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Product: Professional pen tablet

Developer: Wacom Technology Co.

Minimum Requirements: Mac OS X v10.2.6, powered USB port, CD ROM drive and color monitor

Retail Price: $329.95

Availability: Out now

There are a few slight talents I had when I was young that I'll always regret not developing. Five years of piano lessons had me sounding pretty good by the time I hit sixth grade, but an instrument move to trombone and a geographical move by my piano teacher found me quickly out of practice, and it doesn't take long to lose those skills. Too bad, too...the piano is a much more effective instrument for romancing the ladies than is the trombone. Trust me on this one, guys.

That trombone double-killed me, actually, as any knack I displayed for always coming down with a football took back seat behind marching during halftime at football games. Too bad, too...football jerseys are much more effective uniforms for romancing the ladies than are plumes and citation cords. Trust me on this one, guys.

The trombone had no effect on my drawing skills, however, which developed pretty quickly up through junior high, but then came to a screeching halt in high school. Maybe the competition got tougher, or maybe I'd just become as good as I would get, but things just stopped. Again, too bad. As a writer, there are plenty of projects I'd be able to complete much more quickly, or at all, if only I had the ability to provide my own illustrations.

As tends to be the case with such dilemmas, the computer comes rushing to my rescue. Art isn't entirely about execution, after all; it's part vision, too. If you have the vision but can't transfer the image from your head to the paper, the combination of the proper software with the Wacom Intuos3 pen tablet can help you get there.

Understand first of all that I have no previous experience with pen tablets before evaluating the Intuos3. Normally, I dread such reviews as they first require learning the product before actually getting around to evaluating it. Not the case, here. Setting up the hardware and installing the software was as simple as doing the same for a new mouse, and actually using the product was comfortable and intuitive. I'll get to more of that in a minute, but I want you to understand that this review isn't written as a comparison to previous Wacom tablets or to competing products, but from the point of view of a graphics software user making his first foray into the use of pen tablets.

As I just mentioned, installation was a simple manner of launching the installer and following instructions on when to connect the tablet. The only inconvenience—and it's barely worth mentioning—is that owners of previous Wacom tablets will first have to uninstall the previous software.

Along with the driver you have the option of installing any of the bundled programs: Adobe Photoshop Elements 2, Corel Painter Essentials 2, nik Color Efex Pro 2 IE and Wacom Brushes 2. Mac users will be pleased to know that, unlike normal, all software offered to PC users with the Intuos3 is also available to Mac users. On the other hand, I can't imagine that many of those interested in a pen tablet of any type wouldn't already have the full versions of Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter IX, or at least the intention to buy one or the other. Therefore, I was also confused when I found the training sessions included on the disk were mainly on how to use the pen tablet with the bundled software. I understand that they can't include tutorials on how to use the tablet with all potential software programs, but I would've preferred they go a different direction all together, instead teaching you how to use the pen and other tablet features separate of any program: how to hold it, to get good strokes, to achieve certain effects, etc.

The capabilities of the Wacom Intuos3 are pretty much controlled by the software you're using. Whether you're creating cartoons in Toon Boom Studio, touching up photos in Adobe Photoshop or just being generally artistic in Corel Painter IX, the Wacom Intuos3 offers a degree of control that's bound to please any artist...or even artist wannabes such as myself.

Although the active drawing area of the Intuos3 6x8 is...well...6" by 8", the actual tablet dimensions are 13.6" wide by 10.3" high by 0.5" deep. This larger size takes up perhaps too much desk space, but makes it perfect for sitting on your lap as you work. Placing it on your lap isn't an unreasonable prospect, either, as the four ExpressKeys and single Touch Strip (for scrolling, zooming, controlling brush size, etc.) on either side of the active area eliminate the need for a keyboard in most situations. The ExpressKeys are "chordable," meaning they can be customized to perform different functions. Their symmetric placement on both sides makes the tablet easy to use for both right and left handers, and I found them easy to control with my fingers when the tablet was on the table and even easier to control with my thumb when I had the tablet on my lap.

Then Intuos3 Grip Pen is extremely comfortable to hold, and its ergonomic design all but forces you to use it properly. A programmable DuoSwitch towards the front allows for fast, easy switching between styles or tools, and the tilt sensitivity is a wonderful capability when painting or air brushing in Photoshop or Painter. Multiple nib styles are provided (nibs are basically the point of the pen), which you can substitute in to give your pen tip a different feel. The Grip Pen features 1,024 pressure levels, which, when used with the right software, can help to give your artwork the actual look of applying a brush to paper, unlike when using a mouse and dragging a cursor across the screen.

Speaking of the mouse, the Wacom Intuos3 6x8 comes with a cordless five button mouse with a scroll wheel. That its cordless is a great feature, as it allows you to work with it from wherever you have your tablet (which has an eight foot USB cord), but it's not the most comfortable mouse I've used. It's too small to properly support my palm, and the buttons on the left and right side are a bit too high up for easy access, especially the button meant to be used by pinky finger. Also, because the mouse is designed for use on the pen tablet, you're not given much area with which to work unless you go for the 9 x 12" model. On the 6 x 8", I was too often bumping into the edge of the work area. On the other hand, being able to use a mouse on the tablet is a nice touch as it opens the tablet to other uses, such as something as simple as surfing the web.

And that's another thing that surprised me about the Intuos3...Wacom wants you to use it for more than just graphics. The pen can be used for annotations in Acrobat, for example, and the mouse can be used for just about anything. If you don't mind the feel of the mouse, then, the combination of that and the tablet can replace your Apple mouse and mouse pad.

Again, I'm new to all of this. I don't know how much of an improvement the Intuos3 is over previous models, but it seems apparent that Wacom has thought of pretty much everything, right down to a holder for the pen. If I were to make just one suggestion, it would be for them to include some type of hard cover for the drawing area of the tablet to prevent damage from dropped objects.

Beyond that, just consider me impressed. I'll give this a product a rating, but don't look at it as an actual review. It's more like I've just received a really great demonstration of a really great product, and I'm looking to share it with those who may not yet have tried such a piece of equipment. Where the Intuos3 really shines is in its ability to take programs such as Corel Painter IX and Toon Boom Studio and make them even easier and faster to use. Tools such as this are designed for artists, but don't let that frighten you off. If you're not an artist, the Wacom Intuos3 6x8 pen tablet will help make you one.

Now, if I could just get GarageBand to make a pianist out me...