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Tablet Purchase Guide for osu!

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Daru
osu!painter
866 posts
Joined August 2008
Topic Starter
Daru

FruitTingles wrote:

I use a bamboo with a very small active area. I have never used it for anything outside of osu! so naturally there would be areas (the active area and where I rest my hand) that would experience more wear. You can see this as it turns from matte (unused) to glossy (most used), will this affect the functionality of my tablet? I'm assuming your tablet is like that since you have used it for four years, but as mentioned works like new, so am I only wearing away at the aesthetic value?
The overlay sheets and pen nibs are made to be replaceable. If you run your fingernail along the side, you can lift it up and remove it to replace it. The only difference that you'll see from the more worn areas is a different "feel" when the pen draws over it. It'll feel a bit more slippery, especially if you're using a second or third generation bamboo with the textured overlay sheet.

The tablet's working bits are all on the inside, and have nothing to do with the contact of the pen on the tablet surface. If you place a piece of cardboard on the tablet and then start to draw, it will still work. The overlay sheet is just a piece of plastic, and so are the tablet nibs.


(My overlay sheet actually has gashes and holes in it... They're pretty expensive so I'm looking for a cheap material that has the same feel, though in the mean time the only difference I feel is the occasional small bump when the pen runs over a scratch or holel. Protip for the pen nibs, you can use plastic wire from a weed whacker that's the same diameter of the nib for a cheap, effective replacement.)
Hiyorin
186 posts
Joined September 2010
Hiyorin
Oh okay, thanks for the clarification. I knew the nibs could be replaced because I had to insert one when I initially got it but I didn't know about the overlay sheet. The "feel" shouldn't be an issue because the only time my pen contacts the pad is when I change songs haha.
Meowcenaries
506 posts
Joined December 2010
Meowcenaries
Great guide
Sander-Don
1,282 posts
Joined March 2010
Sander-Don

Daru wrote:

For osu!, you are very unlikely to need a Cintiq or Intuos
I use an intuos 3. :<
kriers
1,963 posts
Joined April 2010
kriers

Sander-Don wrote:

Daru wrote:

For osu!, you are very unlikely to need a Cintiq or Intuos
I use an intuos 3. :<
I used intous 4 /o/ lool
ShangMing_old
ShangMing_old

Zelmarked wrote:

I can't reason buying a peripheral at that price to do better for one application. I have no interest in pursuing digital art. I'd buy a joystick so I can have better control in the multitude of games involving flying; makes sense. But I can't see any application of a tablet outside of Osu!. No offense to those more dedicated to the game.

Good guide. Very thorough.
I can't reason buying a hockey stick at their prices to do better at that one sport. I can't reason buying a pair of running shoes at that price just to do better at running. etc. etc.

Maybe once you stop being a noob or closed minded, you wouldn't make such idiotic comments. Also, when you say "no offense", that pretty much says that you know that your comment was going to be offensive.
Zelmarked
407 posts
Joined September 2011
Zelmarked

ShangMing wrote:

Zelmarked wrote:

I can't reason buying a peripheral at that price to do better for one application. I have no interest in pursuing digital art. I'd buy a joystick so I can have better control in the multitude of games involving flying; makes sense. But I can't see any application of a tablet outside of Osu!. No offense to those more dedicated to the game.

Good guide. Very thorough.
I can't reason buying a hockey stick at their prices to do better at that one sport. I can't reason buying a pair of running shoes at that price just to do better at running. etc. etc.

Maybe once you stop being a noob or closed minded, you wouldn't make such idiotic comments. Also, when you say "no offense", that pretty much says that you know that your comment was going to be offensive.
My preference to not buy a object for one particular app is offense? I typed no offense because obviously there exist those who care about doing really good at one thing over others. "I", as I typed, do not.
Lesjuh
Elite Mapper
2,442 posts
Joined October 2008
Lesjuh
Great guide! I wouldn't recommend buying a tablet just for osu! since it doesn't make alotta difference when you practice enough, and it's expensive. I'd say don't give up on mousing too early and don't be fooled by statements as "all good players are tablet players".

