204 of 206 people found the following review helpful:
Great deal for the price.
First of all, I must say that the only tablet I have used before is the Wacom Intuos3, so I will be drawing my comparisons mainly between the Intuos3 and Intuos4. I understand that there are a multitude of tablets/digitizers in the market, such as Genie and *forgot the company's name*, but my review will mainly focus on Wacom's line of tablets. To start off, I must say...
132 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
Intuos 4: Great Idea, Bad Execution.
I've been using the intuos family line for 6 years now. I'm a digital concept and 3d artist so a wacom tablet or cintiq is the only choice. I've owned 2 intuos2's(6x8 & 9x12) , 1 intuos3 12x19 and 1 intuos4 XL (which i returned because of major design flaws).
Note, I'm a heavy user so I spend 6-10 hours per workday painting in Photoshop, modeling in Maya,...
First of all, I must say that the only tablet I have used before is the Wacom Intuos3, so I will be drawing my comparisons mainly between the Intuos3 and Intuos4. I understand that there are a multitude of tablets/digitizers in the market, such as Genie and *forgot the company's name*, but my review will mainly focus on Wacom's line of tablets. To start off, I must say that if you are considering a tablet, then you might want to first try the Wacom Bamboo/Bamboo Fun before shelling out hundreds for a Intuos.
Everything aside, I love my Intuos4, and I think it is definitely a worthy upgrade from Intuos3 (or any other tablets in general), especially if you spend hours everyday with a pen.
Intuos4, instead of the gray metallic look of the Intuos3, hosts a cool black matte finish with a high-gloss black side panel. It is a lot thinner than the intuos3, a much lower profile, and a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Since most of us have widescreen monitors, I think it is very thoughtful of Wacom to update the aspect ratio of the Intuos4, but be warned though; if you use a 4:3 monitor, you might experience problems with drawing ratios since the 16:9 active area will be 'squeezed' to fit into a 4:3 layout; what this means is that if you draw a tilted line on the tablet, the line will appear to be squeezed horizontally and stretched vertically on the 4:3 monitor. Of course, you can manually limit the active area in the Wacom configuration software, but that would force you to sacrifice a portion of working area, so take this into consideration when purchasing this tablet.
The biggest design change from the Intuos3 is the layout of the expresskeys. Because of the ambidextrous design, Wacom placed all the keys on one side of the tablet, so there are more keys available to the users. What I think is extremely thoughtful of Wacom is that for the Small tablet, it came with 2 USB tables, one tilted upwards and the other downwards, as to cater to both the left-handed and the right-handed configuration. Note, however, that the Small version of the Intuos4 does not have the OLED display to the right of the expresskeys, and instead of 8, you will only get 6 keys (but it is more than sufficient for me).
The problem I have with the expresskeys is that in the Intuos3, the keys are shaped differently, so that it is very easy to locate a specific key without having to constantly look down; however, for intuos4, since all the keys are shaped exactly the same, it is extremely easy activate the wrong key...this is especially the case with Intuos4 Small, since there is no visual indication as to what function each key is assigned to, making navigation difficult. I think Wacom should have made each of the keys more distinct tactilely[sic?], especially for the Small version. However, I think this should not be much of a problem after some time of getting use to (I only had it for a day).
The Touch Ring is what I think the biggest innovation in the Intuos4. The touchstrip was great, but you can only assign one function to the strip, but with the new touch ring, you can assign 4 different functions, switchable with the press of the central bottom. What this means is that you can assign Zoom/Rotate/Brush Size/Opacity/Flow/etc. all to a single touchring, which greatly boosts productivity, and makes the tablet more intuitive to use. This is especially true with the new 'Rotate' feature in Photoshop CS4, but I have noticed that there is a significant latency delay (lag) when invoking the rotate function with the touchring, but it may just be me.
The new rubberized grip pen also features the cool black finish akin to that of the tablet; the weight of the pen is almost perfect, and the rubber grip makes using the grip pen more comfortable than ever before, but the rubber grip also attracts dust and lint, so it may be subjected to constant cleaning. The pen supports 2048 levels of sensitivity, and since I have a light stroke, the penstrokes register a lot better with Intuos4. The rocker on the pen, however, has a very poor travel, and a bit awkward to use. But all in all, I prefer the Intuos4 grip pen over the Intuos3 version for its comfort and usability.
The new improved tablet surface is perhaps as close as you can get with real Pen-on-Paper experience with a digital tablet. Intuos3's surface is extremely 'slippery', and drawing on it feels like plastic-on-plastic; however, the Intuos4's surface makes me really feel like drawing on paper with almost perfect travel and traction. The different nibs offer different levels of friction, simulating different mediums. This concept was attempted in Intuos3, but I think Intuos4 has really perfected the formula, making drawing on the tablet feel almost the same as drawing on paper.
