The tablet itself is extremely light weight for the capabilities. With our tests the Bluetooth wireless lost connections around 25 feet. We don't know how to see the screen from that far away but it's cool to do. The makers say it is capable of 30 feet but you will need an open room and a strong connection to be able to reach such a distance. Either way 25 feet isn't bad. The pen and the mouse are both battery free which makes them extra light. The table top tablet measures 6 x 8 inches and provides plenty of drawing and "mousing" movement surface. Adjustments can be made to sensitivity and other controls but precision on both the pen and the mouse are at the top of its class.

As you can see above where the battery and the DC plug connects is the thickest part of the tablet. It's only about twice the height of the actual tablet and makes for the perfect angle when sitting flat on a desk. There is a small slide button right above the battery that allows users to open the plastic covering. The plastic covering is scratch resist in the middle area and provides a clean, clear, usable surface throughout the entire testing time we had it.

The mouse included is very lightweight and nice to use. There is a scrolling wheel on the front top to use while doing any type of browsing projects. The buttons are a little sensitive and might wear over time, but for the short period we had it, we can not tell for sure. The mouse as a whole is definitely durable and worth an A. Travel or dropping the mouse doesn't seem to wear on it at all.

Now the pen is probably the simplest equipment in the package. The plastic casing isn't much to look at but the uses are neat. Just like any other pen you can use one tip as a pen to draw and the other as an eraser. Clicking on objects to drag is made simple by either double tapping the plate or holding down side button. Because it is a very lightweight pen and the casing of it is hard plastic there will be minimal wear to the outside of it. However, don't put too much pressure on it or it can break. So if you drop it, watch where you step. There is a professional looking clear holder for the pen when not in use or you can just stick it in the top of the tablet where there is a nice slot for it.

The power button seems to be very durable and is surrounded by a blue light that lights up or blinks to show power. There is also a Battery light on the opposite top end corner to show if it is charged or not. The lithium polymer batter can charge fully in about 5 hours but we left it over night the first time just to be sure. Constant use is said to last about 25 hours yet we could not test that. Our at tension span is short so the most we tested at one sitting was 3 hours. Sorry. The battery did last the whole testing time that stretched over a week.

The software included was the Adobe Photoshop Elements 2, the Corel Painter Essentials 2, and the Color Efex Pro 2 GE. Drivers for both Windows and Macintosh were included on their separate CD. The Wacom Graphire Tablet can be used with either Mac's OSX or Windows 2k and XP operating systems. For reference Windows XP was used for geekBlue's testing. Overall this tablet ranks higher than others tested. The Bluetooth feature is a major reason to get this one if you can afford the extra $50. Even without the Bluetooth, Wacom makes a top of the line tablet that is precise and long lasting. Always remember to do your shopping before purchasing.

Consumer Price: $199 (non-Bluetooth); $249 (Bluetooth)

Purchase Tablet from Wacom - HERE
Wacom Graphire Homepage - HERE

Durability Tested:
Portability:
Usability:
Average Price:
Overall Rating: 4.5

Technical Information
System Requirements:
PC or Macintosh computer running Windows 2000, XP, or Mac OS 10.2.8 & higher with Bluetooth 1.1 (or higher) connection, CD-ROM drive, and color monitor.

Color Efex Pro 2.0 GE requires Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (included) or Photoshop 7.0 & higher.

*geekBlue was not paid to do this review. All comments and opinions are true and solely based on the testing of the product. geekBlue does not endorse or promote any product. geekBlue does not sell products reviewed. For more information on products tested please visit the product website. Thanks for reading.