Intuos3 or 4? Advice needed

Kot_Leopold

I am finally selling my Cintiq 12WX to get a "regular" pen tablet and need an advice on which one to get.

I've previously owned an Intuos3 4x6 and I loved it. Now I am thinking of getting Intuos4 but I keep hearing about how fast nibs wear out/scratch the surface. That wasn't an issue with Intuos3/Cintiq and it's concerning me.

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Danke!

ZacD

The usb ports on my intuos4 broke off as well. I tried to get them to repair, their customer service isn't too great.

Dan!

I've been using a intuos3 4x6 for like 10 years- only had to replace the cord when my dog chewed it. It is just now showing wear n tear on the surface where it is used the most. for what its worth I have not heard anything bad about the intuos 4s really.

EarthQuake

i would pick up a used intuos 3, not much reason to have anything newer.

Bal

I'd get whatever you can find cheapest, really don't see the point in any of the extra stuff on the Intuos 4. Then again I still have an Intuos 1 at home and I find that's just fine as well (but I've used all 4 generations at work).

Del

~ I use an Intuos 3 at home, and an Intuos 4 at work.

The difference between them is minimal enough for me to advise you to get the Intuos 3, especially because the nibs seem to last forever in comparison to the 4.

DeeKei

The nibs wear out faster, but the surface texture of intuos4 is uncomparable. if price is the biggest problem, stick with intuos3 (Also, it would be more familiar to you if you were using a 12wx), but personally intuos4 feels much better once you get use to it.

Wahlgren

I much prefer the surface of the #4. To the degree I can almost not use the 3 anymore. Feels like glass to me and I plain just don't like it.

Now the guy next to me is completely the opposite so it's hard to say.

fightpunch

I prefer the 4, but it's true about the surface, the one I use at work looks like I've carved into it.

Andreas

Kot_Leopold wrote: »

I am finally selling my Cintiq 12WX to get a "regular" pen tablet

May I ask why? How much are you selling it for?

r_fletch_r

Go with an intuos 3 and put a printable label onto the surface. the 3 is really solid.

hopefully this image loads, its from a mates google+

Alberto Rdrgz

I got intuos 3 and i love it. It does what it does really well.

disanski

The nibs on the #4 do wear quick but for me it was only at the beginning when the surface of it was new. Now after 1.5 years of use it is king of becoming more smooth and I have been using my last nib for quite some time...
I also use the touch wheel while in PS .. but yeaa it is not worth it if this is why you want it.

Maph

I lurv my Intuos3, but I do like the non gloss/non sticky feel of the Intuos4. But if I had to pick, I'd probably go back to a trusty Intuos3, mainly because I like the grip pen and touch strips better.

Tenchi

Have had my intuos3 for 4yrs and it's still going strong. I have doubts a Intuos4 would feel that much superior, so tbh I would go for that and save a few quid. ...though I'm gonna replace it with that new Cintiq24HD coming out soon (WOOP)

Keg

Might be of some use. Dell has the 8x12 intuos 4 for $80 off

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/products/Laptop_Notebook_Accessories/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=bsd&cs=cabsdt1&sku=A2845108

Jeremy Wright

I have an Intuos 3 and bought my wife an Intuos 4. As far as I can tell, the major difference is the hotkey controls are better on the Intuos 4. My wife hardly ever even uses them.

greevar

r_fletch_r:

Does the label make it feel more like pen & paper or pencil & paper? How strong is the adhesive? Will it hold, but not pull the sheet underneath?

r_fletch_r

greevar wrote: »

r_fletch_r:

Does the label make it feel more like pen & paper or pencil & paper? How strong is the adhesive? Will it hold, but not pull the sheet underneath?

this is actually a friend of mines solution to the slippy feel of the 3. when i tried it it felt more like a pencil, that was with a felt nib. so far as removing them goes i have no idea, i can ask him if your really interested though.

Bigjohn

I really love the Intuos3. I use the 4 at work, and it's pretty good too. Surface does feel better than the 3. But the thing is, the 3 is so reliable, and so cheap now, that it's hard not to recommend. For instance, I got an Intuos3 "used" for $120 about 2 years ago. Reason I put used in quotes is cause I looked at it, and it seemed perfect to me. Couldn't find any wear&tear. Had it for a little over 2 years now and it's 100% perfect. No problems, no USB cable failing, didn't even have to replace the nib once.

And I'm not some neat freak. I drop that thing all the time cause I never pay attention. Once I dropped and stepped on the pen at the same time by accident and it was totally fine. And they call me BigJohn for a reason.

The thing is sturdy. If you can find a used Intuos3 that looks good at a decent price, it's worth it over the 4. Getting an Intuos4 is probably double the price of the 3, which is just not worth it imo.

gsokol

I have a 3x5 Intuos 3 and a Medium Intuos 4.

I've had the Intuos 3 for 5-6 years or so and the only issue I've had with it is that I've managed to wear down a little spot on the surface and tear through the top layer. So my pen catches there now, but I think you can get upper layer replaced...and its after 5 years of use. So I can at least tell you that these things are pretty solid.

