I’ve commented before on how I like graphics tablets, so I’ve been very excited to have the opportunity to give the new Wacom Intuos 4, the latest range of professional tablets.

First impressions are very good. It’s hard to explain exactly what it is, but there’s a feeling that it’s just ‘better’ than the Wacom Bamboo that has sat on my desk for the last year or so. The pen is more comfortable and comes with different nibs for simulating felt tips and other pens if you want.

I’ve got the smallest one in the range; not being a designer I don’t really need the extra space. The other difference is that it doesn’t have the coolest feature of the rest of the range, an OLED display by each as you can see in this picture. The display shows what the buttons do.

This is quite impressive by itself but the really cool thing is that the driver can change the button function depending on what software you’re using, and the display changes as well.

The Touch wheel is present on the small one as well and can be used for scrolling or zooming. The middle is a button that cycles between different modes. The wheel doesn’t actually turn, it’s like the iPod wheel and is very useful.

Pricing information: Intuos4 S: £200, Intuos4 M: £330, Intuos4 L: £430 and Intuos4 XL: £700.