Which wacom bamboo should i buy

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Check out the new Wacom estore. Learn, teach or create from home. Bamboo Sketch is integrated with leading creative apps for drawing and sketching as well as note taking apps — allowing instant in-app pairing for a immediate performance.

And on and on and on: Enjoy 15 hours of use before needing to recharge. Bamboo Paper turns your device into a paper notebook. Capture your thoughts and ideas, notes, sketches and drawings as straightforward and easy as with a real pen and paper. Learn more about Bamboo Paper ::before ::after.

Inkspace, seamlessly integrated in Bamboo Paper, is the cloud-based service to save, access, synchronize and share your notes and ideas — anytime, anywhere. Learn more about Inkspace ::before ::after. Visualize and illustrate your ideas for a new project — out of your head and into the world. Shape and share your ideas with others — whether you sketch sets for a play in school or work on a science project.

Personalize the pen feel with two different nib types — choose between soft and firm. Below you'll find the best prices available in your region right now. Designed specifically with professional creatives in mind, the flagship Cintiq Pro is not a cheap Wacom tablet, but there are still deals to be had.

The range comes in 13, 16, 24 and inch models, all boasting the tools and performance a professional creative needs to design quickly and effectively. They all come with the Wacom Pro Pen 2, radial menus, the Express Key Remote and an on-screen keypad, which means you can get on with your work with no need to mess around with menus and keyboard shortcuts. Its etched glass screen reduces glare and reflections while offering a natural, pen on paper feel as you draw.

Built-in legs raise the Wacom Cintiq Pro from 5 to 20 degrees, and there's also the option of purchasing the Ergo stand or the PC module Cintiq Pro Engine to turn your Cintiq Pro into a creative pen computer. The Wacom Cintiq Pro and inch models also come in Touch versions. They're expensive, but if you're looking at the pro range, you already know that. These versions allow for multi-touch gestures, which is great if you like that way of working.

They also look gorgeous in any office. Most of Wacom's tablets need to be plugged into a Mac or a PC, but if you prefer to work without that restriction, in steps the MobileStudio Pro. Available in and inch versions, this is a graphics tablet and Windows PC rolled into one, enabling you to create wherever you find yourself.

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 and 13 were updated in and respectively, adding several upgrades on their and predecessors. It comes with the same amount of storage and memory. The cameras on the front and rear have been downgraded to simple 2. To learn more, read our Wacom MobileStudio Pro review. We mentioned that Wacom appears to be reacting to the arrival of cheaper competitors, and here's the proof: a cheap Wacom tablet aimed at beginners and social media content creators.

The Wacom One has a inch pen display and is compatible with Mac and Windows as well as some Android devices. It features a full HD display with 72 per cent NTSC colour and an anti-glare treated film, so it'll look good as long as colour accuracy is not overly important to you.

It has foldable legs and it's small enough to fit into most bags. So if there's anybody out there who has recently bought the I4 Small model please let us know what's the deal you got. May you live in interesting lines. Hi Everyone that I read about is into drawing and illustrating. I want to begin by using a tablet for writing and having it convert to word. I hate typing and do alot of work that requires using paper sources and have to always look back and forth to type.

Feel like I will write faster than I type. Also do alot of powerpoints. But I would like the options that would allow for the drawing etc. Hi, Diane.

I've never used my tablet for handwriting recognition, but this is one of the uses mentioned on the Wacom site and I know lots of people use the pen tablets primarily for this task. Since the pen won't be your main pointing device, you don't need a very large or high resolution tablet. I''d suggest you to buy a Bamboo Capture model, which is the cheapest one that has touch input in addition to the pen. Keep us posted on your experiences and feel free to share them here on the site.

I'm sure other users have the same question. Thank you for very comprehensive overview! I am a graphic design student and I am looking for a tablet for digital painting as well as photoediting etc. I am little bit confused, which one to buy. First, is it bad idea to buy a used one? I mean of course it depends how it has been stored, but maybe its not so big difference between them?

Both of them has pressure levels and similar price. What would you recommend? Do you now if any of them is equivalent with Bamboo Create? Or which one of them is worth to buy?

Thank you so much in advance! You may find a killer deal on the discontinued model, so look around. Those Wacom tablets do not wear fast and last for many years, so you can find an used one in good shape.

The only parts that show wear are the pen nib, which is designed to be user replaceable look for new nibs at the Wacom website and the rubber around the pen, that gets nasty after some years. You can always buy a new pen and it's not that expensive, but this may offset the difference between an used and a brand new model. I have one good argument for buying the Bamboo Create, though. It has multi touch support and this is very handy for scrolling web pages and using gestures in Mac OS X Lion and the upcoming Windows 8.

