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View Full Version : The Wacom Intuos4 is coming :)



Dan Hintz
03-23-2009, 6:35 AM
Just a few short days ago I was musing about the eventual introduction of Corel X5 and the Intuos4 tablet. While I still have heard nothing coming out of Corel's doors, I do have news from the land of Wacom...

Four models will be introduced (and expect some sticker shock here, boys and girls):
* 4 x 6 inch small for $299
* 6 x 9 inch medium for $479
* 8 x 13 inch large for $999
* 12 x 19 extra large for $649

These prices were lifted from an inventory screen, so there's still no clue as to why the extra large one is over $300 cheaper (my guess is someone missed typing in a '1' in front of the price). They're all apparently in stock at the distribution center, but there's no word on when they'll actually ship to stores.

Steve Clarkson
03-23-2009, 8:06 AM
Dan,

I bought my 6x9 tablet at Best Buy a few months ago for $300......so, with the "new" ones coming out, maybe there will be a sale on the "old" ones. And they work just as well as the "new" ones!

Dan Hintz
03-23-2009, 8:49 AM
Like you, I'm waiting for the Intuos4 to come out so I can find some deals on the Intuos3. The 8x13 model is more of my size range, but if I can get that 12x19 for the listed price (doubtful), I'd go for it over an Intuos3 :)

Of course, if I could pick up a Cintiq for that price, I'd be in heaven :cool:

Frank Corker
03-23-2009, 9:31 AM
Hey Steve, the new one will be out soon. Time to get your old version 3 sent off to me in the post!

Steve Clarkson
03-23-2009, 10:05 AM
I'll trade you my Wacom and 1.5" lens for your flame polisher.........

David Fairfield
03-23-2009, 10:06 AM
I have a tablet, but even when I'm drawing, I keep reverting to the mouse. I'd like to get more use out of it.

What sorts of tasks do you find these are most useful for?

Thanks! :)
Dave

Steve Clarkson
03-23-2009, 10:28 AM
David, I basically threw my mouse away......I use my tablet exclusively now. It's just alot faster and more precise....especially when tracing.

Dan Hintz
03-23-2009, 10:30 AM
Steve, if you weren't in on the flame polisher group buy, contact Jack... I believe he intended to order a few extras for sale on eBay (and they were ordered with a 120V input). It may not have the mystique of being previously owned by Frank, but you can always lie to people about it... ;)



David, I haven't had one for quite some time, but when I did I used it mostly for natural media projects. They work well for masking jobs where the mask isn't a simple square (like removing background from wind-blown hair), applying custom vignettes, etc. I think you'll find more uses for them as you play, but only if you do a lot of image editing. If your game is a lot of awards with little more than text, vector files, etc. you may not see much return on investment. YMMV...

Jacob Hebert
03-23-2009, 11:24 AM
It's cool and all, but I love my Wireless Bluetooth Wacom Graphire. It and I go a long way. :D

Dee Gallo
03-23-2009, 12:38 PM
I bought a small Wacom Graphire (cheap on ebay -$40) to see what it's like and took Steve's advice to just use the pen exclusively to get used to it. It's fine so far, but how do you blow up and reduce the page view with it? :confused:

On my mouse, I use the wheel. This one has 2 buttons, but they are for scrolling and other commands. It also has a wireless mouse, so for page view, I've had to resort to the mouse... once it's in my hand, I have to remember to get rid of it!

Thanks, dee

Steve Clarkson
03-23-2009, 3:27 PM
Dee,

My tablet has four buttons and a slider on each side and I can program them to respresent any keystroke I want......the slider is my zoom in/out. Plus the pen has two buttons which are what you normally use the two buttons on a mouse for.

Frank Corker
03-23-2009, 6:36 PM
I'll swop you a brand new 5 button mouse for your tablet Steve and I'll throw in a picture of my flame polisher!

Steve Clarkson
03-23-2009, 9:33 PM
I'll swop you a brand new 5 button mouse for your tablet Steve and I'll throw in a picture of my flame polisher!

