COMPARING THE NEW INTUOS4 TO INTUOS3

[Kedau]

the video is nice , can't stay otherwise , lol but .. how about the NIB and Surface of Intuos4 all the below users are complaing about ? does Intuos4 , came with a cheaper Surface or more problematic nib ? what is going on ? O.o I currently have Intuos3 and I was thinking to buy Intuos4 MEDIUM for Digital Sculpting and now I'm terrified :O anyone has Intuos3 and Intuos4 Experience ?

[PogueSquadron]

Is that music at the end the same music that plays when they tell you to silence your phone at the movie theater?

[MachoToxicity]

I have been using my intuos3 for about 4 years now, and I hardly have to change the nibs.. I think I have about once?

[CartoonWarStudios]

does the mouse come with small models? because I got a small model but I didn't get a mouse with it.

[solarunoi]

I bought this tablet a few days ago and am returning it for an Intuos3 because the nib wear and surface wear is driving me up the wall. Used it for 3 hours the first time and the nib already looks like my old 5-year-old Wacom nib (which I never had to replace). Forget it. A shame too, this thing looks so boss but no way am I wasting money buying even more products to fix design flaws that Wacom is responsible for. I'll replace a nib after a year's use, but not a few hours use, that's crazy.

[Kedau]

@solarunoi Ok seriously , after I've read few comments here I'm shocked.. and when I saw yours , I just couldn't ignore it 'cause I really want to ask... does Intuos4 has such a big NIB and Surface problem ??? --compared with Intuos3--- .. at the Intuos3 I use , I've changed only ONCE the nib .. can someone tell me more about the nib/surface of Intuos 4? --by the way , the reason I'm asking is because i was thinking to upgrade to Intuos4 for Digital Sculpting use

[solarunoi]

@Kedau The surface of the Intuos4 was rougher than the previous tablet I used (which was super smooth). After googling a lot about it, it seems the time span that Intuos4 nibs run out are between a few hours to a few months, usually the average is a few weeks or a month. Changing to a tougher nib will probably wear the surface, which is wearing the nib, so they'll both wear each other out. I've never tried it myself but I hear using a plastic surface protector can reduce nib/surface wear.

[Kedau]

@solarunoi what was your previous tablet you were using ? I'm currently using Intuos3 and the nib after of at least 7 months is still functional. ( i'm not using EVERY DAY my tablet though for my projects , more like .. 2-3 days per week ) thank you a lot for your reply

[solarunoi]

@Kedau My previous tablet was a Wacom Graphire4. I had no problems with it, didn't have to replace the nib even after 5 years, but had to scrap it due to age. I went to trade in my Intuos4 for an Intuos3 but was told I couldn't since they weren't in stores anymore. So I stuck with Bamboo. Which turns out is giving me nib problems too, but not as bad in comparison I suppose. =/ Anyway you should stick with the Intuos3, there's no point upgrading to Intuos4 IMO.

[heminder]

when is the Intuos 5 coming out? i hope the new one will have corrected the nib and surface wear problem.

[LeoInterHyenaem]

…However, it's obviously not all positive: I'm somewhat apprehensive of the wobblier, higher profile keys in the Intuos4, and - judging by the plethora of complaints - the short life of the nibs. Wacom, address these issues in the Intuos5 - and you'll probably persuade me to acquire one with little effort. Upon the other hand, better yet, integrate the best features of the Intuos3, Intuos4 & the Cintiq - at a reasonable price (and without compromising portability) - and I'll be sold!

[LeoInterHyenaem]

I'm not a great fan of the perfectly smooth surface of the Intuos3. Nor am I appreciative of its limited customiseability. I also, much prefer the Intuos4's LED display that indicates its key functions. I like the Ituos4 Wireless' dual-operability (i.e., both Wireless & Wired modes) - and the removable USB cable (provided it clicks securely into the mini-USB socket).

[KrazyEngima]

i dont understand what people mean by the nibs wearing down fast because the only one i had wear down quickly was the default one that was already in it then i switched to the white tip nib and ive been using it for 3 weeks with no problem at all

[MrPromiscuousBlisc]

I got a free Intuos4, so I'm not complaining. Although the nibs wears down super fast. This isn't a problem however, because soon the tablet SURFACE is worn down instead, leaving you with an uneven drawing area....

