Graphic Tablets - Need help choosing one.

[Bone]

Ok I'm looking to get a graphic tablet for my computer so I can use with photoshop and other programs that I have. This way I can make it easier to designing images and such. I'm may not be the biggest graphic artist person but I do want to improve my ease of creating the graphics for the things that I do for both my ebay store as well as the laser engraving business. I have never used one yet so I'm really unfamiliar with graphic tablets in general.

I need one that comes with all the required software to run it. I have been seeing that there are a ton of them out there that don't come with all the required software. I find it pointless to buy one item then have to turn around and buy more stuff just to be able to get it to work.

I run:
adobe photoshop V8 CS2 (as my main graphics program)
Corel draw 9.439 (for the laser engraver)
photograve 2.1 (also for the laser table)

Problems:
I've seen a lot that don't come with all software needed (adobe element 3-don't know if it's a free download, not really sure what it does but I'm guessing its so that the preasure sensative part of the tablet can be utilized in photoshop)
mouse- a lot of them come with a damn mouse (I like my trackball and don't care to buy another mouse)
price (the ones that come with the right software and have a decent active area come with a large price as well)
I don't know what brands are good to get as far as this area goes.

PLEASE HELP ME FIND THE RIGHT ONE FOR ME!

Ones i'm looking at so far (they seem to have all the software):
$39.99 (the only one without a mouse!)
Brand Genius
Model G-PEN 340
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823102004

$78.99
Brand: Genius
Model: MousePen 8x6
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16883101103

$125.99
Brand: Genius
Model: PenSketch 6x8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16883101105

$169.99
Brand: Genius
Model: PenSketch 9x12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16883101106

The only reason I seem to be choosing the Genius brand is because they come with all the software that is needed to use them as far as I can tell.

Thanks in advance to all those that can help out with this subject.

[Antonio]

improve my ease of creating the graphics for the things that I do for both my ebay store as well as the laser engraving business.

I would oppose using a pc tablet for those two applications since usually using a tablet is for when you are sketching and doing freehand drawings that dont require serious detailing (unless you really really know what youre doing)

I would suggest you start out with better freehand drawings. Otherwise ill have to suggest the freehand LCD screen. anything else in between will be a waste of money.. youre gonna use it a couple of times and youre gonna realize that shit is for a totally different application

[Bone]

I would oppose using a pc tablet for those two applications since usually using a tablet is for when you are sketching and doing freehand drawings that dont require serious detailing (unless you really really know what youre doing)

I would suggest you start out with better freehand drawings. Otherwise ill have to suggest the freehand LCD screen. anything else in between will be a waste of money.. youre gonna use it a couple of times and youre gonna realize that shit is for a totally different applicationwell I think it would work out pretty good for the designs that I do for the laser engraver, touching up images and such.

and are you talking about one of the LCDs that you pretty much use a stylus type of thing and just touch the screen? I don' think that would be all that usefull with the stuff I do for the laser engraving.

[Antonio]

well I think it would work out pretty good for the designs that I do for the laser engraver, touching up images and such.

and are you talking about one of the LCDs that you pretty much use a stylus type of thing and just touch the screen? I don' think that would be all that usefull with the stuff I do for the laser engraving.the tablet you want, you have to look at the screen while you sketch. the LCD tablet you get to look at the screen in your lap as you sketch and therefore your drawing is much more accurate than if you were looking at the screen and youre sketching on the table... let alone the fact that you cant draw on a piece of paper, what makes you think youll be able to draw while drawing on the table and looking at the screen... its like 3x harder.

who am i kidding giving advice to you i forgot you suck at lyfe. besides the fact an LCD tablet costs like 2 grand you cant afford that shit.


you want to get one for the wrong reasons.... trust me, i went to art school, ive used tablets many times, and know many people with tablets and they make great coffee table accents

[Antonio]

for ads in ebay store your best bet is going to be using photoshop or illustrator or corel. the same shit every graphic designer on earth uses.

for the engraving i dont know if you are using a raster or vector based program but what is the point of getting a tablet which works for raster shit when the final output is going to be vector its like putting your work through one extra step... at the end you still have to go and tidy everything up with the mouse.

[EXTREMUM]

Having a drawing tablet for a desktop PC, is good practice for eye/hand coordination. Over a short while, it'll be easy to master.

[crypticsage]

i would have to see what kind of graphics you have to suggest them i do web design and logo graphics but i find a mouse is easier with precision on those pieces.

[EXTREMUM]

i would have to see what kind of graphics you have to suggest them i do web design and logo graphics but i find a mouse is easier with precision on those pieces.

Not really. Precision depends on user ability, and DPI resolution of the device. There are high resolution tablets, that'll rock any high-end mouse in today's market.

[crypticsage]

i know that but like i said it depends on his graphics of choice.

[EXTREMUM]

I'd rock it on Photoshop, if I really cared to use it.

[crypticsage]

i do it as fun to help i try not to get too much into it cause i know how emersing it can be

[Bone]

the tablet you want, you have to look at the screen while you sketch. the LCD tablet you get to look at the screen in your lap as you sketch and therefore your drawing is much more accurate than if you were looking at the screen and youre sketching on the table... let alone the fact that you cant draw on a piece of paper, what makes you think youll be able to draw while drawing on the table and looking at the screen... its like 3x harder.

who am i kidding giving advice to you i forgot you suck at lyfe. besides the fact an LCD tablet costs like 2 grand you cant afford that shit.


you want to get one for the wrong reasons.... trust me, i went to art school, ive used tablets many times, and know many people with tablets and they make great coffee table accents
i didnt know they made a LCD graphics tablet, but Im guessing that they aren't cheap. I don't want to be spending more than 150. The programs that work with the laser can do both, but mostly i use rastered images. quit getting so defensive.

[Bone]

Not really. Precision depends on user ability, and DPI resolution of the device. There are high resolution tablets, that'll rock any high-end mouse in today's market.
I noticed a few of the ones I posted in the first post have a resolution of like 2000

[EXTREMUM]

i didnt know they made a LCD graphics tablet, but Im guessing that they aren't cheap. I don't want to be spending more than 150. The programs that work with the laser can do both, but mostly i use rastered images. quit getting so defensive.

Watch Collateral, with Tom Cruise. He uses a LCD tablet throughout the whole movie, tracking down bounties to kill 'n shit. They're badass gadgets, but they're not cheap at all.

[EXTREMUM]

I noticed a few of the ones I posted in the first post have a resolution of like 2000

Those are the ones to get. Any tablet with low DPI is a waste.

[Bone]

Do any of you guys know some other websites that have a good selection of graphic tablets? The only place I was able to find, with a decent selection, was http://newegg.com

[iSS Mike]

Wacom is a good brand.

[Bone]

Wacom is a good brand.they don't seem to have any that come with the software so that it will work with photoshop though.

[Antonio]

bsflag on that. ive always used wacoms with photoshop.

[Bone]

bsflag on that. ive always used wacoms with photoshop.yeah if you want to spend 270 on the 6x8 one. That's way to much money man.