I already have a picture of your flame polisher......actually, I engraved it on a HD Granite tile last week.........

Dan Hintz
03-24-2009, 6:51 AM
Prices may not be as bad as originally listed. Someone did a review of the 6x9 on Amazon, and after the review was posted Amazon's bots listed the price as $349. So:

Four models will be introduced (and expect some sticker shock here, boys and girls):
* 4 x 6 inch small for $299
* 6 x 9 inch medium for $479 (listed as $349 on Amazon)
* 8 x 13 inch large for $999
* 12 x 19 extra large for $649

Let's see if any of the other prices drop...

Here's a review:

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.

Dan Hintz
03-25-2009, 8:14 AM
NEW PRICING!

These prices are much better than originally mentioned...

Four models will be introduced:
* 4 x 6 inch small for $229 (originally $299)
* 6 x 9 inch medium for $349 (originally $479)
* 8 x 13 inch large for $469 (originally $999)
* 12 x 19 extra large for $789 (originally $649, though this price was always considered an error)

And the bonus? Wacom lists the 8x13 model for $369 on their site in what is sure to be yet another pricing mistake. I placed an order for it in the hopes I get one, but I'm willing to bet the order will be canceled within the next day or two.

George Brown
03-25-2009, 10:32 AM
And the bonus? Wacom lists the 8x13 model for $369 on their site in what is sure to be yet another pricing mistake. I placed an order for it in the hopes I get one, but I'm willing to bet the order will be canceled within the next day or two.

Price on the site has already been changed, let us know if they actually honor your $369 price???

Dan Hintz
03-25-2009, 11:07 AM
Price on the site has already been changed, let us know if they actually honor your $369 price???
I noticed earlier this morning they had also raised the price of the medium one from $349 to $369, same as the large's incorrect price. Me thinks someone fat-fingered the keyboard when typing those in.

I have my fingers crossed the honor it, but if they don't no harm, no foul. I've read that with mistakes like that they offer a 10% off coupon to those who had their orders canceled. Not as big a savings, but may still make it worth purchasing the large.

The upgrade from Intuos3 to Intuos4 is relatively minor (2048 pressure levels compared to 1024 on the Intuos3, higher tip sensitivity at lower pressure levels, etc.), so I wouldn't suggest anyone needs to "upgrade" their Intuos3... but it feels good to pick up the latest model of anything when you start from nothing.

Dan Hintz
03-25-2009, 1:50 PM
Man, this thing didn't exist in the public eye two weeks ago, now we have pricing, PC Magazine has done a review ( http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343760,00.asp )... I hope Corel cranks out X5 as quickly!

Glenn Clabo
03-25-2009, 2:46 PM
I just bought the Intuos3 6 x 8-Inch for $256.00 plus a $30.00 rebate the end of Feb. Nice to have the newest...but $226.00 for one step back isn't all bad. AND the thing is great!

Mike Chance in Iowa
03-25-2009, 4:37 PM
It's fine so far, but how do you blow up and reduce the page view with it? :confused:
On my mouse, I use the wheel. This one has 2 buttons, but they are for scrolling and other commands. It also has a wireless mouse, so for page view, I've had to resort to the mouse...

This is the same frustration I have with my small 4x5 Wacom. I use the scroll wheel to zoom in/out extensively in many programs. The tablet has a wheel, so I have to remember to raise the pen up out of range and then reach up to the wheel to zoom in/out. This slows me down quite a bit compared to using the wheel mouse. I have even got myself into a habit of zooming out, moving the pointer a smidge and then zooming back in just because it's faster then moving the pointer to a scroll bar and scrolling the image to where I need it.

I like using my pen, but if I have to do a lot of zooming or moving about on the screen, I put the pen up and use the mouse.

Dan Hintz
03-25-2009, 7:35 PM
With the Intuos4, there is a scroll "circle" (similar to what's on the front of an iPod). That circle, as well as 8 buttons with OLED displays (6 buttons and no displays on the smallest unit), can be programmed for most functions... I'll probably have the circle be a zoom key as I'm constantly zooming in/out to touch portions of an image.



