Customer Reviews

Aiptek HyperPen 8000U PC Tablet ( HYPERPEN8000U )

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When I opened the box and took out the pad, it seemed really durable and heavy. "Nice," I thought all happy and excited to try this gadget out. Then I took out the mouse and the darn thing rattled like a box of rocks. I thought it was broke but closer inspection into an aperture under the battery compartment revealed some kind of electromagnet suspended by a thin wire, which clanked around. "Cheesy," I thought, starting to get worried. Maybe the mouse isn't supposed to be that way, maybe it actually was broke, but it worked in its own crummy fashion. Compared to my optical mouse, using this cheesy thing felt like doing surgery with a pickaxe. Then the real problems started. They have bundled a drawing program, "Art Dabbler," that is supposed to complement the basic functions of this hardware -- the ability to utilize variable line thickness by varying the pen pressure, etc. The software application wouldn't even launch on my XP system: I was given an error message, "not enough available memory to run art dabbler." Well, I have 1 GB of DDR RAM installed on my Pentium 4, 2.66 GHz machine. I did a little snooping online and found that this software is three or four years old, and pretty much incampatible with XP. There were some suggestions on a public forum (where others were having the same problem) about changing virtual memory settings or disabling the paging file completely, and even if one were inclined to tamper with such settings for the sake of one outdated program, none of these things worked for me when I tried them. Even with a tweaked or disabled paging file setting, still the same message about insufficient memory. I also tried re-installing and running the program in compatibility mode, with the same result: "not enough memory." Corel, who supposedly took over this "Art Dabbler" property from Meta Creations, doesn't even acknowledge it on their website. That's how behind-the-times it is. And Aiptek's site has no postings addressing this issue. They have chosen to bundle their hardware with garbage software. So guess what? The whole kit and kaboodle gets returned.

I've used this particular tablet for several years now and have recently upgraded to the Wacom Intuos. The tablet itself is sturdy and very durable with a metal backing. The cursor accelleration does not quite match the stylus, but the position is accurate, and the sensitivity is adequate. The setup options for the tablet are vastly inferior to Wacom's control panel, however, and the mouse (as on most tablets) is a joke. It's actually a good buy if you're just going to play around with it (as you get a larger tablet for your money than the graphire or Intuos), but if you're serious about your art, you will probably want to spend the extra money for the features and software the Wacom tablets provide.

The tablet itself is good. It's not a Wacom. It's nothing expensive, but for the money you pay for the size of the tablet and the basic functions that go with it it's well worth it. Don't like the software that goes with it? Download GIMP. It's free, legal, and works much like the always-expensive, always-pirated Adobe Photoshop. The mouse is basically useless. It was the first thing to go.

A replacement pen is $10 off of the Aiptek site, which I find a little absurd as far as the price goes. The tablet itself is $50 as a refurbished item off of the Aiptek website, which is around a $40 average savings off of the sellers here. Replacement drivers are downloadable, replacement software + drivers are purchased for $5 off of the Aiptek site, which is kind of stupid because the software is a joke, as others have said, and the drivers are downloadable.

The support on the Aiptek site is decent. You can download the drivers for most operating systems (I believe all 98+ operating systems are supported) and if you run Linux, you can download Linux-based drivers if you Google search them or if you look on Aiptek's FAQ. (Why Aiptek does not just host the bloody drivers themselves is beyond me, but, whatever.)

Overall... I'd say it's well worth it, especially if you're looking to just play around and doodle, and possibly upgrade to a more professional tablet later on.

I got a refurb model for cheap, so my experience may not be representative to those who're buying new Aipteks, but by far the worst problem I've had with my Hyperpen- worse than the flimsy-feeling pen and mouse, worse than the useless software, worse than the driver that doesn't work until you hunt down one well-hidden update that is not, as I recall, even on the Aiptek site- is the cursor shake. There's really not much reason to buy a tablet other than the cool pressure settings, and it seems like the Hyperpen has exactly three of those- 'very very light', 'full pressure', and 'shake like a spastic orangutan on amphetamines'. The cursor is largely uncontrollable over the entire middle band of its pressure spectrum, which pretty seriously limits the use of the pen. I can still get some good out of it, and it's handy enough to deserve at least two stars, but due to its incessant twitching and the impossibility of taking full advantage of the pressure tip the Hyperpen is not of use for most of the things tablets are supposed to be best at.

I have just received my hyper pen 8000 and used it only once. I have read the other reviews and I am skeptical of its performance. However, I also realize the amount of money I spent on this tablet is 5 times cheaper than the Wacom I wanted. Being a college student in Game Art and product design, it was time for me to upgrade from my standard mouse. I have had Wacom readily available to me when I was attending an actual campus. Now that I attend school from home (online) I have to be more resourceful. I still need the tools required by the industry but the only difference is I pay for them out of pocket. This tablet fits the bill for me. Yes there are problems (the cursor and pressure sensitivity do unusual things) but compared to using my cordless mouse it still works. I don't use the mouse that came with the pad (I already own one) and the software bundle is still in its packaging (I own all the Adobe programs). So, some of the issues others are experiencing don't apply to me. I can say I have used a Wacom pad for over two years, so I know what to expect. The Aiptek is a nice alternative to those who need to get their feet wet. This is just something to hold you over until you can afford an updated model. You just have to live with its faults. Don't expect more and you won't be disappointed. (REVIEW UPDATE) I reviewed this product several months ago and although it was nice while it lasted I am disappointed to say it died around two months ago. Being that the producted only lasted about a year it may still be of use for those seeking a temporary fix. However, keep in mind I only used the tablet no more than a dozen times and always stored it in its box. Those who draw often may want to pass. I now own a WACOM which I too purchased from Amazon. It looks two times better, has a solid build, and more degrees of sensitivity. I would highly recommend saving your $80 and putting it towards an entry level WACOM pad. The AIPTEK began having issues with its drivers at first. My computer would not recognize it even after using the manufacturer provided drivers. I finally found drivers that worked after digging on the internet. Eventually, I found there were dead spots on the drawing surface that would not pick up the pen input at all. Then the cursor would move around sporadically even when the pen was not pressing the pad. I had to toss it once it stopped working completely.

