forum

Need suggestions from tablet players!!!!

posted
Total Posts
21
Topic Starter
sontza
Hi everyone
I'm looking to buy a new tablet primarily for playing osu (and maybe some anime drawing if I feel like it). Most likely going to be from the wacom bamboo line. I can see there are 2 sizes between the 3 models, 147 x 92 mm (pen/pen & touch) and 217 x 137 mm (fun).

To people who play osu with tablets, I want to know if the 147 x 92 mm ones are big enough for accurate movement? Since the smaller ones are much cheaper (about half the bamboo fun), I'll probably just get a smaller sized one if it does the job. Also, in case I take up anime drawing in the future (just as a hobby), which size should I go for? Would the small ones be big enough for drawing anime characters and such? (I use a 22 inch 1920x1080 monitor with osu resolution at 1280x960).

I welcome any suggestions, including other models/brands.

Another thing, how often would I need to change the pen tip if I play osu everyday? I play about 1-2 hours a day. Anything else on the tablet that wears down over time as I use it? (the pen? the surface with scratches?)

Sorry but I really don't know anything about tablets. Thanks guys.

Edit:
I'm referring to the third generation of bamboo tablets. By the way I think the 'pen' is also called the 'connect', 'pen & touch is called the 'capture', and 'fun' is also called the 'create'. Don't know why they call it different names between regions.
JonnyThatJonny
One of the smallest wacom bamboo models is more than enough if all you want it for is osu-reasons. There must be cheaper brands than wacom too out there, but they're also more unreliable. Also I never really cared for the pen tips, I use my tablet for both playing osu (although I never touch with the tip while playing unless by accident) and drawing / working and in a year I never had to change it. My tablet came with 2 or 3 spare tips if I recall.

edit: Oh didn't read all you said now that I noticed. A A6 size must be okay for drawing too, at least everytime I tried one it seemed decent.
Topic Starter
sontza
Thanks for the reply Jonny. I was thinking the same thing with the quality of wacom tablets. With these things, I'd rather go with quality than price.

Also, I just want to know, when you say you never touch the surface with the pen tip, does that mean your surface isn't covered with scratches? I think I've seen tablets covered with lots of scratches. I want to know what to expect, since I care about the aesthetics of my stuff quite a lot :)
Sync
if you play with z/x, you could simply hover with your pen and not worry about scratches/pen tips.
Minty Gum
I've had my tablet for a year and I do a lot of drawing/reasonably hard osu! with it. It's not covered in scratches, you should just avoid digging your pen deeply into it. Also, I don't know how hard you play osu!, but I can do fast enough songs/streams and my pen nib is changed every 1-2 months. They're reasonably cheap, I think a pack of 5 is $5 or something. Good luck with your tablets, it's great fun to play osu! with :D hoped this helped a bit.
jianzii
Even the smallest tablets are fine with Osu. As seen here, I'd say the majority of players use a very small active area:
t/47504

So size doesn't really matter. But, if you'd like to draw with it as well, I'd recommend the larger of the two.
Layne_old_1
~
Nyu_old2
^what

And it seems like you're only looking at 2nd gen tablets? Why? Third gen are pretty good. And the smallest tablets are just fine for osu. As for changing your pen tip.. I hover my pen so I'll probably never have to change it.
Sync
you should get 3rd gen if you can afford it
Layne_old_1
~
Rena-chan

sontza wrote:

Another thing, how often would I need to change the pen tip if I play osu everyday? I play about 1-2 hours a day. Anything else on the tablet that wears down over time as I use it? (the pen? the surface with scratches?)
That depends on how violent you are. In the around... 3-ish years that I've had my tablet (1st gen Bamboo), I've basically only been using it for osu!, and have only had to change the nib once in the beginning of 2012. I play using stylus tap/x alternating, by the way.
About the surface getting scratched, that is purely aesthetics and won't impact how well the tablet works.

sontza wrote:

To people who play osu with tablets, I want to know if the 147 x 92 mm ones are big enough for accurate movement? Since the smaller ones are much cheaper (about half the bamboo fun), I'll probably just get a smaller sized one if it does the job. Also, in case I take up anime drawing in the future (just as a hobby), which size should I go for? Would the small ones be big enough for drawing anime characters and such? (I use a 22 inch 1920x1080 monitor with osu resolution at 1280x960).
Yeah, 147x92mm is plenty for osu!. I really don't recommend getting such a small size if you're going to draw as well.
Daru
It's all personal preference, really.
I use all the area of my 9x12" Intuos3, but it would seem that this is not a popular play style.
For what it's worth, I use a 24" 1920x1200 monitor, so the 4:3 intuos3 aspect ratio is a bit better for my setup.
JonnyThatJonny

doMahng wrote:

Nyu wrote:

^what

And it seems like you're only looking at 2nd gen tablets? Why? Third gen are pretty good. And the smallest tablets are just fine for osu. As for changing your pen tip.. I hover my pen so I'll probably never have to change it.
I dunno, I seem to sweat a lot when I grip my pen tightly.
Then it seeps into the tablet, making a dark spot in the center.
Oh, glad I'm not the only one then.
Daru
As silly as this looks - it works. My hand slides over my tablet really smoothly with one of these.
You can buy the brand name "smudguard" for like $20, but I sewed one together out of an old book sock that works just as well.


Topic Starter
sontza
Thanks to everyone for the great help.

Sync wrote:

you should get 3rd gen if you can afford it
I "was" talking about the 3rd gen tablets ;)

Daru wrote:

As silly as this looks - it works. My hand slides over my tablet really smoothly with one of these.
You can buy the brand name "smudguard" for like $20
Thanks for the mention, but I think I'll find an alternative solution for the sweat issue. :P Maybe a little towel under my hand or something.



jianzii wrote:

if you'd like to draw with it as well, I'd recommend the larger of the two.

Rena-chan wrote:

I really don't recommend getting such a small size if you're going to draw as well.
^
Can someone tell me what problems I might have with drawing on the smaller tablets? I really haven't tried one before and I want to know how much it'll restrict drawing if I "do" get a smaller one.
boat
The 470 (in comparison to the 670) models aren't bad, or "worse" even for drawing. You wont draw worse on a smaller 3rd gen bamboo, but if you've tried a bigger tablet, then you'd most likely prefer it.

The cth670 is great for both tho. I'd highly recommend it.
Topic Starter
sontza
I've gone ahead and bought the Bamboo Pen (CTL-470). Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions. I'm loving my tablet now!!
RBRat3
I thought It would be fair to mention that OSU does kill wacom pens over time if your a tapper so If you intend to play the hell out of it tapping I suggest getting the newest tablet model where replacement pens are cheapest and if you intend on drawing get 2. (Experience biased on older tablets)

RIP Graphire 4
RIP Intuos 2 grip pen
One leg in the grave Intuos2 classic pen...

C'mon I have 2 more pens to throw at you OSU!!!

Just keeps racking them up which is ok since I like to rebuild them I just hope they changed the pressure technology in newer tablets, Love the 2 too much as a second desk to replace it XD
Hernan
Does it kill the pen or just the nib?
RBRat3

Hernan wrote:

Does it kill the pen or just the nib?
Both XD
Have a box of replacement nibs.

But as I stated its only biased towards older tablets as for the bamboo series the wear out problems might not exist. (Id have to pull the bamboo pen apart to see if its still using the same pressure method)

I use the word kill loosely since its a progressive situation which in some stages are easily remedied but the ultimate fate is a fully worn hole through the resistive membrane where you either pull the one out of the eraser end for a replacement and not have an eraser or replace the pen... OSU isnt a "direct" cause of this its just a hell of a way to speed the process up.
JAKACHAN
If you get a tablet please play full area for the sake of not gimping yourself with a tiny area.
Please sign in to reply.

New reply