On a side note, I may have gotten lucky with my order. I received an email from UPS saying the electronic shipping order was received (though not the actual tablet yet), so that's a start. Someone posted online they called Wacom and it was confirmed... anyone who placed an order before they fixed the online price will receive their tablet. My fingers are still crossed :)

Dee Gallo
03-25-2009, 7:58 PM
This is the same frustration I have with my small 4x5 Wacom. I use the scroll wheel to zoom in/out extensively in many programs. The tablet has a wheel, so I have to remember to raise the pen up out of range and then reach up to the wheel to zoom in/out. This slows me down quite a bit compared to using the wheel mouse. I have even got myself into a habit of zooming out, moving the pointer a smidge and then zooming back in just because it's faster then moving the pointer to a scroll bar and scrolling the image to where I need it.

I like using my pen, but if I have to do a lot of zooming or moving about on the screen, I put the pen up and use the mouse.

I guess I'm stuck with mouse zooming but I'll get used to it. Thanks,everyone!

Mike Chance in Iowa
03-25-2009, 9:05 PM
With the Intuos4, there is a scroll "circle" (similar to what's on the front of an iPod). That circle, as well as 8 buttons with OLED displays (6 buttons and no displays on the smallest unit), can be programmed for most functions... I'll probably have the circle be a zoom key as I'm constantly zooming in/out to touch portions of an image.


Is this "circle" on the tablet or on the pen itself? For me, if it's on the tablet, it merely slows me down to have to reach over and use those buttons compared to using the wheel on the mouse. (Same concept that it's faster to use shortcut keys while typing, instead of having to reach over to the mouse/pen to then click on a toolbar button and then place my hand back on the keyboard. .... well... those of us who type fast. :D)

I still like my wacom and would never give it up, but I wish there was an alternative to using the wheel function on the pen itself.

One other thing I should mention is that for those who have not used the pen tablets, if you have issues with arthritis in your hands and have difficulty holding a pen for very long, you will feel a similar discomfort when using any pen tablet.

Dan Hintz
03-26-2009, 6:05 AM
Mike, the circle is on the tablet itself. When I'm working with tablets, I'm usually holding it in my lap, which means I have both hands on it... while I'm editing with my right, my left is free to change zoom level on the fly (that should REALLY speed things up for me as I don't have to keep leaning forward to the keyboard or mouse anymore).

Very good point about the arthritis! Luckily I'm not there yet, but if my genes are any indication (I got my mother's genes) I'll have an issue at some point.



Forgot to add: UPS shows my package as being shipped :D What an awesome deal... 8"x13" tablet for $369 shipped. It's about time I had a bit of luck...

Dan Hintz
04-01-2009, 12:50 PM
UPS claims my new toy was dropped off around noon today :) I'll have to take pics when I get a chance to play with it.

<ugh> That means I have to clean off my desk and find room... :(

Marc Myer
04-01-2009, 1:39 PM
At my day job, I was just approved to buy a Wacom Cintiq 21ux, the monitor/tablet.
Kinda funny, because our computers are all bottom-of-the-line. Could it be that I included the words 'repetitive stress injury' on the justification form?

Dan Hintz
04-01-2009, 2:15 PM
So let me get this straight... you work in beautiful Hawaii at a job that provides you with Cintiqs. And why hasn't a job offer been extended to me?

fred sanchez
04-02-2009, 12:22 AM
i just noticed that costco online has the intous4 for sale looks like its the 6 by 9
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11467630&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|1482&N=4000486&Mo=45&No=16&ViewAll=46&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=1482&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

good thing about buying at costco is that if you dont like it you can return it pretty much when ever you want :D

Marc Myer
04-02-2009, 2:34 PM
Ummm, because it requires humiliating yourself and occasionally shining the shoes of Those Greater Than You? Spending each day in a lifeless grey cubicle?

OK, I know. Stopping the complaints now.

