Hardware
Review of: |
 I’ve
been fascinated by graphic pen tablets ever since I stood looking over
the shoulder of a computer graphic artist using a pen tablet. I got my
opportunity to try one when UC-Logic Technology Corporation gave me one
to review at COMDEX last fall. If you work with PC graphics much at all,
you must try a graphic pen tablet — it will open a whole new dimension
in how you work. Instead of using your mouse to draw, sketch, paint, erase,
clone on a graphic, you use a pen on a pressure sensitive tablet. I’ve
entered a new world of pen-based computing!
For a first time pen user, it’s hard not to look at your hand holding the pen moving across the tablet. When you write or draw with a computer pen, you should not look at the tablet plate but concentrate instead on looking at the screen image. After a little practice, you will have far more fun and even obtain higher efficiency because, with a pen, it is easier to concentrate on the text or picture you are working on. How do you know where the pen on the tablet is in relation to the screen image? A very small circle (the cursor) appears on the screen showing the pen position in relation to the graphic. For example, when you put the Pen at the upper left corner of the tablet, the cursor will be at the upper left corner of the screen; when you move the pen to the center of tablet, the cursor will move to the center of the screen also. The pen doesn’t have to be touching the tablet, just hovering over the surface to display the cursor on the screen. You can use the pen just as you would a mouse, moving it over your graphic program’s toolbar to select tools, brush size, etc. Or, you can switch back and forth from pen to mouse but my bet is, once you get used to using the pen, it will be your sole tool while in a graphics program. The pen mimics a mouse by touching the pen tip to the tablet: one touch equals a click of the left mouse button, touching twice in rapid secession equals a double click of the left mouse button. Clicking on the rear button equals a right mouse click and clicking on the front button equals clicking a middle mouse button (for scrolling). As editor of The WP3325 tablet is 5¼ inches wide by 5¾ inches tall (not very big, is it?) with a green LED light to signal that it is ready. The model that UC-Logic gave me came with a cordless pen. The tablet attached to my PC via a USB connection (Figure 4). The Super Pen can be used on all IBM PCs and Compatibles with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000. System requirements are modest: 4MB HD for the Super Pen driver and 8MB RAM. If you plan to annotate Word documents (yes, you can write on a document with the Super Pen, even sign your name) require a little more horsepower: UC-Logic recommends a 233 MHz CPU and a minimum of 48MB RAM if used with MS Word 97. I tested it on Adobe Photoshop and Corel’s Photo-Paint without any problems. Reportedly the pen works as well in PhotoImpact and Painter. Since all UC-Logic models are pressure-sensitive, you can choose to emulate a soft-tipped pen. I did have a problem using it with CorelDRAW but I didn’t have time to e-mail the UC-Logic Tech Service for help prior to the August deadline. Using both Tablet and Mouse
Pressure sensitivity
Included with the package
Suggested retail price of the WP3325 Super Pen is $59. UC-Logic Technology Corporation Clarke Bird is the editor of PC Alamode and is like a kid with a new toy with his new graphic pen tablet. |