Genius Tablet?

[silverrspells]

Ok, so I am badly in need of a tablet, as I am sick of attempting to draw in PS using the mouse. I have read different reviews, and most people say that Wacom tablets (mostly Wacom Intuos) are the best ones for drawing.
Trouble is that the lest expensive decent Wacom Intuos I can buy here (Wacom INTUOS3 A5 Wide) is 5 times more expensive than a Genius G-Pen F610.
Today, a friend of mine has lent me his Genius tablet and I have managed to draw some stuff with it. It seemed pretty nice to me and I haven't experienced any trouble. My friend says he's pretty satisfied with it (he's using it for photo-editing, though). I'm seriously thinking about buying a Genius like his, as I don't have enough money for a wacom. In reviews, people complain about durability and resistance.

Has anyone here ever used a Genius Tablet? If so, what d'you think - should I get one now (as a beginner) or wait till I have the money for the wacom?

[AdamR]

I bought a Genius PenSketch 6x8 a while ago. I think it's really great for the price tbh. The Wacom's are nicer no doubt but if they're out of your price range and you don't think you can save up for it then I'd go for it.

Main problem I have with it is the fact the pen needs a battery. That in itself isn't a problem but it always seems you've never got a single triple A in the house when you need it, doesn't it? lol

[kikindaface]

I'm using the same tablet than AdamR. It's a really nice tablet when you wanna start painting with it, but it quickly shows it limits !! It works quite well with photoshop. Another thing that I've seen is that it doesn't really looks like that there is really 1024 level of pressure when I paint.

[Shinnoki]

I have Genius PenSketch 9x12 and for the price it's great.
The biggest problem is that the pen requires battery, but if you're fine with that, go for it.

It has good support for applications, the pressure works in almost every program including OpenCanvas.
I'd say Genius is the second lead after Wacom.

One thing, avoid 9x12, it's too big and most of the space is wasted.