Ofcourse if you're very dedicated to the game, wouldn't mind missing some money and would like to try tabletting, by all means do get one \o/
Gonzvlo
osu! Alumni
2,896 posts
Joined January 2010
Gonzvlo
Great guide, changed to sticky.
Daru
osu!painter
866 posts
Joined August 2008
Topic Starter
Daru

Sander-Don wrote:

Daru wrote:

For osu!, you are very unlikely to need a Cintiq or Intuos
I use an intuos 3. :<
Haha, so do I. :)

Of course, I use my Intuos 3 for art as well, where it is a significant improvement upon the Bamboo. Strictly for osu!, however, the Intuos3 won't be any better than a Bamboo.
_lain
35 posts
Joined September 2011
_lain
I had my Intuos 3 stolen a while back, and went to mouse, then to a bamboo, I can proudly say there is no difference while playing Osu!.
Drawing, on the other hand...
[Kanzaki Ranko]
327 posts
Joined June 2009
[Kanzaki Ranko]
Very nice and accurate guide. Though, there's something that's wrong, from my point of view.

Daru wrote:

In Short: Wacom's the recommend brand. Cintiq and Intuos tablets are too expensive and give no real advantage over Bamboo for osu!. See the recommend options above for the recommend models. Also try your luck at a used Intuos3 if you're also into art.
A Cintiq tablet is probably much better than a Bamboo/Intuos one for osu!, resembling the DS gaming experience. If you have someone on your family that has a professional use for a Cintiq and has a old one (if this person bought a bigger one, for example), it's actually better than the other two lines.
Daru
osu!painter
866 posts
Joined August 2008
Topic Starter
Daru

Maav wrote:

Very nice and accurate guide. Though, there's something that's wrong, from my point of view.

Daru wrote:

In Short: Wacom's the recommend brand. Cintiq and Intuos tablets are too expensive and give no real advantage over Bamboo for osu!. See the recommend options above for the recommend models. Also try your luck at a used Intuos3 if you're also into art.
A Cintiq tablet is probably much better than a Bamboo/Intuos one for osu!, resembling the DS gaming experience. If you have someone on your family that has a professional use for a Cintiq and has a old one (if this person bought a bigger one, for example), it's actually better than the other two lines.
I say "give no real advantage" with respect with the price. The small bamboo can be had for $70, whereas Cintiqs start at $1000. I feel that it's very hard to justify buying a Cintiq if you're going to use it for only osu! at this price difference. Furthermore, the advantages of playing on a screen are, for some, countered by the disadvantage of having your hand and arm covering a good bit of your play area, so I don't think it's right to say that Cintiqs are objectively better than the tablets without screens. From my personal experience I've found this disadvantage to be very significant (I've played osu! on a friend's 12" Cintiq, as well as Tablet PCs).

As for getting things from relatives, note that this is a tablet purchase guide. ;)
I'm trying to weigh price relative to functionality in osu!, and paying upwards of $1000 for a device that you're only going to use for osu! would be, in my opinion, a complete waste of money.

Though, thanks for the input. :)
nVidi4x
110 posts
Joined November 2009
nVidi4x
Very good review, complete information about tablets :D.
For anyone who wants to know I've tried 3 kinds of tablets, "Bambo 2nd generation", "Bamboo 3rd Generation" and "Wacom Intuos 4"(This is my tablet). I bought it because i just had the money, i'm not a drawer, i just use it for math and osu.

So let me tell you:

If you want to buy a GOOD tablet go for BAMBOO CONNECT (considering the money) because is almost the same than intuos4 (it cost me like $USD 340).

The main difference i felt between this 3 tablets was the "lift detection" of the pencil; with intuos4 you can play with the pencil in the air very well, but with 2nd and 3rd generation sometimes i missed the detection and i failed (like 1or 2cm of difference, that's all).

Also intuos 4's software allows you to adjust your Area. This is very important because YOU MUST PLAY in the same proportion than your resolution. I play 1680x1050 (aspect ratio (AR) 16:10) and intuos 4 is 16:10 so it's perfect for me. This is very helpful because you can decide your area with numerical values.