I don't usually talk about the pen-stand, but the pen stand for Intuos4 is definitely worthy mentioning. A high gloss black finish, the pen stand can be twisted open, revealing a nib storage compartment with slots to store 10 extra nibs (and a nib extractor). I used to lose track of my pen nibs all the time, but not anymore, so kudos to Wacom for their attention to details.
The tablet comes with a wide array of softwares (Photoshop Elements, Sketchpad, etc.) all available online to Intuos4 customers via Wacom's website (but you'll have to register your Intuos4 to receive the softwares); the driver installation is extremely easy (but I do recommend resetting your wacom profile in the Wacom Preference Utility and uninstall any old wacom driver(s) before installing the new one to prevent conflicts); it took me literally 15 minutes to set everything up and running under Vista, and no problems thus far.
The expresskey configuration, however, is a bit tedious, especially if you plan on using different presets for you applications. There are many great additions, such as the Radial Menu, which is, in short, a nice multi-command invoker; this, along with the additional expresskeys and the touch ring, would probably take some time to configure to your liking.
There has been complaints about Intuos3's poor Vista support (although I have had no problems with my Intuos3 under vista); according to other reviews, Wacom seems to have fixed most of the incompatibility problems with Intuos4.
Note that I have intentionally left out the Wacom mouse because I never was a fan of Wacom's mouses, so it is still sitting in my box...maybe I'll take it out and test it someday...
PROS
+ Cool black finish, matte frame extremely comfortable to rest hand on.
+ Ambidextrous design
+ More expresskeys
+ Touchring with 4 presets
+ 2048 Levels of sensitivity
+ 16:9 Aspect ratio (may not be a pro if you have a 4:3 design, see above)
+ Great drawing surface, feels like pen-on-paper.
+ Thinner, lighter than Intuos3
+ Great driver, vista support.
+ Improved customization software, many useful functions
+ Improved grip pen, comfortable to use
+ 10 replacement nibs (should last 2-5 years)
+ Innovating pen holder, serves as a storage for replacement nibs
+ Color rings to give the grip pen a different feel
+ Tons of extra softwares, great value.
CONS
- Expresskeys shaped the same, easy to press the wrong key
- Intuos4 Small does not have the OLED display
- Price
- Only 16:9 is offered
- The rocker on the grip pen has poor travel
- May not be the best choice if you prefer the smooth drawing surface of Intuos3
- A bit too big for a small tablet (compared to Intuos3 Small)
- High gloss side panel is a fingerprint magnet
- The rubber grip on the pen attracts dust and lint.
- Does not come with a travel sleeve (is this really too much to ask?)
All in all, Intuos4 boasts many notable upgrades from the previous Intuos3 line. If you have been holding off for a Intuos3, then this is perhaps the time for you to finally jump on the Intuos boat. Due to the size limitations, the Small Intuos4 lacks a few features available in the other models of the Intuos4 line (notably the OLED display, dual USB ports, etc.), but the price difference between the Small and the Medium ($199 vs $349) tablets does not seem to justify for the price jump (especially since I don't have the space to accommodate for a medium tablet).
Again, if this is your first time shopping for a tablet, then I would recommend trying out the Bamboo line of products before considering the Intuos.
I enjoy the Intuos4 tablet, and I would recommend it to any serious graphics designers/photographers/animators/etc. This is a worthy investment and you won't regret it.
Final Verdict: Wacom, you have done it again. ^^
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I've been using the intuos family line for 6 years now. I'm a digital concept and 3d artist so a wacom tablet or cintiq is the only choice. I've owned 2 intuos2's(6x8 & 9x12) , 1 intuos3 12x19 and 1 intuos4 XL (which i returned because of major design flaws).
Note, I'm a heavy user so I spend 6-10 hours per workday painting in Photoshop, modeling in Maya, and concept design in Painter. This review is to help artists decide if it's worth upgrading to the newest intuos for their workspace. Money is not an issue since this is used extensively in my career field.
PROS
- More sensitivity, doubling from 1024 to a whopping 2048 levels. It's a nice improvement when sketching very light construction lines, ie "ghosting". Not a huge help for painting in Photoshop, since I use opacity and flow to adjust my paint layer applications.
-Scroll wheel is a nice addition and offers good control when zooming.
-OLED screen for shortcuts is also a nice addition in case you forget the express key assignments.
-Like it's intuos3 predecessor, the pen is ergonomic and comfortable.
-Pen holder has good functionality because it now holds your spare nibs. Convenient, since you will need to replace nibs like crazy.