[iL0vemustaches]

No way guys I'm sorry for non-Hetalia fans but for those of you out there; this guy's name is WEST to cool!!!!! I'm have a fangirl attack!!

[dwdallam]

The new Wacom Intuous 4 tablet is a design and features offer an unparallelled speed and workflow experience, especially if you can afford to replace it every year due to horrible quality control, which, somehow, fails at 00:02 seconds after the warranty expires.

[royalconcrete1]

I have finally gotten used to the Intuos4. I started with the Intuos3 large. I was shocked how hard you have to press the buttons, my elbow would have to rise in order to press the buttons. I will make sure before buying my next product to test the pressure you have to use to press the buttons.  I hope they fix that in the Intous5.

[4Konachan4]

Intuos 3 (i know lots of people use this) > intuos 4 (judging by the comments here) > bamboo fun (I have one and the pen's tip didnt last that long, also, dat rough surface on the tablet sucks)

[anirudhkrishnamani]

will the nibs from intuos 4 work on an intuos 3?

[MetalNewcomers]

Can anyone help me?

Should I buy an intuos4 or a bamboo pen & Touch?

I'll be using it for home us (nonprofessional) but very skilled and detailed drawing.

Is the Size S enough for this purpose or do I need an M?

[coolstacey101]

@MetalNewcomers i ahve older version of wacom tablet but if want a tablet for very skilled drawing i say you should get intuos 4

[BinaryDood]

@MetalNewcomers

Pen & Touch shouldnt be recommended to anyone... I use it and dont like that much... Buy Bamboo Fun

[Feathersongwolf]

Nib wear? Are you kidding? I've had my tablet for 2 years, and I still have 1 black nib, and the rest of the gray ones. (: I draw every day for 2-4 hours. It's a very well produced product. In fact, my tablet pen BROKE before I could finish all the nibs. :P

[LighstPenetration]

Can please somebody tell me if its a touch screen tablet? I mean if i can can see directly on the tablet what im drawing.Is there a screen anyways or its just like the wacom bamboo series where u draw in blind mode and u can see what ur drawing only on ur pc screen.I cant find out by the video neither from the description on the original site.

[girotube]

@LighstPenetration NO! the Wacom Cintiq 21ux is the one you want and its $2,000 or the Wacom Cintiq 12WX $889

[LighstPenetration]

@girotube oh thank you very much



[jbyrd117]

@LighstPenetration the intuos series tablets don't have screens directly on them. you have to look at your computer monitor. the cintiq series by wacom is what you're thinking of.

[mechaart]

the only problem I have with my intuos 4 is that the spring where the nib connects to sometimes makes stray marks with whatever program Im using even if I have the pen hovering above the tablet.

my only gripe with the intuos 4

[PowderpuffPuncher]

Save yourself the $ and buy the Intuos 3

[Thet3]

@PowderpuffPuncher  Intuos 3 is the way to go?

[CT2507]

@PowderpuffPuncher why, when Intuos 4 is cheaper than Intuos 3 was when it came out? and u get some very cool features, like the rotator whel for rotating the canvas. id love to have that on my Intuos 3!

[imurban]

@CT2507 You can rotate view in Photoshop with Intuos3. I just set one of my pen's toggle buttons to the letter "r". "R" is the keyboard shortcut for rotate view (at least in PS CS5). So you at least have that functionality. I still want the Intuos4 for the rotator wheel's other functionality.

[CT2507]

@imurban yea, i know about the rotation keys in Painter and Photoshop. would just be so much simpler to have the rotation buton at the left hands finger tips. i use my pens buttons for grab and eyedropper. also twice as much sensitivity in intuos 4 as in 3 makes it quite attractive!

[imurban]

@CT2507 I want an Intuos4 badly. Until I can shell out for one, I'm keeping on of my left-hand buttons assigned to "r". I'm hurting for that rotating wheel, though.

[CT2507]

@imurban true, i could have one of the left hand buttons set to "r" until i get the Intuos 4.