EDIT

Active areas for tablets
you obtain the aspect ration in full area dividing long by high

Intuos4 = 6.2" x 3.9" in AR= 1.59
2nd Gen = 5.8" x 3.6" in AR= 1.61
3rd Gen = 5.8" x 3.6" in AR= 1.61

so as you can see, all wacom tablets*were made for AR 16:10, consider this to play in a good "rectangular proportion" ingame, you shouldn't try to introduce a square into a rectangle, that's why AR is sooo important.

I hope this can help you if you're not pretty sure on what to buy. Sorry for my english but if you still have any dude ask me :)
Last edited by nVidi4x , edited 1 time in total.
LnDSuv
35 posts
Joined January 2012
LnDSuv

nVidi4x wrote:

Very good review, complete information about tablets :D.
For anyone who wants to know I've tried 3 kinds of tablets, "Bambo 2nd generation", "Bamboo 3rd Generation" and "Wacom Intuos 4"(This is my tablet). I bought it because i just had the money, i'm not a drawer, i just use it for math and osu.

So let me tell you:

If you want to buy a tablet go for 3rd generation (considering the money) because is almost the same than intuos4 (it cost me like $USD 340).

The main difference i felt between this 2 tablets wais the "lift detection" of the pencil; with intuos4 you can play with the pencil in the air very well, but with 3rd generation sometimes i missed the detection and i failed (like 2cm of difference, that's all).

Also intuos 4's software allows you to adjust your Area. This is very important because YOU MUST PLAY in the same proportion than your resolution. I play 1680x1050 (aspect ratio 16:10) and intuos 4 is 16:10 so it's perfect for me, but if you're buying a 3rd gen bamboo your resolution should be in aspec ratio 16:9 (resolutions HD 1280x720, 1920x1080, etc)

I'm not pretty sure but i think you can have a little advantage with intuos.

I hope this can help you if you're not pretty sure on what to buy. Sorry for my english but if you still have any dude ask me :)
Thx dude!
I was wondering what tablet I should choose for 16:9 a.r. and you have answered my question!
btw, is there any difference between pen only tablet and pen & touch? I mean are there any tricks or smth?
MMzz
Elite Mapper
3,979 posts
Joined June 2009
MMzz

LnDSuv wrote:

nVidi4x wrote:

Very good review, complete information about tablets :D.
For anyone who wants to know I've tried 3 kinds of tablets, "Bambo 2nd generation", "Bamboo 3rd Generation" and "Wacom Intuos 4"(This is my tablet). I bought it because i just had the money, i'm not a drawer, i just use it for math and osu.

So let me tell you:

If you want to buy a tablet go for 3rd generation (considering the money) because is almost the same than intuos4 (it cost me like $USD 340).

The main difference i felt between this 2 tablets wais the "lift detection" of the pencil; with intuos4 you can play with the pencil in the air very well, but with 3rd generation sometimes i missed the detection and i failed (like 2cm of difference, that's all).

Also intuos 4's software allows you to adjust your Area. This is very important because YOU MUST PLAY in the same proportion than your resolution. I play 1680x1050 (aspect ratio 16:10) and intuos 4 is 16:10 so it's perfect for me, but if you're buying a 3rd gen bamboo your resolution should be in aspec ratio 16:9 (resolutions HD 1280x720, 1920x1080, etc)

I'm not pretty sure but i think you can have a little advantage with intuos.