Overall though, I prefer my Intuos 4. The surface felt pretty strange to me at first. The three feels nice and slick, and the 4 almost feels like paper. It took a little while to get used to, but I very much prefer that feel now.

Also, having the little led screen next to each button is nice. While I got used to just knowing what button was what on the Intuos 3 its still nice to have. Also, having a 'toggle screen' button to switch between screens is nice.

I might be biased since my Intuos 4 is a step up in size from the 3 as well. I still miss having the touchstrip though, I wish they kept that.

greevar

r_fletch_r wrote: »

this is actually a friend of mines solution to the slippy feel of the 3. when i tried it it felt more like a pencil, that was with a felt nib. so far as removing them goes i have no idea, i can ask him if your really interested though.

Cool, I'd like to know. I've really wanted to get a more pen/pencil and paper feel over the ballpoint on glass feel. The felt tip messes up the pressure sensitivity of my pen and it doesn't really give me the surface control I want. So if this solution works, I'd like to try it myself.

r_fletch_r

greevar wrote: »

Cool, I'd like to know. I've really wanted to get a more pen/pencil and paper feel over the ballpoint on glass feel. The felt tip messes up the pressure sensitivity of my pen and it doesn't really give me the surface control I want. So if this solution works, I'd like to try it myself.

well if you have a wacom pen just run it over a postal label. the only reason he uses an adhesive is because it doesn't slip.

Zipfinator

Intuos 4 plus flex nib is my favorite. I've never tried an intuos 3 though.

Kot_Leopold

Thanks for all the responses guys! Didn't expect to get that many.

I am leaning more towards getting an Intuos4 because I got used to using ExpressKeys on the 12WX. All the brushes, tools and options are within reach of a single button - it is sooo convenient that I almost never use my laptop's keyboard.

Although, I may end up getting Intuos3 Medium along with a large LCD monitor if I can find it cheap. Bigger monitor equals more spacious UI which means I won't have to cram the screen by dragging multiple buttons and shortcuts onto it.

Andreas wrote: »

May I ask why? How much are you selling it for?

I had Intuos3 on my lap at all times while working which was very comfy for me. You could say I got pretty much used to it. Now the Cintiq, while a great piece of hardware, I just don't find it too comfortable to work on for long periods of time. Since I don't like having it on my lap (it's quite heavy), I have to stare down at it and sometimes I find my neck to be hurting. I don't have a good table on which I can work on, so it became a little problem.

I am aiming to sell it for at least $650. I barely used it (less than 2 months) and am very gentle when it comes to handling any type of hardware so it is like new with no scratches or dead pixels whatsoever.

maze

both tablets are awesome I use both daily, not a big difference, I will go with earthquake's advice.

agk3d

Intuous 4 without a doubt!! I was borrowing my mate's 3 and thought it was time to buy a 4. Bought the 4 and was soooo much happier. The scrolling touchpad is like the scroll features of a middle mouse button. Especially in maya it's soo useful!

oXYnary

Im kinda waiting to see with 5 if they will integrate multitouch.

skankerzero

Intuos 4 has a widescreen surface.


I don't know about you but that's a huge + in my book.

Maph

skankerzero: there are Wide versions of the Intuos3. In fact, I'm sporting one of those fancy pants A5 wide black editions.

Alberto Rdrgz

Yeah, Maph's right. i have a wide screen 3 as well.

skankerzero

ooo, mine is 3:4.


I bought mine before widescreen was cool.

Menstruosity

I haven't had as many issues with the nibs, but I definitely am enjoying the buttons and the surface on 4. I DO have an issue with the pc registering it plugged in though but I haven't narrowed it down if it's just the tablet or my pc yet. Rarely happens but worth mentioning.

Fomori

If you have a widescreen get a used Intuos 3 WIDE. If you can't find one get the Intuos 4.

Marine

never use the express keys on my intuos 4, but the touch ring? fucking awesome. brush size, opacity, layers and zoom all a click and a swipe away

yeman

Kot_Leopold wrote: »

I am leaning more towards getting an Intuos4 because I got used to using ExpressKeys on the 12WX. All the brushes, tools and options are within reach of a single button - it is sooo convenient that I almost never use my laptop's keyboard.

How do you stuff all that in a single button?

Autocon

Love the intuous 4 I have at work BUT compared to the intous 3 the pen sucks. The tips on the 4 burn out crazy fast.

arrangemonk

@ broken usb port:

worth its weight in gold!

IchII3D

Intuos3 was great and robust. But I wouldn't go back after buying my Intuos4, it just feels better to draw with and the buttons feel more comfortable and in the places you want them.

Kot_Leopold

yeman wrote: »

How do you stuff all that in a single button?

Took a while to respond, sorry. I am using that Radial Menu and submenus within it.



You can almost have as many submenus as you want.

yeman

It's a marking menu that works on everything... Oh how much I regret for never messed with my ExpKeys. :poly115:

Thanks for the heads up Kot~

Will Faucher

Autocon wrote: »

Love the intuous 4 I have at work BUT compared to the intous 3 the pen sucks. The tips on the 4 burn out crazy fast.

It has to do with the rougher surface of the intuos 4. I personally like the surface much more. Feels like paper.