I started out thinking that I would write another one of the many in depth reviews of the Wacom Intuos 3 tablet. IPA received two tablets, one shipped to our Florida office where our in house, graphic designer could put it through the paces. The other was shipped to our New Jersey office so I could have a hands on and see how a photographer might benefit from its use.

As Surej and I began to use the tablets and the pens, we both noticed something we never thought of before, our hands were not as tired or painful at the end of each day and we were able to work longer without as many rest and stretch periods. In addition, I was able to accumulate a significant amount of savings since buying NSAIDs and other drugs became unnecessary.

I had already searched the web and found a number of tech articles written about Wacom Intuos 3 tablets and decided the one thing they probably didn't need was another good tech review. I decided to do some more research and see if their really was evidence that these tablets do help prevent the health issues most of us face when working long hours on a computer.

I discovered that there were a number of testimonials and reviews in forums and at the Wacom site dealing with the health benefits. This review will help you understand not only the technical reasons for owning a Wacom, but the health benefits too.

Wacom is now the leading manufacturer of pen tablets and pens and boasts over 3 million customers around the world. They introduced the world's first cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen in America in 1988 and have been hard at work ever since.

Let me first give you a bit of my personal history with the PC. My first computer was the Mac Classic which I purchased in the early 1980's. Most computers, even DOS ones, shipped with 64 KB or 128 KB of memory and had one or two 5.25" floppy drives. But this one boasted a 8 MHz 68000 processor and had 128 KB. It came with a mouse and the love affair began. Little did I know then what I know now, that my friend the mouse would one day become a rat and ruin my hands forever.

Over the years I traded in the old Mac for the newer ones. Going from the original Mac Classic to my current IMac, purchased in 2002. Although it is quite slow at times, I am not ready to trade it in yet because of its small, compact design, it fits nicely on my limited desk top. I also own and use a new Dell Pentium 4 PC and a Sony Vaio laptop, but frankly in all the years I have owned PC's the Mac has always been the pc of choice for me.

The reason for the history lesson is to let you understand that for 20+ years I have been on a PC using the mouse and keyboard for way too many hours each day. Some years ago, I even attempted to use a Wacom tablet, but since my work wasn't really design oriented, and the old Mac I tried to use it on was a black and white CRT, it went to waste and I ended up not using it at all.

Over the years I have undergone two Carpel Tunnel Syndrome operations and five, yes "5" trigger finger release surgeries, all caused by those 12-18 hours a day I had spent on my computers.

---

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist... more .

Trigger finger is caused by a thickening on the tendon catching as it runs in and out of the sheath or tunnel resulting in the effected finger, locking in a closed position...more

---

In the 80's there was no talk of any hand issues and Carpal Tunnel was not a term most people knew. As we entered the 90's and more and more people found there way to a pc, we began to hear of more and more hand related issues, not to mention arm, elbow, back and neck problems as well. Bending ones wrists to type on a keyboard or working a mouse with a claw like fist has been identified as some of the leading causes of hand and wrist injury.

So after all the hand surgeries, the years of suffering in pain, I finally have found a way to reduce some of the stress my right hand has endured all these years. Yes, it is the Wacom (pronounced "Walk-um") Intuos 3 tablet with the 6"X8" active area.

When I received the review tablet, I immediately began to use it as a nice mouse pad. It comes with a cordless, easy to use mouse with 5 buttons one is also a scroll wheel and a very cool tablet (see more about the package at the end of this article). The mouse was comfortable in my hand and using it, took a little getting used to, but it soon replaced my standard Mac mouse.

Since I am not an artist or a graphic designer, I never intended to use the Wacom on art or design projects, that is what Surej our designer does. I am, however a photographer and have shot many travel and glamour images over the years. Cleaning up the face of one of my models was always a challenge and using a mouse is like using a blow torch to accomplish some of the work necessary.

The Intuos3 Grip Pen that comes with this tablet is quite easy to hold and has a nice feel in my hand. It gives you 1024 levels of pressure-sensitivity and control with by simply changing how hard you press the pen tip to the tablet surface. A cushioned, contoured replaceable grip allows for ergonomic comfort and patented, cordless, battery-free technology enables a natural feel and superior performance.

Since I have little knowledge of previous Wacom tablets, I had to evaluate this one as anyone new to Wacom might. This has some advantages, since Wacom has informed me that their main customer was the advanced designer. Wacom wants to focus their marketing efforts now on the advanced amateur and professional photographer. Photographers today, have become digital artists too. The average photographer will spend much of his or her time retouching or improving the images they have shot using all the advanced, creative software and hardware available and Wacom's new tablets fit this emerging market perfectly.

Now I don't want to lose you in the review about specifics of this tablet and I will touch on some of them later in this article, but I did want to get back to the benefits of using a Wacom to your health. I have found after using the Wacom for about two weeks now, I pick up their pen more often then the mouse. Using the pen is not a difficult process but might take a couple of days to get the hang of it. Once you do, you will find that you will also use the pen for many mundane tasks like, surfing the web and working in non-art or photographic programs.

Every point on the tablet has a matching point on the screen. So it is easier for me to simply touch the tablet with the pen tip in the right spot then drag a mouse across the screen to reach the same point. It is much less wear and tear on my hands holding the pen vs. holding the mouse. You can view other testimonials about the Repetitive Stress issue right on the Wacom web site.

---

"Two years ago I had carpal tunnel syndrome-- two neurologists said I had to have surgery or cause irreparable damage to my hand. I tried a Wacom and within three weeks my pain was completely gone."

