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.
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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.
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.