February 24, 2009 at 16:10Tablet Review
Hello. In this topic, we will talk about choosing such a thing as a tablet. Below you will find short reviews, specifications and prices for tablets from manufacturers such as Wacom , Genius and Hanvon . The following models will be considered - Wacom Bamboo Fun , Wacom Intuos3 , Genius G-pen m712 and m609 , Hanvon Art Master , Hanvon GraphicPal .
I am a beginner designer. Not so long ago, I was eager to buy a tablet for myself, and then I began to look closely at tablets from different manufacturers and choose.
To begin, I’ll tell you by what criteria tablets will be evaluated and compared:
And so, let's proceed directly to the review.
No one doubts that Wacom is the market leader in tablet manufacturers. Their tablets are considered the best and as a result the most expensive. Wacom tablets are represented by the following lines: Bamboo , Bamboo Fun , Intuos3 , Cintiq 12WX and Cintiq 21UX . Wacom Bamboo will not be covered in this review because it is hardly suitable for design purposes (positioned as a business model). Cintiq12WX and Cintiq21UX will also not be considered due to their high cost - these are tablet displays (cost on the official website: Cintiq12WX - $ 999, Cintiq21UX - $ 1999).
It should be noted that the Bamboo Fun and Intuos3 tablets are bundled with a wireless mouse.
Tablet page on the official website .
Although this model is not positioned by the company as a professional, it seems to me that it is worth paying attention to. The model is presented in two sizes (meaning the size of the active surface) - Small (5.8 "x 3.7", A6) and Medium (8.5 "x 5.3", A5). As for me, the A6 is not enough, so I would not buy a tablet of this size. Different colors of the model are also presented - white, gray, blue, black. Included with the tablet is a stylus, stand for the stylus, mouse, software disks, 3 interchangeable tips for the stylus.
Specifications:
Cost on the official website: Small - $ 99, Medium - $ 199.
Pluses: to be honest, it's hard for me to find one. Bamboo Fun Samll has a relatively small price, but for designers, perhaps, it will be small. The advantages include the fact that, like other tablets from Wacom, it does not have a battery in the stylus.
Disadvantages: a rather low level of sensitivity of the pen, and a poor resolution of the tablet. It is not sensitive to the inclination and rotation of the pen. Bamboo Fun Small is small, Bamboo Fun Medium is expensive for a tablet of this class.
Tablet page on the official website .
This is the best tablet presented in this review (and as a result the most expensive). Intuos3 are professional tablets for designers, artists, people working with advanced graphic editors, 3D visualization programs, etc. They are sold in 6 sizes - 4 "x 6" (A6), 6 "x 8" (A5), 6 "x 11" (A5 wide), 9 "x 12" (A4), 12 "x 12" 12 "x 19" (A3). The tablet comes with a five-button wireless batteryless mouse, stylus, stand for the stylus, 2 tips for the stylus with different textures, 3 spare conventional tips, a disk with software.
Specifications:
Cost on the official website:
Advantages: what can I say, Intuos3 - these are the best tablets. High sensitivity to pressing, high resolution of the tablet, sensitivity to the angle of the pen and its rotation, the pen works without a battery. It was a big surprise for me that the mouse also works without a battery . The reverse side of the stylus also has a sensitive end (1024 levels of pressure sensitivity), which can be used as an eraser. In the kit there are 5 additional tips for the pen.
Disadvantages: high price. In Russia and Ukraine, prices for Intuos3 tablets are at least one and a half timeshigher than the prices presented on the official website. For me personally, there can be no question of buying this tablet at home, due to the very high price. You have to look towards eBay, where you can buy Wacom Intuos3 6 "x 8" for about $ 320, Intuos3 4 "x 6" for about $ 240 (the price is inclusive of delivery).
Pages of tablets on the official website: Genius G-pen m712 and Genius G-pen m609 .
