Tablet in Lidl - Bargain warning

ThOnda

There will be a tablet in Lidl from Monday the 15th. It is almost A4 size. I have bought the same one in Aldi last year with different name, but it is the one.
I have to say that I am very happy with it for it's price. Working correctly for more than one year and in my opinion it is very good value for the money.

Link is here and the price is €50 minus Cent.

quilmore

I have the one that came out last year
it's full A4, you can put an A4 sheet of paper under it's plastic cover and fits perfectly

works well, you need to get rid of your mouse for a while to get used to use it
otherwise it will lay around with very little use
very effective on retouching

CabanSail

How does it compare with a Wacom?

ThOnda

Never tried Wacom. They must be much better (because they are more expensive), and the A5 size is not a disadvantage.

soccerc

CabanSail wrote: »

How does it compare with a Wacom?

I use the Adli version and afaik it's a rebadged Wacom with the part/serial number relating directly to a Wacom pad

ablelocks

what are the benefits of using one of these?

stcstc

i had a cheap one like the lidl one

now i have a A5 wide wacom

and i use it everyday. i must say once you have used the cheap one then use the wacom for a while. the wacom is soooo much nicer.

the trick to it is put the mouse in the drawer and use the tablet for a few days (which will be hell) then you be ok with the tablet

RCNPhotos

STC, what is it about the Wacom that makes it nicer? Just the feel or what?

Cheers.

Setun

I've got a wacom graphire and it's lovely, can't beat it for minute work in photoshop. Drawing is fun with it also. Haven't tried aiptek but by the specs it looks good. 1024 pressure levels and the shortcut keys look good too.

stcstc

more accurate

pen sooo much better, both feel and stable

no batteries in the pen etc

oscarBravo

ablelocks wrote: »

what are the benefits of using one of these?

The position of the pen directly relates to the position of the pointer in your image manipulation software. A mouse has an "acceleration" capability that allows the pointer to move just a little if you move it slowly, and much more if you move it faster - handy for zipping around a user interface, but a bit unpredictable when doing fiddly work with a dodge/burn tool or whatever.

If you move a tablet pen in a perfect circle, it will draw a perfect circle on screen. If you move a mouse in a perfect circle, the on-screen result will depend on how fast you move it.

Also, tablets are pressure-sensitive, which lets you control the magnitude of the effect the tool you're using has by leaning harder on it.

stcstc

i have things like the scrollers on either side of the tablet set up to change the brush size for example in photoshop

this is a real time saver when painting masks or dodging etc

ie with left hand can change the size of brush while holding pen in other hand


i dont find the pen a problem when doing fine stuff either. i have the other scroller set up to zoom the image, so that along with the pen makes it very quick, and actually look a lot more natural

oscarBravo

Some more information on tablets in general.

Burago

Think I'll give this a shot. I use a Wacom in work but don't fancy spending over €300 on one for home too.

stcstc

my a5wide wacom was 265 i think

_Whimsical_

I was just wondering if the size alone of this tablet makes it a better buy than the postcard sized Wacom Bamboo One tablet that's 29 euro on pixmania.com atm ?Does size really matter when it comes to tablets or should brand name be the guiding feature here?

ThOnda

In fairness, I had to get used to use such large tablet. But once you get used to it, it magnificent. And the larger tablet - the better accuracy and precision of your pointing, drawing, selecting,...

slemons

Hi,
Total noob to tablets here so go easy on me

Im looking into using a tablet to keep notes on for my exams coming up soon.
How useful would this tablet be for that?

Im doing physics / applied maths type questions that need a diagram followed by 20 odd lines of equations.

Can i somehow write all this out into photoshop using the lidl tablet and then save it as a jpeg?

Has anyone got any more info on wacom tablets? Esp the one going on pixmania for almost the same price as the lidl? That one would be sweet.

Thanks
John

City-Exile

slemons, I think you're confusing a Tablet PC with a tablet for graphic design.
Correct me if I'm wrong here.

One is a portable device, which gives you all the functionality of a laptop, but with a touch sensitive screen.

