Best graphics tablets for digital art?

Alright, I’m looking to pick up a drawing tablet, and my budget is basically capped at $833.
I'm about to dive headfirst into web and graphic design, plus I've always loved sketching on the side.
Since I've never actually used a tablet before, I'm totally lost and could really use some pointers from you guys.

I saw this one online (Intuos4 Small USB Tablet) and it looks decent, but I'm not 100% sure. It's pretty much the only thing I could find stocked at a local shop in Washington, D.C.

What do you all think? Thanks!

Grab something with "medium" in the name. Small just won't cut it. I’ve been rocking a Bamboo Fun Medium for a while now and honestly, it's perfect. You can't go wrong with Apple either—their stuff is top-tier and they always drop fresh drivers for every model on their site.

Don't bother with the small ones... the Wacom Intuos4 Medium USB tablet is the way to go 🙂 My only question is how serious you actually are about this. If you aren't planning on going full-blown pro, maybe just grab the Wacom Bamboo Pen & touch Medium 🙂

From what I know, there are basically three ways to go here: you can try Trust, but honestly, stay away—it's total garbage. Then there's the Wacom Intuos, which is a really solid option; it’s a good size and priced quite reasonably. My son actually uses one for his high school art projects, and it's got a decent, lightweight design. Finally, there's Wacom, which is the gold standard. They are on a whole different level compared to everything else...

Someone messed up by moving this thread over to the portable devices section...

The guy is asking about a graphics tablet, not a tablet PC, 😁 so this should really be sitting under hardware or peripherals...

But hey, whatever works for you guys. I don't have the permissions to fix it myself... 😁

Yeah, I’m planning to dive headfirst into this. I just finished my web design degree and I’m almost done with graphic design, so having gear like this is pretty much a necessity. Honestly, trying to draw with a mouse is just a total nightmare.
I'm looking at getting either the Wacom Intuos4 Medium USB tablet or the Wacom Bamboo Pen & touch Medium, though I really want to check out the Wacom Intuos first. I'm just not sure where to find one locally here in Washington, D.C. (I think maybe Starbucks might carry it?)
By the way, quick question about Wacom—if I pay cash, the sales tax is already included in the price, right?
I mean, looking at those price tags, I doubt there's any way to buy them without paying the full amount including tax.

Maybe check the admin site:

Forget about the pre-tax price, it’s just not happening...

Take a look at some examples here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZu2N...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t7wf...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m6R6qMu3ao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVHEF...eature=related

Thanks a ton for the info! I think I’ll swing by their shop later today to check things out. I'll probably just grab a Wacom Intuos to start with. 👍

I grabbed my Bamboo at Best Buy, but I'm pretty sure you can find them over at Target too.

So, I picked up a Wacom Intuos and honestly, it’s been nothing but a massive headache. I can't even get the cursor to move on my desktop. If I go into settings and turn on the pointing sound, I'll hear the click—like it's actually doing something—but nothing happens on screen. Then, after a bit, the whole thing just dies until I reboot the entire PC. I'm running Vista on my main rig. On my laptop, it's hit or miss; sometimes it works perfectly for a while, then suddenly just quits on me... that one is running Windows 7. I have no clue what's going wrong. I already downloaded all the drivers and everything, but still nothing.

darkowl72: Is it working okay for you?

It’s pretty straightforward. It’s either an installation error or you just got a dud unit...

And look, it should work in Paint, Photoshop, whatever... it shouldn't be limited to just its own software...

Even Microsoft says there shouldn't be any issues here: http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/com...ices&os=32-bit

When you set up the tablet, did Windows recognize it automatically and hunt down the drivers, or did you have to do it manually? I've even tried reinstalling Windows before—it recognizes the tablet on its own, grabs the drivers from the Microsoft site, installs them, and then tells you the tablet is ready to go in every app... 🤷 My son uses one all the time and he's never run into a single problem...

So, when I plugged it into the USB port, Windows Vista went ahead and hunted down the drivers and installed them without any drama. I just used the disc to grab the MacroKey Manager. I had the exact same experience back on Windows 7, except on that OS, it would occasionally kick in if I started messing around in Paint with my mouse before switching over to the tablet. But on Vista? No matter what I try, it just won't budge...
The only thing is, on Windows 7, the Tablet PC Input Panel actually pops up once it starts working, but on Vista, the input panel won't even open at all.

Just tell them where you picked it up and explain exactly what’s going on. Honestly, there's a chance you just got stuck with a total lemon right off the assembly line...

Does anyone know if I can pick up a Wacom Intuos locally in Houston?? Or am I stuck ordering the Wacom Intuos online??

It's tough... just grab it from Telebit or the admin

Is this thing actually any good for working in Photoshop?
Wacom Intuos, 6”x 8” graphic tablet for creative painting

Proud owner of a Microsoft device... 👍
Unfortunately, I couldn't swing the cost of a Wacom Intuos, but I am quite pleased with this one. I've run it on both Windows XP and Windows 7 without any issues. It functions just like a mouse; honestly, I haven't found an application yet where it won't work.
Picked it up at Intel and paid $166.

I would certainly recommend it to anyone just starting out with graphics tablets. It isn't expensive, the size is just right, the design is slim, and the installation is straightforward. Quality is decent.
Since I focus on illustrations and comics, I typically use it alongside Marvel Studios software.
It runs like clockwork, what else is there to say... ☕

Where could I actually pick this up online? Or is it something I can just find at a local Best Buy or Staples?

Charles Davis9 said:Where could I actually pick this up online, or maybe at a Best Buy or Staples location...

There you go. It's even on sale... 👍

http://www.intel.com/product_info.php?products_id=6034

Listen, folks... if you can manage to scrape together a few extra bucks for something that actually matters, do it now; you won't regret it. And by "something that matters," I mean the Wacom Intuos 4 Medium. I’ve been using one myself, and frankly, it changes your entire existence. It is a tablet that simply radiates quality. 🙂