-Widescreen formats now for all sizes.
CONS
- The nibs wear out to an annoying chiseled point within hours, and completely gone in days! If you continue to paint with a worn out nib, you will scratch the surface so don't be cheap. This has been the most common problem since most forums have very disgruntled artists spending extra money stocking up on overpriced nibs. $1-2 per plastic nib that costs them 1 penny to make. Just type "intuos4 nib wear" and you can read for yourself. This is due to the new paper-like friction surface, which is nice but not necessary. I've never worn out my intuos2 or intuos3 nibs in 6 years!
- As a result, the surface sheet also wears out. Depending which area you use the most, you'll soon get uneven surfacing throughout. So while one side has the friction feel, another area is worn out smooth. So you'll have to replace the sheet within a year. I've yet to replace my intuos2 or intuos3 sheets.
-The express keys on one side is a great idea, but they are TOO FIRM. They also are placed awkwardly, are too small, and sizes are too similar. I find them uncomfortable and useless since I rarely look down while working since it's about speed and productivity in the motion picture/gaming industry. Plus having wrist issues in the past, these buttons are not ergonomic at all.
-Express key area is a fingerprint magnet. If you continually clean off that area, you will slowly produce little scratches.
-If your unlucky, you'll receive a defective pen. Check out YouTube, there's a lot of customers that have received defective pens. Such as "Tip triggered without actual pressure problem" and "Tip looseness problem"
-Bad customer support for intuos4 from Wacom. The design flaws i mentioned above have been reviewed by Wacom forum reps on their Wacom Europe forums. It seems they are in total denial of any design flaws. They have offered cheap ploys that blame the customer for the nib wear and bad advice such as taping paper onto a $400-700 piece of hardware to cover up their mistakes. SAD but true.
FINAL THOUGHTS
-I like the intuos4, don't get me wrong. But I feel the major design flaws negate the upgrade from intuos3. If you are a heavy user, this can get annoying and tedious to deal with. If you are a new or light user, this will not affect you as much, since most positive reviews I've read are from new or light users.
-However if you are thinking about upgrading from intuos2, an intuos3 or intuos4 is a must. The ergonomic intuos3 or intuos4 pen alone makes it a necessary upgrade.
-With the intuos3, they EVENTUALLY fixed some issues. My intuos3 12x19 is widescreen and the surface surrounding the work area is completely smooth, as opposed to the tacky plastic from 1st generation intuos3's. I pray Wacom will address these intuos4 issues realistically. Until they do, I'll be using my intuos3!!
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As my review title suggests, Wacom has improved once again with it's new tablet, yet has taken a couple steps backward also which keeps me from giving it 5 stars.
CONS:
1. If you're a 3d Artist, you might use the Ctrl/Alt/Shift buttons much more than regular graphic artists.. Intuos4 lined up these buttons making it harder to select more than one at a time, and the buttons themselves are harder to press and now feel "cheap". Intuos3 buttons were perfect, the changes are purely for looks and the functionality suffered because of it.
2. Zoom is circular now? whatever. Again, looks cool, less functional.
PROS:
1. Beautiful looking! A bit thinner & wider which is great for us dual-monitor users. I could even see a market for a "9x18" size.
2. Wacom FINALLY got the surface improved. No more "painting on glass" surface.. it now has a bit of 'roughness' to it, like you're drawing on paper. HUGE improvement!!!
3. Small improvement to the grip on the pen. Same pen, but the rubber grip slips less (so far).
note: Wacom mouse now works like a regular wireless mouse, it's axis/input is determined by the mouse location/direction... not by the tablets. It's the first Wacom mouse I've considered using!!
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
Honestly, the place I work doesn't look very impressive. It is full of cobbled together machines, with mirrors askew and wires everywhere. I am comforted by the knowledge that it is accomplishing high-end science, and perhaps professional tools simply shouldn't be pretty. The Intuos line seems to have followed that logic quite closely in the past, with very sterile and clunky looking tablets that delivered impressive results. With that in mind, there may be some trepidation about this flashy update, all covered in shiny black plastic and LCD screens. I assure you, though, that they have not forgotten where they will be used or who they will be used by.
