Wacom Intuos5 Graphics Tablet

The Wacom Intuos5

In 1989, Wacom introduced the first cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen tablet and has since become the leading graphics tablet manufacturer, with a well-deserved reputation for excellence. Intuos5 is the newest of Wacom's professional line of graphics tablets for Windows and Mac, featuring multi-touch capability, a new slimmer design in matte black soft touch finish, improved software and settings, and a wireless option. Like the previous model, Intuos5 supports tilt control and 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity--the highest sensitivity of any graphics tablet available today. Intuos5 comes in three sizes to accommodate a variety of user requirements.

• Updated design with soft-touch matte finish.
• Multi-touch input capabilities.
• Improvements to software including an on-screen heads-up display of tablet settings.
• Wireless connection option.

Pros

• Ambidextrous design allows the tablet to be flipped for left- or right-handed use.
• No need to remember button assignments with the on-screen heads-up display.
• Weighted pen stand doubles as storage for extra nibs and the nib extractor tool.
• Comes with a variety of nibs--6 standard nibs, 3 felt-tip nibs, 1 spring-loaded stroke nib, 1 flex nib.
• No batteries to change. Pen is cordless and battery-free.
• No power cord to get in the way. Power comes from the USB connection or optional wireless kit.
• Soft touch matte black finish looks attractive and eliminates reflections and smudges.

Cons

• Current software does not allow you to copy settings from one application to another.
• Compatibility mode is required for some older applications. When this mode is enabled, newer applications are limited to 1024 levels of pressure.
• Wireless on/off switch is hard to find by feel.
• Options are limited for setting up custom multi-touch gestures. Not all available gestures are customizable.

Intuos5 maintains the tip sensor of Intuos4, which improved the responsiveness when touching the tablet lightly with the pen. Specifically, the Intuos5 tip will respond to less than 1 gram of starting pressure, versus 10 grams in Intuos3. In addition, the pen tip brings refinements to the pressure curve and doubles the pressure resolution to 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. According to a white paper on the new tip technology from Wacom, the pen components of Intuos 4 and 5 should provide double the life span of previous components.

The Intuos5 comes with a comfortable grip pen, a variety of replacement and specialty nibs, and a pen stand which doubles as a nib holder. The pen is equipped with a two-button switch and an eraser on the end.

With the addition of multi-touch capabilities, the mouse has been eliminated from the Intuos5. However, an Intuos4 mouse will work with Intuos5.

The Intuos5 tablet has once again been redesigned, although the ambidextrous layout for both right- and left-handed use is retained. Intuos5 is thinner with more rounded corners, and only slightly wider than the previous model. Most importantly, all reflective, fingerprint-attracting, glossy surfaces have been removed. The entire tablet surface is coated with a soft-touch black matte finish which is much less distracting than the Intuos4.

The new Intuos still has eight ExpressKeys (6 on small size), and a single, four-way switchable touch ring. The center of the touch ring toggles between 4 different functions, giving it a wide variety of potential uses. ExpressKey buttons recede into the tablet surface, but are easy to find by feel as they are molded with a slight bump so they can be found by feel. In addition, you can hover over the buttons with your fingers and an on-screen overlay will show you which button you are over as well as all button assignments for quick reference without having to remove your eyes from the computer screen.

Wacom Intuos5 is available in three sizes--Small, with a working area approximately 6 by 4 inches, Medium with a working area approximately 9 by 5.5 inches, and Large with about a 13 by 8 inch working area.

All three sizes of Intuos5 are compatible with the optional RF wireless kit which allows you to use the tablet on battery power and eliminates the need for a USB cord tethering the tablet to your computer. The Wacom Wireless Adapter Kit is the same for Intuos5 and Bamboo tablets.

More about the Wireless Accessory Kit