Hm. I personally own a 9x12" Wacom Intuos3, though I never noticed any issues with the distance.
But then, I had been using my Wacom since a few months prior to joining Osu! for CAD and CG work, so it may be that I'm just used to it.
But then, I had been using my Wacom since a few months prior to joining Osu! for CAD and CG work, so it may be that I'm just used to it.