The Basics:
A modern tablet is expected to do a few things. It should give touchscreen-like functionality (with a pen rather than a finger). That means that I should be able to draw as I would with a real pencil/paintbrush/etc. To this end, the tablet must have pressure sensitivity. For example, pressing harder with a simulated paintbrush should create a larger blob of paint. Really, these are all that are required, and the Wacom does them excellently, giving both an extremely precise (high resolution) X-Y position and pressure sensitivity. It is very enjoyable and intuitive for use in Photoshop, which is my primary use. Will the increase in sensitivity resolution over the Intuos3 demand that you upgrade? For all but the most demanding, I would say no. With that said, you will surely enjoy it when you do decide to upgrade. Specifically, I enjoy the ability to use very light strokes, which did not register as anything on older tablets. For people who enjoy using very faint lines in art, this is a very appreciated addition. Also appreciated is the nib holder in the pen base, which houses a good number of nibs, preventing the "missing sock" phenomena you may have experienced in the past, as the small guys tended to mysteriously disappear. Regardless of which nib is chosen, the surface of the new Intuos gives a very natural feel that Wacom has really perfected at this point.
As you would expect, there is also the intuitive ability to use the other end of the pen as an eraser as with all Wacom tablets. This end can also be customized for other purposes. The customization in general is quite extensive. Every button can be mapped as desired, as well as tilt sensitivity, tip feel, and tip double-click distance. Additionally, the surface can be set to pen or mouse mode. I saw another reviewer critique that someone had not set the tablet to mouse mode, which is why the mouse felt sluggish. Actually, this is not what these modes represent (the tablet automatically detects if a mouse or pen is being used and responds appropriately). Pen mode, which most people will prefer, creates a 1-to-1 mapping between the tablet and the screen. So, if I touch the lower right corner of the tablet, I will click the lower right corner of the screen. Mouse mode is so named because, like a mouse, the pen movement will simply move the cursor in an unmapped fashion. I will need to move the pen down and right, then, to get to the lower right of the screen.
The Mouse:
Speaking of the mouse, it is a handy peripheral to have around. The tablet can take up a lot of space, leaving no good place to have a mouse on the work surface. The Wacom mouse, which works on the tablet, solves that issue. I can not say it is the most ergonomic design, but it looks slick and functions well as a standard 5-button mouse. The scroll wheel is inferior to those on Logitech mice I am used to, but it is functional. The bottom of the mouse seems to be covered in felt, which allows it to slide across the tablet without scratching it. As with the pen, the buttons can be fully customized, in addition to the speed and acceleration of cursor movement.
A very nice feature of the mouse is that it detects the orientation that the tablet is set to (buttons on left, buttons on right, buttons on top, or buttons on bottom) and behaves accordingly. Unfortunately, this is the only notable feature of the mouse. If you are planning to purchase this tablet because of the mouse, I suggest you think again. It feels like it is a bit tacked on for the sake of workflow, but is not really the focus of this product.
The Buttons:
The flashiest aspect of the new Intuos by far is the slick set of 8 buttons with LCD labels. I am happy to report that this is not just a gimmick, however, as the button labels are immediately useful. Without them, the buttons are completely ambiguous and would take some effort to memorize. That is fine, but in the process, it would become too much effort to change them as needed over time or for different programs. Speaking of the latter, the buttons can also be customized to be program specific, which is great. Additionally, as with all functions of the tablet, the labels can be set to function properly for both right- and left-handed tablet positions, so do not be concerned about upside-down letters. One of the button options is to open up a star menu, in which you can press the button and motion in a particular direction with the pen or mouse to choose a function. This creates even more options to avoid having to use the keyboard. If you choose a larger tablet size, the keyboard may be pushed to the side or below and so this will be quite beneficial. In addition, it's just cool.
Speaking of cool, there is a central wheel which can be toggled between four functions easily. The wheel is not new to Wacom, but the toggle feature allows more functionality at a quick pace. This tablet has clearly been thought out in real-world terms.
But, I do have one qualm here. The buttons feel terrible. They are mushy and don't click at all. I feel unsure of whether or not I pushed the button when I push it. Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but I was immediately turned off by the buttons, and their strange and unnecessary angling does not help. I think this angling is the result of using two long LCD screens, rather than eight individual ones, presumably to cut costs. This means that the buttons can not be separate; rather, they are shoved right next to each other. The angling is a makeshift solution to allow us to differentiate the buttons from each other, avoiding the potential of hitting the wrong or multiple buttons. It is a functional solution, but one that could have been avoided altogether by separation of the buttons.
Conclusions:
Why the five-star rating? Because this tablet is not about the mouse, which is admittedly mediocre, and I can not drop an entire point for mushy buttons. The thoughtful design for modern workflow is amazing, and the real functionality we all care about - the pen - is near perfect. I can see room for improvement, but for all practical purposes, I think this is going to serve exactly the purpose you want. Please enjoy it and your work.
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I've been a tablet user since the 1990's and get a new tablet every few years to keep up with the latest tech. My last tablet was the Bamboo Fun which I love. This new Intuos4 is the Mercedes Benz of tablets. Its sleek, thin and has all the bells and whistles you can want and then some.
