Wacom Intuos3 Graphics Tablet Review
Writing by stickman on Thursday, 19 of July , 2007 at 9:06 am
The Wacom Intuos3 combines digital pen, mouse and tablet to provide a complete user interface to your computer. The Intuos3 is currently a mid to high end model in the Wacom Tablet range.
Designed primarily for artists and graphics designers who need a greater degree of control than that provided by a normal mouse, the Intuos3 is also more ergonomically than a standard mouse, very important for people who suffer or could potentially suffer from Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
The Intuos3 connects to your Mac or PC via a USB cable (250 cm long). The digital pen and mouse in turn connect to the tablet via wireless (RF).
All three components of the Intuos3 have customizable buttons, including a rocker switch on the pen, five buttons on the mouse, as well as a four-button keypad and a slide bar on the tablet. In addition the Intuos3 comes bundled with the all necessary software drivers on CD for both Apple Mac and Windows PC. It also ships with Corel Painter Essentials 2.0.
The Digital Pen
When using the pen, the active area defaults to Pen mode (absolute positioning), which means it maps directly to the screen. In other words, if you rest the tip of the pen on the bottom-right corner of the active area, the cursor will point to the same place on the screen. The pen features 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity (about twice that of the Graphire3), letting you switch between different brushes and pinpoint precise areas onscreen.
The pen is about the same weight but slightly thicker than a standard ballpoint pen, with a comfortable grip, and its conveniently located rocker switch is easily accessible with either thumb or forefinger. The pen comes with three nibs for a variety of feels and an eraser on the end makes it easy to correct any mistakes.
The Mouse
The Intuos3 mouse uses neither a ball nor optics, instead using the actual tablet to identify its location. This allows the base to be covered in a smooth material, allowing it to glide easily over the tablet’s active area. When using the mouse, the tablet switches to relative positioning, making it behave like any other mouse. If you plan on using the mouse frequently, then we recommend you go for the larger sizes of tablet (A5 Wide or larger).
Tablet Sizes
The Intuos3 is available in a range of sizes, including A3, A4, A5 and A6. Each of these main sizes is also available in a sub size, either Oversize or Wide.
Mac / PC Compatibility
Wacom provide excellent driver support for both Mac and PC so the Intuos3 functions perfectively with either. The Intuos3 will also combine with Apple OS X Inkwell which will translate your text to the built in Apple OS X
Conclusion
Overall the Intuos3 is another excellent tablet from Wacom, providing a far more accurate method of controlling your computer, especially if you deal a lot with graphics & design programs.
[ Buy Intuos3 Graphics Tablet Educational Version ]
[ Buy Intuos3 Graphics Tablet at Apple Store ]
Specifications [ see details ]
Category: review
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