I'm just starting school for general Game Art and Design, and I was talking to one of my teachers today about equipment. I told him I planned on investing in a tablet of some sort over winter break, he suggested the Intuos 3 and to look up the suggested size for my screen resolution.

So I was wondering, what are some of your preferred tablets and what do you like about them?

And since I'm limited on funds, just stating which tablets to stay away from would help greatly. I can spend about $3-400 within this month, and if it's really worth it I can just hold off until I save enough money to get a better one later.

Thanks in advance =]

I don't think you could go wrong with an Intuos3 A5. Should be about $230? Not sure what the US costs are.

Once you go Wacom you never go back to the mouse. Where are you going for your degree just out of curiosity?

RDM- I'm sure I won't miss my mouse at all =]. And I'm going to an Art Institute.

Talon- I'm about ready to pack up my stuff from work, so I'll have to wait till I get back home to do some more research on it, but thanks for the suggestion.

RDM- Awesome, I don't plan on returning to a mouse anytime soon =]. And I'm going to an Art Institute, one of my teachers told me about this site a couple months ago and I've been lurking since then.

Talon- Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely have to check that out.

EDIT: I checked out some prices and reviews of the intuos3 A5, I'm debating between a 6x11" for about $350 or a 6x8" for a little under $300.

If your screen is 4:3 get the intuos 3 A5 model.

If your screen is (wide) get the intuos 3 A5wide model.

I use the wide model at home and work.

I got a Bamboo fun A5 a few weeks ago and working in zbrush is just another feeling. so smooth and fine. photoshop too. for other stuff i stick to my mouse.

was a little work to get a feeling for the painting feeling since i couldnt decide whith which hand I use the pen....I'm lefthanded but do write with the right hand. at the moment i work with my left hand.

it's worth checking out the market for used wacoms on e.g. ebay. these things are quite sturdy and other than wear and tear to replaceable parts there's hardly anything that can go kaput on a wacom so they should be a safe 2nd hand purchase. intuos 1, 2 or 3 hardly matters really. just don't compromise on size right from the start. A5 sounds fine to me.

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm almost positive I'm getting an Intuos A5 Wide then. Only thing I've got to do now is save up a little extra money (final projects are costing a little more than I'd hoped with printing an all =\ )

I bought my wacom intuos on studica.com. If your a student you'll find some of the best prices there (for a new wacom at least.)

Now if you can afford it down the road; look into a Cintiq. I just got the Cintiq 12wx, and my god is it awesome! It took me like 4 months to save up for, but worth every penny IMO.

Good luck man.

check with your campus computer store as well, those stores are set up to help out people on student budgets

AI alumni ftw

Thanks, I'll definitely give studica a visit.

Which AI did you go to???

I'm in Pittsburgh now =]

To backup the testimony about the sturdiness of wacom's tablet, I've used them for 12 years and only ever seen two break.

(1) My wife's tablet was fried by a USB hub that coincidentally had the wrong power adapter plugged into it(!!!)

(2) and the other was was one I bought 7 years prevous. I had the tablet in my lap, I got up from my desk, forgot about the tablet, and yanked the cable clear out it's serial connecter(thats how old it was, artZ II model), effectively rendering it dead.

Its the only piece of equipment I dont worry about having to replace any time soon.

got an original intous 1 A6 for 8+ years now at home, not a single problem yet, and im totally satisfied with it, no need to replace or get a new one, and im using a 24" wide monitor, works just great, and id imagine if u can find one on ebay ud get it for peanuts.

woohoo! If there's anything I can spare, it's definitely peanuts.