What would this be used for ???

[Ottor]

What's a 'Tablet' and a pressure sensitive pen/stylus...??? How, specifically, is it used in post processing, that a monitor/mouse can't be used? I really don't know anything about them, so any education on this would be appreciated...

thanks,

r

[sybren]

It's a pointing device, just like the mouse is. It's made up of a pen that you hold like a regular pen, and a pad that you push the pen on.

Have you ever wished your mouse would "know" how hard you pushed the mouse button? That you could genltly brush one area and thickly scratch in another? This is where the pressure sensitivity of the pen comes in.

Another advantage is that a pen is easier to control precisely than a mouse. You can move the pen like you move any other pen, and that makes it (for the people that like it) easier to use.

Yet another difference with a mouse is that a tablet uses absolute coordinates. The result is that if you put the pen in the top-left corner of the tablet, your cursor will also be positioned at the top-left corner of your screen.

[Mamarazzi_2008]

I got the Wacom Bamboo for about $100 a year ago at Fry's. It is totally worth it. There is a slight learning curve to getting used to it - but it's worth the money once you learn to use it. I know that when Im touching eyes or something of that nature - I need tobe able to be exact and sometimes mouse just doesn't cut it. Also if you are cloning and such makes it easier!

[windrider86]

I have to agree, I have 2. A wacom and a Bamboo (made by Wacom)
The original Wacom I purchased several years ago and it sat for almost a year before i really used it. I couldnt seem to figure out the pressure use and what not. Once I did, it was all over. Dont let the year thing fool you. It was just that I didnt touch it for along long time.
With that being said, there is a bit of a learning hurdle to get over but Im here to tell you, that once you get used to it, there is no going back.
Using a Wacom pen for those tiny details cannot even begin to compare to a mouse. You can paint in tiny tiny details, erasing the same detail.
Its like painting with a pen. Its sooooooooooooo worth the investment!