Graphics Tablet Help Please

[Buckster]

I've been thinking for awhile about going with a Wacom, but I'm so used to using the mouse, I'm wondering if this old dog will find the new trick prohibitive to my work flow in any way, non-intuitive, and, if so, for how long.

I know it's a subjective question, but from your own personal experiences, what would you folks say the learning curve time frame is to go from mouse to tablet comfortably? And, on the extreme side of the question, is there anyone who tried to go with a tablet, and ended up not being comfortable with it, so didn't end up using it much?

Thanks for your opinions and ideas on this topic.

 

[icassell]

Yipppeeee! It's here ... delivered to me at work. Now I have to wait to get home to try it

I decided that there were enough arguments in favor of this to take a chance ... I don't like drawing with a mouse, so this MUST be better.

 

[Phranquey]

I've been thinking for awhile about going with a Wacom, but I'm so used to using the mouse, I'm wondering if this old dog will find the new trick prohibitive to my work flow in any way, non-intuitive, and, if so, for how long.

I know it's a subjective question, but from your own personal experiences, what would you folks say the learning curve time frame is to go from mouse to tablet comfortably? And, on the extreme side of the question, is there anyone who tried to go with a tablet, and ended up not being comfortable with it, so didn't end up using it much?

Thanks for your opinions and ideas on this topic.

If you have a regular mouse on a pad, and are used to moving your hand & forearm around to do things on the screen, then I believe you will be just fine adapting to a tablet.

Me, on the other hand, still find it very difficult to use my tablet. For as far back as I can remember, I have always used a trackball mouse, so my hand & thumb are very keen on coordination, and I can zip around the screen quickly.....so it feels very slow doing basic work on a tablet. For normal editing work (resize, sharpen, save as, etc..), I am still far faster on the trackball than the pad....... But, for stuff like retouching & clonework, the tablet is the thing to have...hands down.

 

[Phranquey]

Yipppeeee! It's here ... delivered to me at work. Now I have to wait to get home to try it

I decided that there were enough arguments in favor of this to take a chance ... I don't like drawing with a mouse, so this MUST be better.

:thumbup:

I know what it's like to get that call from the wife....having to wait the rest of the day to go play with it !!

 

[icassell]

I've been thinking for awhile about going with a Wacom, but I'm so used to using the mouse, I'm wondering if this old dog will find the new trick prohibitive to my work flow in any way, non-intuitive, and, if so, for how long.

I know it's a subjective question, but from your own personal experiences, what would you folks say the learning curve time frame is to go from mouse to tablet comfortably? And, on the extreme side of the question, is there anyone who tried to go with a tablet, and ended up not being comfortable with it, so didn't end up using it much?

Thanks for your opinions and ideas on this topic.

If you have a regular mouse on a pad, and are used to moving your hand & forearm around to do things on the screen, then I believe you will be just fine adapting to a tablet.

Me, on the other hand, still find it very difficult to use my tablet. For as far back as I can remember, I have always used a trackball mouse, so my hand & thumb are very keen on coordination, and I can zip around the screen quickly.....so it feels very slow doing basic work on a tablet. For normal editing work (resize, sharpen, save as, etc..), I am still far faster on the trackball than the pad....... But, for stuff like retouching & clonework, the tablet is the thing to have...hands down.

That's interesting. I'll have to see how this works out, since I too am used to a trackball.

 

[Phranquey]

I've been thinking for awhile about going with a Wacom, but I'm so used to using the mouse, I'm wondering if this old dog will find the new trick prohibitive to my work flow in any way, non-intuitive, and, if so, for how long.

I know it's a subjective question, but from your own personal experiences, what would you folks say the learning curve time frame is to go from mouse to tablet comfortably? And, on the extreme side of the question, is there anyone who tried to go with a tablet, and ended up not being comfortable with it, so didn't end up using it much?

Thanks for your opinions and ideas on this topic.

If you have a regular mouse on a pad, and are used to moving your hand & forearm around to do things on the screen, then I believe you will be just fine adapting to a tablet.

Me, on the other hand, still find it very difficult to use my tablet. For as far back as I can remember, I have always used a trackball mouse, so my hand & thumb are very keen on coordination, and I can zip around the screen quickly.....so it feels very slow doing basic work on a tablet. For normal editing work (resize, sharpen, save as, etc..), I am still far faster on the trackball than the pad....... But, for stuff like retouching & clonework, the tablet is the thing to have...hands down.

That's interesting. I'll have to see how this works out, since I too am used to a trackball.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Buckster]

I've been thinking for awhile about going with a Wacom, but I'm so used to using the mouse, I'm wondering if this old dog will find the new trick prohibitive to my work flow in any way, non-intuitive, and, if so, for how long.

I know it's a subjective question, but from your own personal experiences, what would you folks say the learning curve time frame is to go from mouse to tablet comfortably? And, on the extreme side of the question, is there anyone who tried to go with a tablet, and ended up not being comfortable with it, so didn't end up using it much?

Thanks for your opinions and ideas on this topic.

If you have a regular mouse on a pad, and are used to moving your hand & forearm around to do things on the screen, then I believe you will be just fine adapting to a tablet.

Me, on the other hand, still find it very difficult to use my tablet. For as far back as I can remember, I have always used a trackball mouse, so my hand & thumb are very keen on coordination, and I can zip around the screen quickly.....so it feels very slow doing basic work on a tablet. For normal editing work (resize, sharpen, save as, etc..), I am still far faster on the trackball than the pad....... But, for stuff like retouching & clonework, the tablet is the thing to have...hands down.

Thanks for the response. I find that particularly interesting since a bout with a trackball several years ago is one of the memories that's had me on the fence about spending the money on a tablet.

I'd heard that I could get a lot more control with a trackball, so I went ahead and got one - a good one. I tried for months to get the hang of it, but just never could seem to do it and eventually gave up. I run across it in a box of old gear once in a while and regret spending the money on it every time.

Still, I do like to draw with a regular pen or pencil and paper, and I think I'm fairly good with a mouse, so I'm thinking the learning curve would be minimal. I'm sooo close to just making the jump and hoping for the best...

 

[Phranquey]

Thanks for the response. I find that particularly interesting since a bout with a trackball several years ago is one of the memories that's had me on the fence about spending the money on a tablet.

I'd heard that I could get a lot more control with a trackball, so I went ahead and got one - a good one. I tried for months to get the hang of it, but just never could seem to do it and eventually gave up. I run across it in a box of old gear once in a while and regret spending the money on it every time.

Still, I do like to draw with a regular pen or pencil and paper, and I think I'm fairly good with a mouse, so I'm thinking the learning curve would be minimal. I'm sooo close to just making the jump and hoping for the best...

If you like to draw as well, then make the leap & get one...I can almost guarantee that it will be one purchase you won't regret.

And don't get my previous post wrong...I absolutely love using it, but for day-to-day mundane things, my trackball is much faster.

 

[bhop]

Still, I do like to draw with a regular pen or pencil and paper, and I think I'm fairly good with a mouse, so I'm thinking the learning curve would be minimal. I'm sooo close to just making the jump and hoping for the best...

I've been using a Wacom for around 15 years now, so I don't remember the learning curve, other than it was 'kinda weird feeling', but since you say you draw with pen and pencil and paper, I don't think you'll have an issue. I don't think the mouse has any relevance with a tablet though. They're two totally different tools. I use both, but mostly when i'm just navigating around my computer, i'm using the tablet and pen. I find myself using my mouse only when I need to be more precise, like vector points or moving rulers... stuff like that.