Review: Wacom Graphire4 Classic graphics tablet

The Graphire4 Classic is Wacom's entry level graphics tablet, and this latest release comes with full Vista compatibility.

The unit is plug and play, and when first attached it acts just like a mouse - something Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) sufferers can rejoice since holding a pen is a welcome break from a crippling mouse.

As well as normal pen-like behaviour, absolute positioning can be enabled; this means if the stylus is moved to the bottom left corner of the tablet, the mouse pointer will also move to that position (i.e. the Windows Start button). After some practice, this can be a useful and efficient way of controlling a PC.

The stylus is an active type, but not in the traditional sense since it doesn't rely on battery power. Instead the tablet uses induction to power the pen.

The nib of the pen retracts giving 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, which means it can be used like a pencil creating different shades of grey when drawing. By flipping the stylus round the pen works just like an eraser in graphics and writing programs.

Wacom quotes a 2,000dpi resolution and, for its size (it has an A6 detection area), we found the tablet is incredibly accurate.

A removable, transparent frame encases the entire silver pad. As well as making cleaning easy, a photo can be slid underneath it to either serve as a photo frame or be used for tracing the image.

Two programmable buttons sit on the side of the pen and can perform different functions. A further two customisable buttons sit on the tablet itself, along with a wide and comfortable scroll wheel.

The unit is plug and play with XP and Vista – the latter's improved handwriting features are a joy to use. A CD with further software, including Corel Painter Essentials 2 and Mac drivers, is also bundled.

At this price it would be good to see Bluetooth connectivity (the Graphire4 Classic connects via USB), but it is undoubtedly one of the best performing tablets out there.