Wacom Intuos4 Small Pen Tablet
I got a small taste of Wacom's Pen Tablets initially when I purchased a Wacom Graphire Tablet about 4 years ago. Last year I spilled coffee on my desk and lost my Graphire Tablet to coffee as a result.
I was upset about it because Graphires aren't even made anymore, it was my first tablet and I was comfortably happy with it and so I was nervous about buying something I was unfamiliar with again.
After researching heavily, I finally decided on buying the Wacom Intuos4 Small Pen Tablet. I bought it refurbished, crossing my fingers that I'd made the right choice. I started illustrating childrens books a while ago and my first pen tablet choice was a success. I had no idea what I was missing in my Graphire Tablets abilities until I received and started drawing with the Wacom Intuos4.
It was a snap to install after 2 little side steps. 1) The instruction disk doesn't start up on it's own on my Vista 32 Dell PC, and, 2) Once I clicked on the software 'Install' button, I made sure I followed the paper manuals instructions that directed me to NOT plug the Wacom Tablet into the USB port until AFTER the software is installed. The software during the software install process, the software prompts incorrectly too early in the process mentioning to what appears to be telling you to plug your tablet in during the install which is exactly the opposite of the paper manual instructions. That is the only software instruction that is incorrect at that particular time during the software installation process. Instead, after the software is installed, the PC needs to be rebooted. You can plug in the Tablet into the USB Port on your PC or Laptop either during the shutdown process or after the PC Reboots. When the PC restarts, the driver will be discovered and installed automatically. That is when to plug the Tablet into the USB port. I am explaining this in detail because I 'almost' plugged the tablet in when the install software 'recommends' it while installing the software. Just don't do it at that time. You will have trouble getting it to work properly if you decide to plug in the tablet during the software install.
Anyway, the good news is I followed the written directions in the manual and that is why it installed effortlessly for me. A reviewer here I think mentioned something about it too and I remembered that as well. Thank you reviewer for mentioning it. Stay with the written manual instructions for when to plug the tablet in and you'll be okay should you decide to go with this product.
Next, because there were 2 Amazon Ads for the same Intuos4 Small Pen Tablet but the Title wording was slightly different from one ad to the other and I didn't see the other more precise Title until after I purchased the tablet with the not so clear Title. This left an afterthought that I might not get the same package contents as the other refurbished one for the same price or that the one I selected was somehow inferior.
That made me a bit nervous as then I started thinking that I might only be getting the tablet itself with nothing else (not that I couldn't have remedied that by buying the pen kit available for this same tablet, but it also would have meant more money being put out).
Also, I didn't see that their was another more explicit ad Titled Intuos4 Small Pen Tablet with the full Model number until of course after I ordered and so I wasn't sure if this was the same as the one I had just ordered, even though they were the same price.
So I wrote The Factory Depot after looking up there many reviews and thinking things through a bit more. I had wrote them roughly 1 or 2 hours after I placed my order to see if I could still cancel my order, but they had already starting the shipping process! I thought that was a good sign, but I wrote one more email asking if I could exchange the one I ordered if it's not complete like the full Titled Ad was for the other same model and same priced tablet after I received my order. I went back to the tablet page I ordered from and when I paged down and found the content summary, descriptions and product and name matched up exactly, so I finally decided to simply wait out the tablets arrival.
In Minnesota it was 13 below zero the day FedEx left it on my doorstep with out knocking. When I found it that afternoon, everything outside and inside the box was very, very cold. I brought it in the house and took everything out and let it just sit to get warm. I didn't want to take any chance that condensation might have built up in the circuts. That evening about 8 hours later I installed the tablet.
When I finally did get the tablet installed, I remembered another reviewer I read somewhere on this page mentioned that you know you've installed the tablet correctly when the little tiny pretty blue light comes on top of the tablet. The light came on and I started feeling relief and thrilled.
I actually started feeling relieved and thrilled when I first pulled the package out of the box it was in. If I had recieved this as a gift from someone, I would have never, and I mean have never known that this was a refurbished product. Ever. The box was in perfect condition and no marks or scratches or blemishes were anywhere. When I opened up the box, everything was wrapped and unopened. It was new and pristine in every sense. No finger prints anywhere. Even the anti-static bag was new. I can't figure out how The Factory Depot refurbished this product because it is totally and perfectly new looking and performs and looks brand new also in every way.
In addition to the additional bonus software that comes with the purchase after you register this product at the Wacom website (it's free to download unless you select the DVD option to get your 'free' software for an additional $15 (approx.) for shipping and handling. I chose to buy the DVD with the 3 free software programs I selected from the Wacom site.
