Years ago, actually decades ago, we got a Wacom graphics tablet at work. We used it for digitizing maps in a very clunky - non professional way. Tablets have come a long way since then, and I've started wondering about the merits and demerits of such a device.
As you all know I have an RSI, tendinitis in the knuckles of my middle three fingers on my right hand. That's why I have that "crazy" gold touch keyboard, and I use a left handed mouse. As part of the Ergo Eval when I first joined Big Company I was offered a graphics tablet. Since deskspace was limited, and diagrams are only a small part of my work load I declined. Maybe I was wrong to, because I'd have a Wacom Intuos on my desk now and I'd know how well they'd work for me.
What is a Wacom Intuos? It's a professional grade graphics tablet. You draw on the tablet with a special pen, and the result rends itself on-screen. It's very accurate, and there are varying tablet sizes. They are quite large, the small being pretty much the size of A4 (letter) paper, but having an active area of 6"x5", the large is 2' x 18", and has an active area of 19" x 12". I mean this is about as big as a 15" laptop when it's folded flat open.
The small is still $230 list price, and the big one, $790. The wireless one is a good compromise in at $400, 8x5 active area and 14x10 overall.
So what are the alternatives? The Bamboo is the consumer level one and tops out at $200, which is about the size of the $400 pro version, but has half the line resolution and 2/3 the sample rate. Is that good enough? Well, depends what I do with it.
And on the other end. Professional so far has meant as a generic input device to a PC in the context of an office. The Cintiq is pro level for artists and graphics designers. There are two versions. For $1000 I can get a 12" screen that I can draw on, and double that price for the 21" screen. Drawing direct on the screen gives you a virtual canvas, and direct feedback.
A $1000 sounds like a lot of money, and for most of us at home, saving on paper, or wanting to sketch in MS Paint, well, this is a luxury. For someone who uses this for their bread and butter job, well amortize of 50 weeks thats $20 per week, or 4 dollars per work day. Pretty cheap. To use once or twice a year, that becomes more like $200 per sketch. Is it worth it.
So what would I use it for? I never get time to draw. Sure I sometimes use lack of space as an excuse, but I don't even have the energy to make the space before I use it. Since this thing is its own space, would I use it more often? Good questions. I also take a heap of photos, but I never post process them. I wonder if I would with one of these kicking around.
All good questions. I have a couple of gift certificates burning a hole in my pocket. Maybe I should throw them towards a tablet.
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