Wacom Intuos Pro Digital Graphic Drawing Tablet for Mac or PC, Small (PTH451)

I have the small Intuos comic tablet as well and I couldn't be happier with both. I prefer the Pro version because it has a better pen and I can rest my hand on other parts of the tablet when I am working. In addition, there are more express keys and the touch ring. The Intuos small is great too but my hand rests on the table because there is almost not tablet real estate aside from the working area. The pen of the Intuos (non-pro version), while not bad, is not as good as the pro version. I wish Wacom made the Pro pens work on the regular Intuos tablets...hint hint The wireless kit feature is really nice. I've had not connectivity problems and the battery seems to last a long time and charge pretty quick. The wireless kit on the Intuos (non-pro) is good too but every now and then I have to reconnect. Note, the wireless kit is included with the Pro version and you have to buy it extra for the regular Intuos tablets. Also, the best bags for each tablet, in my opinion are the USA Gear bags. They are nicely made and have an outer pocket for the cord. The larger bag for the Pro version has an outer pocket that fits the pen as well. So to some up, when I'm on the go and traveling, I use the regular Intuos and when I'm at work, the Pro version. You really can't go wrong with either.

I spent a lot of time agonizing over this decision. I am a professional photographer, and after several years, I decided it might be best to upgrade from the Bamboo tablet, which I had been using. I loved my Bamboo tablet, and remembered how amazed I was when I first got it at its ease of use. Editing pics was so much easier and more enjoyable (if you make complex selections, a tablet is a must). Let me be clear that the Bamboo was perfectly capable of doing everything I do with the new Intuos Pro. The Intuos Pro just makes it faster and easier. As such, I didn't NEED to upgrade, but I really wanted to! The buttons can be programed to do almost anything, and you can even program them to act differently in different programs! The wheel makes both zooming in, and changing brush sizes, a snap. I can do everything seamlessly now (I don't have to take my hand away from the tablet to hit the bracket keys anymore!) Yes the upgrade was a desire, not a need. That said, I have had the tablet for several months now and haven't experienced a moment of buyer's regret! After making the decision to upgrade, the thing I struggled with the most, was tablet size. Now, I understand that what size you want really depends on what type of work you are doing. I can't draw to save my life, and only use the tablet for Photo Editing (sometimes I use Painter to add effects, so I guess I do some simple brush strokes, but its a rare occurrence). As such, I couldn't decide if I should get the small or the medium sized tablet, and literally spent hours reading reviews and suggestions on several sites. I knew I was perfectly happy with the "small" sized Bamboo tablet, but I thought that when upgrading, I might be happier with the medium size. I thought, "Maybe it would allow me to be just a tad more precise with my selections etc." Anyway, I really did wrestle with which size to purchase for over a week. Finally, I realized that it was a silly concern. I use a 24" monitor, and had even used my Bamboo tablet on 27" monitors. I had never experienced a lag, or felt that I was being imprecise with my movements, not had I ever wished for a larger tablet when I worked with the Bamboo. In short, I decided that, " if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I ended up getting the small (which still has a slightly bigger active area than the Bamboo, and is significantly bigger in terms of total dimensions). Recently, I had the chance to try out the medium at a friends house, and have to say that I am grateful that I purchased the small. In terms of how precise you are with regards to how "large" a movement you are making; it turns out that you get into a habit of what you feel comfortable with, and then you zoom in or out accordingly. As such, his medium sized tablet just meant that I had to zoom in closer than I would have on my machine in order to make the strokes I felt comfortable with. This may be a bit confusing (but other editors will understand). The point though, is that for photo editing, the small is plenty big enough, and I've never felt a need for a larger tablet. In fact, when navigating around (outside of PS where I couldn't use zoom in or out to affect the screen map) I found the medium a bit too large.I felt like I had more control with the small tablet, where I didn't have to make these huge movements with my arm. With that said, I think a lot of this comes down to what you are used to. I am so used to my small sized tablet, that using a medium sized tablet felt "wrong." I would guess that if he used my tablet, he would think mine felt "wrong." With that in mind, I love my small Intuos Pro. It does everything I need, and almost everything I want. It is smooth and responsive, and makes precise work a breeze. The software integrates easily with my system and makes its use easy and fun. The tablet is a MUST when I am editing photos, but even just for surfing the web it works great. I am very pleased with this product, and I'm happy that I upgraded from the Bamboo line. I am also happy with my choice of the small size, which is more than roomy enough to edit photos on a large screen monitor!!!