First off the new Express Keys that can be configured to either right handed or left have custom LCDs. You can customize each of the 8 buttons to do just about anything from keystrokes to open apps. Then the best part is that it has a LCD next to it that you can type in and label what the button does. It even has symbols for various needs. It also has a sleep feature that after non use dims the LCD's and then turns them off which is another well thought of feature.
It also has a customizable click wheel that also can be used for customized buttons. Depending on what mode your in you can use it to zoom in or out as well as perform keystrokes or other tasks just like the main buttons. They separate it like a pizza pie so you get 8 more custom buttons.
When first setting this tablet up you can choose right or left handed and also one of the very innovative features is that there is a slide switch on the bottom that changes the usb port depending on your setting so the plug stays at the top of the tablet.
The pen is a little bulkier but feels comfortable and the holder for it also doubles as a nib holder. There were all different kinds hidden in there to choose from like felt tip, normal and flex and one other i forget for a total of 10.
Now for how it works, I do a lot of retouching and this tablet by far feels the most realistic of any I've owned. The pressure sensitivity is very precise similar to the bamboo fun but more extreme. I find that the I4 has much better control especially when you have to go slow while working with fine details. It also has more sensitivity and feel settings which let you really customize it not only per project but in general.
My only complaint is that it is very expensive and not for the casual user or beginner. This is definitely pro stuff unless you have a wallet to burn. If your looking for a tablet to take your artwork to another level or if you are a heavy tablet user then this one is for you. If your looking for something more basic with similar qualities then the Bamboo Fun is for you and its a lot less expensive.
My final thoughts are that you are getting what you pay for not that their other tablets aren't great but this line is again the Mercedes Benz and unless your a hard core tablet user then it doesn't pay to get this because its expensive. If you have previous models and were thinking of upgrading, DO IT!
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I will preface this review by stating that I am not a graphic artist and I have the artistic ability of a common garden rock. I did not get this tablet for doing artwork. As such, I have a different perspective on this product than the majority of people who buy an Intuos4.
I am very new to working with tablets and I started with a basic Bamboo small. This was a great little tablet, but the important word there was "little". I upgraded to an Intuos4 Medium because I wanted a bigger tablet, and I have been delighted with it. I do not use this tablet in the way a true artists would use it, but I have gained a deep appreciation for it nevertheless.
Because of the work I do, I use computers very frequently. I use them at home too, which is where I've attached my Intuos4. I am always looking for ways to make computing more comfortable, and on a whim I tried tablets. I discovered that, for me, tablet pens are more pleasant with which to work than mice.
The Intuos, in particular, is a good fit with an excellent digital pen that is designed well and fits my hand comfortably. The feel is right, and when writing the nib/tablet contact feels very much like writing on paper with a pencil. There are multiple nibs too, as well as additional pens for purchase, that make finding the right combination easy. So far, I have used only the default nib that was in the pen when I opened the box, and I am satisfied.
There is also a mouse in the package that works for most generic purposes but I rarely touch it. It is a no-frills, three-button scrolling mouse that is actually not bad, but it is only used on the writing surface of the tablet.
My primary use of this tablet is for writing, not drawing, and I have found the handwriting recognition software that is activated with the driver install to be mostly reasonable with translating my chicken scratches. It does have a bad tendency, however, to translate my lowercase letter "b" to "6" or sometimes even "d". As a result of this and other minor quirks I have changed my writing mannerisms to give the software better accuracy, and these new mannerisms are so habitual that I find that when I am writing on paper I have carried these new habits with me to that medium.
The tablet is much more pressure sensitive than my Bamboo was and when I make an effort to either bear down or lighten up with the pressure I can see the difference. This is especially true when using artistry software like Corel Painter. For serious artists, the Intuos4 offers 2048 pressure levels which should suffice for most.
I've made no use of the buttons on my Intuos4 but I use the Touch Ring frequently for scrolling. This is an excellent substitute for a scroll wheel, though it is not critical for my uses.
The pen and tablet are NOT useful for everything. For example, it's a bad choice for playing FPS games like Unreal Tournament. For chess, sudoku, working in MS Word or even grunching numbers in a spreadsheet, it is very workable.
Ok, so why do I prefer this higher-end tablet over a Bamboo Fun? I tried a Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch, which is a tablet that is more in line with people of my skill level (rank beginner and home user). That said, I could not get comfortable with the Pen and Touch, and I feel the Intuos4 pen is a much better for for my hands. Also, the Touch portion was awkward for me. The Intuos4 just works better for me, plain and simple.
