Product Reviews

With the release of its new series of graphics tablets, Wacom has addressed many users' requests and introduced a range of new input devices. As well as providing a multi-function mouse which works directly on the tablet, Wacom has gone to some lengths to ensure compatibility for left-handed users: all tablets are symmetrical, with wrist support on both sides, and even the mouse can be switched from right- to left-hand operation.

The tablets come in a range of sizes, from A6 up to A3. However, the symmetrical layout means they all have a large footprint: the A4 tablet, for instance, measures 430mm x 353mm, which takes up a large chunk of your desktop. This is partly why Wacom has introduced the '4D Mouse'. The mouse has five buttons, three along the front edge and two just behind them, which are pressed using the underside of the knuckles of the index and ring fingers. It's a slightly awkward movement, and it's easy to press these buttons accidentally.

At the side of the mouse is a wheel operated by the thumb. By adjusting the casing this can be made to appear on either the left or the right side, making the tool truly ambidextrous. This wheel has multiple functions: it can, for instance, be used to control 3D movement within compatible applications, to move the z axis while the mouse itself moves in the x and y axes. At the time of release, however, there were no such applications on the market.

Alternatively, the thumbwheel can be used as if it were a modifier key, with a slight movement forwards or backwards to change the macros or keystrokes associated with pressing each of the five buttons: in effect, this enables an astonishing 15 buttons on the mouse, although you'd need to be a fair pianist to remember all the combinations. The mouse also tends to stick on the tablet surface when you rest the weight of your hand on

ADVERTISEMENT

it. The Intuos Pen itself hasn't changed much from its predecessor - a pressure- and tilt-sensitive tip, with an eraser on the other end.

Four other input devices are also available. The Intuos Airbrush is modelled on a real airbrush, with a finger-operated wheel controlling the amount of flow. The tool is supposed to be pressure-sensitive, and is also billed as sensing 3D tilt so it can vary the flow of ink in a realistic manner; but the model which was supplied to MacUser had neither of these characteristics, the ink flow being determined only by the position of the wheel.

The Stroking Pen has a more realistic, brush-like feel than the standard pen, with more flexibility in the tip, but as it has no button, it's more awkward to use. The Inking Pen combines pressure-sensitivity with real ink, making it possible to draw directly onto a sheet of paper overlaid on the tablet, while simultaneously transferring your drawing to the computer screen. This might seem like a good way to capture handwriting or signatures, but in practice the interface was unable to keep up with even a moderate speed of handwriting; after writing a few smooth, cursive words on the paper, it was a disappointment to see them translated into jagged corners on the screen. The final tool, the Lens Cursor, is aimed at CAD work and uses a cross lens with five buttons.

All the macros, menu items and keystrokes associated with the tools' buttons can be independently configured for each application. In addition, a Photoshop plug-in recognises which device is being used, and switches its tool and settings accordingly; so you could have an array of 'real' brushes, airbrushes and pens in front of you, and pick up and use each one as if it were the real thing.

The Intuos range is a great concept, but the reality falls short of the promise. The idea of a thumbwheel to control 3D movement is sound - but no applications support it. The software just isn't fast enough to keep up with the Inking Pen, and the two extra mouse buttons just get in the way. Elsewhere, the software is riddled with bugs: moving a tool too close to the edge of the tablet causes the cursor to judder on-screen; cursors frequently get stuck over menus, and refuse to pull down; and inadvertently pressing a function key button on the tablet while an application is launching leads to a crash. Wacom acknowledges the errors in its software, and an upgrade is 'being developed'.