[TekK]

okay, i'm sure this topic's been dealt with before, but i really would like to get some good info on this issue before i go out and buy one either this month or next...

first off, i know i'm not going to get a 6x8, coz i'm a little strapped for cash... :P so that's one question out of the way... :P

so the two main questions i have are:

1) is there a real and functional difference between the USB and serial versions of the tablets due to the differing bandwidths? or do both versions perform essentially the same?

2) is it just me, or does the graphire seem to have a much fuller complement of bundled software? how limited is the LE version of photoshop that comes with the graphire?

hope someone can help me with these concerns, and y'all have a nice day!

thanks,
teck

[Svanur]

I own both tablets and in all aspects I prefer the Intuos. It has more sensitivity and you can raise the pen higher and it still responds on the tablet. The pen itself is a bit longer and on the thin side compared to the graphire.

But that mac look of the graphire is so bloody tempting

[Dan3d]

I recently bought a Graphire for home use and I am extremely pleased with it. You can read the specs and see that it has half the sensativity (levels of pressure) as the Intuos, but for the price it is a great buy. I went to Price Watch and was able to find a refurbished Graphire for only US$60. I got it in only 3 days and have had no problems with it at all. I am extremely pleased.

[Gryphon]

I, personally, love my Graphire and wouldn't trade it for anything - but I don't own an Intuos and thus can't compare the two.

I do have Photoshop LE, though, as well as 6.0, and I don't think that LE's limited at all. You can use layers, airbrush, create your own colors and palette; virtually everything the full version can do. The only real difference I've found is that LE will not permit you to work or convert to CYMK. The full version also has a few more bells and whistles in the color-adjusting and selection realm, but beyond that LE can perform most of the same functions.

[TekK]

hey thanks for the input so far... dan3d, thanks for the heads-up, i can't believe i never thought to look on Price Watch! well anyways, that almost decides it for me, since the refurbished 4x5 intuos is about double of the refurbished graphire... :P still not entirely decided, though... any more input on this issue?

thanks,
teck

[ June 11, 2001: Message edited by: TekK ]

[smothered]

I have had both, had the intuos first. Perhaps that was my problem, but I found the graphire to be unworkable. The sensitivity of the intuos is so superior. The difference between the two is that the click sensor on the intuos is in the pen, in the tip. On the graphire, the pen is solid, and the click sensor is in the pad.
You just have to touch the intuos on the pad, and it'll click. You have to push the graphire into it.
I guess it's a matter of style, I draw super light, so, I love the super sensitive aspect of the intuos.
I got a 9x12 for 130 bucks on a wacom direct sale. It's refurbished, but wrks great.

[TekK]

hmm... smothered, thanks for that heads up, i never realized there was that difference in the two... like you i like to draw and sketch with my pen barely grazing the paper, so maybe the intuos is the way to go for me... gotta find a good deal on one though... still sorta undecided, but maybe leaning towards an intuos now... talk about trying to keep my balance on the fence! hope for more input on this!

thanks,
teck

[smothered]

I'm not sure about the overlay. It seems kind of crazy that they would sell any of them without it.
I don't think it matters much. I scratched mine, and called wacom for a replacement. Their support told me I could go and buy some thin plastic, and that just about anything that is smooth will work.
I doubt that any tablet for sale will not come with one. They just say that as a mute selling point in my opinion. You can always call them, wacom has incredible support.

-kris

[TekK]

yeah, i agree about wacom's support team... i emailed them asking about the USB vs serial issue and they replied within half a day (and considering i emailed them on sunday late night, that's pretty impressive), and it wasn't even strictly a support issue... i was bracing myself for a non-response or even a redirect, but they were cool about it... however, when i saw those "w/overlay" comments was when i was looking at resellers' sites, so who knows... but thanks for the heads up on the overlay thing, smothered...

thanks,
teck

[Dan3d]

The Graphire has the clear plastic cover on it just like the Intous does. Also, you can draw lightly on a Graphire. You just set your level of pressure/sensativity via the Wacom drivers. I use a Intous at work and a Graphire at home. Though I am well satisfied with the Graphire, the Intous is a much better product, mainly because the pen "feels" better (IMHO).

[NukleoN]

I own two Intuii and one Graphire. I prefer the Intuos coz it has double the pressure sensitivity and is larger (6x8) unless you get the small Intuos.

The cutesy colors are really sweet, but you can get a special edition Wacom USB (get USB only!) for the same price. USB is faster and thus, keeps up better with your line.

I also would recommend trying Painter with your tablet as well.

[TekK]

nukleon: thanks, yeah i was wondering about the USB having a bigger bandwidth and whether it affects performance... wacom's official response from tech support is that there's no functional difference, but i was hoping to get some consumer answers as well... i'm probably gonna be getting a refurbished intuos next month when i have enough cash, and it'll probably be a 6x8... i was thinking about a 4x5 intuos to suit my budget, but i figure i can wait a month and pay an extra $70 for the larger one ($199 refurbished)... it'd be nice to be able to snag a black one, though, to go with my laptop, a black presario...

cheers,
teck

ps. i'll ask it again in case the question's been forgotten, but does anyone other than me find the graphire's bundled software suite to be much more well-rounded than the intuos? i mean, the graphire comes with photoshop LE, painter classic, pentools, and various other junk, while the intuos only comes with painter classic and pentools... eh?

[TekK]

got another question... now i'm kinda leaning towards a 6x8 intuos, coz i saw a refurbished one online for about $199, which i'll be able to afford if i wait til next month to get it... thing is, i was wondering if the intuos comes with that "transparent overlay" thingie... i only ask because some of the refurbished tablets say "w/ transparent overlay" and are a little more expensive, while i had originally thought that the overlay comes with the intuos anyways...? or i could be wrong... :P

thanks,
teck

[Dan3d]

I've not paid any attention to what software is bundled with what. When I am purchasing a piece of hardware, I look at the specs for the hardware and do not want to be influenced by the "give me's" that ship with it. But that's just me.

My guess would be that if someone is buying an Intous, especially considering the price, they most likely already have the software they want to run with the tablet. Most of the artists I know have been, for example, using Photoshop well before they had a tablet and then decided they had to have one after seeing how it works. These types aren't going to need all the bundled software. They have what they need or at least better than what comes bundled with the tablet.

On the other hand, the Graphire is aimed at a slightly different market. Its price range makes it affordable to those that may not have all the cool software that most artists are already using. Many Graphire users may be using shareware or even freeware (GIMP?) tools. The bundled software becomes a great selling point here.

So, to recap, the selling point for the Intous is its features. The selling point for the Graphire is its cost and bundled software.

My $0.02

[TekK]

dan3d: thanks, i never really thought about it that way... i guess you're right, that people buying an intuos will probably have the software they need... anyways, i think i'll be buying the intuos 6x8 next month (can't wait!) and since i've been using paint shop pro 7.02 for a while, i can probably hold off from getting photoshop for now... it's too big of an investment, and besides which i like psp... :P i tried ps5 LE, and i find psp to be a little friendlier... ps has stuff that psp doesn't, and vice versa... i'd like to have both, but hey, what can ya do with a limited budget...

cheers,
teck