Top 12 Pressure-Sensitive Graphics Tablets

The Intuos4 pen provides 2,048 levels of pen tip and eraser pressure sensitivity, tilt sensitivity, is batterly-free and cordless, and features a programmable DuoSwitch and soft grip. It also comes with a cordless, programmable 5-button optical scroll mouse. The tablet features a 4-way touch ring, 8 ExpressKeys, and comes with a pen stand. With Intuos4, you also have the option of purchasing additional programmable accessories. (Footprint ~15x10")
Photo Tour of Intuos4

The Bamboo Fun tablet from Wacom does away with the mouse and brings multi-touch input along with the pressure-sensitive pen input. Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch has an updated look, a wide-format active area, a textured feel to the tablet surface, and a touch-sensitive surface supporting a verity of gestures for clicking, dragging, zooming, scrolling, and so on. For creative work like painting, drawing, and touching up photos, the medium size Bamboo Fun tablet is ideal. It has a fresh, fun look, and performs well. Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch comes with a bundle of creative software including Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 Win/6 Mac, Corel Painter Essentials 4, and Nik Color Efex. (Footprint: 13" x 9")

If you want the highest level of precision and the professional features of the Intuos 4, but don't have a lot of desk space or need to spend a little less, the Intuos4 Small model is for you. The smaller size is also a good choice for frequent travelers. At approximately 12 by 8 inches in overall size, it's small enough to slip into your laptop case. The Small model has the same pen and mouse as the larger Intuos4 models, but the tablet has 6 instead of 8 ExpressKeys, and the same 4-way touch ring. Like the other Intuos4 models, it provides the highest level of pressure sensitivity, advanced customization options, and can utilize any accessories available for the Intuos4 line.
Photo Tour of Intuos4

The larger size of the Intuos4 Large tablet will let you achieve the wider, sweeping strokes some artists prefer. It comes at a cost in desk space, though — this tablet has a footprint of about 19 by 13 inches. Except for the larger size, it is identical to the Intuos4 Medium with the same software bundle and optional accessories.
Photo Tour of Intuos4

For the price, Bamboo is an excellent entry-point to the Wacom product line. There are cheaper models of Bamboo if you want only pen or only touch input, but for a bit more, this model provides both pen and touch input. Bamboo is designed primarily for office tasks rather than artistic work. Although it functions just fine in creative software with pressure support, Bamboo does not come with software and is intended to be used with the built-in pen features of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Microsoft Office, and Mac OS X for marking up documents, jotting notes, and writing your signature. Of course, it can also be used as an alternative to the mouse to avoid repetitive stress fatigue. (Footprint: 10" x 7")

I've recently learned that Monoprice now has their own line of inexpensive graphics tablets for Windows and Mac. The tablets come in four sizes - 4x3, 5.5x4, 8x6, and 10x6. The tablet features a number of programmable macro keys around the sides of the tablet, 1023 pressure sensitivity levels, 2540 LPI resolution, and 100 RPS report rate for speed. You also get an extra pen, batteries for both pens, and replacement nibs for the pens. I have not used the Monoprice tablets myself, but they have a high satisfaction rating on Monoprice.com and I have had good experience with other Monoprice products.

Graphire Bluetooth is slightly older and not as advanced as Bamboo and Intuos3, but it does have one big advantage — no wires. You can use the Graphire Bluetooth in the range of 30 feet and for up to 25 hours between charges. However, it does require that your computer have a Bluetooth adapter, and you will need a power source to charge the batteries on occasion. The power adapter is included, but the Bluetooth adapter is not. Many newer laptops come with built-in Bluetooth capabilities.

The DigiPro drawing tablet is an inexpensive, yet capable, pressure-sensitive pen tablet for budget conscious users. It's not flashy or feature packed, but it does the job it's supposed to do. The DigiPro tablets will also work on older systems, including Windows 98Se and higher, Mac OS 9, and Mac OS X. If you're curious about using a graphics tablet, but don't want to spend a lot of money, the DigiPro drawing tablets are a solid choice.

If you want a larger tablet, but the budget is tight, Aiptek's Slim Tablet is hard to beat. This is a wide format, slim graphics tablet with cordless pen and a 10x6 inch active area. It feature 29 programmable macro keys around the sides of the tablet, a resolution of 1000 lpi, and 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. I have not used this particular brand of tablets, but have received many comments from happy Aiptek tablet users.

If you're extremely tight on budget, the DigiPro WP5540 can be purchased for less than $50. It has all the features of the WP8060 in a smaller size and lower price to match.

It's pricey, but as long as you can afford it, who wouldn't want to draw right on the computer screen? The Cintiq combines an LCD monitor with a pressure sensitive tablet surface, so you can do just that. The 21.3 inch Cintiq includes an adjustable stand that allows the display to be rotated, inclined, or detached. It also features a 2-button Grip Pen, 8 ExpressKeys and 2 Touch Strips, 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and a 1600x1200 resolution LCD with DVI or VGA video input. For Windows and Macintosh.

For those that can't afford the larger Cintiq pen display above, Wacom offers a 12-inch model with 1280 by 800 pixels of resolution for about half the price. The smaller size of this Cintiq model allows it to be used in your lap, flat on the desk, or in two different inclined positions. When used horizontally, a pivot point on the back allows you to rotate the display for the most comfortable drawing position. It also features a 2-button Grip Pen, 8 ExpressKeys and 2 Touch Strips, 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and a 12.1" TFT wide-screen LCD with DVI or VGA video input. For Windows and Macintosh.