Graphic artists - Best Buy quietly has this on clearance:

[Deja Q]

http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos3-11-Inch-Pen-Tablet/dp/B000BVB2FK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234724436&sr=8-3

$221.99

(Even amazon.com retails it at the same $369 price - for 6x11", this is a good deal.)

[Forkboy]

1. Still too steep for me, but that's a great deal.

Oh, the things I'd do with one of them. People would only see me once a week as I pop up for air. :)

[Deja Q]

2. I hear ya...

It was the only one left, and given it's easier to draw around figures in Photoshop than to use the mouse in unwieldy positions, I opted to bite the bullet and purchase it. As there's no real competition, I don't think prices will improve for some time. :(

I thought about getting two Velociraptors to make a RAID 5 array (bandwidth and data integrity) but Fedora 10 was said not to recognize my mobo's controller, so I'll stick to having numerous archived copies. :(

Oddly enough they're keeping the low end Bamboo product line (also made by the same company as the Intuos3).

The 4x6" model was also clearance ($159 if I recall), but 6x11" is actually usable... usable is good. :D

The 12x19" model I've seen (not at BB, of course) runs for only $750. :hurts:

http://www.wacom.com/intuos/index.php
BB took a big loss, that's all I know...

[crispini]

3. Even the little Bamboo models are good and reasonable.

I'm totally pen-based these days. I do a lot of work in Visio and just prefer it to the mouse.

[Deja Q]

4. Agreed.

For general use, the Bamboo models are quite nice. Extensive photo work, I couldn't do it with the Bamboo. :(