|
WE'RE OFTEN WARY of wireless input devices. Cord-free use frequently complicates a product with concerns such as: do you need non-rechargeable batteries, how reliable is the wireless connection and does the device function just as well as one with a cord? Our doubts were in vain with the Graphire Bluetooth, a fully-featured drawing tablet of near-flawless operation.
After installing the driver software on a Bluetooth Mac (use your own Bluetooth adapter if your Mac isn't equipped), we plugged in the power cable to juice up the rechargeable battery, which took a few hours. Apple's Bluetooth Setup Assistant walked us through the final steps, pairing the tablet with the Mac. Once the Bluetooth link was established, it would reconnect automatically after the Mac went to sleep or restarted, or if the tablet went to sleep to save power. In the end, our experience was nearly the same as with a wired tablet, which is very reassuring to wireless skeptics.
Once the connection proved itself, we created many sketches and photo manipulations. We strongly recommend the Graphire Bluetooth to artists and dabblers, because it gives more precise control than a mouse. The battery- and cable-free stylus is its main tool, although it also includes a battery- and cable-free three-button mouse that you can use on top of the tablet. In addition to the tip, the stylus has two programmable buttons and an eraser, while the tablet has two programmable buttons builtin. The bundled Corel Painter Essentials and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 software responded to the pressure of the stylus, so we could push harder to make darker, thicker lines, or softly brush-in pictures. The pressure recognition saved us countless opacity adjustments and let us create effects that would take much more work with a mouse.
The engineering beyond these main features also impressed us; a clear shell opens to hold a picture for tracing, and a slot stores the stylus when unused. The Graphire Bluetooth nailed all of the features we expected plus more, not to mention a seamless wireless connection.
–ZACK STERN
Graphire Bluetooth 6x8: 
Wacom | www.wacom.com | 800-922-9348 | $250
Pros: Perfect Bluetooth integration, rechargeable tablet, batteryfree tools, useful software bundle.
Cons: None
Requires: OS 10.2.8 or higher, Bluetooth 1.1 or higher
macHOME recommends: A steady hand
Issue reviewed: September 2005
|