The biggest bonus though, was as an earlier graphire tablet user, I compared the old graphire pen tablet quality and performance to the output of the Intuos4 Pen Tablet as soon as I put the pen to the new tablet. I got so excited from the results, I couldn't harldy contain my joy or keep my elation to myself. I did a few little kid jumps and yelps (I'm a newly 55 year old with a fairly serious streak) and then kept experimenting with the new pen and tablet.
I used my Intuos4 with in GIMP, with in Photoshop 3, and just kept smiling. I love my magnificent, amazing and exciting pen tablet. I'd been hoping for something like this for the last 5 years. I didn't know anyone who had any pen tablets other that me, so I thought they were all the same as the Graphire in capability other that some were bigger, some had the PC illuminated on the tablet, etc. I had no idea of the vast differences in quality and performance could be so far apart.
I like it when I make the right choices. But ore important, and the only thing of importance now, is that I am going to be capable of so much more with this tool. I was a paper and pencil Illustrator, then became a Wacom Graphire Illustrator, until I took this major Intuos4 Graphic Pen Tablet leap.
I hope someday I will be able to get the very largest Intuos or Wacom's newest tablet model. I am a self made artist/illustrator and now I finally have the professional tools I've been hoping for. That I know will make my work much more enjoyable in so many more ways.
Now I get why all of these Intuos and Wacom loyalists are so loyal to Wacom. Wacom really does deserve it. They really know what an artist/illustrator/etc. needs and they succeeded in identifying those needs, and making them reality.
I received my Intuos4 the day before my birthday. It was my Bday present to myself. So I also want to thank The Factory Depot for making this experience so well worth the outcome and getting my Bday present to me a day early. You da-bomb and so is Wacom! Anyone thinking of getting the Intuos4 that are still using Graphires or Bamboos, if you can, I'd recommend getting a great factory refurbished Intuos4 at a great price through Amazon and The Factory Depot.
Also, a special thanks to the reviewers who helped in my research to finally decide on this new tablet set. I have illustrated 2 children's books (1 published and 1 in progress), and now I'm ready to scan in my paper/pencil drawings I did while I was researching what new tablet to get.
Going forward, I'll be able to skip the step of scanning in the paper drawings now, because the Intuos pen and nibs are so sensitive and natural, it's just like I'm illustrating on paper with a pencil or brush or pen.
I'll be able to get my artwork completed with greater ease now. That scanning and formatting was a very cumbersome process. With my new Intuos4 I format my page size first digitally now and just start drawing using my PC with the tablet and pen.
Thanks you kindly for putting so much thought into this product. I appreciate your work greatly.
Sincerely,
ramonals
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This Item  Wacom Intuos4 Large Pen Tablet |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $427.87 | $49.95 | -50% $99.95 List: $199.95 | -43% $39.95 List: $69.95 | $487.19 | $399.99 |
| Delivery | — | — | — | — | — | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 29 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Light weight | ||||||
| For beginners | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Touch Screen | ||||||
| Tech Support | ||||||
| Sold By | UxpressOne | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | HUION |
| active surface area | — | 5.98" x 3.74" | 8.50" x 5.31" | 5.98" x 3.74" | 12.24" x 8.50" | Computer Inupt Device |
| operating system | Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Vista; Mac OS X 10.4.8 | Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OS X 10.10 Yosemite | Android,Os,Windows | Android,Windows | Mac or Windows PC | Linux(Ubuntu), Mac OS 10.12 and above, Windows 7 and above |
| connectivity tech | USB | USB-A | USB-A, Bluetooth | USB-A | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB |
| pressure sensitivity | 2048 levels | 2048 levels | 4096 levels | 4096 levels | 8192 levels | 8192 levels |
| native resolution | — | — | — | 0 x 0 | 1920x1080 | 1920 × 1080 |
| model name | — | One by | Intuos M | Intuos S | Intuos Pro | Kamvas Pro 16 |
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Reviews with images
WACOM Intuos4 is GREAT!!!!!
