Product Reviews

There are a handful of other manufacturers making graphics tablets, but when it comes to buying one for serious design use, Wacom's the first company that comes to mind, so its tablets had better be good.

Sure enough, the latest revamp of its Intuos line looks first-class. The range now comprises an A6, an A5 and an A4 model, and we look at the latter in this review. If your needs are more ambitious in scale, Wacom intends to sell the oversize A4 and A3 editions of the Intuos2 alongside the new range.

The big change with the tablet itself is that it no longer has the row of printed buttons along the top of the drawing area, which executed common functions such as cut and paste and could be programmed to perform specific commands. Wacom's research showed that people didn't like breaking eye contact with the screen to select one of the commands with the pen, and we agree that this was a frustration in earlier iterations.

In their place is a panel of ExpressKeys on either side of the main drawing area, except on the the A6 model, which only has one, and rather than being printed onto the tablet's surface, these are physical buttons, and they're built in such a way as to be easy to find and identify by touch alone.

Beside each group of four buttons is a Touch Strip, effectively a very thin version of the trackpads on iBooks and PowerBooks. By default this is set up as an auto scroll/zoom control to allow you to zoom in and out in applications that support it.

Together, the ExpressKeys and Touch Strip make an excellent working environment. It can take time to settle into using a new input system such as this, but this one can be incredibly rewarding. By default, three of the ExpressKeys are set up as modifier keys, preventing you from having to switch to your keyboard, with the last being set to act as the space bar, which makes it incredibly easy to navigate in most graphics applications.

A completely overhauled preference pane controls how these buttons function and you can set preferences individually for each application. You're not limited to modifier keys, as surprisingly

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complex commands can be assigned to these buttons.

The preference pane also controls the behaviour of the pen and included mouse. The list of configurable options could be bewildering, but Wacom has done a good job with the design of the pane to help make the process of adjusting behaviour as easy as possible. Besides, the default settings will suit most users.

The range of pens has been drastically reduced. Instead, when you buy one of the standard pens, now redesigned into a pleasantly chunky affair with a rubber grip, you get a range of nibs. The standard plastic nib is included, along with one mounted on a small spring to help give the impression of using a paint brush; the effect of the latter is unusual but not entirely convincing. Much better is the third nib, which provides a competent facsimile of a felt-tip pen, increasing the friction with the tablet surface to a pleasant, crunchy level; it's a matter of taste, but we found ourselves favouring this of all the three nibs.

The rocker button on the pen can be removed and a blank rubber sheath slipped on in its place. As usual, there's an 'eraser' on the opposite end to the nib, and its functions can be altered in the preferences. If the standard pen proves too restrictive, a separate, airbrush model is available.

The included mouse, like the pen, requires no batteries. Although its generally good, it does a have a few flaws. It's too easy to nudge the side-mounted 'forward' button if you're right-handed, and the 'back' if you're left-handed. Regardless, we still like having the option to use a mouse for regular file manipulation, although long-term tablet users often abandon it entirely.

The resolution of the tablet has been doubled from the previous generation to 5080dpi. This, when combined with the 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, gives you exceptional control over input.

Once you're settled into the Intuos3 way of working, the system handles beautifully. The slim, ergonomic tablet has an excellent surface and, unsurprisingly, it shines when used with natural media applications such as Painter. Indeed, it ships with an excellent cut-down version called Painter Essentials 2.

Our only real issue with the Intuos3 range is the price. When you add everything together objectively, it's actually not outrageously expensive - and the boost it could give to your productivity could soon offset the expense - but we can't help but raise an eyebrow at the cost of the A4 model (£359). While the £129 A6 model will be too cramped for most serious creative use, the A5 model, at £199, offers a decent balance of size and price. If you can justify the expense, the A4 model reviewed here will delight you.