I bought this primarily as a mouse alternative to relieve RSI issues, not as a drawing tool. I was skeptical at first as to how easy it would be to use, but after an hour, I am already 90+% as proficient as with a mouse. I also debated whether small is too small (I have a 2560 x 1600 display), but the resolution is high enough that small works well. (Probably works better than medium as even the "small" takes quite a bit of space!) The only problem I've run into is that some programs (e.g. Internet Explorer and Quicken 2015 for me) need to be configured in "mouse" instead of "pen" mode for the app. It may seem counter-intuitive to generally use "pen" mode except for some incompatible apps, but I prefer pen mode more -- except some apps just won't click correctly, etc. in pen mode. The interaction flows reasonably naturally as you switch into/out of the incompatible apps' windows, so it isn't too cumbersome. Otherwise, it is a great tool. The ability to do a quick touch interaction (instead of the pen) when you just need to move the mouse cursor slightly also works well. I haven't used wireless much, so the various comments about the micro USB connector breaking don't bother me, though I did originally think about getting one of those quick disconnect micro USB cables -- but I find that I use the tablet wired most of the time.

I originally came here to buy the medium Pro tablet, but then hesitated and bought the small instead. And let me tell you, I regretted the purchase before I got it....but now I absolutely love this thing. Before this I had a Monoprice that was equivalent to the medium Wacom size (in terms of active area), and when that busted I got the small Intuos Art as a fill-in while I saved for the Pro. Now this is here and I cannot stop talking about it. I'm using Windows 10 on a 15.6" Dell Inspiron laptop. I would recommend the medium if you have the desk space and like to move your arm while drawing, but the small is perfect size and it's easier to reach around the screen for normal use in my opinion. The small Pro is definitely bigger and better than the Art/Manga/Photo Intuos varieties in many ways. It's huge in comparison, for starters- but that's good because I have a small desk and prefer to keep my tablet on my lap to draw. It's also a lot heavier and just feels more solid all around. I don't really use the touch feature or all the buttons but having them on the side and being able to set them to undo/redo easily is SUPER helpful. The pen is also a lot bigger and slightly wider around, making it much more comfortable to hold than the tiny cheap-feeling normal pen. I have small hands so I never got cramped but this just feels more natural and has the "heaviness" of a battery pen without the battery. Inside the pen stand are a lot of extra nibs, too, including standard ones, "felt" ones, a spring-loaded nib, and a rubber tip one. These all work the same but give a different feel when drawing based on your preference. An awesome feature that this also comes with is the wireless package. Normally it costs $40 to buy for the non-Pro tablets, which explains the significantly higher price tag on this one. After you install the tablet normally, you just need to slide the panel off the back of the tablet and attach the two pieces that go in it - one on each side. Then plug in the USB, give it a bit, and it should install itself. Pen pressure worked in Photoshop and SAI immediately. There's also a button to turn off the wireless - and thus the entire tablet - when not in use. Now some negatives. I really can't complain too much, but there are a few reasons why I gave this 4 stars instead of 3. First, sometimes the size and weight do scare me if I feel it sliding or carry it around - I think if it was dropped one too many times, it would crack or break. Next, I can't figure out the circle pad. the settings are easy to access and play with but the circle pad doesn't work when I scroll my finger around it. Only the button in the middle does. Third, although the pen is wonderful, the buttons on the side and the "eraser" end are a bit loose and when you move the pen around or shake it, they rattle. This is just a minor thing that contributes to the 'cheap plastic' grievance, though, and it doesn't feel like they're going to fall out or anything. I highly recommend the small Pro if you have a smaller laptop or just want to use it for minor work. I'm a digital artist so I paint and draw and find this perfect for my needs.

I have been using a Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet for years and didn't realize how much better the Intruos tablets are. This tablet has about the same live area as my old tablet, but the accuracy of placement on the computer screen is SO much better. Using the pen to grab a one point rule in InDesign is not a hit or miss like with the old tablet. I have the tablet directly in front of me and rest my hands and arms across it to type, so I have to turn off the "touch" portion of it, otherwise things get really crazy on the computer screen. The buttons on the side is also not ideal for my setup, but I image it works well for most people. I really miss not having a mouse with this tablet. The old one came standard with one and I would switch back and forth to help reduce repetitive movements. Plus, there are just some things that are easier to do with a mouse... Overall, I am very pleased with this tablet. For people not set in their work ways, like myself, this should offer them a lot of pointing and clicking options. For me, the accuracy of selection makes it worth every penny.

