So you've got a problem: You're an amateur graphic designer or digital artist who spends hours a day creating content with Adobe's snazzy new CS3. You're getting to the point where the trusty mouse just isn't doing what you need it to. You'd like to introduce a little more finesse to your art, maybe some hand-drawn shapes and shading. But let's face it, after handing $400 to $1,800 to Adobe, you just don't have an extra $230 tot $750 to fork over for the Wacom tablet that would surely solve your problems and allow you to take your creations to the next level. Well fear not, starving artist. Genius has you covered.

The Genius PenSketch 9x12 packs all the pen-and-mouse graphics input punch you're likely to need, unless you're a professional. And at $149 (or even less, if you shop around), this graphics tablet is just a third the price of the comparable Wacom Intuis3 9x12. Sound too good to be true? It's all true, but don't expect to get the same build quality as Wacom's offering, though the feature set is surprisingly similar.

Genius' two-button pen features the same 1,024-level pressure sensitivity as Wacom's $449 9-by-12-inch offering and runs off a single AAA battery. Also like Wacom's tablet, the PenSketch includes replaceable pen tips, though you won't get the "stroke" or "felt" tips; it's strictly standard tips for this device. The mouse seems like an afterthought, with two buttons and a scroll "wheel" which is really more like a rocker switch. But it does the job and is small but comfortable in the hand.

The tablet feels solid and durable, and has one useful feature its more expensive counterpart lacks: Running along the top edge of the input surface are 20 programmable touch-sensitive "buttons," or squared off areas that let you initiate common tasks with a tap of the pen. Once you get used to using them, they could be a real time saver, though most serious graphic artists will likely have mastered keyboard shortcuts for most of these commands.

The software included with this tablet isn't stellar but will let you do things like write e-mail by hand and annotate Word and Powerpoint files along with pretty much anything else on your screen. Trial versions of Photoshop CS and Corel Paintshop Pro X are included; so are full versions of other Corel offerings, such as Painter Essentials 2 and Photo Album6. To get the full value of a tablet like this, though, you really need a full version of a mainstream graphics program.

The only major issue with the PenSketch seems to be build quality. Frankly, the pen feels a little cheap, especially when you open it up to replace the battery, which was D.O.A. with the unit I tested. Pull apart the pen, and the battery greets you at an odd angle; it's held in place precariously by a strip of aluminum that looks like it could break pretty easily. As long as you're careful, though, this shouldn't be an issue, particularly since the battery should last months before it needs changing. The mouse seems more solid, though you won't likely be using it much, unless you don't have the desk space to keep using your regular mouse as well.

The PenSketch is also somewhat lacking in documentation. The bare basics are covered un a tiny-text, multi-language quick-start guide. But there was nothing to be found to explain why, for instance, the pen didn't want to work with the latest version of OSX on my MacBook. Even though the box claims OSX support, there was no mention of it in the more extensive CD-only manual. A quick look on the geniusnet Web site finds recently updated drivers for OSX and Vista, so perhaps that will solve the non-XP OS problem.

Despite a few issues, the Genius PenSketch 9x12 is a great option for an aspiring digital artist who isn't quite ready for (or doesn't have the capital to invest in) a $400-plus Wacom graphics tablet. Because it's similar in so many ways to more expensive offerings, the PenSketch will allow users to learn skills that will easily transfer to similar devices if and when they decide to upgrade in the future. It's more than enough for the casual artist or photo editor, but if you're seriously into digital art and drawing, you're probably going to want to take the plunge and get something more substantial. Still, at under $150, Genius's PenSketch offers a huge drawing area for an unmatched price, and features the same level of pressure sensitivity of the big boy in this business. For that alone, this device is a steal. The PenSketch 9x12 is available now at your friendly not-in-your-neighborhood online retailer.

Post by Matt Safford