Long-ignored PC peripheral lets you draw straight into computer

By Craig Crossman
Knight Ridder News Service

There's one peripheral that's been around for almost as long as some of the more popular devices you can hook up to your PC, but for some reason it hasn't made it into the "every computer has one" category.

Everyone who uses a computer knows what a mouse is. They also know about printers, modems, CD and DVD drives, monitors, speakers, scanners and Web cameras. Just about every computer out there has most if not all of these devices attached because they are among the most commonly used peripherals.

So why hasn't the graphics tablet caught on in the same big way?

Huh? What's a graphics tablet?

The graphics tablet, which can also be called a graphic or pen tablet, suffers from more than just an identity crisis. It's a peripheral that continues to be ignored by the mainstream, even though it's another great way to input graphical images into your computer.

One of the things we like to do with our computers is create and manage graphical images like the digital photographs we take with our digital cameras or images we scan in with our flatbed scanners. We scan them in, print them out, save them to CDs and DVDs, display them on our screens and more.

With a graphics tablet, you can literally paint and draw directly into your computer. Using an electronic pen, the graphics tablet is a slatelike device onto which you press the electronic pen. As you move the stylus across the tablet's surface, you see the corresponding trail appear on the screen. And depending on the software and the tablet's ability, you can do just about anything an artist can do with a full array of paint brushes, pens, pencils, chalk, pastels and more.

One graphics tablet maker that's been around for a long time is Wacom (www.wacom.com), and they keep improving the technology. Their latest release is their Graphire3 pen, mouse and tablet. This newest generation introduces a new tablet size, the 6-by-8 inch. This newer generation also continues to include the smaller 4-by-5-inch device as well. The Graphire3 includes Wacom's patented cordless electronic pen that requires no batteries.

What's also new is the clever way they've incorporated a slotted pen holder directly into the top of the tablet so you won't wonder what you did with the pen the next time you reach for the tablet. They still include the weighted pen holder that sits on your desk. Also included is the cordless mouse that requires no battery. Unlike cordless optical mice, the Wacom mouse works by placing it on the graphics tablet surface.

The pen also sports a dual action button and an electronic "eraser" that works just like its real counterpart. Draw with the pen and if you want to erase, simply flip the pen around 180 degrees as you would with a real pencil and begin to erase.

The tablet is also pressure-sensitive. As you press down harder, the line becomes darker if it's a pen or pencil you are emulating, or the stroke becomes broader if it's a paint brush or marker. What could be more natural? And that's exactly the idea.

Although children today begin to learn to draw with a computer mouse at an early age, many of us still began with a crayon, pen and pencil. And I don't care what they say about a mouse when it comes to cursive writing. Trying to sign my name using a mouse is like trying to write with a brick. Using a Graphire3 is far more natural. The Graphire3 even has a translucent overlay under which you can position a picture or drawing so that you can trace it.

And you can use the pen as you would a mouse. You can use it to position, select objects, access menus, etc. Many of those commands are built directly into the Wacom tablet's surface along the top portion of the drawing area. And when you're ready to write in a window that's running the drawing software, it couldn't be more natural. In fact, if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or some other form of repetitive stress, you may want to check out the merits of a graphics tablet.

The Graphire3 comes complete with the pen, mouse and software that runs on a Windows or Macintosh. It connects to your PC or Mac via a USB connection. The Graphire3 comes in Sapphire Blue, Pearl White and Graphite Gray. The 6-by-8-inch active area model sells for $199.95, the 4-by-5 goes for $99.95.

Your computer may already have all the usual peripherals, but if you're looking for yet another way to empower yourself with the ultimate method of digital artistic expression, then this graphics tablet has your name written all over it.