I think it was the latest DA poll (Do you have a drawing tablet?) that determined me to submit my very first news article here. I am far from being a talented writer but I'm going to try hard to make this a decent news article.

For the amazement or dissapointment of some people, the latest DA poll has only included aswers like "I don't have a tablet" or "I have a Wacom". Now, why would this be? DeviantArt is sponsored by Wacom? Or they just like it too much? Other brands aren't good enough to be considered decent tablets? You choose!
The point is that too many people have replied to that poll saying that they have other brands than Wacom so we can't ignore this topic.
Now you may ask "What tablet should I choose?". The most frequent answer to that question would be "Wacom". Why? Because, obviously, it's the best. And that's a fact. So you'll ask again "Where's the problem?" The problem is that they are expensive and not everyone can afford them. this is when brands like Genius, Trust and so many others come in, offering a large variety of "big and cheap" tablets. A4 Genius tablet half the price of an A6 Wacom tablet and so on... The problem? Poor quality.
But for many of us that isn't really a big deal, considering that most of those who buy a tablet for the first time haven't used a tablet before, are beginners and how do they know the difference?
I think someone who hasn't used a tablet before doesn't need an expensive, professional tablet. You're not used to it, you're not using it very often and I think for learning a cheap tablet does that work too.

For those of you with a low budget here's a list a threw together with tablets under $200 from different brands and some specifications.

Genius PenSketch 9x12 - Around $150
Working Area: 12"x 9"
Pressure Sensitivity: 1024

Trust TB-7300 - Around $90
Working Area: 30,5 x 19,5 cm
Pressure Sensitivity: 1024

Genius G-PEN F610 Ultra Slim - Around $140
Working Area: 6” x 10”
Pressure Sensitivity: 1024

Genius MousePen 8x6 - Around $90
Working Area: 8” x 6”
Pressure Sensitivity: 1024

Aiptek Slim Tablet - Around $130
Working Area: 10" x 6.25"
Pressure Sensitivity: 1024

These are only a few of the large variety of cheap tablets you can find.
And if you don't know what the specifications mean, here are some instructions:

Pressure Sensitivity:
It refers to the sensitivity to pressure on the surface of the tablet. Most tablets have either 256, 512, or 1024 pressure levels. The pressure sensitivity can control line thickness, transparency, etc.The higher the pressure-sensitivity, the more responsive and natural your tablet will feel and the more control you will have.

Working Area:
It refers to the size of the area of your tablet you can draw on. Bigger isn't necessarily better but if you're used to drawing on A4 papers then that's most probably the size of tablet you'll be more comfortable with.

Sizes:
Here are some international paper sizes you can compare your tablet with:
A6 - 105x148 mm - 4.134x5.827 inches
A5 - 148x210 mm - 5.827x8.268 inches
A4 - 210x297 mm - 8.268x11.693 inches
A3 - 297x420 mm - 11.693x16.535 inches

Compatible software:
Tablets are compatible with any computer software, you don't need to buy a special one. It will work in the good old Paint, Gimp, Adobe Photoshop, CorelPainter. All these programs (and many others) will see your tablet(+pen) as a regular mouse.

For the end, here are some amazing pieces drawn with a tablet. Enjoy them!


Again, I'm sorry if some parts of this article are confusing, as I said I'm not a good writer, but I really felt like posting this, not as a rant, or a an anti-wacom campaign, but to clear up people (mostly beginners) what's the deal with these lousy tablets