www.wacom.eu
Whilst
I have been a user of the Wacom Cintiq 21UX for many years now, it has actually
been a long time since I have actually tried any of the other tablets in Wacom`s
range. Specifically it has been a good few years since I have moved from drawing
on a table based tablet, such as the Intuos, to drawing directly on the screen.
Recently however Wacom invited me to try out the Intuos4 and it is so far
proving a pleasure to use. Having had the tablet for
a few weeks now these are some of my thoughts.
The Intuos4 is the latest
professional pen tablet from Wacom, and with it has come a range of improvements
over the previous models. The most immediately visible of these are the
illuminated OLED displays on the tablet. Besides looking rather cool, the
purpose of the displays are to remind you of exactly how you have set up the ExpressKey functions on the tablet. Those familiar with Wacom tablets will know
that with the ExpressKeys it is possible to set up your own preferred shortcut
keys. With the OLED displays you can now see at a glance what each key is set to
do. To be fair, whilst I personally rarely use the ExpressKey functions (perhaps I am just
too set in my ways using the keyboard) I know of many other designers who do,
and the OLED display should prove useful. If you are like me however, you may
still find the displays useful. Each one can be set to display anything you
wish... opening up a number of ways to personalise your tablet with amusing
messages!
Not so immediately visible, but perhaps more important, is the upgraded
performance of the drawing tablet itself. A drawing tablet is ultimately judged
by how well it can replicate the feeling and subtlety of drawing on paper with a
pen or a pencil. With this in mind Wacom have increased the sensitivity of the
tablet, which now features 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity steps, versus the
1024 of the previous model. For those familiar with using a drawing tablet, this
difference is immediately noticeable, with even the lightest of touches
registered. The Intuos4 will in fact sense a mere one gram of pressure
on the pen tip.
So, what is the Intuos4 tablet actually like to use in practice?
Having had a few weeks to try it out, the tablet has performed well. Perhaps the
best compliment is that it has just quietly done what it is supposed to, which
is to be natural and non intrusive interface with a computer.
The medium sized version (223.5 x 139.7 mm (8.8 x 5.5 in)) I have is light and
thin, so doesn't take up a lot of space, and sits comfortably under your drawing
hand. Given that the previous Intuos I used before upgrading to a Cintiq was a
full sized A3 version, I was actually rather surprised at how well this
relatively small version coped. Whilst for many the extra size of the larger
tablets will be a necessity, the medium version offers a very
good compromise. There
is enough space to draw freely and the tablet can easily be packed with your
laptop on your travels as well.
The pen itself is a good weight (although perhaps I would personally prefer it
to be a little heavier), and with its rubberised surface feels good in the hand.
The drawing feel is also good, with the drawing surface not feeling too shiny.
With a range of nibs available, including 5 standard nibs, 1 stroke nib, 1 flex
nib and 3 felt nibs, it is possible to tailor the drawing feeling to your own
tastes. The soft felt is my own personal favourite, helping bring a more grainy
feeling under your hand.
You should be aware however that these nibs do wear out fast with heavy use.
Indeed, even the plastic nib I have been using has shown wear after a couple of
weeks. Whilst each tablet ships with a full selection of nibs including 10 spare
ones it should be considered that
replacements will be required over time. In fairness the nib contributes heavily to the feel of the
drawing surface and whilst a harder nib may last longer it might not feel
so natural.
In conclusion, I was generally impressed with the Intuos4.
The tablet looks good and the improved touch sensitivity was a noticeable
improvement over the previous generation. In my short time with the tablet it
has worked flawlessly and nib wear aside gives every impression that it will
continue to do so for a long time.
As already mentioned though, the most impressive aspect is the fact that it just
quietly does what it is supposed to do. Once installed, which itself is quick
and simple, the tablet is uncomplicated and allows you to interact with your
computer in a far more intuitive way than with a mouse. Clearly, if your goal is
digital sketching or rendering then a tablet is essential, and the Intuos4 is
certainly one you should consider.