For a non-artist, the Intuos4 Medium Tablet is a high-dollar item that can possibly be looked at as an unnecessary expense. For me, though, it is a blessing in that it makes most tasks on the computer more comfortable and easy. I am hooked on this tablet and recommend it to anyone who is either a serious artist looking for a good digital tablet or someone like me who just wants to be comfortable while working on the computer. It is a serious input device and will change the way you interact with the computer.
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This review is for the Intuos4 Large size, but should also be applicable for the other sizes. I used a 22" monitor with it, that uses a 16:10 aspect ratio.
From the packaging to the accessories and actual tablet itself, the whole set is impressive. The design is a significant improvement from previous Intuos designs in both appearance and function, most notably the increase in sensitivity (Previously rated 1024, now 2048 pressure level). I had originally upgraded from an Intuos2 and couldn't be more impressed. Some changes may affect you however if your setup is optimized for the older tablets.
Buttons and Touchring:
The tablet itself now sports more buttons compared to the Intuos3, as well as a touch ring, all of which are customizable in the Wacom driver properties so you can make them do whatever you want based on the program you are using (Does not matter what program, you can even use a music playing program and map the touchring and make it a volume control). The buttons themselves do not make a clicking noise when pressed, and may take a moment to be able to get used to, but I do not think it's a problem if you intend to use them. The touchring is HIGHLY sensitive. Even just hovering my elbow over it can cause it to activate without me noticing, but it is extremely convenient for functions such as rotating, zooming or scrolling through a canvas or image. All of these buttons also have a designated OLED display on the tablet itself to remind you what keystroke you have set them to do.
Work area/Surface sheet and Sensitivity:
The intuos4 series now are all 16:10 in aspect ratio (NOT 16:9). So if you have a widescreen monitor with 16:10, the tablet and your monitor are at a 1:1 ratio, which I think is convenient and easier to get used to than if they were off. If you are using a different aspect ratio monitor, then you can just use the Force Proportion function in the driver properties if you want a 1:1 ratio, although this may also mean that certain areas of the tablet's work area will be inactive (Moreso if you are not using a widescreen monitor at all). To note, the surface sheet of the tablet aside from the XL size are no longer flippable like the Intuos2. The surface sheet are glued on the sides of the tablet, but I was told by WACOM support that they are removeable in case you want to replace them (Replacements come preapplied with adhesives as well). The surface sheet itself also feels closer to paper (Printing paper) than the older models, which feel extremely smooth in comparison.
The sensitivity level is now doubled compared to either Intuos2 or Intuos3, now at an impressive 2048. Some users seem to claim that the difference is unnoticeable, but I personally notice it just after a few hours of usage. It just feels much nicer overall and after getting used to it, I'd hate going back to lower sensitivity tablets. Some programs may cause the tablet to revert to 1024 sensitivity however if it is not supported (This is noted on the driver properties).
The pen itself feels more or less the same as the previous pens in the Intuos series with some changes in design. The rubber portion now covers at least half of the pen, and you are able to color code your grip pens if you have several of them by using the included plastic color bands. If you are not a fan of the button on the side of the pen, they are unfortunately still there. No additional replacement rubber grip is included unfortunately (However the UK/Europe version includes one for some reason).
The Pen Holder now holds the nib remover and extra nibs themselves, a big improvement over previous ones. They are stored inside, and can be opened by simply twisting the top portion of the pen holder out.
Unfortunately, the Pen Nibs now seem to wear out EXTREMELY fast compared to the previous Intuos' ones. It is probably due to the new surface area than the nibs themselves. I noticed the wearing just after a day of use, and unfortunately as of the time of this writing, the US Wacom store does not sell replacement nibs or surface sheets for the Intuos4 just yet.
The mouse has been VASTLY improved compared to the previous ones (Yes, I actually use them!) after some minor speed adjustments in the Wacom driver properties. They can really now be used as your main mouse, provided that you bought a large enough tablet size for use of the mouse. The mouse doesn't use cords or batteries, but must unfortunately be used on top of your tablet's work area. The bottom part is covered with felt, so it's like you're cleaning your tablet as you use it. If you are one of the many users that never use the mouse, give it a try, you'll probably be surprised.
Other accessories include the USB cord, which is just your standard cord used in every other electronic device (Removeable now, which is convenient for packing it away), and the software bundle. The software bundle includes 'lesser' versions of Adobe and Corel's flagship softwares. I never bothered to download them, as I do not need them, but they're there if you want to give them a try. As for the included driver installation disc, I do not recommend you to use them as they include outdated drivers. Instead, go to Wacom's website and download and use the updated one there during installation.