I have been a WACOM user for quite sometime... Recently WACOM announced the Intuos5, so I checked the Intuos4 and found a good price drop and I decided to order one..Other WACOM I have around the house includes a Intuos3 Large, Bamboo Pen+Touch 2nd Gen, Intuos2 Medium, and my Toshiba Portege M750 TabletPC.The first Intuos4 Large I received from Amazon is DOA... The Tablet was brand new all sealed, but probably due to ground shipping, the tablet did not lit up after plugging it into my computer.. Also the tablet plastic housing seems to be loose and would make cracking noise from just lightly resting my wrist on the tablet.. At first I thought the Intuos4 has cheap built quality when compared to my beast brick Intuos3The SECOND replacement Intuos4 Large came in last week, and plugging it in to my computer worked no problem. This replacement came via 1-day air UPS shipping rather than the defective ground shipping... (So maybe the ground shipping bump damaged the tablet?? I honestly do not know).. ALSO, the cracking and build quality issues were gone. The replacement tablet is solid, and no annoying creaking noises when resting my wrist on the tablet... (I feel the build is still not on-par with my Intuos3 though)First things first, I checked the serial number and realized that the Intuos4 Large I received was manufactured on October of 2011, so it is one of the last few batches before the new Intuos5 came out, and the Intuos4 as of now is discontinued and out of production.I unboxed the tablet, and the accessories.. First thing I liked was the pen holder being able to hold nibs, this is really nice as the pen holder now has dual functions rather than just holding your pen in two different positions. The included pen nibs are different types like the previous generation of the Intuos. It give the pen a different "feel" when drawing on the tablet. Some nibs give more rough, smooth, springy or rubbery feel. Just like the Bamboo, WACOM included the nib ejector tool in the box. I remember when I got my Intuos2 and Intuos3, you have to purchase the nib ejector tool separately in a accessory kit.Included in the box are also color coded pen identification rings. It is many for those who have multiple pens with different pen settings within the WACOM driver software.The other thing I noticed is that the pen of the Intuos4 is shorter than the rip pen from Intuos3. But also the Intuos4 pen is slightly fatter, and the ergonomics is just as good, if not better than the Intuos3 grip pen. Since I mentioned my tablet was manufactured in October of 2011, the surface sheet issue should be addressed.. I felt the surface sheet of the Intuos4, and it is slightly smoother than my Bamboo Pen+Touch 2nd Gen, but not nearly as smooth as my Intuos3. But the slight texture feels better when drawing compared to Intuos3.At this point, I was excited and wanted to plug it into the computer and try out my new tablet.I took out the mini-USB cable that came with the tablet and plugged it in. (NOTE: If you are going to use your own USB cable, make sure the mini USB end plastic part is smaller than the recessed port on the Intuos4. This is because the Intuos4's mini-USB ports are deeply recessed into the molded plastic housing. TAKE NOTE)Since I was using an Intuos3 on this computer before, there was no need to install the driver since the driver used here is the same.After plugging it in, the LED Express Keys labels lit up and the ring status LED lit up and the tablet was functioning.I really wished WACOM could update the driver software with an option to turn off these LED Express Key labels. When I work in the dark late at night, the LEDs sometimes disturbs me... During the daytime/lit room, it is no problem.I took the pen and start to use the tablet. I was firstly astonished by this pen of the Intuos4. That near 1g activation force is no joke, the pen register strokes even at EXTREMELY LIGHT pressures.... When compared to my Intuos3 (which took quite some force to activate the strokes, which makes lightly sketching almost impossible without change the brush size constantly), Intuos4's pen was amazing. Also the 2048 levels of pressure is bonus, but I think I am good with 1024 pressure levels. The drawback with the increase pressure levels for me at least is that since I have been so used to 1024 pressure levels, the extra sensitivity made me to change some of my program settings. In some cases, using the same forces from my hand with the pen, the pressure level of 80% on the Intuos3 will be only around 40-50% with the Intuos4. Which means some of the brush sizes I am so used to have to be adjusted..... These above factors goes the same with the eraser side of the pen on the Intuos4.Now with the mouse, it is a slight step backward. The sensor in the mouse is the same with the Intuos3 since mouse do not have pressure sensitivity. Both Intuos3 and Intuos4 mouse are 5080 lpi (Lines per Inch resolution)The main problem with mouse is the ergonomics. The size is more miniature when compared to the older model.Other than that, the mouse works great.. It is much more accurate than even a high dpi laser Gaming Mouse (I have G700)... The mouse works in mouse mode, rather than the pen's absolute mode (tablet surface corresponds with your screen edge to edge)... Gamers would probably not use this mouse since the only area it will be active is the tablet's active area. Some people might feel it is not portable, and some people might think the size of the track-able area is equal to the size of your tablet's active area...The bundled software is nothing to awe over. They are just a bunch of trials and lite version of popular software (Photoshop Elements, SketchBook Express etc.) Not to mention, it is a pain in the butt to register with WACOM to "Redeem" your FREE SOFTWARE BUNDLE... You have to get the product s/n of your tablet, AND you have to get your bundled software code which is on the CD sleeve of the in box outdated drivers disc...Overall, the positives outweighs the negatives.. The Intuos4 Large was a great purchase for me... Just the pen's 1g activation force (finally I can sketch lightly ^_^) was the main reason I upgraded from my Intuos3 Large.
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