I hope this can help you if you're not pretty sure on what to buy. Sorry for my english but if you still have any dude ask me :)
Thx dude!
I was wondering what tablet I should choose for 16:9 a.r. and you have answered my question!
btw, is there any difference between pen only tablet and pen & touch? I mean are there any tricks or smth?
Pen and touch just has a feature where you can use your finger.
Buy the pen.
nVidi4x
110 posts
Joined November 2009
nVidi4x

LnDSuv wrote:

I was wondering what tablet I should choose for 16:9 a.r. and you have answered my question!
btw, is there any difference between pen only tablet and pen & touch? I mean are there any tricks or smth?
I edited the info, all tablets were made for ar 16:10.
Pen and Touch is White and (just) Pen is Black.
Touch must be disable to play osu well, but is the same tablet, it has the same spech techs. just buy the color that u want :)
Daru
osu!painter
866 posts
Joined August 2008
Topic Starter
Daru
Actually the older tablets are 4:3. ;)
Basically everything before the Bamboo tablets are 4:3, and most everything after is 16:10. There is still a Cintiq that's 4:3, I believe. My intuos3 is 9x12", or 4:3.

I didn't put any info about actually playing with a tablet because that would require a thread in and of itself, I think - this is strictly a purchase guide that weighs the various benefits of certain tablets against the prices, plus some basic info.

@LnDSuv:
The majority of monitors nowadays are 16:9, though most "art" class monitors that focus on color reproduction above all else are 16:10, which is part of the reason why the tablets are made in that aspect ratio. I'd personally recommend remapping it to have 1:1 vertical:horizontal movement, even if it means you're cutting off a bit of the active area to do so. My tablet is 4:3, but I have a 16:10 monitor, so there's a slice at the bottom that's not used.

The difference between Pen&Touch and Pen models is really just the "touch" function. I really don't think it's worth it, but that's just from my personal experience.

---
Oh, and to answer that question from a while ago about overlay sheets...

I've found that a piece of plexiglass cut to the correct dimensions, then sanded down with very fine sandpaper (600+ grit) makes for a suitable, cheap replacement for your overlay sheet. The sheet can then be adhered to the tablet with some double-sided tape. It's quite a bit thicker than the regular sheet, which is the only drawback, but you can get decently sized pieces for under $4, which is much cheaper than Wacom's $30 replacement sheets.
TenDesires_old
24 posts
Joined December 2011
TenDesires_old
From what I know about graphic tablets, I would highly recomment to get the Capture instead of the Connect.

Bamboo Connect sure is enough to play osu!, but there is only a 20$ difference between this and the Capture, and you get multi-touch, programmable buttons and Photoshop Elements. At first, I bought my Capture thinking about using it to play osu!, but later I found that multi-touch gestures are far more ergonomic for navigating than the mouse, which I use only in games now.

The presence of PSE in the software bundle makes it also a far better deal.
-Soba-
374 posts
Joined January 2011
-Soba-
Obv Intuos4 Small = best osu tablet around >:T
Colored
250 posts
Joined May 2011
Colored
d[-_-]b
Last edited by Colored , edited 1 time in total.
Inaba_old_1
Inaba_old_1
I don't suppose there's a way to use my cintiq as a regular tablet?
Not that it matters, since I'm too used to mouse now.
How
61 posts
Joined October 2011
How
I might get Bamboo next week. :3.
BTW, TNX 4 advice.
jianzii
74 posts
Joined February 2012
jianzii

[Cooper] wrote:

I might get Bamboo next week. :3.
BTW, TNX 4 advice.
Same, really really helpful guide.
paitehoens
121 posts
Joined November 2010
paitehoens
i have a bamboo third gen..
may i ask something here? can somebody tell me how to save custom preferences for bamboo?
thank you so much.. and sorry for my bad english :(
Zelmarked
407 posts
Joined September 2011
Zelmarked
If you installed your drivers, you'll find it in the control panel. "Bamboo preferences".
paitehoens
121 posts
Joined November 2010
paitehoens
found it.. thank you so much :D
Maneuver
112 posts
Joined October 2010
Maneuver
I think tablet learning curve is much easier than using mouse. As for mobility the pen is much more lighter and easier for precise control and moving than the mouse. Which one is more tired ?
Zelmarked
407 posts
Joined September 2011
Zelmarked
That's hard for me to say as to whether or not the learning curve is easier. Half the obj is accomplished by keyboard clicks, if you use +kb setups, which don't deffer in execution when switching from mouse to tablet.
It's hard to articulate but some experience even if under one peripheral can somewhat translate to using a a different peripheral, I would think. I'd like to hear experiences from people who started on a tablet and didn't use a mouse on how hard it was for them.