[mhollis1989]

I have a bamboo pen.... looking for something bigger... in the Intuos Family :3

[AzuleJaguar]

I was thinking about getting an Intuos but I refuse to constantly buy nibs. I'm just going to get a Cintiq 12wx but if I had the money, I would definitely go with the 21ux.

[andreySC7]

what is the lifetime of a nib ? How much I can use it before I need to replace it ?

[MrsSailorFuku]

to be honest i like intous3 much better. Ive tried out the intous4 but didnt like the feel of it, and the thing about the nibs is crazy. I wont be upgrading till i see something that suits my needs in nibs and feel

[madsipuli]

Why did they make the Wireless version of this smaller then the M size? I actually wish it was a litle bigger :/

[royalconcrete1]

I hate how hard the buttons are to push compared to the intuos3. I will not buy the next one till I make sure they fixed that. I cant be the only person who noticed straight away how much harder you have to push the buttons. I swear I'm using my whole my arm to push the buttons. Intuos3 was a nice clicky soft touch to push the buttons, a very big change on my intuos4, where I'm really pressing and my whole arm is moving to press the buttons!!! I would not have bought it if I had known.

[SchizoSynthFuck]

How unfortunate. I truly wanted to try and buy a tablet for the first time, but the nib issue is the only thing stopping me. Wacom, PLEASE, solve this damn issue.

[thatgreggguy]

the nib wear is NOT ridiculous, it is fine. Besides, If you're willing to pay for the tablet you can buy some extra nibs.

[BubbleGumNipples]

I used up all the nibs that came in the package (except for the horrible felt one) in the first couple of months but in doing so wore a nice smooth zone into the tablet. The last nib lasted for over a year right up until today, when the tablet itself decided it was time to join my xbox 360 in hardware heaven.

And just days before a deadline too. Boy am I screwed now, perhaps I'll go play some 360 and release some stre-...oh yea :(

[Cam4cha]

@BubbleGumNipples It is of course great that Wacom tries to improve a tablet, but I had the same problem with my Bamboo: the 'paper like' finish wears of after not even that much use, causing ugly bold spots to appear. So no paper texture anymore ánd a product that doesn't look crisp anymore. I'm careful with my gear, so that last bit is important to me too.

It's a nice idea, but when it's not executed properly I'd rather stick to a smooth surface, like on my current Intuos3.

[THEjkllkkljkljkl]

what about gaming? with a pen or fingers

fps game like counter strike and use a sniper

[eventualcriisis]

he looks like a posher, slimmer sheamus with skin pigmentation

[TeQuiiLaSHoTZz]

Oh man! It seems I'm in the same boat as most of the people here. 4 looks so cool yet I dont I want to spend a fortune on up-keep. Its going to be my first tablet and I prefer to get something good which would last rather than start from basics but this pen nub issue has put me off the whole thing! aaaarrrrr

[rik092]

i tried intuos4 and bought intuos3 after that. That paper-like surface, similar to bamboo and makes me cry

[EvilJirachi]

Why cant you just change the settings so it wont wear as fast? The harder you press the more it wears down, make it really sensitive.

[luci66]

More than 580 people already signed a petition against the nib wear, yet Wacom keeps saying all the bull...t that "some people like the paper feel" and that's it, they suggest using home made solutions such as copier papers and other DIY crap... well, should I bother with home made solutions when I am buying an EUR 450 top of the line product??? Wacom, wake up!!!

[luci66]

It's ridiculous that Wacom did not do anything to solve the nib wear! No way I will buy this crap. The forum topic telling about this issue has been very active since last summer yet they don't even respond! They don't even give a f..k about the customers.

[ITSPIVOTtime]

does it not have the LED labels on the small?

[69slaughters]

can anyone respond to me if i should get an Intuos4 tablet for my birthday? Because i'm not sure if i should buy it from all the nib wear problem :s

[luci66]

@69slaughters Don't even think about buying this crap unless you wanna test your nerves...! Avoid it!

[69slaughters]

@luci66 Are you kidding me?!

[luci66]

@69slaughters check this forum topic if you have the nerves! the topic is by far the most active, been active since june 2009, yet Wacom DID NOTHING since then!!! It's their own official forum and they don't even care... Just make sure you delete all spaces from the link - I had to include them or else I cannot post.

h t t p : / / f o r u m . w a c o m . e u / v i e w t o p i c . p h p?f=2&t=1438

[TheBrazilianFury]

I want to buy a tablet, but I don't know if I should buy intuos 3 or 4, what should I do?

