My first tablet. Vistablet or Adesso?

[blueknightfox]

Next week I will buy my first tablet. I've narrowed my choices down to the Vistablet 98-905w1005000 mini graphic tablet and the Adesso cyber tablet z8 (there in my price range and in the store right now.) The only thing I don't like about the Vistablet is the size but the fact that the Adesso comes with two programs is a red flag to me. I don't know which one to choose so does anyone know which one is better of the two?

[FightingSeraph]

Which two programs does the latter come with?

[blueknightfox]

Which two programs does the latter come with?

Artrage and Arcsoft Photo impressions.

[arenhaus]

Bundled programs aren't an indication of quality, per se. Wacom also comes with bundled programs, and that's the de facto industry standard.

[Dumb Naked King]

I'm extremely biased, so feel free to disregard my advice completely. But I'd wait a month or two until I could afford a wacom tablet. There is never a reason to rush into buying a tablet, even if it's your first; most likely, you'll do what the majority of people do and buy something better in a year or two anyway, so why waste your time and your money?
My old wacom graphire served me well for a good 8 years before the cord finally fell to pieces, and I used it for everything; my very first tablet was from Adesso, and I used it for a full 30 minutes before I wanted to throw it out the window. As far as I gather Adesso has improved some since then so it might not be quite so bad. I have no opinion on Vistablet, other than the fact that I would never buy a product where I can't find a positive review on google which doesn't basically conclude "I'm not an artist, but this is more comfortable than a computer mouse!".

[Velocity Kendall]

i got the cheapest wacom there is and its really good.

[Nemome]

I would also suggest you to wait until you can buy yourself a wacom tablet.
Wacom tablets are most likely made for a lifetime, so you could also take a look at used tablets (either on ebay or the wacom refurbished store).
This way you can save a lot of money and still get a pretty decent tablet.

I had my first Graphire 4 A6 from ebay and it worked like a charm!

[blueknightfox]

The cheapest wacom was a Bamboo splash. It's a little out of my price range and if I remember right it was for Mac's only. If it wasn't for that I would have it right now.

[Psychotime]

Yeah, I second about saving up to get a quality device like a Wacom.

If you really need a tablet, go for a good brand.

I bought an Intuos 3 back in 2008, and the only time I upgraded was in November of 2012, and ONLY because I was required to get the current generation pen (and it was cheaper to buy the pen and tablet than just the pen alone).

[Velocity Kendall]

The cheapest wacom was a Bamboo splash. It's a little out of my price range and if I remember right it was for Mac's only. If it wasn't for that I would have it right now.

Dont know about thast dude, i got this one, cost me about £60 brand new.. it works fine. use it constantly. i had to replace the nib after a year which cost £2. Intuos4s are between £250 and £500....
its not great for drawing on, but i prefer to draw with biro on A4 anyway, and scan it. for painting it seems perfectly ok..

[Arshes Nei]

The cheapest wacom was a Bamboo splash. It's a little out of my price range and if I remember right it was for Mac's only. If it wasn't for that I would have it right now.

I am not sure where you got this info from, but simply looking at Wacom's site and looking at Specs would have had this correct as to which OS this was compatible for.

http://www.wacom.com/en/products/pen.../bamboo-splash

The only other non Wacom tablet I've heard semi decent reviews for is the Monoprice tablet. http://amzn.com/B004C4ZT0G

You could also go the used tablet route. But make sure that the tablet comes with the pen for the model. I've seen listings on the first make of Bamboo go for pretty cheap.

[Rotor]

To contribute to the topic, like suggested I'd wait and save a bit of money to get a good one that will last and offer you greater versatility when you get better, provided you stick to your art guns.
I've seen some pretty things done with a bamboo and lots of folk seem to have them, a good first tablet I'd wager.

Wacom Graphire 4. I got this bad boy back in 2006 or so, still going strong though I need to replace the electric tape soon.