I'm sure the next Intuos5 line will have this feature, too. Word of warning to any who are thinking of buying the Inkling. It was a teriible product and i could not get it to work properly. Don't waster your time! Hi, thanks for this review. I'm a teacher exploring the possibility of using the Bamboo tablet as an alternative to the chalkboard and have found using a borrowed one CTL K and SmoothDraw3 that even at relatively slow writing speeds it produces poor results when I have to lift the pen to cross an A or a T.

When watching screencasts of Sal Khan or others who are proficient on the tablet, this just doesn't seem to be an issue. They are writing quickly and clearly getting good results even though they are lifting the pen and putting it down quickly.

Can you tell me why this might be happening? I'm working on a good DELL with System 7, so I don't think it's a processing issue on the computer hardware side of things.

Randy, This might be a shot in the dark, but have you tried the latest drivers downloaded directly from the Wacom website? Another suggestion is to make sure the tablet is connected directly to the computer USB port, without any hub or USB extension, since this might impact the USB transfer rate.

Thanks for taking the time to reply back to everyone! I found your comments useful I'm pretty much a beginner to tablets but at my previous company that I worked with we were given tablets and I picked it up pretty fast with them.

It really was a small tablet, when I was drawing in Illustrator I noticed I kept going off the edges of the tablet I'm not sure what size monitors we had, they weren't huge I was able to adapt to it, however I hated how I would have to pick up my pen when I wanted to continue drawing a smooth stroke.

And I noticed I kept wanting to erase with the back of my pen! I used to do it the traditional way The laptop I have at home though is a Macbook Pro 15" I've never hooked up a tablet to it.

Would be it difficult to use with it? I'm not sure what size I'd need or if a small Bamboo would be sufficient. I'm pretty sure I'd like a bigger size though, but I'm on a budget. Are there any old models like the Create?! I was also wondering if pens are interchangeable or not I'd just love that pen with an eraser!!! Although I suppose I could get by without one. It takes a long time to erase freehand strokes in Illustrator though Also can you explain the above chart, maybe this is a stupid question And thanks for the suggestions I see that you answered it previously.

Alison, The tablet size is dependent on the monitor size and also on the personal preferences of each user, as you have experienced. Some people draw with broader strokes and adapt much better to the larger tablets. The smaller tablets have less working area. When this area is mapped to a large display, each point on the tablet surface corresponds to a big area on the display.

If the actual resolution is not enough, the cursor feels too fast, jumpy and less precise. The orange bars on the tablet size vs. A Wacom Bamboo Create would work fine with your laptop. Just dowload the latest drivers from wacom. It's really that easy and there's little fo configure.

If you'd like to draw in bitmap program, simulating natural media, like Photoshop or Painter, then you'd have various configurations in the programs themselves to map the pen dynamics pressure, tilt, etc to the various brush variables, like size, opacity, scattering, etc.

By the way, the Create has an eraser on the pen. Handy, for sure! If you want a bigger model, your only option is the Intuos line. Wacom has just released a new model, called Intuos5. Maybe you can get the outgoing model - the Intuos4 - for a better price. A large Intuos4 would be great for you. Hope you manage to find one for a good price! Thank you for your comment, Fabio. Thanks for the reply!

I think I'm looking at a Bamboo one right now maybe an older model since I'm on a budget but I really want a tablet. Intuos are so out of my price range right now Would an Intuos2 work on my macbook? Also since I'll be working primarily on a 15" screen unless I go buy a bigger monitor would a big tablet really matter besides personal preference?

I think a medium sized tablet might be okay for me but I wouldn't go small. Would you consider 6 x 4 to be a small size? Thanks for your help! I think this is a great price for a very competent medium sized tablet. The size is plenty for your 15" MacBook Pro and this is the same tablet you used at your previous job.

The Intuos2 is too old and I'd avoid it. The CTH 13" overall product is actually a lot bigger than the one I used at work 9" , so I'll most likely go with this one if it's more bang for the buck. Mary, the Wacom Cintiq line incorporates the pressure sensitive tablet directly the the display, allowing you to sketch on the screen surface.

And Mary it costs you thousands of dollars. Plz reply! Thanks for your detail information! I consider to buy a wacom table for teaching such Khan's style but I wonder, small size is comfortable for writing or not? Hello, Thanh. I think a small model would be suited for this use. You'll probably be writing only small words and notes, so the larger surface won't make much of a difference.

The smaller ones are also more portable and easy to carry around. I'd choose the Bamboo Capture model, which is the least expensive that has multi touch support. Thank you for your comment. Thanks for this review! Is very helpful but i still have a quesion. Last night i spent hours Doing something in illustrator using a mouse and after a while my hand was hurting me so bad! So i have decided to buy a tablet.

I read your review And i really liked the intous5. However i am on a budget about usd. I found too small the small intous5. But i really dont know whats the best for me..