Dan Hintz
04-02-2009, 9:33 PM
Pshaw! I got the day-to-day gray cubicle living thing down pat :(

I've spent some time playing with the pad and I'm very happy with it so far :) Integrations was seamless, and I can swap between the pen, the tablet's mouse, and my own mouse (an MS Explorer, which makes surfing the net easy). When Vista wakes up from a nap, I normally have to type in my password... the tablet driver popped up a virtual keyboard on the screen so I could type in my password using the pad's mouse or pen.

The display next to each of the 8 programmable keys shows great contrast and legibility, and they look to have a resolution of around 60x30 pixels each (I didn't put it under the scope and count... yet). The background is a perfect black, and the display is bright enough to be seen in a well-lit room while being dim enough to not strain eyes in a darkened room.

As part of the package, I was able to download a number of programs once I registered the tablet with Wacom. You get two Photoshop plug-ins automatically (Nik Color Efex Pro and a series of brushes) and you can select two of three programs (PhotoShop Elements, Corel Painter Sketch Pad, or AutoDesk SketchUp). I haven't installed any of them yet, but I think I'll install Sketch Pad first and let the 6-year old have a go at it (she has become quite the little artist lately).

I didn't exactly clean off space on my desk so much as I just plopped it down on top of everything that was already there. It's a thin 1/2" with a nice contoured front and rear edge that's easy on the arms (necessary for such a large area, probably not as much for the small pads). The pen holder has surprising heft to it and keeps the pen readily at hand without tipping over (like a weeble wobble), and it does double duty as a hidden storage compartment for the multitude of nibs for the pen (felt, soft, hard, and other tps).

Even the packaging was amazingly nice! Any questions?

Dan Hintz
04-06-2009, 6:28 AM
It's not a showstopper by any means, but it has to be a bug. The ExpressKey displays, by default, turn off after a few minutes on non-use, but they (are supposed to) come back the moment you bring the pen or mouse near the tablet. And it does... unless the OS was allowed to go to sleep/hibernation and then woken up. After that, the displays don't come back until you unplug/plug in the USB cable.

Like I said, not a showstopper, but it's an annoyance. I've already submitted a fix-it ticket to Wacom for their driver, we'll see what they say (if anything).

Dan Hintz
04-28-2009, 12:38 PM
A minor update to my last bug post, which should have been posted earlier this month...

I did a few rounds of email tag with one of Wacom's techs, but in the end it seems like they're burying their heads on this one. Their answer, in a nutshell, was "Don't let the computer go to sleep" :mad: The "technical" explanation was putting the computer to sleep causes a loss of comms with the USB port, which wreaks havoc with the system... well, that sounds like a poor driver implementation to me :rolleyes: I asked if they told their laptop users to turn the power-saving sleep feature of the OS off... I got a virtual blank stare on that one.

Meh, life goes on...

Scott Shepherd
05-21-2009, 7:49 PM
Just got this tablet as my first tablet. I now have an ice-cream headache :)

It is very nice. It does some really cool things. I'm not smart enough to use it.

I look forward to converting my workflow over to it, but getting used to that absolute positioning of the pen wasn't what I expected. I keep putting the pen up and using their included mouse :)

Frank Corker
05-21-2009, 8:53 PM
Just got this tablet as my first tablet. I now have an ice-cream headache :)

It is very nice. It does some really cool things. I'm not smart enough to use it.

I look forward to converting my workflow over to it, but getting used to that absolute positioning of the pen wasn't what I expected. I keep putting the pen up and using their included mouse :)

Do you want my home address for snail mail?

Dan Hintz
05-21-2009, 9:45 PM
I would get rid of my current mouse altogether and switch to the tablet full time if the included mouse had buttons on the side (faster internet surfing, less hand movement).

If anyone is looking for a "deal", Wacom is taking $50 off of their Intuos3 tablets right now. not a huge savings, but something to consider if you're looking at them right now. Personally, I'd spend the extra $50 and get the 4 series for upwards compatibility.