Some other (personal) gripes about the new tablet:
There are now more nooks and crannies so to speak in which dust and dirt may accumulate over years of usage. The spaces between the buttons and the divider between the button area and work area have larger gaps than the Intuos3's, so it may be difficult to clean them out in the long run. It's also almost impossible to not put your finger prints on the glossy area of the tablet because it is where the buttons and touchrings are housed.
To summarize:
Pros:
- Improved buttons, and now includes a mappable touch ring.
- Pretty customizable OLED display on the tablet itself.
- 16:10 aspect ratio means that it now supports most wide screen monitors at 1:1 ratio.
- Improved sensitivity is noticeable and makes for a better experience in illustrating/painting.
- New surface sheet feels closer to paper if you want a closer emulation of traditional materials.
- Tablet is now Left/Right hand supported due to symmetrical/flippable design.
- Vastly improved mouse.
- Pen holder does more than just holding the pen!
Cons:
- Pen nibs wear off EXTREMELY fast.
- 16:10 aspect ratio means that users with 4:3, 5:4 and other aspect ratios OTHER THAN 16:10 may not have as better experience as ones who do.
- Dust and dirt may accumulate more easily in openings between buttons and surface sheet compared to older tablet designs due to larger gaps.
- Glossy area is a fingerprint/dust magnet.
Was it worth the upgrade over Intuos2 for me? Most definitely.
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I decided to amend this review because there's a serious defect with any size of these Intuos tablets with the exception of the Intuos 4 XL. That is the USB ports. While people complain about the nib wear, it's just a purchase for new nibs or waiting till they put out a surface sheet. However, this is a big issue on Europe's forums for Wacom.
Try realizing your barely year old tablet now has failed USB ports due to an extremely cheap soldering Job on Wacom's part. I generally hail Wacom's quality but they seriously dropped the ball on the USB ports. On other forums such as Concept Art you'll find out about the Loose ports along with pictures.
When you RMA the tablet to Wacom you have to pay for the shipping. If you have a large tablet that can hit you for quite a large amount of money since Wacom doesn't recommend USPS to mail it to them. They do pay for shipping it back to you, but prepare for a sticker shock when you have to pay upwards of 50 dollars in shipping to insure your tablet, make sure you have your receipts, and original packaging.
Be prepared to wait around a month without your tablet as it is being repaired. If you got deadlines to make as an artist I really hope you kept your older tablet around as a spare.
I included pictures of how these usb ports are soldered to a 500 dollar tablet.
- End Amendment -
-First review below-
I'm pretty familiar with the Wacom lines of tablets and especially intuos. I've gone through all the versions now. They're made of rather durable quality where I end up having to sell them and haven't had one break down on me.
Wacom really outdid themselves with functionality and design with this tablet, it's worth every penny. The tablet actually feels more or less the same weight as the intuos3 6x8 ..it's weighted better too.
I was hesitant to purchase a larger sized drawing tablet because it might be too big. I certainly was surprised to see how large it was in person, box and all. However, upon taking it home, I realized a larger sized tablet really does make a difference. I have to move my whole arm and that ended a cramping issue I had with the smaller ones.
The features it touts are certainly not a lie. The surface is just right, it does feel like drawing on paper. The responsiveness is awesome. I love the surface for the buttons but like most shiny surfaces, you get annoyed because of fingerprints.
The pen's weight is rather nice and the new nibs do have something to do with the friction, as I can feel some of it when I put the pen on an intuos3 surface. The downside to the nibs is that they seem to wear down pretty fast. There are identifying rings in case you have more than one pen so you can tell which pen is for "painting" and another for "inking" as an example.
The express keys are a gold mine, so many shortcuts and you can program even more by using submenus, the possibilities are endless. Think of using the Radial Menus for a set of functions like layer adjustments, creating another set of menus for document handling, and another set for selections.
The OLED menus are very helpful, and somewhat amusing if you want to program funny shortcuts. It displays exactly what you named the Keystroke. It can make for some moments of immaturity. I'm sure artists wish they would really work like defined. "Coffee" "Sleep" shortcuts ;) Don't make the wording too long on your shortucts or you can watch your Tablet Preferences Crash. Hopefully Wacom can fix this by adding a character limit feature in the driver. It also has a sleep function for the OLED lights themselves, so you don't have to worry about burnout while the tablet is plugged in but not in use.
I also like the touch ring, and they certainly made sure they allowed you to adjust the sensitivity. With some applications you can use canvas rotation with the keys, but scrolling and brush size are definite pluses. You can add 4 custom settings to the touch ring.
There is a downside to having so many shortcuts...the time you have to take to program them.
One other nice little feature is that it's very nicely weighted design makes it more comfortable for a left handed person like myself. You can also flip the tablet orientation and still not look like a moron since the Wacom logo is on both sides of the tablet.