Genius is not very famous for its tablets. In any case, Genius is not a serious player in the professional tablet market. The G-pen m712 and G-pen m609 tablets are the most advanced of all Genius tablets. They have the same characteristics except for the size (and due to the size, a different number of hot keys). The G-pen m712 has an active surface dimension of 12 "x 7" and the G-pen m609 has 9 "x 5.5". The tablet comes with a stylus, a stand for the stylus, spare pen nibs (no matter how many are specified), a refill tweezer (could not translate) and a battery for the stylus in AAA format.
Specifications:
Advantages: the main advantage of this tablet is its price. In Russian online stores G-pen m712 can be purchased for about 7300 rubles. (in Ukrainian for about 1300 UAH.). As was written in one overseas review of this tablet: “For 25% of the cost of Wacom Intous3 you get 90% of its functionality.” Of course, one can argue with these numbers, but in comparison to the price-to-quality ratio, the G-pen clearly outperforms Wacom Intuos3. And at Wacom Bamboo Fun, he wins both in price and in characteristics.
Disadvantages:the stylus has a battery (finger-type). Rumor has it that the stylus is not very comfortable, too big and uncomfortable. Unlike Wacom Intous3, the stylus has only one active end. There is no sensitivity to the angle of inclination of the stylus and to its rotation. The resolution is 1000 units less than that of Intuos3, but I can not judge whether it is possible to really feel this difference during operation. I also read that some people had problems with the drivers for this tablet, which is why it did not work as it should (I don’t know if this is an actual problem at the moment). Well, that seems to be all.
Tablet page on the official website .
This is a very mysterious tablet. I had a strong opinion that it is almost impossible to buy this tablet model from Hanvon :). In RuNet, there is no mention of Hanvon Art Master. I would generally doubt its existence if I had not stumbled upon this tablet on eBay(there a 6 "x 8" model costs about $ 230). According to its characteristics, it is a complete clone of Wacom Intuos3. Please note - in the image, the stylus on this tablet is the same as on Wacom Intuos3. Only the appearance of the tablet itself is different. The tablet has four buttons and a touch strip. Otherwise, everything seems to be the same as Intuos3: 5080 lines per inch, 1024 levels of pen sensitivity, penless battery, sensitivity to tilt, etc. If someone has more detailed information about this tablet, then please dissuade me that this tablet is not connected in any way with Intuos3 :).
Hanvon tablets from the Art Master range come in five sizes: 12 "x 9", 11 "x 7", 8 "x 6", 6 "x 5", 5 "x 4".
Tablet page on the official website .
Also a mysterious character. In RuNet there is no mention of him. You can buy in foreign online stores, but for some reason, the characteristics on the official website do not correspond to those indicated in online stores and other sites on which you can buy this tablet. The tablet comes in three sizes: 8 "x 6", 6 "x 5" and 5 "x 4".
Characteristics from the official website:
All other sources stated that the tablet has a resolution of 2540 lines per inch and 512 sensitivity levels when you press the pen. The pen does not have a battery. A tablet measuring 8 "x 6" abroad can be ordered starting at $ 100 (excluding shipping costs). Honestly, I find it difficult to compare this tablet with the others due to the fact that I do not know its characteristics exactly, but if the official site does not lie, then this is a pretty good tablet for the same amount. Otherwise, it can only compete with Wacom Bamboo Fun.
PS By the time I finished writing the article, I could not resist and decided to buy Wacom Intuos3 on eBay. Won the auction for a brand new fully equipped packaged tablet measuring 8 by 6 inches. The auction was won with a bid of $ 212.5 plus $ 51.5 for delivery to Ukraine (total $ 264 - the price for this tablet is very low!). I wait when it comes and I hope that in the box there will actually be Wacom Intuos3 :).
Introduction
I am a beginner designer. Not so long ago, I was eager to buy a tablet for myself, and then I began to look closely at tablets from different manufacturers and choose.
To begin, I’ll tell you by what criteria tablets will be evaluated and compared:
- the size of the active surface is directly the area that is sensitive to the pen;
- tablet resolution (number of lines per inch) - characterizes the sensitivity of the tablet to the movement of the pen;
- the number of sensitivity levels when you press the pen on the tablet;
- sensitivity to the angle of the pen and to the rotation of the pen;
- the presence of auxiliary keys and other input means;
- the presence of a battery in the stylus (re).
