List Price: $149 (various discount prices available)
Contact Info: http://www.wacom.com/
Genre: Graphics Tablet
System Requirements: MacOS 6.04 or later, ADB, and 3.5" floppy drive
 
Introduction
The Wacom ArtPad II is primarily made for graphic designers on a tight budget. At $149, it's not the largest or most expensive ArtPad, but it does have all or most of the features of the larger, more expensive models. It includes plug-ins for Photoshop (and support in other graphics applications, like Illustrator) and can be used in place of a mouse for other applications (including the Finder).
Installation and Setup
 
Installation was quite easy. I made a
backup of my installer disk and installed
the software. After shutting off the
computer to plug in the ADB Art-
Pad II, I restarted, and the Wacom
control panel loaded. I then made a
beeline to the control panel so that
I could begin what I figured would
be a long time configuring the Art-
Pad's Pen. I reached for the manual,
figuring that it would offer only a little
bit of support. It didn't. Instead, it walked me through the set-up of every section of the control panel. Within 5 minutes, I had a fully-customized ArtPad II and was ready to rock and roll!
The control panel offers many features. I can program the buttons on the Pen, change my "double-click assistance" (double-click assistance allows me to tap the ArtPad II twice within a certain area to achieve a double-click — I like 8 pixels), and modify and tune every last one of the Pen's behaviors. I can also control other things, such as the strength of the eraser. It is simple, yet powerful.
The ArtPad II may be used to control the pointer in any application. I set my mouse aside and used the ArtPad II to control everything I did, including double-clicking, dragging, choosing menu commands, and emptying the trash. It's tough to get used to at first, but after 3 hours or so, I was comfortably zinging around my desktop and applications with ease! I even added a custom setting for Photoshop that would slow down the pen for greater control, and it worked beautifully.
The Pen
 
The pen is perhaps the most amazing piece of this bundle. It
feels completely natural in hand — almost as if it were my favorite
Bic‚Ñ¢. Because I carefully adjusted my control panel settings, it
moved fluidly, and double-clicking, dragging, and performing other
mouse-like functions was a breeze. The Erasing UltraPen‚Ñ¢ has
many features. The four "sensitive" areas, the tip, two places on the
button, and the eraser, can all be customized to perform the same or
different functions in any application. For example, my tip is set to
click, the buttons are set to control-click and click-lock, and the eraser is set to erase in the Finder. In Adobe Photoshop, I have a different set. I even have a Navigator set and I often browse the web without touching my keyboard!
It takes a while to get used to using the Pen, and it isn't meant to replace your mouse. With a 4" x 5" (10cm x 13cm) usable area, a monitor measuring 8" x 11" (21cm x 27cm) is too large an area to accurately control all movements. The eraser could also use a bit of touch — it's often hard to select just what you want, and it is automatically deleted once you let up pressure on the eraser end.
All said and done, the Pen works best at what it was designed for — helping the owner in graphics applications. Using the Pen in Photoshop is an absolute joy. Adjusted properly in the control panel, you have great control over everything. The Pen is capable of sensing up to 256 pressure levels, so paint lines grow thicker as you press harder, just like with a real paintbrush! Erasing with a quasi-blurred eraser brush produces various levels of erasure, which is a great tool to have when you are blending two layers together.
Note that this Pen has no wires or batteries. It is completely free of the ArtPad II itself. I don't know how it works or why it works, but it does. For all I know, it's alien technology from Area 51. Then again, it could just be those smart folks at Wacom. Either way, lack of a cord and batteries makes the pen virtually maintenance- and hassle-free. I have used graphics tablets that have a cord attached to the pen, and they're not fun at all.
One of the best ways to see what can be done via the ArtPad II and the Pen is to look at Wacom's art page, located at http://www.wacom.com/artgallery/art.html, or by looking around Apple Wizards. What graphics were designed with the ArtPad II this issue? Well, the title graphic for this column (the flying lady was taken from the Wacom website), Macintalk, and a few others.
Other Factors
 
The Wacom ArtPad II comes with a complete reference manual. It
tells you what each control panel command does and what to do if
you should encounter problems with your ArtPad II. It also ships
with a spare Pen tip (you need to replace it after 1,000 hours use or
so). The ArtPad II is durable and the accompanying Pen stand is
handy. The ArtPad II plugs easily into the ADB port of your Mac,
which then connects to your keyboard or mouse.
The Wacom Photoshop plug-ins, collectively called PenTools, are interesting. The "3D Chisel" became one of my instant favorites. The Virtual Airbrush is cool — if I tilt the pen, the spray becomes oblong. Some of the others are functional, though I may never use them. All told, I think of them as useful "freebies."
Conclusion
The ArtPad II isn't for everyone. If you're an average Mac user, then you probably have no need for it (unless you want to impress your in-laws or neighbors). However, if you're at all involved in graphic work of any nature, the ArtPad II (or perhaps a larger model) should be in your toolbox. I, as the primary graphic designer for Apple Wizards (both the issues and the website) am pleased to have acquired such a wonderful piece of technology. $149 may seem a little steep, but when you consider the $500 you probably laid out for Photoshop, the price in comparison!