The other, is a drawing tool, which attaches to a PC and allows for more accurate curser control, within graphics programs.

Something like the HP Pavilion tx2500z would be more suitable for you.

nilhg

slemons wrote: »

Hi,
Total noob to tablets here so go easy on me

Im looking into using a tablet to keep notes on for my exams coming up soon.
How useful would this tablet be for that?

Im doing physics / applied maths type questions that need a diagram followed by 20 odd lines of equations.

Can i somehow write all this out into photoshop using the lidl tablet and then save it as a jpeg?

Has anyone got any more info on wacom tablets? Esp the one going on pixmania for almost the same price as the lidl? That one would be sweet.

Thanks
John

See here

City-Exile wrote: »

slemons, I think you're confusing a Tablet PC with a tablet for graphic design.
Correct me if I'm wrong here.

One is a portable device, which gives you all the functionality of a laptop, but with a touch sensitive screen.

The other, is a drawing tool, which attaches to a PC and allows for more accurate curser control, within graphics programs.

Something like the HP Pavilion tx2500z would be more suitable for you.

Loads of features built into Vista to integrate graphics tablets into the OS, not just graphics programmes.

City-Exile

nilhg wrote: »

Loads of features built into Vista to integrate graphics tablets into the OS, not just graphics programmes.

So he's going to carry a laptop and a graphics tablet into lectures with him, is he?

Eirebear

City-Exile wrote: »

So he's going to carry a laptop and a graphics tablet into lectures with him, is he?

He wouldnt be the first to take a laptop with him TBH

nilhg

City-Exile wrote: »

So he's going to carry a laptop and a graphics tablet into lectures with him, is he?

He can if he wants, that's entirely up to him, he just asked would it work.

Calina

Microsoft OneNote would be good for that I think. I use it for something similar. If you've a 2007 Office licence, should be with it.

slemons

Thanks guys,
No i dont have any lectures, Its all homework at my pc.
Id like to just be able to write on a PC pad instead of an A4 refill pad and then save it onto a jpeg or something for longterm storage...

Is this possible?
I think i remember lidl had a pad that did this before...
any idea's?

Thanks for the tip on one-note. isnt that a piece of software though?

preilly79

slemons wrote: »

Thanks guys,
No i dont have any lectures, Its all homework at my pc.
Id like to just be able to write on a PC pad instead of an A4 refill pad and then save it onto a jpeg or something for longterm storage...

Is this possible?
I think i remember lidl had a pad that did this before...
any idea's?

Thanks for the tip on one-note. isnt that a piece of software though?

totally possible, and the A4 size means it works well for people who write notes on a4 paper normally.

positivenote

i cant believe the timing of this... only monday gone i ordered a wacom mid bamboo from apple for 199euro... and know this comes to my local eastern european based bargain store. I think im gonna still get this one from lidl to use in work instead of a mouse thus getting used to using the pen and tablet all the time.

oscarBravo

slemons wrote: »

Id like to just be able to write on a PC pad instead of an A4 refill pad and then save it onto a jpeg or something for longterm storage...

Is this possible?
I think i remember lidl had a pad that did this before...
any idea's?

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/2867_4341.htm

Isar

what is a tablet and what do you use it for? is it a thing you carry around to show your images on or something like that? excuse me for not having a clue what it is

Placebo

i personally think that the tablet is more suited for illustration and so forth, for photo retouching a mouse really does suffice, but ofcourse pressure sensitive abilities come in hand for air brushing but apart from that burn/dodge with mouse are good enough.

ThOnda

Everytime you "touch" the image and you are not using only menus for non-destructive processing, the tablet makes it easier. Not to mention that you are holding a pen in your hand and not a mouse - it is more healthy and more natural. :-)

cooligPhoto

ThOnda wrote: »

There will be a tablet in Lidl from Monday the 15th. It is almost A4 size. I have bought the same one in Aldi last year with different name, but it is the one.
I have to say that I am very happy with it for it's price. Working correctly for more than one year and in my opinion it is very good value for the money.