[sone_one]

if you absolutely think you have to get a tablet... get a wacom.

if you cant afford one right now... fine keep drawing in pencil and watercolor, markers whatnot. the switch to digital wont do anything to you thats beneficial. or do you have a clear idea what exactly you want to do with a tablet you cant do now? other than fooling around with it? in the believe a history to redo, adjustments, layers and fancy brushes, are going to have you explore more? tryout, test and evaluate concepts easier than on paper? have more happy accidents? ... its simply not going to happen, because you dont know what youre after. its merely a tool... not a solution.

without a doubt the digital route comes with less hassle if it comes to organizing your workspace... the need to set stuff up etc. less risk to ruin your best clothes, whatever. but theres a tradeoff most beginners dont know/see or just ignore if they are told... the ability to undo everything, alter everything in fantastic ways, etc. completely fucks up your learning process and what you get out of it.

traditional mediums force you to deal with decissions that turned out to be wrong... you learn from that. it makes you more cautious of what you do and why you do it.
having nothing to risk in digital, quite often causes some numbness in peoples minds, instead of speeding up the rate at which they explore and learn. youre actually way less likely to ask the questions you need to find an answer for, if youre in clown-mode.

dont get me wrong ... it can be a great tool to use having to meet deadlines and exploration driven by concepts (the opposite of stabbing in the dark), and there certainly is a point when its usefull to commit some time learning its ways. but you dont do yourself a favor starting out with it.
what good is it to think about what a certain layer mode does, if your drawing doesnt work?

[Ian Barker]

There are some very good alternatives to Wacom tablets. Check out Monoprice and Yiynova tablets. They've both received great reviews and aren't as ridiculously expensive as Wacom. Wacom is not a bad option (love my Intuos 3), but these other brands are pushing lower price points at about the same level of quality.

I'll probably make an effort to have my next tablet not be Wacom due to price, and because Wacom needs some competition to bring their prices back into the stratosphere.

Whatever brand you get, make sure you at least get a medium size. The small tablets force you to draw with short, jolty strokes.

[HarbingerofIllRepute]

Ian's got the right idea, this monoprice has been running me far better than any of the lower-end Wacom tablets.
Pretty decently sized too, especially for something that cost $50.

(The drivers are kinda sketch though, but work perfectly fine on Windows 8 for some reason... and the pen requires a battery)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

[Wingal]

I had a bamboo for my first tablet. It quit after a year and i was pretty pissed because I heard they lasted like 3 years. Also the pen cost more then the tablet and I had to get a new pen then the tablet shortly quit afterwords. Then I got a monoprice. It was much better then my bamboo and half the price and cheaper pen with more nips. It was better in size and pressure sensitivity. One thing i preferred about the bamboo though, was that I could choose what the buttons on the pen meant. The monoprice wouldn't let me pick, so it took some getting used to. It then quit after a year but I contacted the help chat line on their website and they helped me. It turns out it was my fault that it broke down but they told me to send it in and they sent me a brand new tablet and a new pen. I highly recommend monoprice! They gave me the best customer service Ive ever had and it was a way better tablet for me then the bamboo. Now I have an intuos 3 that i got off ebay. Its bigger and a smoother drawing space then my monoprice. I highly recommend monoprice though!

[blueknightfox]

Dont know about thast dude, i got this one, cost me about £60 brand new.. it works fine. use it constantly. i had to replace the nib after a year which cost £2. Intuos4s are between £250 and £500....
its not great for drawing on, but i prefer to draw with biro on A4 anyway, and scan it. for painting it seems perfectly ok..

I mean that's the cheapest in the store and it's still a Mac only tablet. I have a Windows 7 laptop and a ten year old XP desktop.

