What graphics tablet is best suited for an aspiring graphic designer with a limeted budget?

I am going to be a junior next year and I have been thinking a lot about carreers. I am very interested in the field of graphic design. I am very artistic and creative, I can draw and paint in the traditional way, and I am good with photoshop. I find a mouse to be very limiting, and having to scan designs and clean them up is too much of a hassle. A friend suggested that I look into getting a graphics tablet, but the sheer amount of models available is overwhelming. I have a very limited budget ($200 or less) I was wondering if anyone here has any suggestions for me.





My main concerns are:


Size


Price


and Quality





Thanks!
What graphics tablet is best suited for an aspiring graphic designer with a limeted budget?
www.wacom.com - has a variety of products, cheap to expensive.
What graphics tablet is best suited for an aspiring graphic designer with a limeted budget?
Possibly the best known makers are Wacom. Everyone I know in the industry who uses a graphics tablet uses a Wacom, and I%26#039;ve been doing this for about 20 years! ;)





They have a %26#039;bamboo%26#039; range according to their website http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/bamboo... - a cheap entry level tablet, but then some tablets are silly money! I think there%26#039;s a %26#039;graphire%26#039; wireless tablet they produce which will probably be in your budget range for a smaller model (A5, maybe even up to A4/letter size).





Anyway, just my opinion. See if anyone else has experience with other models too... check on Amazon and have a look at customer reviews.
Reply:I%26#039;ve only ever used Wacom, and have had great success with %26#039;em. My first tablet was a Wacom Graphire 3 4x6 - it was $100 three years ago, so the price has probably gone done. Just this past year I got an Intuos 3 for significantly more (I%26#039;d been saving for a *while*).





The differences between these two models (aside from size) is the sensitivity of the pen - the Intuos has twice as many levels of sensitivity as the Graphire.





My suggestion would be that you try for a bigger Graphire, to get used to using a tablet. Also, working with the small tablets is sort of limiting - everything has to be done in really small strokes; it%26#039;s frustrating both physically (strain) and artistically (having to work in such a small square).





um, I just checked the Wacom site - apparently, they aren%26#039;t selling the regular Graphires anymore. My new suggestions:


try to find a used tablet (maybe a Graphire 6x8) on eBay or the like - you may be able to find one for a good price.





Either way, it%26#039;s a great investment. I will *never* go back to just a mouse. :)





Good luck in your search!