Product Reviews

Input devices

Wacom Pen Partner [MacUser]
COMPANY: Wacom	PRICE: Price Ł63.79 (Ł74.95 inc VAT)
RATING:	ISSUE: 15 5 DATE: Mar 99

The PenPartner is the latest addition to Wacom's range of graphics tablets, and is aimed squarely at the SoHo market. The version we tested uses an ADB interface but there will be a USB version available shortly.

The PenPartner consists of an A6-sized graphics tablet and Wacom's UltraPen. Setting up the PenPartner and using it is simplicity itself. After shutting down your Mac, the tablet plugs into the ADB port, and there's a pass-through connection into which your keyboard is plugged. Once you've installed the control panel from the accompanying CD and restarted, it's ready for use.

The pen can be set up to operate as a mouse, so the position of the pointer on screen is determined by the movement of the

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pen nib on the tablet, or as an absolute pointer - the position of the pointer is determined by the position of the pen nib on the tablet, regardless of how it moved there. Objects are selected by tapping the pen on the tablet, and as you would expect, tapping twice in quick succession acts as a double-click.

The control panel gives control over the double-clicking of the pen nib, the firmness of the nib and eraser, and the assignation of a command to the pen's side button. The double-clicking control is particularly useful. It allows the user to set the size of the double-click area around a pixel, up to a maximum of 20 pixels. The button can be set to act as a double-click or can have a modifier key assigned to it. For example, if you set the button to act as the option key, pressing the button while clicking with the pen nib will act as an option-click.

The UltraPen is pressure sensitive and generally performs well in applications such as MetaCreations Painter. However, it struggles with very light and very heavy strokes. The pen is comfortable to hold and although it takes a bit of getting used to, using it quickly becomes second nature.

PenPartner is excellent value: while it's not suitable for professionals, it will appeal to anyone who wants a graphics tablet for occasional use.

By Kenny Hemphill