tablets, the Intuos line, are in the $250 - $500 range, depending on the size. But there's another option, the Bamboo, that start at just $70, the perfect thing for the beginner! There are other tablets out there besides Wacom, of course, such as Monoprice [Link], DigiPro and Aiptek [Link]. I have never used these products, however and haven't even heard much about them, so I can't speak to how good they are or aren't. In fact, I couldn't even find a website for the DigiPro tablet. If you want to further investigate alternatives to Wacom, my advice would be to go online and read reviews from actual users! When you first pick up your pen and try to draw while looking at the computer screen instead of the 'paper', in this case the tablet, it's the graphics equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. However, the approximate time it takes to get used to it is roughly the amount of time it takes for you to quit thinking about it. You'll literally realized, all of the sudden, that you're no longer thinking about, you're doing it! Just like that. My 78 year old mother began using a tablet and within a couple of hours was using the pen like she'd been born to it. So, basically, the two main obstacles to using a graphics tablet are mostly perception, not reality based objections.
The image program toolbar.
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