Genius Mousepen 8x6

A second weakness is the pen, which, despite having a dedicated eraser button on its top and being smooth to use, feels too light and flimsy when compared to the Intuos 3 and the Trust. Unlike the Trust and MousePen, though, it requires no great pressure to differentiate between a light and heavy stroke - a quality the Intuos 3 also benefits from. It also responds well when you change the settings in the control panel. Plus, the included mouse is one of the better models and, like the Intuos 3, the tablet is bundled with Corel Painter Essentials 2. Ultimately, although it lets you work without wires, the Graphire Bluetooth doesn't excel and, at £157, is overpriced in this company.

The Wacom Intuos 3 is the most expensive tablet here at £176, but exudes quality. Both the pen and tablet are light years ahead of the others in terms of functionality and style. From the interchangeable nibs and optional input tools (see Input tools, below) to the programmable buttons and zoom touch-strip, it's clear a lot of thought has gone into making it as efficient as possible. This efficiency even works its way into the integration with software such as Corel Painter and Photoshop CS2, where you can take complete control over brushes and sensitivity to suit the way you work. This isn't always as simple as it might be, and the clarity of written support is occasionally lacking, but the power is there for the taking. And, as for the feel of the pen on the tablet, there's nothing to touch it for smoothness and certainty of line. This is enhanced by the sturdiness of the unit: unlike some of the other models on test, particularly the Graphire Bluetooth and the MousePen, we had total confidence in the Intuos 3's ability to accurately reproduce what we drew on its surface. In this instance, you really do get what you pay for, and for those who need greater accuracy and efficiency than a standard mouse can offer it's well worth the outlay.

Author: Alex Milway