Scott Shepherd
05-22-2009, 9:38 AM
Do you want my home address for snail mail?

We've spoken on Skype enough for me to know you'd have the same problem I do :D

Marc Myer
05-22-2009, 12:43 PM
update on the new Wacom. It required a second video port on the computer, so I had to wait longer for the red tape. The modifier buttons are hard to get used to and figure out how to best assign them. You still need to use a keyboard.
That said, it's great! Regardless of what kind/model of tablet you get, it's a huge difference! Wonderful to do a trace quickly and smoothly. Doing fine Photoshop work is a breeze, no more redoing the same line because the mouse didn't track right. I'll bet I saved a couple of hours of work in the first day. Buy new, buy used, but grab one.

Scott Shepherd
05-22-2009, 1:24 PM
I like the fact that you can program the buttons to do anything you want and actually label them as well. No need to remember what the 3rd button from the top does, it's now marked and it's marked exactly how you wanted it marked.

I don't use multiple monitors so I've already reprogrammed that button to be something else and it's labeled!

Very cool little feature. I saw the Intuos 3 on sale for $99 refurbished and $129 new. That's a steal. (macmall.com) Which is where I got my Intuos 4.

Dan Hintz
02-01-2010, 11:15 AM
Wacom has just announced the wireless (BlueTooth) version of the "Medium" tablet.
http://www.wacom.com/intuos/wireless.php
For $50 more, you can get rid of the USB cable dangling from the side. A small annoyance of mine, but I'm glad I got the tablet when I did, especially considering the deal I got.

Dan Hintz
02-01-2010, 11:21 AM
Oh, and an update on my earlier problems with the OLED displays not coming back after Vista fell asleep... the latest revision of the driver seems to have fixed this, so that's a good thing. I've been running with it for the last couple of months and I haven't seen the problem return.

Tom Bull
02-01-2010, 11:42 AM
I am considering a first tablet, could use advice from experienced users.
Is there something, a feature or brand I should avoid? Where would you look for a bargain on a tablet? What features would you consider as necessary? Do they "wear out", is used a viable option?
Thanks,
Tom

Chuck Stone
02-01-2010, 11:51 AM
I'm still working with the ArtZ (II) from 1990, pre-Intuos.
That's got two cords.. one serial (pre-USB) and one power.

Still going strong, though. As long as I have a computer that
still has a serial port, I'm good.

Bill Morrison
02-03-2010, 7:20 PM
I've got the 12 X 12 Wacom Intuos Tablet and as Steve mentioned, it's easy to set up the buttons and sliders to work within your programs. I do some photo restoration and Haidi art and it's easier to draw it using Coreldraw then send it straight to the laser or in some cases the shopbot. Plus if you are careful and put a towel on it you can sit at the laptop and eat breakfast on it.

Dave Johnson29
02-03-2010, 8:46 PM
Plus if you are careful and put a towel on it you can sit at the laptop and eat breakfast on it.

Bill, you are obviously starting work way too early, maybe I would eat lunch off it. :D:D

Bill Morrison
02-04-2010, 10:18 AM
They have a desktop that you write directly on the screen. It's not a mac but forgot the brand. I got a 12 X 12 Intous3 so I can't justify getting something else right now. Someone asked what others used their tablets for. I do photo restoration and Coastal art. I've got 8 buttons + sliders so it's a lot quicker to use the tablet than the mouse. Try using a brick to write your signature, that's the biggest diffference between a mouse and a tablet. Also, if you put a towel on the tablet you can eat breakfast while tinkering on the laptop.

Dan Hintz
02-04-2010, 11:17 AM
Bill,

I believe Dell has been selling a touchscreen All-in-one for a few months...

Dan Hintz
01-31-2013, 6:05 PM
For those who don't mind a small working area, The Wacom Intuos4 Small is now available for a limited time for a mere $122:
http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos4-Small-Pen-Tablet/dp/B001TUYTZM%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJP6DBGIYEMB676RA %26tag%3Ditquotes333-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB001TUYTZM