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[Paolo Victor]

Oh, hai!

I've just got a Wacom Bamboo tablet (yay). My previous tablet was a meh Aiptek that served well during five years and unfortunately isn't among us anymore.

So, after unboxing and plugging the thing, I was eager to unleash my artistic fury (a.k.a. scribbling away), but then noticed the annoying scratch noise that the pen tip makes on the tablet surface. I know it's expected, but if the Bamboo's surface is anything like my previous tablet's, it'll surely get worn after some time.

Do you guys have any tips for protecting/conserving tablets? I'm thinking of putting a thin paper sheet over the surface, but I'm not sure if it'll mess with the pen's precision.

[bateleur]

I don't bother with protecting my Intuos3 and it's showing no signs of wear after 3-4 years of regular use.

[falsion]

Wacom tablets are actually much better built compared than the cheap clones out there like Aiptek or Genius. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Wacom knows how to make a quality product. I have friends who have used the same Wacom tablet for over 5 years and are still able to draw just fine with it.

Part of the reason why other tablets aren't as great is because Wacom pretty much patented most of the technology they use for their tablets, forcing other companies to find cheaper alternatives, which is the reason why they don't have quite the same build quality.

[Μarkham]

You really only need to worry about the pens.  Those break way more easily than the tablets.  I bought my tablet in 2005, but it was made in 1996.  It still works fine, while I am on my third pen.

Later tablets have a simulated paper texture on the overlay (which is replaceable) that wear down the pen nibs (also replaceable) at a faster rate than smooth overlays.

[Knightmare]

I haven't even had my tablet a year now, but since I switched to my new computer, it started skipping every now and then.  There are certain areas I can't draw on.  Its usually the same spot but it started doing it in a new spot so I have like, no space to use.  Any ideas what to do?  It's been happening awhile.   

[Eclipse]

I destroyed two Wacom tablets, their usb is kinda bad, basically they got shotcircuited by a pen drive the first one and an ipod the second one.
Now i got a Trust one, bigger and better, for the same price. The only not so awesome thing is that the pen uses a normal battery, so you need to replace it, but it last very long.
It also has a sort of small film that's almost unscratchable, and you can put your pencil drawings behind that to copy them.

TIP: Do not attach your wacom after using an usb device like a pendrive or an mp3 player

[moi]

Now i got a Trust one, bigger and better, for the same price. The only not so awesome thing is that the pen uses a normal battery, so you need to replace it, but it last very long.
It also has a sort of small film that's almost unscratchable, and you can put your pencil drawings behind that to copy them.

I think I have the same trust tablet, behind the protective cover there was a paper with a picture of a woman on mine. Very nice

[Loren Schmidt]

I've had mid-grade Wacom for about four years. I've had to replace the pen, but the tablet hasn't had any problems. I'd definitely buy one again.

P.S.- you can get refurbished older Wacom models for very reasonable prices.

[Shade Jackrabbit]

Yeah, I'm using a Genius tablet. The pen is absolutely horrible. I'm hoping it will die soon so I can get a Wacom.

[Damian]

I'll be ordering a wacom bamboo tomorrow, I was going to buy an A4 intuos3 for about 325£, but I need to buy a new laptop 

[Paolo Victor]

Thanks for the advice, guys. Eclipse's tip about usb shenanigans is weird, but I won't take chances 

So far, my impressions about the Bamboo are very positive. It definitevily feels better than my old tablet, and I'm glad I didn't buy a Genius (even though they're very cheap. An A4 is almost the half the price of a 4x6 Bamboo).

[Nate Kling]

TIP: Do not attach your wacom after using an usb device like a pendrive or an mp3 player

Ive never had such an experience with my tablet I do that all of the time and nothing happens.  Maybe there is a problem with your computer.  Ive never had a problem with my wacom tablet except that the eraser on the pen stopped working, but thats not a big deal for having it for 4 years.  My tablet has a clear protective plastic case that covers it and that protects the actual pad.  I dont believe that the bamboo comes with that but I trust wacom to make a sturdy product so i wouldnt worry about it.

[bento_smile]

I got a Bamboo over a year ago, and the surface hasn't scuffed at all so far.  Actually, you're more likely to wear down the pen nib before the surface (I replaced the nib on my pen recently)

[Hayden Scott-Baron]

The only failure I've had with a Wacom tablet was the USB cable becoming damaged because I would wrap the cable around the tablet too tightly. A bit of insulation tape however has kept that tablet working fine for four more years.

My main tablet is a ten year old Intuos 1 tablet. They are very sturdy things. You might need to replace the pen tip from time to time though.

[Evil-Ville]

I destroyed two Wacom tablets, their usb is kinda bad, basically they got shotcircuited by a pen drive the first one and an ipod the second one.

TIP: Do not attach your wacom after using an usb device like a pendrive or an mp3 player

My tablet broke, only logical conclusion is that the usb port somehow shortcircuited my tablet because I had plugged in a pen drive before!

[pgil]

What if you just leave it plugged in? I haven't unplugged my tablet since I bought it.. I guess that doesn't work if you have a laptop, but still..

[unsilentwill]

I've had mine for about five or six years, and it's been great. Only just this week had the pen stopped working (the eraser side crapped out about a year in) but luckily, at least the graphire 3 version was easy to fix. I just had to open it up (this took some time and pulling) and solder some tiny wires back in place, and the thing works like new. 

[yesfish]

My wacom intuos 3 broke down with the usb cable shorting and covered in scratches. But since I got the bamboo it's like "yeah, scratch me bitch." and the USB cable can be unplugged so it's been perfect.

[Μarkham]

My tablet didn't even come with a cable.  I had to splice my own out of a power adapter, a pair of 9-volt battery contacts, and an old serial cable.

[Knightmare]

Yeah, I'm using a Genius tablet. The pen is absolutely horrible. I'm hoping it will die soon so I can get a Wacom.

Haa, I like the pen on mine (Genius G-Pen somethin or other).  I never used a wacom though. how do they compare?