[Submapig]

@TheBrazilianFury Id get intuos 4 simply because it looks cooler and its newer so if that stretch is in your budget then go for it :)

[icgraves]

err design flaw - look where that usb cable is positioned for left-handed people.

[Tobi4444]

Wait, i dont have a mouse in my L sized one, i need to check my product box again ...

[yachiru37564]

Darn I want this tablet so muchhh ;A;

I have Intuos 3 and he said it right: Accidentaly activated with your pen hand XD

[Zulithe]

I am a pleased Intuos3 owner who has been considering an Intuos4 upgrade for a while now... but like many here, the pen nub issue drives me up the wall. I've already read about wear on the drawing surface itself, both problems are way more prevalent than on the Intuos3, where neither issue is usually experienced by most users. So far I have not upgraded... and I will probably wait for the Intuos5 in hopes that they fix these issues. I think other Intuos3 users should do the same!

[peaceonelove26]

@Zulithe any idea when intuos 5 will be out? How long has four been out 2 yrs or so... unsure... but that sounds nice* nib fix and intuos5

Hit me back. 1love...

[sakiguzman]

Really want to buy this but I'm not willing to change my nibs so often. Plenty of artists who've only used this just once or twice get nib wear. I will have to wait for the Intuos 5. Hopefully wacom will retain all Intuos 4's features but revert back to the plain surface. Perhaps you can include surface sheets instead for the paper feel.

[Vorsatz13]

Not only the nib wear is the problem. Also the surface of the tabet tends to show scratches. I worked with my new inutos4 L for two weeks, after that there were numerous scratches on the left side of the surface. And: the tactile feel of the surface is almost totally gone and worn out in the area where you draw a lot. And I do not press too hard, believe me!

[whyhedodat]

@squidlepop it has been a year.. i don't think they will

[monimoni0147]

i dont know

i have a wacom intuos3 special edition A4

and i'm happy with it ^^

maye i'l get an intuos4 but not now no

[Nekto900]

Can the INTUOS4 be used with laptops?

[MrJoedf]

Does the Intuos4 work with GIMP?

[bleepbleep1234]

Its exactly the same, instead of selling 100,000 units for £400 for example, why not sell 100,000,000 for £200. That way people who dont have alot of money can afford to buy one, something like this could seriously be life changing for some poorer people, its a means of expressing themselves and getting seen online.

Karma is gonna bite you back man, sorry but you guys suck.

China will start to ship off some top notch fakes soon, fingers crossed, and dont knock the knock offs till you try.

[bleepbleep1234]

I hate Wacom, typical ignorant company trying to fool its customers. Your too money orientated, you have a great product, actually its revolutionary, it opens up many doors to creatvitiy for many people and the world.

Shame a bit of paper gets in the way of purpose, your prices are truly ridiculous, dont even bore me with nitty gritty of justifying such nonsense.

Why focus on the elite, when you could have made something for every body and no the bamboo just dont cut it.

[RenYuki89]

@Aeromar27 Sorry, this is Achan198989, just using my alternate account

[RenYuki89]

@Aeromar27 You still had no right to call me a liar. I only said that I haven't had that problem with the nibs, what's your problem with that? I don't spend 10 hours a day with the tablet. I don't even WANT to since I prefer tradinional medias. I never said it's not true about the nibs, I just said that that hasn't happened with me. You were being unnecesarily rude and I admit, I was too

[RenYuki89]

@Aeromar27 You had no right to call me a liar. I only said that I haven't had that problem with the nibs, what's your problem with that? I don't spend 10 hours a day with the tablet. I don't even WANT to since I prefer tradinional medias. I never said it's not true about the nibs, I just said that that hasn't happened with me. You were being unnecesarily rude and I admit, I was too

[Achan198989]

@Aeromar27 Oh, I'm sorry, did I ask you something? No? Well boohoo and fuck off jackass.

I'm not a liar. I just don't need to push the nib all that much to get the desired result.

