I’ve had this Intuos tablet since 2016. Nearly 3 years passed since then, and there are new drawing tablets in the market. These tablets are surely better ones. They have better sensitivity, options, and plenty have displays readily available on their pads. I find myself wondering: how well has my tablet aged? In this “what’s it like after X” series, I’ll be reviewing my experience with the Intuos Creative Pen and Touch Tablet Model CTH-490.
Brief Overview of the Intuos Tablet
The Intuos tablet is medium sized with a minimalist design. It comes in colours black and blue, and accompanied by an ergonomically-designed pen. The pen it comes along with does its job well, and it can be switched between hands. The nib is replaceable once it’s worn down like other pens. Of course, the whole package comes with three more nibs for the user, a disk for the driver, and the USB connectors. It has a wireless function, so you wouldn’t need about connecting your tablet to the laptop/PC for the entirety of its use.
If you’ve bought the tablet from a store, you can expect that it also comes with a free software for you to start out with! The software may vary depending on your model. For mine, I got the Corel Painter Essentials which is a better alternative to the pre-installed paint program in Windows. If you wish to see the more technical sides and what more you can do with this, you can check this review for reference.
Experience with the Intuos Tablet
For the first weeks, it has been very difficult to adjust with the tablet. I’m not used to drawing with my eyes staring at the monitor while my hands are doing the drawing. It’s very different from, say, using a mouse. Fortunately, my drawing style has become its own during that adjusting period. A few months later, and I’m happily drawing away with my tablet.
My only complaint, until now, is the pen. For the life of me, I just can’t avoid pressing the button on its side whenever I use it. It makes for some frustrating times of accidentally undo-ing my work, or changing from the Brush tool to Colour Selector Tool. Despite the ergonomic design, it seems like you need to correct your posture to avoid pressing the side. It takes me constantly rolling my pen on my hand to avoid pressing the buttons. Regardless, the nib glides smoothly across its surface. It feels a lot like using a Sharpie at times, so it gives a very satisfying feeling.
The free software is limited to the point it’s pointless. It may just be personal preference, but I’ve reverted back to using Paint Tool Sai. The other software in the bundle also happens to have an expiration date, so it’s best to immediately redeem it.
Conclusion
I believe that this model, while outdated in comparison to other tablets, has aged well. It has gone through use of 3 years, and has never shown signs of it wearing down from use. With all of my love-hate experience with the tablet, it still serves its purpose. Its price is relatively cheap, but the quality is top-notch.
For a similar review, check my earlier review of the Acer Nitro 5 Ryzen 7 Gaming Laptop.