Wacom Graphire2 Pen, Mouse & Tablet Set (Steel-Blue)

Other products by Wacom

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches ; 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005U240
• Item model number: ET45ASTEEL
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,038 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Computers & Accessories > Mice & Keyboards > Digital Tablets

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 21, 2001

Product Description

Product Description
Graphire2 is for anyone who wants to get more from their photos. Have fun moving people around in photos, colorizing old black and white images, or just cleaning up scratches and imperfections. Graphire2's pen has 512 levels of pressure, so you can easily edit your digital photos or make a quick sketch. Graphire2's cordless, batteryless mouse has no ball to clean so it never skips. Combine all this with the stylish Graphire2 tablet, and you have the perfect solution for all your input needs - in a space no bigger than a mouse pad.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

224 of 225 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How did I ever use a computer without one, January 14, 2002

By	Kirk Lashley "kappamax" (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Wacom brand was the first one to come to mind when thinking about a graphics tablet - which I initially thought would be for graphics alone, but which has reached the stage after just two months of use has almost replaced my mouse.

Based on the tablet wizard, my ideal tablet would have been the Intuos2 for twice the price and twice the pressure levels. But I studied the Graphire2 very carefully, and opted for that instead, being half the price. It features a customizable pen with 512 levels of pressure (which is enough for most people), with an eraser, programmable duo-switch and very accurate pointer. At first it might feel strange using the pen to hover over the active area to move it around, but then it becomes natural. When you hit with the pen, the tablet it acts as a mouse click, and when you move along the tablet it acts as a click and drag. You can program every button on both pen and mouse for every application that you use, for a really custom fit. I can position the pointer in Word, and just flip the pen over and erase text, or I can be painting in Photoshop, and just flip the pen over and start erasing any mistakes without changing tools in the toolbar.

The tablet using absolute positioning, and each point in the active area (4x5 inches), corresponds to a position on your screen. I read previous reviews that considered 4x5 too small, but I looked at my mouse swing, and I rarely made long movements with my mouse, and this active area is quite sufficient for me. In some programs you can re-map this active area to a portion of the screen. The mouse is also absolute, and only works on the active area of the tablet. There is an overlay on the tablet for tracing, which could be quite useful, but I rather scan images and trace them on the screen - however, for people without a scanner, it can be sufficient.

The 4x5 tablet fits well on my desk taking up as much room as my mouse pad. I suffer from RSI, but this ergonomic pen creates no strain on my wrist though it took a little getting used to - luckily there is a tutorial and exercises to teach you, and you'd be up and running with the tablet in no time. The pen feels natural, as we're used to holding pens more than using a clunky mouse, which we had to learn a long time ago anyway. I tried using the tablet on every computer I could after that, so I won't have to use a mouse again - it works on Windows 2000 laptops, which make presentations really nice, as you can make annotations and drawings during a Powerpoint presentation, and you can even hold the tablet like a notepad, so you don't have to bend over to use the "mouse" again if you're standing. Since it is a USB tablet, it doesn't need any extra power source, which is a plus for me, as every other peripheral I have has taken up all six sockets in my power strip. The tablet doesn't work under Windows NT 4.0, as a warning to business users who still have that running at work.

The included software alone is well worth over $100USD. Think about buying Adobe PhotoShop 5.0LE and Corel Painter Classic and you'd have already spent over $100USD. I've heard problems with other USB tablets, but never with the Wacom tablets, they're even endorsing Opensource development of their drivers to get the tablet working under Linux (which it does now). The tablet comes included with a battery-less, cordless, scroll mouse that works on the tablet as well. I've so far used my tablet/pen/mouse for everything from surfing the web, helping me edit programs that I write, manipulating images and drawing some personal masterpieces, in less time than I took before. Wacom's website features a tip archive, a list of all the software that has hidden features for a stylus, and even special offers for discounts on products for Graphire2 owners.

There is no question that this tablet lives up to its brand name.

152 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This thing almost made me give up my trackball!, March 11, 2002

By	Erin K. Darling "naive cynic" (olympia, wa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I initially bought the Wacom tablet to be able to draw more easily in programs such as Photoshop, but immediately after purchasing it, I realized that it held a lot of promise for other apps, too. Even though its active area size is small (4x5 inches,) its versatility is almost limitless.

The Graphire2 comes with a cordless/batteryless pen (which is what I really wanted,) and a cordless/batteryless mouse (which I never use.) The pen has its own stand, which is handy and keeps the pen from rolling off the desk and into The Unknown. One end acts as its usual pointer, and the other can be programmed to act as an eraser in nearly any program (Word, Photoshop, Freehand, et cetera.) The pointer end has remarkable levels of sensitivity (512 different levels, to be precise) and also works as a standard mousing instrument. Although it takes a few moments to become accustomed to hoving a fraction of an inch over the tablet to mouse around, once that very short initiation process is over, it becomes an easy habit. Similarly, it takes a few minutes to get used to the "absolute surface" of the pen and tablet (which just means that each physical part of the tablet corresponds to the same area on the screen - there's no "scrolling" the pen down over the tablet to reach the bottom of the page - the bottom of the tablet's active area will always be the bottom of your monitor.)

There's a rocker-type button on the pen that can be programmed to suit individual needs - I use the bottom end for double-clicking, and haven't decided what to progam the top end to just yet. The pen is really, really light - if you're used to a heavier drawing implement, that may take some getting used to as well. The "gripping area" has a slight ergonomic shape to it, but it's definitely not the most comfortable pen I've ever held. The construction doesn't feel exceedingly solid, and in fact I managed to put a small crack near the top of the pen shortly after I first bought it by twisting it a bit.

The tablet's dimensions are rather larger than its active area - a rough estimate is an additional inch and a half on the sides, and an additional three inches on the top and bottom. This makes it a bit awkward to keep on a keyboard tray of normal size, but I solve a bit of that problem by putting my standard trackball on top of it (when using the trackball) to save space. The quality of the tablet seems much higher than the pen, and I believe will hold up well. It has an attached transparent overlay, and its possible to put smallish graphics/pictures/etc under it to easily trace them.

There's a small LED at the top of the active area to let you know when the tablet recognizes the pen on its surface, and the cord comes out of the tablet at the top - the USB cord carries all the power the tablet needs, which is great for saving power outlet strip space.

All in all, it's a very handy little product. I deducted a star in its rating because of its smallish active area size vs. the overall size of the tablet, plus the questionable quality of the pen.

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No reason to spend more!, March 24, 2002

By	E. Duralia (South Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased my Wacom tablet primarily for photo manipulation. Before taking the plunge, I researched every graphic tablet I could find on the market. I was convinced that I would need the larger Intuos2 but really couldn't justify the price as I consider myself a student of the arts. I have been happily surprised by the performance of this tablet. It has all the function and control most folks will ever need and the price allows novices a chance to broaden their skills as digital artists.