Digital Home Thoughts: WACOM Intuos3 6x8 Tablet

The Software
The primary piece of software that comes with the tablet is the configuration application. There are three input devices that allow you to control buttons on the tablet, the pen, and the mouse. You can create a preset for every application you own. The process of creating presets is fairy simple. All you have to do is go through the drop-down menu for the corresponding key and select the function you want that key to perform. These functions can include opening certain applications as well as replacing keyboard shortcuts. There are also sensitivity controls for the touch strip as well as the stylus. The eraser end of the stylus can be programmed as well, but it is most useful in drawing or editing applications. To ease you into these functions I’ve prepared a number of screen captures to show you just how easy it is to use this application.


Figure 4: The stylus is very customizable. Every style of hand movement can be accounted for.


Figure 5: There are myriad possible combinations for the keys. Every application you use can have its own.

The Other CD
The Intuos comes with a very good software package. The CD includes Adobe’s entry level Photoshop software, Elements 2.0, as well as Corel’s Painter Essentials 2.0. The jewel in the bundle CD crown is the Photoshop brush set developed by Wacom. This plug-in allows brushes in Adobe products to become pressure sensitive. This allows for a very realistic airbrush effect that I have no talent to display. Yet another pleasant surprise came from the inclusion of nik multimedia filters for Photoshop. There are 75 filters included in the package that can be applied all at once or selectively with your Wacom pen. All in all, I was satisfied with the bundle. I did not expect to get Photoshop CS with this so I was not surprised when I got Elements. I must commend Wacom for going to different companies for their software. It would be very easy to include Illustrator with the package, yet Wacom was true to its mission and gave you the Corel drawing application instead. Now let’s see if all these things work!