Do u think That there is an older intous model better that the bamboo Create? In this case I'd recommend you to buy the Bamboo Create. It's a very capable pen tablet and I'm sure it would suit you well. This model has a surface area about the same size as medium Intuos. For example, the pen nibs wear out, the tablet surface gets scratched and the pen rubber grip gets dirty and more sticky over the time.

Replacing those items is possible, but would drive the price closer to a new one. Donna, the Bamboo Create, model CTH, is the only model in the Bamboo line that has a medium sized working area - 8.

This means it can be used with higher resolution displays than a small model, like the other Bamboos: Connect, Splash and Capture. It is also much easier to draw or retouch images on a larger area.

This is also the only model in the lineup that has an eraser in the pen. In my opinion, the price difference is well worth it.

I've been using my Wacom Graphire 2 for years and love it but it's not going to last forever and I'm weighing my options. The comparison you made between the Intuos and the Bamboo Capture are exactly what I needed. Thank you! Vivian, you won't believe the difference when you get a newer tablet. I've moved from a Graphire 2 to an Intuos 4, having used a Bamboo Create sporadically during this time. It is great to have more precision and also some of the niceties of the newer models.

The Bamboo Create is the natural heir to the Graphire. You can buy it with confidence and I'm sure you'll love it. I've read the majority of the comments and just when I think someone has asked the question I want answers to, I don't quite get the answers.

I'm working with a 17" laptop and using it for digital painting, photoediting. I was looking at the Capture, but you continuously suggest the Create. Besides the lack of eraser and the size difference would I be wasting my time on the Capture? The Bamboo Capture and Create are very similar, except for the size and lack of eraser on the Capture pen.

This may be a shortcoming if you're heavily on digital painting. If you have the budget, in my opinion, the extra size alone makes the Bamboo Create worth the difference, specially for higher resolution displays like yours. On the real world, this means you can have much better cursor precision with the larger active area. This might not be noticed on smaller displays, but anything above x px clearly shows the difference, in my experience.

In any case, I'd rather have a smaller tablet than to work only with a mouse. It is this much better, really. If you're on a really tight budget, buy the Bamboo Create to get the hang of using a tablet and sell it on eBay later, if you feel the need for a larger working surface.

This is a super deal and I think much better value than the smaller model. I just bought a Bamboo Create from Amazon and did not see this post before that, i has not arrived yet. I wanted to use sketchbook pro 6, corel painter 12 and photoshop mostly for architecture work persentations and other drawing.

I can see that I might have problems due to the fact that I'm using a Bamboo create. Will I be needing a new monitor smaller what are the odds? I did not buy an Intuos because I found it very expensive for the type of usage I will give to it. Oscar, you'll be fine. The main factor that dictates the tablet size is resolution, not screen size. A Bamboo Create can handle a x px resolution screen just fine. I'm sure you'll love your new tablet. Thank you Fabio. I'm still waiting for the tablet that I ordered on Amazon through Electrobrands and Fedex just lost the package They said they will send another unit to me.

I had a scroll back through the previous comments but couldn't quite find the question that I have. I am going to buy the INTUOS 5 but I am still unsure about which size to get, I would be using it with a 13" Macbook Pro Early and so from your info graphic above, am I right in assuming that the small size would be the most appropriate?

Or would it be the medium? The medium sized Intuos5 is the most versatile model, even though the small one has plenty of resolution to work well with your screen size. You may want to add a second LCD in the future and the extra area of the medium model may come in handy. Let me add two more variables to your decision: if you'd like to use it to draw, the small model may be too tight for your brush stroke. On the other hand, since you're using a laptop, it is much easier to carry around than the medium one.

By the way, Wacom makes a nice carrying case for each model. Wow I enjoyed your review very much, I have to disagree with this recommendation for some people. If you're an artist, and are used to moving or drawing with your arm, than the medium size or even the large may be perfect for you. Most of my work is detail work. I used to own a bamboo pen, and I found the size to be more than adequate. Previous to that, I did all my editing using the trackpad on my MacBook Pro.

I just started using an Intuos Pro, and I absolutely love it. Two prominent photo shop experts, Aaron Nace, and Matt Kloskowski, both use small tablets. In fact, Aaron actually maps only a portion of his small tablet to do for the shop editing. I am now a little torn as to which model to purchase, as the 21" pretty much locks you into the spec once it leaves the factory, and while I can see it lasting OK, the 27" looks like a more flexible option for similar money.

Could that tablet size work OK with a new 27" iMac, or is it highly recommended to stick with the I note the 27" is just outside your yellow bars on the recommendation graphic and I wanted to get your thoughts.

Which is better? Which has a bigger working space? I'm a beginner. Miriam, both tablets have the same hardware and specs. The only difference is the software bundle.

