Tablet as pointing device

[OldBoy]

Does anyone have any experience using a tablet as an everyday pointing device?
With a wacom intuos 3 (4x6) costing only $200 at amazon, it seems like this might be competitive with some of the trackballs that are discussed on this board.
One might expect that the ergonomics would be better with a tablet for some people.  What observations regarding ergonomics and ease of use have you made?

[microsoft windows]

I'd get a used tablet off Ebay first and give it a test drive to see how they work for you.

[ricercar]

I used a touchscreen Samsung Q1 until I put my elbow down on the LCD, and I used to run a Macintosh with only a Kurta 11x8.5 inch tablet. Point and touch is the wave of the future, but no tablet can never replace keyboard for a game controller.

[HaaTa]

I have both a trackball and a Wacom tablet (4x3, Graphire4 or something).

I liked using the tablet, but I have a bad habit of holding pens and pencils too hard, so it gives me serious hand cramps after a while.
It also requires you to move your hand/arm a lot more (as opposed to a sensitive gaming mouse, or trackball). A tablet also doesn't work for multi monitor setups (well I can think of ways to make it work but they all require me to code a solution).

Well the last two arguments are moot if you turn the tablet to relative tracking mode.
But where's the fun in that.

[elservo]

I ended up selling my Wacom tablet, though I miss it on those occasions when I'm tapping away at Photoshop.  I wouldn't recommend it as a mouse replacement.

[kode]

I tried it out for a while and it was okay, then I went back to using a mouse. I'm in the market for a trackball instead now. My penmanship, or whatever, is horrible anyway, and I never got the wacom to work under GNU, and I'm also using multiple monitors, which makes using a tablet not so pleasant imo.

[Rajagra]

I have both a trackball and a Wacom tablet (4x3, Graphire4 or something).

«snip»

A tablet also doesn't work for multi monitor setups (well I can think of ways to make it work but they all require me to code a solution).

I have the Wacom Intuos Graphire 3. The software does allow you to to change the mapping dynamically. E.g. normally you can have  a short wide strip at the bottom of the tablet mapped to cover the whole area of two screens. But when you go into Photoshop the whole tablet area can map to just the screen where PS is running. It's tricky to work out but it can be done.

Having said that, I could never use the tablet as a general purpose replacement  for a mouse/trackball. It is absolutely a different nature of device.

Maybe a newcomer to computing who used one from the start would be able to use it for everything with no problems. But I'm not even sure that would be wise. Modern mice are damned sophisticated products.

[itlnstln]

I'll agree that a lot of those were pretty uninspiring.  IMO, though, I think "bland" is a good thing, especially at work.  Keeping clutter out of the work area is good for productivity.

[ricercar]

Yeha, I had the app that made my Newton into a trackpad. That was clever, if ultimately useless.

[In Stereo!]

Using a Nintendo DS' stylus on its touch screen as a touchpad via onboard WI-FI. As stupid as it gets.

[In Stereo!]

http://wkjeldsen.dk/rtds/

This is the application I was referring to. Nice job by the author, but downright stupid to actually use it. Maybe the media controls are nice, if you are not willing to buy a USB remote or something.

[YpoCaramel]

Anybody know of an iPod App to use the Touch as a keyboard??

Haven't hurt of touch, I know there are remote programs but not sure how they fare in the pranking application. I've seen the N900 double as a Bluetooth keyboard.

I'm probably going to pick up a HP TM-2t Tablet to replace my netbook if I can get a good summer law job so...

[lowpoly]

I ended up selling my Wacom tablet, though I miss it on those occasions when I'm tapping away at Photoshop.  I wouldn't recommend it as a mouse replacement.

I don't like clicking on a tablet. Double clicks are difficult and right clicks (pen button) are not convenient. An Intuos may have a two way button. I still wouldn't want to use that all the time. YMMV.

[Mr.6502]

I used Wacom tablets as my main pointing device for about 10 years.  I really enjoy using a tablet instead of a mouse.  In the past couple of years both of my tablets have died and I started playing FPS games constantly, so I have switched back to a mouse.  But I'll probably pick up a tablet again soon.

At first it was awkward.  The stylus had 2 buttons on the Wacoms I had.  One was right click and the other was double click.  Eventually that became second nature.  On my home computer I made an upside down cone that I could easily toss the stylus into and pull it out of to make it quick to switch around.  I also started keeping the stylus in my hand, even when typing, and that actually started to ruin my typing habits.  

At work I got into the stranger habit of keeping the stylus on my ear.  I would flick it up behind my ear and I would do a quick nod to make it drop back down into my hand.  I'm not sure when I started doing it but it too became second nature.

I found even a small Wacom (I think I usually used a 3x4) could be a very precise and useful way to control a computer.  I've contemplated a larger tablet but I'm afraid it would increase the amount my hand has to move and make it less comfortable.  

Also, if you play Starcraft, a tablet KICKS ASS.

[Input Nirvana]

Interesting, How about the smallest tablet on a Kinesis Contoured? Mounted in the middle field? Have any thoughts on how that would work? There is a pen + touch Wacom Bamboo available.

[Mr.6502]

Having the tablet on a Kinesis sounds interesting.  I don't think I could get used to using touch on a tablet though, I'd always use a pen so, for me, how comfortable it is to use would come down to how easily and quickly I could put down and pick up the pen.

I started using tablets for Photoshop and then progressed to using them for everything else too before I eventually stopped.  When I was using it for graphics stuff, I would constantly move it around, just like I move paper as I sketch on it.  Even if I had a Kinesis I would probably leave the tablet off to the side for when I need to sketch or do something else that would make me want to move it around.

[Input Nirvana]

Cool.

Thanks for the thoughts. Not using for art/creative though, just as pointing device. Maybe get one used from ebay to try out.