Consumer Help : Drawing Tablets for the PC

Zamzee

Hey guys,

I just started drawing and I am rather enjoying it, I am taking an Art Class at my community college. Anyways, the whole reason I am taking this class is it is a pre-req for graphic design courses, which is what I am truly interested in. So...

I would like to save up and buy a drawing tablet for my computer so I can draw on the computer. Does anyone know of some good ones under $200 that would get me started? I have seen them starting at around $50 but I figure if it's something I plan on doing for a while, I'd rather spend a little extra money and invest in a quality product versus the absolute basic. I am hoping to find one for around $100 or so.

Any suggestions?

- Zamzee

The_Glad_Hatter

Wacom is pretty much the only brand with consistent quality and reliability. All answers in this thread wil most likely lead to them.

Their Bamboo line is very descent and i've seem pro's do awesome shit on them. Quite affordable too.
their intuos line is better but pricier. And you only really really notice how good the intuosses are after you've upgraded from a lesser model.

Iruka

I've seen plenty of GD majors skate by with just a bamboo, and I thingk those are hovering around the $90 range these days. Glad hatter is right about wacom being the only brand, don't waste your money on anything else.

You might be able to find a site that'll give you one with a student discount, I know I've never bought directly from the wacom site, so shop around and you might get a good deal.

wmelon

Monoprice has started carrying a line of very affordable tablets. I can't vouch for their quality, but the reviews look decent. I'm sure they're not as good as a wacom, but you can get several for the same price. If you decide to pick one up, Please let me know how it performs for you.

MagicToaster

Well, if youre looking into graphic design and not illustration you wont see any difference between the cheapest Bamboo and the most expensive Intuous. Illustrator and InDesign dont care about pressure levels and tilt features as Photoshop and Painter do.

I work as a Designer, pushing shapes around in Illustrator all day is a job that I do with a Bamboo. Also, the nibs last longer.