I'd say mouse is hard on your wrist and also your, thumb, pinky, and ring finger depending on how much you claw grip. Also tiring up your arm if use a low sensitivity.
Pen is a killer of fingers if you heavily claw grip. Wrist hurts on full proportions when you try to move your wrist as to not have to move your arm.
Can't say definitively yet.
Derekku
COOL DUDE
7,270 posts
Joined March 2009
Derekku
I have the first generation Bamboo Fun. Bought it in late 2008 for around $100 and it's still going strong! If anything ever happens to it, I might try the second generation Bamboo Fun. Great guide, by the way! (:
Raynor_senpai
1 post
Joined February 2012
Raynor_senpai
good information!, but I have a question, what is better and recomended for playing osu
-Wacom Bamboo Capture
-Wacom Bamboo Connect

it's because I'll buy a new tablet but I interesed in a Bamboo Capture , and I read that the Bamboo connect is recomended in this post so, I Have no Idea what to buy!

so what is better?? =D)thanks!!!
Layne_old_1
Layne_old_1
~
Last edited by Layne_old_1 , edited 1 time in total.
kriers
1,963 posts
Joined April 2010
kriers
I have dusty intous4 laying around here somewhere... The responsiveness is much higher than any other tablet I've ever tried. Hardly a sign of any 'squary' movements when hovering.

Expensive as hell, though xD
Meru
1,615 posts
Joined March 2012
Meru
Is that genius tablet really bad? I want to try playing with tablet but I don't have enough budget ._.
jianzii
74 posts
Joined February 2012
jianzii

Matoryoshika wrote:

Is that genius tablet really bad? I want to try playing with tablet but I don't have enough budget ._.
Well, if Genius is selling their tablets, there can't be a whole mess of things wrong with them, but Wacom has kind of monopolized the market. How much is a Genius tablet compared to a Bamboo Pen that you can get for $50? Because I wouldn't buy a tablet below that price.
peppercatastrop
844 posts
Joined July 2010
peppercatastrop

jianzii wrote:

Matoryoshika wrote:

Is that genius tablet really bad? I want to try playing with tablet but I don't have enough budget ._.
Well, if Genius is selling their tablets, there can't be a whole mess of things wrong with them, but Wacom has kind of monopolized the market. How much is a Genius tablet compared to a Bamboo Pen that you can get for $50? Because I wouldn't buy a tablet below that price.
Mine's Genius G-Pen 4500, around $45 (it is 420000 IDR)
I haven't tried any tablet beside Genius so i can't tell.
G a r u d a
G a r u d a
I'm seriously thinking about buying a tablet, I'm sick of using mouse >_>
The problem is, I don't know how much it costs here D:
Any brazillian players around? ):
G a r u d a
G a r u d a
I just checked it... It costs around 200 to 300 bucks... Thanks for answering =3=
Meru
1,615 posts
Joined March 2012
Meru

AeroRange wrote:

jianzii wrote:

Well, if Genius is selling their tablets, there can't be a whole mess of things wrong with them, but Wacom has kind of monopolized the market. How much is a Genius tablet compared to a Bamboo Pen that you can get for $50? Because I wouldn't buy a tablet below that price.
Mine's Genius G-Pen 4500, around $45 (it is 420000 IDR)
I haven't tried any tablet beside Genius so i can't tell.
Then... Is there any problem with that tablet? I mean you still can play fairly well with that genius right?
TenDesires_old
24 posts
Joined December 2011
TenDesires_old

Raynor_senpai wrote:

good information!, but I have a question, what is better and recomended for playing osu
-Wacom Bamboo Capture
-Wacom Bamboo Connect

it's because I'll buy a new tablet but I interesed in a Bamboo Capture , and I read that the Bamboo connect is recomended in this post so, I Have no Idea what to buy!

so what is better?? =D)thanks!!!
Connect is okay to play osu!, but if you think Capture's features will be useful in other things for you like it was for me then buy it, it's only 20$ more expensive.
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