They're capable models, but I'd recommend you to spend a little more, if possible, and get a Bamboo Create. It has a larger working area, making it a more versatile model, specially if you use a display above 23 inches. Im torn on either getting the wacom bamboo capture or create?

I work off of my laptop Dre, the Bamboo Capture is sufficient for your laptop screen, but you might want to use it with an external display in the future. In that case, the Create is a much more versatile model. Hi Fabio, After reading your analysis and everybody's comments I made up my mind to purchase a Bamboo Create but then I found it is not available in Europe. It seems everything has to be renamed, adjusted or whatever to justify increased pricing!!

It seems that the new lineup names were not yet launched in the US and other countries in the Americas. Other than the nomenclature, the hardware is the same and there are only some small differences in the software bundles. Thanks Fabio. Why these things have to be remarketed and renamed in different parts of the world i know not.

I would use it for drawing illustrations. I'm using 17" display and resolution x if that's relevant. Thank you a lot Best regards Dominika. It has more than enough resolution for you display and would work very well for vector or natural media illustration.

I have found your review and the subsequent thread very helpful. I primarily work in video, After Effects, etc. I've never used a pen tablet before, but can see the benefit and the precision they provide.

I really like the Cintique, who wouldn't? I do prefer a full arm approach to my work so the larger format is what I am considering over the medium. Thank-you very much! I think the large Intuos5 would be perfect for you.

Maybe even better than the Cintiq, since it'd allow you to work on a larger display, like 27" or 30", or multiple monitors, which is killer for video editing. Developing hand to eye coordination isn't that difficult and I'm sure you'll feel at home with the Intuos in a few days. You can find my in-depth Intuos5 review here. PS: And the Intuos5 has touch support and programmable gestures than can be programmed for commonly used commands.

For example, a four-finger swipe down could invoke a particular shortcut in After Effects. Take a look here for setup tips. I don't know much about tablets but I it looks like they may be the answer for a project I'm working on. I would like to be able to record the process of making a drawing by children stroke by stroke, etc. Do these tablets allow for that? If so, do you think learning to use the tablet for basic drawing and colouring could be a time-consuming proposition for Grade 7-age kids?

I think a pen tablet would be perfect for you application. I imagine kids in this age would have no problems developing the eye to hand coordination necessary to use a pen tablet. A medium sized model is advisable, since it's easier to work with a larger drawing area. Also take a look on the Monoprice tablets.

They're much cheaper than Wacom's and would work fine for less demanding work. I have no experience with the recording process. Maybe you could use a screen capture program and then import the results into a video editing application, to speed it up, for example. Thanks so much for such a detailed review and comparison and for all your time in dealing with these queries!

I wonder if you can help me decide. I'm completely new to tablets and am mainly working on video editing, but also some graphics design and illustration. I have a 27inch Mac display. Ideally I would like multitouch functionality but not essential and currently use an apple trackpad instead of a mouse. I may want to add a second display in the future.

UK based. I can't decide which model - is the intuos5 the best for me? Or is there a better option? Price needs to be reasonable, but is not the most important factor here, as my organisation is buying for me and I think they can stretch to the Intuos 5.

Ps - I forgot to add, I also do quite a bit of photo editing, using Aperture and photoshop. I think the medium sized Intuos5 is the right pen tablet for you. The small model or the Bamboos don't have enough resolution to drive a 27" display, let alone multiple displays. The Intuos would work fine, but you might want to configure one of the ExpressKeys to switch between the two screens. This would allow you to keep the tablet mapped to a single display at a time, using its whole area for better precision.

With two displays, you give up some of the tablet's area in order to keep its proportion the same as the combined screen size. Thanks and apologies for the delay. Found your comments really helpful and have bought an Intuos 5 medium touch now. Very good.

Love it! Nice review, with more practical information than is found elsewhere. I've been quite happy using an older Graphire tablet for editing images in Photoshop on a px X px monitor. I recently added a second monitor an old 15", px X px, turned vertically to make a dual monitor setup. Your criteria would suggest that my 5" wide Graphire which I believe is even smaller than the smallest Bamboo should be woefully inadequate, yet I have failed to notice a difference in fine-motion tasks such as accurately tracing the edges of an object for making a mask.

I just wonder if I'm missing out on something by not going to a bigger tablet. I can definitely feel the difference when using my Inutos5 Medium with a single 30" x px display or adding a secondary x px laptop screen.

The available resolution is still adequate for most tasks, but finer freehand movements feel faster and less precise. I have just tried mapping just a quarter of the tablet to the full screen and the difference is striking. One way to get by with a smaller tablet is to make good use of zoom when working with images or vector files.

When zooming, you're actually using the full screen and tablet area to work on a small portion of the file, effectively increasing your ability to work on finer detail.