I use my tablet in a desktop configuration that's optimized for photo editing. First off, it proved easy to set-up. Wacom support was excellent to deal with (wanted one clarification for my system configuration - was it OK to leave the USB engaged even though the wireless adapter was installed & working, too, since I have little occasion to use it wirelessly? Answer: yes). While not critical to me on a daily basis, the wireless capability I'm sure will come in handy for me someday. Another feature that isn't critical on a daily basis for me is the size of the tablet. For my photo editing there's more space available than I need. Fortunately in the set-up process you have the option to map the active area. I've chosen the smallest one and moved it to the right perimeter of the surface (I'm right-handed). The Multi-Touch capability is another one I don't often use for anything serious. Some use it for non-graphical applications, but I prefer my Kensington Expert Mouse trackball for things such as MS Word and Excel - if for no other reason than to switch around the ergonomics since I have repetitive stress problems. Most of the other product features I do use, and consider indispensable. The Express Keys can be set up in an application-specific manner, plus there are plenty of them. Keyboard short-cuts are great, but the Express Keys can't be beat for frequently used functions since you don't have to go to the keyboard. Also the scroll ring is fantastic. Not only can you use it to scroll, but also to alter brush sizes in Photoshop and Lightroom. I think this is my very favorite feature, although it sure is a lot easier to lay in a mask, etc., with the pen than a mouse. It's inherently easier to manually control a pen, and the pressure sensitivity feature really enhances its usefulness - especially for things such as cloning and healing. Last but not least is the pen stand. It's great on a desktop. Keeps the pen standing up rather than lying down horizontally, thereby taking up considerably less desktop area, and making it easier to pick up and put down the pen. Great nib storage feature, too.

I'm mostly just a hobbyist when it comes to tablet use, so I debated a long time on upgrading my old Bamboo tablet (which worked just fine). I waited and waited for the USB cable to stop working so I'd have an excuse, but it just kept working. So I splurged for the holidays and treated myself to a Wacom Pro. It's a huge upgrade. The sensitivity is very noticeable, as is the feel. I don't know that it makes a profound impact on my work, but it's more enjoyable to use. I'm probably just justifying the purchase to myself, but I love my new tablet. Size: I downgraded from my Medium Bamboo to a Small Pro. And I still map down the small to a smaller active area. I mention it, because I was actually looking at the large at first, only because we seem to associate larger with better. But I really don't use a large active area. I want to be able to cover the screen with only wrist movements. I can see how a traditionally trained illustrator would use a large tablet since they bend from the elbow, but I'm just a hack who draws from the wrist. The buttons are nice and all, but I don't actually use them. I always have my left hand on the keyboard and I can assign any shortcuts/actions to there if I need. The wireless is a nice option, but I haven't used it. I've played around with the tilt function, but I find I don't really use that either. YMMV. Update: I stopped use my old bamboo tablet when traveling, taking my Wacom Pro instead. As such, I just use the wireless dongle instead of taking a USB cord. The USB works terrific, I've never noticed and lag. The battery has plenty for several days use; I've never tested it beyond that. Only once did I have a problem where it didn't work - which I assumed was the battery dying. I was out by the pool (not by the water) and it was hot out. When I took it inside to find a cord it started working again. I'm guessing it was the heat, but I don't know if it's the tablet itself or the wireless connection that was suffering from the heat.

Update 12/15/2019 It slowly started to get better with new driver updates. It worked perfectly for a while but then the pinch to zoom feature would not work on my MacBook. After about 25 back and fourths with support it started working. Now it’s perfect. Only concern is that the pens are pretty cheap and will break. Already on my second one. This seems like a great product, but it doesn't work to its full potential on my Macbook or my PC. The custom controls for the pen, touch and wheel don't work in separate applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator and normal computer browsing. It's smooth and does the job, but I can't customize any hotkeys which defeats the purpose of why I bought it; to have different settings for different apps I use for different things such as apparel design, photo editing and video editing. The latest driver is the worst and I kept getting a message on my PC saying there was no device connected. I had to google for hours to find a solution, not a solid one, but it still works. Again, no customization for the hot keys on PC. On my mac, i had to uninstall the latest driver and install one from a few updates back. The settings don't carry over for general use and for specific program use. So whatever you set them to, they're that way for every program. Also had to uninstall the latest driver for Mac and go a few updates back just to have it be manageable. The main reason I bought this was for ease of use through Adobe CC programs and it is absolutely terrible with the entire suite. I should have bought a basic tablet since this is pretty much how this one functions. If the issues are fixed I will update the rating. Product has potential but there are way too many kinks right now.