[CrdBrdProjects]

I'd love one of these, but it's so damn expensive :I

[Bidon45]

Let me tell you all right now, if you buy this product you will throw a lot more money down the toilet than its retail price. The pen tips (otherwise known as nibs) WEAR DOWN AT LEAST 50x FASTER THAN INTUOS 3!!

I repeat, at LEAST 50x faster, this is not exaggerated. You'll replace your nibs for 20 dollars every couple weeks.

Research this before purchasing, do yourself a favor, don't take my word for it, research this.

The worn down nibs will also damage your tablet.

[Achan198989]

@shazzbot007 I haven't had that problem at all. I've had my tablet for 6 months now and I've had to change the nib once (and I use the tablet daily)

[ayebretwalda]

Post #2 - As far as cord placement - the ambidextrous setup is cool - but plugging it in from the side will not work for my setup. A better solution would have been two cord inputs on the north & south of the tablet. My tablet is staggered below my keyboard, and where the cord is situated for a right hander like myself - its going to be in my way. Top right for right handed and top left for left handed would be ideal for placement.

[ayebretwalda]

I've been using my Intuos2 for 6 years now - the mouse is worn smooth but the unit still works great. And while I use the pen every day as well - I've never had to replace the nib. I'd like to upgrade - the side controls would be nice, but two things will keep me from doing so: The tactile surface and cord placement. My pen work is almost entirely dealing with the bezier/pen tool, and a tactile feel is not what I want. A swappable surface would be nice...

[dangraphic]

They shouldn't mislead.

The Privilege Program doesn't contain any down-loadable applications. At least not for the medium Intuo4.

[peaceonelove26]

@dangraphic what is the privilege program? I want the bundled software from wacom site. In USA... msg me if you have info. thanks =)

[CheezChad]

I was about buying the new intuos4 until I googled it and found out about its nib wear.

I'll be going for another Intuos3, but bigger... meh...

[wacom]

Thanks for your input on the nib wear. With the launch of Intuos4, Wacom responded to requests from the Professional Creative Community to give the tablet surface a more tactile feel that would mimic real pen-on-paper.

It's equivalent to wanting more traction on your car's tires. Sure, your tires are going to wear out a bit faster, but you do get increased traction.

Just to be safe we included 10 nibs with every Intuos4 tablet.

[0O0O0O0O0O1000]

@wacom that is an amazing response haha

[Gumblert]

@wacom

@wacom

This tablet is complete rubbish and doesn't work. The nibs wear out after 2 days of digital painting. I'm not sure what the hell they were thinking, people aren't that stupid to buy new nibs for 3 euro's each every 2 days. I returned mine. And to add to that they scratch and damage the tablets surface because they become sharp. And also after some time the surface begins to smooth making it uneven and awkward.

[luci66]

@Gumblert agree. this is a piece of s..t!

[94thts]

Wont buy it before they fix the nib wear

[demonqueenzeo]

@94thts Agreed, I personally don't like the texture at all, and much rather prefer the smooth plastic feel they had for the intuos3. Had I first bought the intuos4, rather than staying with my original decision to buy the intuos3, wacom would have lost another customer and I would have most likely trashed the intuos4. The nib wear is a problem, that definitely needs to be addressed and not covered over.

Also this video is more of advertising intuos4 than comparing the models.

[paintdataint]

@94thts buy new nibs when they wear out then. 

[catha86]

@94thts whats wrong with the nib wear?

[spikeman316]

@catha86 the texture of the surface on the Intuos4 is kinda rough and that wears out the nibs faster...

[catha86]

@spikeman316 I have the bamboo pen and touch. It is pretty good but the nibs wears out too fast. I thought about the cintiq 12wx but I see great potential in ipad. the ipad 4 should have a pen and that is as good as the cintiq 12wx so I will wait for that but will use my bamboo until then. Thanks for answer.

[dethcx22]

I was going to buy the Intuos 4 this week, but after hearing about the nib wearing issue, i'm gonna buy the intuos 3 instead.

[Kristl94]

@dethcx22

i have an intuos 4, well had a problem with the nib wear, but ill fix it with a normal foil you can buy in every store .

I dont regret for buying it, its awsome. I would totally recommend it

[BabboGuitarist10]

You caught may eye dude! Normail foil? PLEASE EXPLAIN! Im thinking bout buying the small one..

