Product: Wacom Intuos3 6×8 Tablet
Supplier: Wacom
MSRP: $329
Author: Bill
Date: January 18, 2009

Wacom is the single largest graphics editing tablet manufacturer, and is solely trusted by digital imaging professionals. Their latest offering in the Intuos line represents a balance between advanced tablet functionality and a reasonable price point. Their Bamboo products are targeted at an entry-level audience, picking up where the Graphire tablets left off. Between the Graphire and Cintiq (tablet integrated displays) categories lies the Intuos. The unit for review is a 6×8 inch model with the grip pen and mouse.

In the Box:

Intuos Tablet
Grip Pen
Grip Mouse
3 replacement general purpose nibs
1 felt-tip feel nib
1 spring-loaded nib
Instruction Booklet
Software and Documentation Disk

The packaging is solid and provides a comfortable fit for the tablet without using plastics to encase the device. Small touches like cardboard packaging are welcome in today’s clamshell-packed, hermetically sealed world.

Setting Up

Installing the tablet was a simple process of connecting the singular USB cable, and installing the driver and configuration utility. The disk contained an outdated version of the driver set, so I downloaded my copy from Wacom’s website. The tablet configuration utility resides in the control panel (windows) or system preferences (mac). They are identical in their layout and functionality, and ran smoothly on my 2.5ghz macbook pro (both OSX and Windows XP).

Tablet

The tablet has a comfortable size for a small device, which should sit well with amateur users. More professional users will be more accustomed to larger control surfaces, and will more likely be interested in the larger Intuos offerings. Barring any strange manufacturing changes, the functionality of the Intuos tablets is identical despite changes in size. The tablet registers 1024 pressure levels, and responds to the tilt of the pen. An optional airbrush tool adds a finger wheel to the mix.

Previous models had virtual buttons built in to the upper surface of the tablet surface that responded to the pen. This version has two additional physical control surfaces to the left and right of the tablet surface. They contain four physical buttons and a capacitive touch-strip.

The main tool of the tablet is the grip pen. This is the step up from the basic plastic pen from the Graphire and Bamboo products. It features a large rubber grip, interchangeable tips, an eraser, and two thumb buttons on a rocker switch.

In addition to the pen, Wacom ships the Intuos with a five-button mouse operable on the tablet surface.

The configuration tool identifies the tablet and the tools present near its surface uniquely. This enables you to have more than one pen, and customize each one’s functionality. One pen could be a sensitive tool whose side buttons control ink flow, and another could be less responsive with alternate button configurations. Button functions can be assigned globally (right-click functionality, for example) or for individual applications. The flexibility of this system is immense, but is layered well so as not to be overwhelming.

Usage Notes

The configuration utility identified my old pen alongside the new grip pen, and worked well to assign separate functions within Photoshop CS4. Within Photoshop, the pressure and tilt sensitivity can be mapped to different brush characteristics.

The tablet surface is solid and provides the high level of functionality Wacom is known to offer. The alternate control sections are a pleasant addition to the tablet but can be frustrating to use. Sliding a finger along the sensor strip does not guarantee a steady response from the tablet, and often fails to respond when not touched precisely in the middle. Hopefully this is an issue that can be fixed within the software suite, or in a subtle hardware revision. The configuration tool should, at the very least, recognize the strips as separate controls.

The grip pen is comfortable, and can be used extensively without fatigue. Tips eventually wear out, and can be replaced by gently pulling them out with needle-nose pliers. An additional nib provided a simulated felt-tipped feel, and yet another was spring loaded, offering some additional resistance to increased pressure.

I found the mouse to be comfortable, but a poor replacement for my traditional desktop mouse. It is ambidextrously designed, which does not suit my right-handed ergonomic tastes. The mouse does prove an interesting proof of concept. By using a mouse that does not have batteries, and instead plugging the mouse pad (tablet) in, it should be the simplest and most elegant solution to the wired-versus-wireless debate. Because the mouse is limited to the 6×8 surface of the tablet, and the tablet represents a bulky addition to a desk, the concept falls short of practicality. I found myself using my usual mouse between pen strokes with the pen tucked between my fingers the whole while.

Holistically, the tablet performed as I expected a Wacom tablet to. It was a reliable performer with excellent performance in pressure and tilt sensitivity. The configuration tool is massively powerful without scaring the user. If it were not for the problems with the additional touch-strips, the tablet would have performed perfectly.

Conclusions

The tablet sells for $329 (USD) as of 1/15/2009. This price places it out of practical reasoning for the average consumer interested in dabbling with a tablet. The smallest Intuos tablet (4×6) sells for $219, and would be the logical step up for amateur users looking for additional functionality. More experienced users are likely to pass over the 6×8 size and opt for the larger 6×11 ($369) or 12×12 ($529) versions. This price is insignificant to graphics professionals, as it pays for itself quickly in enhanced workflow and quality of work.

Pros

+ Pen performance
+ Setup and configuration

Cons

- Price places this technology out of reach for casual users
- Touch-strip functionality

Tags: Intuos3, Tablet, Wacom