Upgrade from Bamboo Pen tablet?

My daughter has received a Bamboo Pen tablet -- bottom of the line, 99 bucks or so -- and so far I've been using it on my MacBook to mark papers (I'm a HS teacher): kids email their assignments in Word, I export to PDF then use Skim to write in my comments.

Methinks that, since I haven't used the mouse in a while, I might as well do my PP (LR, PS original CS) with a tablet. But I kind of would like to have more real estate.

What's a good upgrade that won't break the bank? I'm far from a professional designer/Photoshop guru...

Perhaps stay with Wacom and go for an Intuos5 Medium? Should run ~US$325 or so.

The Intuos 5 is awesome!

Well, Wacom is the only company that makes passive tablets, meaning the pen doesn't need a AAA to run it. They definitely have a good grip on the tablet market, because their stuff is made to last forever and has the best software integration, but there's no reason not to use other brands.

Here's an off-brand that's only $133: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …t_M14_Media_Gra​phics.html ... seems legit.

But, if you're of the "buy once; buy quality" mindset, the intuos 5 medium or 4 medium are the best buy. The only difference between the i4 and i5 is the button layout and the i5 is also touch-sensitive, so if you can find a good price on an intuos 4, don't hesitate.

IMO the ONLY upgrade worth even considering is one of the Intuos line models. Wacom IS the standard.

Well, Ben, I never said I was unhappy with Wacom... Just need more real estate.
With regards to your signature, I tend to say "Teach a man to use the Internet and he'll bother you with pictures of cats for a lifetime"

Thanks, folks, for the input. I'll start shopping for a deal.

Watch eBay and the Classifieds section here as Im sure there are some deals and good pricing to be had on the Intuos4 models now that the 5's are out.

Using the Intuos5 Medium here and it has completely changed the speed of my work flow, good stuff!

butterfly2937 wrote in post #15663243
The Intuos 5 is awesome!

+1 on Intuos 5 and +1 on medium. It's all you will need.