[dangraphic]

@Kristl94 Could you explain the "foil' solution please?

[LtheHedgehog]

Son of a bitches, never make awesome stuffs for left handed people.

[BabboGuitarist10]

Didn't you watch the vid?

[rubbe]

I regret buying a Cintiq 12 the colors dont even match my main monitor and it cant be adjusted right. and its not comfortable having it in your lap. should bought the Intuos4...

[demon7seven]

I heard nib wear is a major problem.. Is that true or people just exaggerate?

[Coltranized]

@demon7seven Its definitely true. But there are work-arounds.

[demon7seven]

Could you tell me about the work-arounds please.. Will they affect the quality of the work?

[Coltranized]

@demon7seven Well one of the work arounds would be setting the pen pressure lower than you would normally have it. Secondly, you could leave the pen pressure all the way up, but draw incrementally by adding upon your strokes. But I wouldn't recommend doing that since it takes too much time. Anyway, some argue that it affects the productivity of your work, but not the quality of it. I like to be in the middle and keep my pen pressure all the way up, and only use maximum pressure when i have to.

[demon7seven]

Thanx a lot for your helpful comment.. I am considering buying an I4 but was a little worried about this problem..

[Coltranized]

@demon7seven No problem. I wouldn't necessarily call it a problem, but a slight inconvenience. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you. Also, you can check my quick, and relatively silly "review" I made about the Wacom's standard pen if you have any concerns on how the pen nib might look when its worn out. Take care! :)

[racerx11080]

they forgot to mention that you will need to replace NIBS every 3-5 days, and protective plastic folly after 3 months, in Europe 5NIBS=10EUR, every month you need to pay extra 20EURos if you are professional user ( if you are using tablet 8h every day) and that is over 200EUR just for NIBS, some 30grams of cheap plastic!!!!

I am proud owner of INTUOS 4L, so I am pretty PISSED on wacom for this

[DistortedV12]

hah, i havent touched my intuos3 for like a year and then they come out with a intuos4.

[xXChiseHoshikoXx]

are the express keys only available to the medium, large and XL?

[stoneynine]

@xXChiseHoshikoXx no the illuminated screen is only on the m l or xl

[Coltranized]

@xXChiseHoshikoXx No, the small one has 6; just no LEDs.

[Jaycalabria]

good review

[davfer80]

i was about to ask how about the express keys for the left handed like me until i saw that it is actually reversable ...great!, smart and simple. Wacom products allways ahead

[omnymisa]

I got the large version, it is amazing device, I can recommend to any artist, designer, photo editor with not reserves.

[akaNatWest]

He says that every Intuos4 comes with a mouse and a bunch of nibs - what about Europe because last time I checked they didn't get the mouse :/

[wacom]

Ahhh, great catch. Intuos4 does NOT come with a mouse in all regions. Thanks for point this out. Please check with your regional website for more information on this.

[dangraphic]

@wacom

I'd say it's more than a catch.

So regions with a lot of cats don't get a mouse?

[peaceonelove26]

@dangraphic what do u mean? some come w/o? does the US get the mouse... I also don't see the software. About to buy this, Is the bundled software included when you buy in america? Amazon doesn't state it... wacom states, it. Do u think u get the same access if u buy from amazon or wacom.com... thanks, for any help.

[MrVincentGoldman]

@wacom So is nib wear fixed or what? (sorry I'm a tard durr :p)

[gizmostudios]

@wacom So... what you're saying is that we in Europe pay 33% more for the exact same tablet (Intuos 4 L costs €480 = $700, tablet costs $470 in US) AND don't get a mouse with it?..... Seriously, what the hell? Why are we europeans being treated with these absurd prices?

[jbyrd117]

@gizmostudios because ALL HAIL AMERICA!

[ShizuXXhime]

lulz i'm using a intuos4 at the moment :D

i am quite happy with it

[AbelNOON]

The LED display is what does it for me. Seeing the customized settings is amazing.

[iurak6868]

all the wacom products are wonderfull.

I have an Intuos 3 and I'm very happy with it, so I'm not planning to change at least for another year.

I also have a tablet pc with a wacom active digitizer, wich is great too X)