[blueknightfox]

if you absolutely think you have to get a tablet... get a wacom.

if you cant afford one right now... fine keep drawing in pencil and watercolor, markers whatnot. the switch to digital wont do anything to you thats beneficial. or do you have a clear idea what exactly you want to do with a tablet you cant do now? other than fooling around with it? in the believe a history to redo, adjustments, layers and fancy brushes, are going to have you explore more? tryout, test and evaluate concepts easier than on paper? have more happy accidents? ... its simply not going to happen, because you dont know what youre after. its merely a tool... not a solution.

without a doubt the digital route comes with less hassle if it comes to organizing your workspace... the need to set stuff up etc. less risk to ruin your best clothes, whatever. but theres a tradeoff most beginners dont know/see or just ignore if they are told... the ability to undo everything, alter everything in fantastic ways, etc. completely fucks up your learning process and what you get out of it.

traditional mediums force you to deal with decissions that turned out to be wrong... you learn from that. it makes you more cautious of what you do and why you do it.
having nothing to risk in digital, quite often causes some numbness in peoples minds, instead of speeding up the rate at which they explore and learn. youre actually way less likely to ask the questions you need to find an answer for, if youre in clown-mode.

dont get me wrong ... it can be a great tool to use having to meet deadlines and exploration driven by concepts (the opposite of stabbing in the dark), and there certainly is a point when its usefull to commit some time learning its ways. but you dont do yourself a favor starting out with it.
what good is it to think about what a certain layer mode does, if your drawing doesnt work?

I'm at that stage where i'm trying different mediums. This was next on the list.

[Velocity Kendall]

I mean that's the cheapest in the store and it's still a Mac only tablet. I have a Windows 7 laptop and a ten year old XP desktop.

hmm, dunno what you mean if im honest.

"Compatibility
Windows 7, Vista SP2, XP SP3, Mac OS X.10.5 or higher, Intel Processor"

http://www.wacom.com/en/south-americ...s/bamboosplash

i use my wacom pen and touch on an acer win7 laptop and a 6 year old win7 desktop.

moreover, who cares whats in your local store, you can buy anything online..

[Dile_]

When I started out, the first thing I got was a trust. It broke in 3 days( Or a couple of hours of using it). Then I got a graphire 3, which still works ( 7 years now!) and then later an intuos 3 that I'm still working on ( like..6.5 years) which I've also violently brought with me wherever I've gone (was in my bag throughout my euro trip couple of years ago and took so much punishment) I've stripped it and put the thing back together twice as well. GET A WACOM. I tested the tablet that velocity kendall has as well, and it's more than enough for a beginner and way better than the graphire products back in the day as well as cheaper~~

[Arshes Nei]

I mean that's the cheapest in the store and it's still a Mac only tablet. I have a Windows 7 laptop and a ten year old XP desktop.

I just said before your reply to VK that it can't be Mac Only. :facepalm: I don't know how to help you if you don't know how to read/shop.

It was much better then my bamboo and half the price and cheaper pen with more nips.

I hope you meant nibs, because otherwise they're sending you nipples or candy.

[FightingSeraph]

My Graphire tablet still works, though I have thought about upgrading it.

[Velocity Kendall]

"I don't know how to help you if you don't know how to read"

ConceptWord.Org?

[blueknightfox]

I just said before your reply to VK that it can't be Mac Only. :facepalm: I don't know how to help you if you don't know how to read/shop.



I hope you meant nibs, because otherwise they're sending you nipples or candy.

I believe you. That's what they're saying on Walmart.com http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wacom-Bamb...-Lime/21281912 but I do believe you. You know more about this then I do.

[Harkins]

Walmart doesn't know anything. One time I bought Rainbow Six Vegas a week before it's official release date at Walmart.

[Velocity Kendall]

I believe you. That's what they're saying on Walmart.com http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wacom-Bamb...-Lime/21281912 but I do believe you. You know more about this then I do.

I STILL dont get what your problem is; Wacom says the device is PC and Mac compatible, Walmart says its PC and Mac compatible, I think weve established its PC and Mac compatible.

[blueknightfox]

I got the Wacom. Besides pen pressure problems with Photoshop Elements 6 it works just fine.