The Intuos3
If you can afford it, I’d definitely recommend you get the Intuos3 models. I’ve only had mine for a few days (I used the Graphire™ Tablet 3 x 5 for over five years) but I definitely see the difference. I love that the pressure sensitivity is more intuitive than the Graphire. I also love the fact that it has three (3) extra nibs, one (1) Stroke Nib and one (1) Felt Nib for different feels of the pen.
I’m left-handed, and I like how Wacom added the option to select whether you’re right-handed or left-handed. I also like the palm rest added to the design.
As I continue to use it, I find it a really good addition to my arsenal of hardware. Sketching directly in Painter IX is a breeze once you get the hang of the controls.
The only thing that bothers me is when I boot Painter IX, the eraser nib is sometimes not recognized. I have to reboot the whole system to until it works. I don’t know if its the Windows OS, Painter or the Intuos3. This does not happen though when I use it on Painter IX in OS X.