Link is here and the price is €50 minus Cent.

Thanks for the Heads-up Th0nda, I was already drooling over this when I saw it in my email notification from Lidl. Got home last night and my wife asked what I want for Christmas from my mother-in-law. No prizes for guessing what I suggested.

I will be looking forward to Christmas day when I can get my mitts on it

slemons

oscarBravo wrote: »

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/2867_4341.htm

OOh that looks perfect....
Any idea where you could get your hands on one of those nowadays?...

Thanks!

Eppie

This sounds deadly; but does anyone know if it works on Mac?

City-Exile

slemons wrote: »

OOh that looks perfect....
Any idea where you could get your hands on one of those nowadays?...

Aldi might still have them, because, according to this, they were on offer last month.

Thoie

slemons wrote: »

OOh that looks perfect....
Any idea where you could get your hands on one of those nowadays?...

Thanks!

They have one here. I've never used Misco, but I do keep thinking about one of those digitial notepads.

trap4

What about the software that comes with this Aiptek tablet - is it any good? Or would I really need to get Photoshop to take advantage of it? Are there any good freeware alternatives out there?

_Whimsical_

trap4 wrote: »

What about the software that comes with this Aiptek tablet - is it any good? Or would I really need to get Photoshop to take advantage of it? Are there any good freeware alternatives out there?

The Gimp is an opensource Photoshop alternative that is pretty good.You can download it at www.gimp.org.

I think you can find something called Gimpshop online somewhere too that gives Gimp a similar user interface to Photoshop.I haven't tried it but you can google it and see for yourself what it's like.

TPD

Just got the tablet, using it now. So far, I'm pretty happy with it. The pen takes an aaa battery, which tehy supply, and comes with refills for some reason. Its standard is 16:10 but can be set to 4:3 as well. There is a template for the hotkeys, basically a sheet of paper with icons printed on it. Would be very easy to make your own, as each of the 29 hotkeys can be assigned to do anything.

There were 3 in when I got there, I dont know if that was all they had or if there were people there at 8am.

Edit: It takes a bit of getting used to, I'm gonna use it instead of a mouse for a while.

ThOnda

Hide your mouse for few days :-)

I have checked one Lidl in the morning and they had only one left. And it was hidden behind the counter, to prevent people taking it.

faithy

I couldnt get one Sold out. I really should of got up at the crack of dawn. There sold out in Coolock, Finglas, and Thomas street branch. I dont know about the others.

Im actually surprized i didnt think this would be the everyday item someone would buy.

City-Exile

I checked in Bradford store last week, but they had none.
Will try again today, but ask them, instead of wandering around for an hour.

CabanSail

They had 5 at Lucan when I got there at 9.30 this morning. 3 were there when I left at 10.30

Using it now on the Mac. It does take a bit of getting used to.

In LR2, everytime I go to do a crop on an image it goes to 1:1 which is annoying. There must be a setting to stop that.

ThOnda

I got rid of the buttons and use it purely as a pointing device. My life is much easier this way. Those buttons could be annoying sometimes...

Padraig Mor

All gone in Togher, Cork. Bah.

faithy

all gone everywhere now, i just rang i hope they get more in

City-Exile

Padraig Mor wrote: »

All gone in Togher, Cork. Bah.

faithy wrote: »

all gone everywhere now, i just rang i hope they get more in

Ah balls! I had sent out a request to source one in Cork for me.

sineadw

faithy wrote: »

Im actually surprized i didnt think this would be the everyday item someone would buy.

I got one in Aldi last year (still have to use it properly TBH, apart from Illustrator work..) and there was a massive queue outside. Apparently the traders from the markets buy up all the electrical and computing stuff and then sell it on. Or so I was told on the day. I only barely managed to grab one.

trishw78

there was only 3 left in the Inner Ring Road Store in Waterford at 9 this morning. I got mine.

soccerc

Four still on sale in Lidl, Nangor Road as of 15:49, just home from the store;)

positivenote

got mine in clonee store.. they only had one empty box on display and the bloke went to retrieve the item from a store in the back.