---

You will see this and other testimonials there and realize, as I finally did, that the Wacom is a great alternative to an expensive and painful surgery that doesn't always cure the problem. I have lived with pain in my hands and arms for so many years, that I thought it was just part of the job and I had to tough it out. I now realize how foolish I was all these years not to seek out alternatives to using a mouse. Forget the trackballs too, I remember my joint in my thumb having so much pain at the end of the day, that I had to switch back to a traditional mouse.

So why buy a Wacom? Well it is a great way to reduce Repetitive Stress Disorder and help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It is the better way of controlling your movements when working on any art creation or photo retouching program. It is so easy to use and so natural once you unlearn how to use a mouse. The cost of a Wacom on the street is about what you might pay for the bundled software and special DVD gift alone.

I was surprised to see it came with a full version of Adobe Elements 4 for both the PC and the Mac. This meant I could load this program on both machines and it didn't require activation at Adobe as so many of their products do. The cost of Elements 4 on the street is around $80 so the two versions you receive (Mac and PC) would be worth about $160 to anyone like me that works on both platforms. They also include Corel Painter Essentials 3.0 another $70 street priced software and you own it for both Mac and PC and finally you receive nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 IE the leading digital photographic filters with an estimated value of around $10. This version of Nik is the light edition of their product and only has 8 filters instead of the full assortment of 75 filters that comes in their Pro Editions. In addition to these programs you will also receive their Wacom Brushes 2.0 which loads a ton of useful brushes you can work with on your various programs.

So the total software package alone on this package for those that only have one platform is around $160 and if you are like me and have both PC and Mac the value is about double that. Add to this their special offer of the new Digitial Innovator DVD series (another $100 or more) and you now have a total bundle worth $260 (for one platform).

So how much does a Wacom 6"X8" tablet cost, I did a google search and found them selling from just under $300 in many locations on line and in the stores. The Wacom online store sells them for only a few dollars more at $329.95 and there is no bait and switch or high S&H fees, so you may just want to order it direct on their web site.

The Wacom Bundle Includes:

The Intuos3 Grip Pen, Intuos3 Five-button Mouse, Intuos3 Tablet with two sets of ExpressKeys and two Touch Strips, Corel Painter Essentials 3, Adobe Photoshop Elements 4, and Nik Color Efex Pro 2 IE.

The tablet sports their new ExpressKeys™ and Touch Strips and puts them right at your fingertips on the upper left and also right side of the tablet, for convenient keyboard shortcuts, scrolling, zooming, brush size control, and more.

The tablet offers an ergonomic industrial design with a sloping, contoured palm rest for comfort. Multiple cord positions will allow for greater workspace flexibility and the attached 8-foot cable lets you kick back while you work. The multi-position pen stand that is also included, keeps your pen handy. Three nib styles are included for a variety of "feels," and the programmable DuoSwitch enhances productivity, a pressure-sensitive eraser allows for easy fixes and the pen is tilt-sensitive for even more control.

The included Intuos3 5-button mouse features ball-free and optics-free operation so you'll always have smooth, accurate tracking. The five programmable buttons include a fingerwheel for flexibility and control. In addition, bundled software helps you get the most out of your Intuos3 tablet, pen and mouse.

Not being a rocket scientist, even I, can see the value in this package. Hell, I can get the Wacom virtually free if I can make use of the bundled software and even come out ahead if I need the software on both the pc and mac computers I own. One other note about Elements 4.0...I use Photoshop CS2, but it is a huge and sometimes slow program with a lot of features I never use. I have found it is easier for me to simply use Elements 4 on fast projects like scanning, resizing and saving photo files and other simple projects. I now use Elements which is a cleaner and easier program to use then Photoshop and use both, as the need dictates.

For a limited time only you can purchase your Intuos 3 and receive the software bundle plus another $100 bonus item. They will send you the NAPP complete DVD set of there fantastic Digital Innovator series a $100 Value. These DVDs will give you an inside look at the tools, philosophies, and practices of some leading creative professionals.

Now if this isn't enough and you are still not sure if you will be able to adapt to this new device, they offer a No Questions Asked, 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.

If you suffer from the aches and pains associated with working on your computer each day and have already been told by the doctors that you need corrective surgery or should wear a hand brace, as I did, then give the Wacom a try before going through the any surgery.

IPA thinks this deal is truly a no brainer and not only good for designers and photographers, but good for anyone that spends hours surfing the web or working on programs that can be require a lot of mouse activity.

As my mother used to say about Chicken Soup when I caught a cold or felt under the weather, "Try It, It Couldn't Hurt". Our recommendation is to buy a Wacom Intuous 3 today and give it a test drive, "It Couldn't Hurt."

Wacom will be exhibiting at the PhotoPlus Expo show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, November 2nd through the 4th. Make sure to stop in and visit them at booth 812 and please tell them you heard about them at the IPA web site.

For now, visit their site, there is a wealth of information there and an easy to use store that will make the purchase fast and painless. If you are one of the small percentage that just can't give up the mouse for a pen, it will be easier to return the unit if you purchase it from their site. Wacom claims only 2 out of every 100 customers will return the tablet, not bad considering 98 people end up loving it.

Watch for a follow up article on this tablet and others, after the PhotoPlus show and after we have had more time to use our tablets

---

Note: You can find out more about RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury or Repetitive Stress Injury,) MAS (Mouse Arm Syndrom) Ergonomics, and the other benefits of using a Wacom tablet and pen at their parent web site. You will also see a link on the bottom of that page to this article.

---