And so, let's proceed directly to the review.
Wacom
No one doubts that Wacom is the market leader in tablet manufacturers. Their tablets are considered the best and as a result the most expensive. Wacom tablets are represented by the following lines: Bamboo , Bamboo Fun , Intuos3 , Cintiq 12WX and Cintiq 21UX . Wacom Bamboo will not be covered in this review because it is hardly suitable for design purposes (positioned as a business model). Cintiq12WX and Cintiq21UX will also not be considered due to their high cost - these are tablet displays (cost on the official website: Cintiq12WX - $ 999, Cintiq21UX - $ 1999).
It should be noted that the Bamboo Fun and Intuos3 tablets are bundled with a wireless mouse.
Wacom bamboo fun
Tablet page on the official website .
Although this model is not positioned by the company as a professional, it seems to me that it is worth paying attention to. The model is presented in two sizes (meaning the size of the active surface) - Small (5.8 "x 3.7", A6) and Medium (8.5 "x 5.3", A5). As for me, the A6 is not enough, so I would not buy a tablet of this size. Different colors of the model are also presented - white, gray, blue, black. Included with the tablet is a stylus, stand for the stylus, mouse, software disks, 3 interchangeable tips for the stylus.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity levels when pressed: 512;
- Resolution: 2540 lines per inch;
- Input: 4 programmable express keys, touch circle.
Cost on the official website: Small - $ 99, Medium - $ 199.
Pluses: to be honest, it's hard for me to find one. Bamboo Fun Samll has a relatively small price, but for designers, perhaps, it will be small. The advantages include the fact that, like other tablets from Wacom, it does not have a battery in the stylus.
Disadvantages: a rather low level of sensitivity of the pen, and a poor resolution of the tablet. It is not sensitive to the inclination and rotation of the pen. Bamboo Fun Small is small, Bamboo Fun Medium is expensive for a tablet of this class.
Wacom intuos3
Tablet page on the official website .
This is the best tablet presented in this review (and as a result the most expensive). Intuos3 are professional tablets for designers, artists, people working with advanced graphic editors, 3D visualization programs, etc. They are sold in 6 sizes - 4 "x 6" (A6), 6 "x 8" (A5), 6 "x 11" (A5 wide), 9 "x 12" (A4), 12 "x 12" 12 "x 19" (A3). The tablet comes with a five-button wireless batteryless mouse, stylus, stand for the stylus, 2 tips for the stylus with different textures, 3 spare conventional tips, a disk with software.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity levels when pressed: 1024;
- Resolution: 5080 lines per inch;
- Input: all tablets have 4 programmable keys and a touch strip on each side (except for a 4 by 6 inch tablet, which has these keys and a strip on one side only).
- Sensitivity to pen angle: ± 60 °.
Cost on the official website:
- 4 "x 6" - $ 219;
- 6 "x 8" - $ 329;
- 6 "x 11" - $ 369;
- 9 "x 12" - $ 449;
- 12 "x 12" - $ 529;
- 12 "x 19" - $ 749.
Advantages: what can I say, Intuos3 - these are the best tablets. High sensitivity to pressing, high resolution of the tablet, sensitivity to the angle of the pen and its rotation, the pen works without a battery. It was a big surprise for me that the mouse also works without a battery . The reverse side of the stylus also has a sensitive end (1024 levels of pressure sensitivity), which can be used as an eraser. In the kit there are 5 additional tips for the pen.
Disadvantages: high price. In Russia and Ukraine, prices for Intuos3 tablets are at least one and a half timeshigher than the prices presented on the official website. For me personally, there can be no question of buying this tablet at home, due to the very high price. You have to look towards eBay, where you can buy Wacom Intuos3 6 "x 8" for about $ 320, Intuos3 4 "x 6" for about $ 240 (the price is inclusive of delivery).
Genius G-pen m712 and m609
Pages of tablets on the official website: Genius G-pen m712 and Genius G-pen m609 .
