Wacom Intuos5 Tablets

I was watching 60 Minutes last Sunday and they had a piece of Sal Khan and the Khan Academy. It was titled Khan Academy: The future of education? and I have provided a link to the transcript and the video. Admittedly I wasn't watching it very closely because I was in the middle of cooking dinner. Mention was made of a tablet and I looked up to see that Sal Khan was using a Wacom tablet to illustrate some things on screen.

That reminded me that I was planning to write about the latest iteration of tablets from Wacom. The Intuos5 series comes in three sizes: Small (3.9 x 6.2 inch active area), Medium (5.5 x 8.8 inch active area) and Large (7.5 x 11.8 inch active area). Prices are approximately $230, $350 and $470 for the three sizes.

If you are doing any kind of graphics work on a computer, you should be using a tablet. Now maybe you tried one and found it difficult at first. It is different than a mouse and I found it took a couple of days to adjust to a tablet. If you haven't truly used one for a period of time, you didn't have the chance to adjust and realize just how much better it is to use a tablet. Don't worry, you can still have a mouse (or other pointing device) attached to your system and you can switch back and forth as needed. I probably touch my mouse about once a week.

Those who have decided to buy a tablet often ask about lesser brands than Wacom. Yes, Wacom tablets cost a little bit more than the others. They are the best, bar none, and you should think of it as an investment. Unlike some computer equipment, a tablet can last a long time. I still have an older model Wacom tablet in use and it is 16 years old.

Another common question is what size to get. This is really up to user preference and desk space. Many users are perfectly happy with the small sized tablet because it requires less arm and wrist movement to cross the entire active area. Others prefer the larger sized tablets. It can also depend on how much space you have on your desk. My preference is the Medium size for my desktop computer and the Small size to take with my laptop when I travel.

The biggest change with the Intuos5 series is the addition of multitouch and gestures support. For those who already have a recent model of Wacom tablet, it probably isn't enough reason to upgrade. But for those with an older tablet or none at all, it is time to take your pointing to a new level with one of the Wacom Intuos5 tablets.