Wacom is naff compared to my beautiful Logitech Mx700 (mmm kiss kiss kiss).

:smiley:

Don’t spend too much time kissing the mouse…for some reason, I’m getting a Richard Gere flashback

Thanks for the advice. I’m going to get it in the morning

I agree Wacoms are well worth the money, if you can stretch to it go for an Intuos. I used a Graphire 1 for years and was quite happy with it but I just upgraded to an Intuos 3 and it feels much more responsive, definately worth the extra.

definitely worth it, Brian. Have had mine for several years and feel nekkid without it…:wink:
Ron
[email protected]

I’ve had an Intuos 3 for a couple years and it’s gorgeous… I can’t imagine working without it… only ~$300, but I consider it my 2nd most essential tool (next to ZBrush! even though the two are so dependent on eachother)… I know that sounds expensive, but I value it more than any other piece of hardware I’ve ever had

my school recently got a whole bunch of those graphires that you’re considering buying… I cant use them after having an Intuous for so long… I admit that it’s 1000x better than no tablet at all… but if you’re really serious, I have to recommend saving up for that Intuous

Edit:

oh ya… not to mention that the 4 programmable buttons and thumb-slider on an Intuous are perfectly built for ZBrush… I can sit back and hardly ever touch my keyboard

Button 1: Alt
Button 2: Shift
Button 3: Ctrl
Button 4: Ctrl+Shift
Sliders: [] (brush size)

OK. I just got the Wacom setup and have been playing around with it for about an hour. I cannot believe how much better this is than a mouse. I have been using a mouse all my life and thought I was pretty darned efficient at it (which I am), but this is like a whole new life.

Everyone has said so, and I thought “Yeah, I’m sure it would be pretty cool to use a tablet, but no big deal.” Well, I was wrong. I was so wrong.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who responded and convinced me to go for it. I may upgrade to the Intuos some day, but for now this is great.

This question is for tez…or anyone who might be able to answer. Keep in mind I have the Wacom Graphire CTE-440. Tez told me he has set his eraser to act as the smooth button. How can I do this? My control panel only allows me to program the two feature buttons, but not the eraser. Is this not an option for me on this particular model?

I have a Wacom Cintique and I just can not imagine working without it. My Cintique was rather pricey though (around $2500) but I just saw this yesterday and it looks pretty awesome for only $130. It can convert your LCD display or laptop display into a touch screen.

Click here for more details.

My Daughter got me a graphire 2 at a garage sale for five dollars[2years ago]
and I am still thanking her for it
It is a little small for my hand …
so I went to the wacom site and they recomended the 9 by 10…
I decided the 6 by 8 intuos[3] would fit my work space …
although the 9 by 11 is cheaper in Alberta/Canada…
At first I wanted to match my sketchbook size
now I see they are different entities…
What happened to the intuos?
Take Care:+1:

Hmm, the Navisis doesn’t appear to be pressure sensitive.