Okay, well it's not the greatest tablet. I have the older version, but they operate the same I presume. Nothing is "new" about it besides the price tag and the appearance (the pen looks the same, it's just the mouse that's different and the tablet part). I didn't even bother to try to use the mouse it came with it. I tossed it aside and took out it's battery, and the tablet itself is what you would expect for it's price. Don't bother with the bundled software, I got Photoshop and Corel Painter, so who needs some cheesy software. The pressure is okay and it's tracking of the cursor with the pen is pretty good. Going to Wacom's site makes it seem like their tablet is the only one that can be used. The tablet also works fine with Windows xp with no hitch. Overall, it's probably best if it's your first tablet and you aren't ready to fork over the $200 plus for a Wacom Intous 2.

After purchasing my Aiptek pen, I noticed it would lose it's pressure sensitivity, and the dpi quoted on the package was not accurate at all. After calling Aiptek customer service I sent it back for repairs. 3 weeks later, after many phone calls to track it down, it was finally sent back (I actually only live 30 miles away). It still doesn't work properly and dealing with Aiptek customer service was a nightmare. In the end, Aiptek would not solve the problem, I purchased a Wacom tablet (with outstanding results) and now use my Aiptek tablet for a very large drink coaster. Avoid this time/money waster at all cost.

This tablet was a gift for my artistic daughter, age 9. I wanted an entry level item that wouldn't break the bank just in case she abandoned her desire for making art. It was a way to introduce her to the world of computer graphic art. She loved Art Dabbler but I do understand it may have issues with XP and Vista (I was using Win98 at the time). Don't use the bundled software (it's free anyway) and go with a more advanced program. She would also use the Paint program in Windows and I showed her how to use it with Adobe Photoshop and ULead Photo Impact. I found it to be just what I was looking for. Not too much money and she got a lot out of it. Her aspirations for being an artist will have to include an understanding of computer graphics and this tablet helped in this matter. Wacom is definitely better but more than I needed. She was doing great art using only a mouse before. This was an improvement. If you're looking for professional equipment look to spend more than triple what this item costs. If you're a pro you wouldn't want to be "penny wise and dollar dumb" anyway and you'd go with the Wacom. I'm not a pro and I was able to use it to make decent hand drawn art. It has the ability to be used with more advanced CAD programs but I don't have the time for the learning curve for these as I'm not doing anything like that for a living. If you just want to try delving into graphic arts this tablet is inexpensive and advanced enough for the casual user. When/if she gets more advanced in graphic art I will buy a more advanced tablet for her. She's now 13 and this tablet still hasn't had all it's potential tapped. It still works fine. TIP: Take the battery out of the pen after each use or it will drain the battery just sitting there. I recommend it.

My company bought this tablet for me about 6-8 months ago. I have tried using it over and over, but the control is horrible. Not only will the mouse and pen drain battery life incredibly fast, but you get very poor response from the pen. The pen frequently "jumps" and "jitters." I could be working in Illustrator CS2, or Freehand MX, drawing a continuous line and the pen would jump to the upper left hand corner of the screen, randomly. When and if you ever got a pen line completed, you have to go back with the mouse and clean it up. Kind of defeats the purpose in my opinion. There is no way you could ever possibly get work done with it.

You definitely get what you pay for. Today, I finally went to the store and bought just a 4x5 Wacom Graphire4 and the quality and response is incredible. Please take my advice and buy a Wacom Graphire4, or spend a little more for Wacom Graphire4 6x8.

It gets an extra star for pricing, but remember, you get what you paid for. I recently had an Aiptek Hyperpen 9x12... and it was good in the beginning. But after awhile, problems started arising. First the pen cursor would just freeze on the screen no matter where I moved the pen. There were also times when the pen would jump across the screen, creating lines that I did not draw intentionally. Eventually, the pen just basically died and the mouse failed to work properly (the mouse worked, but it would sometimes become faulty).

Basically, even though a Wacom seems out of range and rediculously priced compare to this, I highly recommend buying a Wacom before wasting money on an Aiptek. Just look at the statistics between the two, such as the pressure sensitivity numbers. Of course, if you are just experimenting and don't intend to get into digital art seriously, then get this. The price range is fair, and if you aren't using it extensively, then those problems I had stated above shouldn't hurt you too much.

But after having used both (the Aiptek Hyperpen 9X12 and the Wacom Intuos3 6x8), I can tell you that there is a significant difference.