Entry Level Pen Tablets: Making the Artist's PC-Life Easier

What to do with Your Tablet

Generally, the three drawing tablets yielded the same (or similar) functions. Both brands offered the same 512 levels of sensitivity to their pen and allowed for similar button customization, such as programming the side pen button to pull up Photoshop when clicked, or making the mouse wheel/center button log on to the internet. However, the first glaring difference between the systems was Wacom's inclusion of a mouse wheel with the Graphire3's mouse, where Aiptek only supplied a third button with the Hyperpen mice. The mouse wheel functioned like that of a normal mouse, capable of acting like an extra button as well. Deciding whether a mouse wheel is really important to you might just be a preference issue, but it could also change your opinion of whether the tablet mouse can replace your old mouse. It seems a little outdated to not include the wheel, so hopefully Aiptek will find a way to include one on future models.

The next obvious difference between these two designs involves the top end of the tablet pen. The Graphire3 pen offers a very useful way for immediate editing in the form of an eraser. While drawing on the tablet, the pen can be flipped over to wipe away marks on the screen image that are not desired. Aiptek should probably take a note from Wacom on this subject and add an eraser to their design.

As far as the rest of the design differences go, most are based on preference. The Hyperpen 8000U and 12000U supply a transparent flap for securing images in case of tracing or slicing up photos while the Graphire3 includes a thicker plastic plate that can be popped off and onto the tablet. The Graphire3's plastic plate design was a bit more aesthetic, but required some painful yanking to detach. The Hyperpen's flap was pretty much hassle-free.

In the case of drivers, it should be mentioned that there aren't any for Graphire3 at the Wacom website. The software included with the tablet does supply a CD, and the website advises that the CD is what should be used, but there are no drivers available for download if you lose the CD. The Aiptek website supplied a driver for the 8000U and 12000U HyperPen models, but it had not been checked by Microsoft WHQL.

Function boxes were also included on the surface of the Hyperpen 8000U and 12000U, enabling quick access to programmable buttons. The down side to these tablet spots is how often they get activated when not needed. Unless you watch your hand constantly while working on the active Hyperpen space, it's likely that you'll accidentally land on F11 or F2 when all you are trying to do is open or move a file.

Both supplied useful control panels for the hardware, allowing for button customization and level controls.

This control panel allows manipulation of Graphire3 mouse, pen, and pop-up menu controls. Programming buttons and changing sensitivities are done here.

Similar control panel for Aiptek's HyperPen tablets.