Because it's ambidextrous, whether it's an intentional feature or not- a new plus is the detachable usb cable. No more worrying about cord wear on your tablets (while I don't have this problem, I know others that did). You can buy a new cord that is a mini usb and not have to send your tablet in for repairs.
The mouse...well I know there are people who use it, may be the only downside for the tablet. It's not that the mouse is terrible, but since these intuos have a tool id, it would be nice to see packaged Intuos with 2 pens instead of a mouse or what would suit an illustrator.
Another downside is maybe older application support. Some applications will run fine using the tablet without the shortcuts, but some may respond in a more fussy manner.
I can't for example, get Easy Paint Tool Sai to respond to a ctrl+alt hotkey programed into the tablet. It seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes it won't respond to the key, and I had to add a ctrl+alt+1 to it, and it will cause a delay in response...but it at least reads. - Edit - Since I wrote the review I found out that Sai has some odd delayed program response that you can fix in the preferences Go to Options - Tools. Operation with CTRL pressed - change the delay time to 0 or whatever you prefer.
Painter 11, I haven't seen much in improvements with this tablet (other than the ghost dabs and missing stroke)...it seems the bugs like copying and pasting are worse with this tablet. I think this may be attributed to the CPU bug though.
Speaking of Software, the software bundles offered are nice. There's Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Sketchpad, and Autodesk Sketchbook 2010 Express. (In the US you get your choice of 2 out of the 3). The only problem was a delay in getting the serial number for Sketchpad...that is until I found out that if you previously downloaded a trial version of Sketchpad you'll run into installation issues and won't install your free software. Apparently, the system is having issues. Wacom support was great in resolving this issue!
I should also mention Autodesk's Sketchbook 2010 Express...does need certain kinds of graphic cards to take advantage of its rotation features. Expect the startup/gui to be incredibly ugly if you do not meet the graphics requirements. You need to turn canvas rotation off and it will work as before. A shame though, I wanted to try this feature (and other programs can do it without having to use certain graphics cards). They should mention the requirements more clearly before download too.
Overall this tablet is very much worth the investment, they last! Don't be scared of the price tag, since I can assure you the tablets have high resale value and have usually outlasted my computers/parts.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
I love my Intuos3, so I was excited to try out the Intuos4. When it arrived I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! I've been playing with it all day and want to offer up my first impressions.
The Vista drivers for this version are much more stable than the ones for the Intuos3. With my Intuos3 I am constantly getting error messages and having to restart the computer. Even though I love the device, I don't use it as much as I would like because the driver situation gets so frustrating. I've been using the Intuos4 all day and have not had one single problem with the driver. It was easy to install and has worked pretty much flawlessly. The only issue I had was with the eraser not working in Photoshop. After doing some searches on the internet I found out that this is related to a conflict when more than one tablet is installed. The solution was to unplug the tablet, use the "Wacom Tablet Preference File Utility" to delete all of my preference files, and then plug the tablet back and and restart Photoshop. Now it works like a charm.
One of my favorite new features of this version is the pen base. Whoever designed it was a genius. When you turn the base the bottom comes out and all the pen nibs are stored in there. It's really brilliant. Another neat thing about it is that there is a small metal ring with a notch in it with the nibs. You use the ring to grip the nib when you want to remove it from the pen. It works really well on most of the nibs and makes it much, much easier to change the nibs. The only nib it doesn't really work with is the black and white "flex" nib. Because the tip of that nib is hollow it is really difficult to grip it with the ring, or anything else for that matter.
In this model the shortcut buttons are all on one side and the drivers allow you to set the orientation for right or left handed use. There are a lot of buttons, eight to be exact. Next to the buttons is an LED display showing what the buttons do. I'm always forgetting what the buttons do on my old tablet, so I can definitely appreciate this. You can customize the display, too. When you set it to a keystroke you can name it and the name will then be displayed next to the button. It's pretty cool. When you switch between applications the buttons change instantly to show you the custom settings for the specific application.
There is also a "touch ring" that allows you to scroll or cycle through options. It can hold four settings. You click the button in the center of the ring to toggle through your settings. I haven't used this feature much, but I'm sure it will be useful.
The tablet is very sensitive. I'm not a professional graphics designer, so I can't give a lot of details on this aspect, but it is definitely more sensitive than my old tablet.
At the time I am writing this the Intuos4 website hasn't been setup. As a result I am unable to download the bundled software, so I can't review that yet.
I've never really used the mouse that came with my old tablet because I don't like the feel of it. The mouse with this one has the same feeling, so I won't be using it either. It is very nicely made, though.
Overall I am very happy with the Intuos4. It is definitely worth upgrading to the new tablet. You won't be disappointed.
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