Genius is not very famous for its tablets. In any case, Genius is not a serious player in the professional tablet market. The G-pen m712 and G-pen m609 tablets are the most advanced of all Genius tablets. They have the same characteristics except for the size (and due to the size, a different number of hot keys). The G-pen m712 has an active surface dimension of 12 "x 7" and the G-pen m609 has 9 "x 5.5". The tablet comes with a stylus, a stand for the stylus, spare pen nibs (no matter how many are specified), a refill tweezer (could not translate) and a battery for the stylus in AAA format.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity levels when pressed: 1024;
- Resolution: 4000 lines per inch;
- Input: 5 hard buttons on the top of the tablet, one rotating disk in the upper corners of the tablet, 34 macro keys on the m712 (26 on the m609).
Advantages: the main advantage of this tablet is its price. In Russian online stores G-pen m712 can be purchased for about 7300 rubles. (in Ukrainian for about 1300 UAH.). As was written in one overseas review of this tablet: “For 25% of the cost of Wacom Intous3 you get 90% of its functionality.” Of course, one can argue with these numbers, but in comparison to the price-to-quality ratio, the G-pen clearly outperforms Wacom Intuos3. And at Wacom Bamboo Fun, he wins both in price and in characteristics.
Disadvantages:the stylus has a battery (finger-type). Rumor has it that the stylus is not very comfortable, too big and uncomfortable. Unlike Wacom Intous3, the stylus has only one active end. There is no sensitivity to the angle of inclination of the stylus and to its rotation. The resolution is 1000 units less than that of Intuos3, but I can not judge whether it is possible to really feel this difference during operation. I also read that some people had problems with the drivers for this tablet, which is why it did not work as it should (I don’t know if this is an actual problem at the moment). Well, that seems to be all.
Hanvon art master
Tablet page on the official website .
This is a very mysterious tablet. I had a strong opinion that it is almost impossible to buy this tablet model from Hanvon :). In RuNet, there is no mention of Hanvon Art Master. I would generally doubt its existence if I had not stumbled upon this tablet on eBay(there a 6 "x 8" model costs about $ 230). According to its characteristics, it is a complete clone of Wacom Intuos3. Please note - in the image, the stylus on this tablet is the same as on Wacom Intuos3. Only the appearance of the tablet itself is different. The tablet has four buttons and a touch strip. Otherwise, everything seems to be the same as Intuos3: 5080 lines per inch, 1024 levels of pen sensitivity, penless battery, sensitivity to tilt, etc. If someone has more detailed information about this tablet, then please dissuade me that this tablet is not connected in any way with Intuos3 :).
Hanvon tablets from the Art Master range come in five sizes: 12 "x 9", 11 "x 7", 8 "x 6", 6 "x 5", 5 "x 4".
Hanvon GraphicPal
Tablet page on the official website .
Also a mysterious character. In RuNet there is no mention of him. You can buy in foreign online stores, but for some reason, the characteristics on the official website do not correspond to those indicated in online stores and other sites on which you can buy this tablet. The tablet comes in three sizes: 8 "x 6", 6 "x 5" and 5 "x 4".
Characteristics from the official website:
- Sensitivity levels when pressed: 1024;
- Resolution: 4000 lines per inch;
- Input: there are no buttons for input on the tablet.
- Sensitivity to the angle of the pen: ± 60 °;
All other sources stated that the tablet has a resolution of 2540 lines per inch and 512 sensitivity levels when you press the pen. The pen does not have a battery. A tablet measuring 8 "x 6" abroad can be ordered starting at $ 100 (excluding shipping costs). Honestly, I find it difficult to compare this tablet with the others due to the fact that I do not know its characteristics exactly, but if the official site does not lie, then this is a pretty good tablet for the same amount. Otherwise, it can only compete with Wacom Bamboo Fun.
PS By the time I finished writing the article, I could not resist and decided to buy Wacom Intuos3 on eBay. Won the auction for a brand new fully equipped packaged tablet measuring 8 by 6 inches. The auction was won with a bid of $ 212.5 plus $ 51.5 for delivery to Ukraine (total $ 264 - the price for this tablet is very low!). I wait when it comes and I hope that in the box there will actually be Wacom Intuos3 :).