Wacom Intuos Pen & Touch small or medium?

[2457244]

Hello,

There probably some Wacom diehard users here and I would like some help which size to choose.

I've been eyeing a Wacom Intuos Pen & Touch tablet for a while now but I'm so afraid it's not my thing, that's why I hold back generally, ..and from time to time I start thinking about it again and how great it could be potentially.
This idea of controlling your computer with a pen instead of a mouse or trackpad just feels strange, I haven't picked up a real pencil over 8 years or so it will probably feel strange again.

What I do
Most of my time I'm busy creating websites ( development generally ) lot's is keyboard work but sometimes I also need to design them, I use Sketch 3 for creating web/app layouts when needed. This works perfect and it's kinda like creating vector objects and positioning them around with my keyboard by coordinates or dragging them against guides to make a layout.
In my other spare time I like to go even further while designing, some basic logo's or a little bit different artwork, in style like my avatar, or this website shows perfectly what kinda design we are talking about.
All this 'design' can be done by mouse or trackpad if you'd like but I'm curious if it would go easier with a Wacom tablet instead.

My Stuff
I use a 2014 Mac mini 2.6GHz 16GB RAM along with a 2560x1080 LG display, not the best display in the world but I really need my width while developing websites, two app windows (Safari+Coda) side by side is really important to me that's why I need the 2560 width and don't matter the height that much while still buying an affordable display without going into the super advanced displays with overkill features for what I need.
Software I use generally in most active order, Coda 2, Sketch 3, Affinity Photo + Designer.
I really like this setup, it took me a while to get it all together and it's lean, hardware vs software wise it's kinda in perfect balance for what I do.

Small or Medium Wacom?
If I would buy the small Wacom tablet it's probably going to be around the same size as my Apple Magic Trackpad, the Medium tablet is I think a little bigger than my iPad Air.
What I have read online is the real difference between a Wacom tablet and Trackpad that the active tablet screen is a copy of your computer display. If you place the pen in the right top cover of the Wacom tablet active area your cursor will also start at the right top corner of your display. With a Trackpad you have to move your cursor to the right top corner first before you can do your thing.
I don't know if you get used to it very quickly, and how does this effect the drawing on the tablet compared to my screen resolution?
I mean, 2560x1080 is my display, if I use a Wacom Small version and I would draw a line about the thickness of my thumb would this look like 400px width on my screen because I have a bigger display than usual?

I really don't know which tablet to pick, my guts say the Small version will be fine because I have used my Magic Trackpad for years and never felt I was out of reach when designing or general working on my Mac.

Plus, does the Wacom company upgrade those tablets every single year, like iPads and iPhones do?

'Hope the experts knows best and can tell me what to look for and what's important when buying.

Thanks,

 

[bbrks]

Medium all the way. Period.

 

[s-hatland]

i have the medium and i love it. i actually use it for more traditional drawing and illustration, so it's a little more suited to my needs than yours, it seems. i too, however, held off on getting a digital drawing tablet for years and now that i have one, i wonder why it took me so long. the learning curve is not steep. hand/eye coordination is required, but no more than the feel of a mouse (meaning that you're looking at the screen, not the mouse, but have a good feel of where it is in relation and can estimate where it will end up upon moving)

i'll try to answer a few of your questions in bold in the quoted text below (may have to click to expand):

Hello,

All this 'design' can be done by mouse or trackpad if you'd like but I'm curious if it would go easier with a Wacom tablet instead.

most vector work i do is done with a mouse. but having the tablet as an alternate means is nice. in fact i have both sitting in front of me and will switch back and forth depending on the line or style desired or task at hand.


Small or Medium Wacom?

i would go medium, but it depends on they way you want to use it - see below:

What I have read online is the real difference between a Wacom tablet and Trackpad that the active tablet screen is a copy of your computer display. If you place the pen in the right top cover of the Wacom tablet active area your cursor will also start at the right top corner of your display. With a Trackpad you have to move your cursor to the right top corner first before you can do your thing.
I don't know if you get used to it very quickly, and how does this effect the drawing on the tablet compared to my screen resolution?
I mean, 2560x1080 is my display, if I use a Wacom Small version and I would draw a line about the thickness of my thumb would this look like 400px width on my screen because I have a bigger display than usual?

the wacom software allows you to choose between the two. what you've described above is known as "pen mode" and there is an option to switch to "mouse mode". however, what i've discovered is that on the pen and touch models, with "pen mode" activated, when using the pen, it is relative positioning, meaning if you put the pen in the upper right of the tablet, it appears/moves/draws in the upper right. but, when you lift the pen (i do this with the same hand) and start using your finger, it works more like a trackpad, where you're "lifting and rolling".

therefore, i would recommend the medium size in pen mode, but if opted for the small size it may perform better in mouse mode. i don't own the small version so i can't really speak to it, it just seems like it would be a more logical adaptation. ymmv.

as far as how it will work with your display, there are options in the software for this as well. you can make the "active" area proportional, but since your screen is a wider ratio, then the bottom of the tablet will be "dead" area. using this option, when you draw a circle it will be a circle. if you start a line from one edge and move it half way across the screen, the line will start at the edge of your monitor and go half way across it. the other option is to "force" proportion, which will essentially "stretch" the active area on the tablet to use all of it, meaning that if you draw a circle on the tablet, it will essentially come out as an oval (taller than wider in your case) on the screen. my screen is almost a direct ratio, so i use the forced proportion just to be able to use all of the active area. i'm used to the "stretching" that occurs when i draw. i suspect you will get a feel for either way you set it up.

I really don't know which tablet to pick, my guts say the Small version will be fine because I have used my Magic Trackpad for years and never felt I was out of reach when designing or general working on my Mac.

the small may be just fine for you and what you do, but for my illustration purposes, i find the medium to be wonderful and think i could even stand to go bigger. plus the "hot keys" on the tablet are extremely useful (i have two set to undo/redo and use them A LOT!)

Plus, does the Wacom company upgrade those tablets every single year, like iPads and iPhones do?

i'm not sure, but i don't think so. maybe closer to bi-annually.

hope some of this makes sense and helps a little.

 

[campyguy]

+1 for the Medium tablet, and a trackpad.

FWIW, I use my Intuos Pro (Touch) with my right hand and an Apple Magic Trackpad with my left hand - I've been using a Wacom tablet with a mouse or trackpad for over a decade, with a keyboard in between them. I started out with this layout with CAD/PS/Illy work and it's second nature for me now - also, the Touch isn't as sensitive as the Trackpad, and some of the gestures, like "swiping" are opposite of Apple's peripherals but I've adapted so that I don't even think about it anymore.

I did try a small tablet, mainly for traveling to clients or my remote offices but sold it as I found it too small for real work and now bring the medium tablet with me. I have a 15" rMBP and a couple of external displays.

 

[2457244]

Thanks for the feedback guys,

The Medium version will be the one..