I was unsure whether I should get the Intuos 5 after reading some of the reviews of it, but after purchasing the Intuos 5 (Large), I am quite happy with my purchase. The Intuos 5 is an excellent device. The pen functions are excellent, and they alone are enough to justify the cost. The pen functions work perfectly. The accuracy and pressure sensitivity work with no problems. I can't say much about the angle sensativity since I haven't used anything that takes advantage of it. Although, the results vary a bit from one program to another, I am quite sure that the varying results are the fault of the programs rather than the tablet or its drivers. For example, everything works perfectly in GIMP, but the pressure sensitivity and angle orientation features do not work in Inkscape. I can't compare the Intuos 5 to previous Intuos generations because this is my first drawing tablet. I can simply say that it has provided a great experience for digital painting and drawing. I noticed that some other reviewers were having problems with some of the multi-touch features of the Intuos 5, but they've been working out very well for me. I am not sure if it is because I am using the large version or not since most of the reviewers mention that they are using the medium version, or perhaps the drivers have simply been fixed by now. The multi-touch functionality does have minor issues with it because it does not always behave the way you expect it. For example, sometimes it doesn't seem to register the fact that I have tapped the pad as I am trying to click something, so I end up having to tap it again. Other than some of the minor issues with the touch functionality, it works amazingly well. I rarely use a mouse anymore (except for gaming). It is now my favorite tool not only for digital art, but also for operating my computer. I love the gestures system that allows you to attach commands to certain kinds of finger swipes on the pad. It has made using my web browser feel much more natural. Not that I ever had a problem with using a mouse when web browsing, but this tablet showed me how much more natural a computer interface can feel when compared to using a mouse. The multi-touch functionality is also quite useful when working on digital art. When using GIMP, GIMP allowed me to associate each input method to a different tool. For example, I was able to make my pen tip correspond to the paint brush tool, the eraser end with the eraser tool, and the multi-touch with the zoom tool, and these can all be assigned however you wish. This meant that I was able to work for periods of time without even touching my keyboard, which was a rather unique and pleasant experience.
As to the size of tablet, the large tablet has felt great for me. I noticed that most people will recommend the the medium sized tablet, but I was unsure if I would be comfortable with the medium size, so I just went with the large version, and I don't regret it. I do admit that, at times, it can feel a little too large. When trying to make a large curve, it is easiest to make the curve smooth if you can do the entire thing with wrist and finger movement, but the scaling of the large tablet with the screen's workspace doesn't always make that possible since its close to a 1:1 tablet to screen ratio, but there is a way around this problem. If this is an issue, the active area on the tablet can be reduced to a smaller size. I know this might seem counter intuitive since the larger active area is the main reason for getting the larger tablet, but what I appreciate about the large tablet is that I have the option to change the active area's size to fit my current purpose, so if I need the large active area then I can have it, but if I need to reduce it then I can reduce it, and then just put it back later. Honestly, I rarely adjust the active area size. I usually just leave it with the full active area activated, and I have simply gotten used to working with it. The really nice thing about it is that it feels very natural to use since the stroke you make on the tablet is about the same as what appears on the screen. Although, the large tablet has worked out well for me, it may not be for everyone judging by some of the reviews I have read. It is best to go with the size that you think you will be most comfortable with and the size that will meet your needs.
As to the software that come with the Intuos 5, most of it will probably not be very useful to most experienced digital artist since most probably have equivalent or better software since most of the software that comes with the tablet are limited versions or trials. The one piece of software that I am rather appreciative to have received is Anime Studio Debut since I have heard good things about it, and I don't have a comparable equivalent to it since it has some decent vector based drawing tools. I wish it would have come with one piece of really good software rather than all these cheaper limited ones, but it's not the reason why I bought the tablet, so as far as I am concerned, it's free software, and I am not going to complain too much about free software especially since I can probably get some use out of Anime Studio Debut.
Overall, the Intuos 5 is an excellent art tool and great computer interface device in general. I would highly recommend it to anyone who regularly works with digital art.
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
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