Tablets: Who uses them, and what model?

I've been using one for designing, mostly in Illustrator. Currently using a Wacom Bamboo 4x6. It was $100 and it's small enough to take with me when I travel.

Using a tablet has made my designing more productive and has a more natural feel compared to using a mouse. Mind you, I still use a mouse once in a while, but as far as I'm concerned, tablets are the way to go.

I even use it more for standard "mousing" tasks than the trackpad on my Powerbook and a mouse. However, I find I'm needing a larger one. I'm obviously going to stick with Wacom, but still tossed between what one I should get.

Sooo, just for curiosity's sake, who uses one, and what model?

Wacom Bamboo 5x8. I personally am still struggling to get a handle on it. It is a bit weird drawing but looking at the monitor. Now if i could have a the Wacom screen tablet all would be well.

The 5x8 has enough real estate for me, but it never hurts to get as big as you can get.

i still use my old wacom 4x6 from almost 8 yrs ago. really great for masking or airbrushing.

I found it soooo easy to use the tablet while looking at the screen.. I think it's the fact that when you move the cursor with the pen, the cursor goes where ever you're pointing at..

I mean that in terms like, if you point the pen in the middle, that's where your cursor goes. If you point it to the corner, it goes there as well.

It took me about a day or 2 to fully get used to it, and now after using it for so long, it just seems like second nature. I found it much easier to conform to using a tablet compared to my Logitech Optical Trackman.

I also found, when masking or brushing, it makes doing a smoother job around curves easier. Let's face it, drawing with a mouse sucks, and is inaccurate.

i am not sure if i could even function as a designer anymore after switching to a tablet almost 7 years ago. i use a wacom intuous 6x9 and it is awesome.

I use an Intuos 3. I have thought about getting a bigger size but am not dying to do so. I am extremely inefficient and use both the mouse and the tablet (not to mention the keyboard). I find it much easier to move stuff around with the mouse and I do a ton of collage but I need the tablet for brushes and masking and vector work. It would be nice if I could dump the mouse but at the end of the day, I am strictly a hobbyist and slicing seconds off my workflow isn't that important to me.

I'd say get the Intuos 3 if you can. They are pricey but it'll last you for a long time.