Tablet PC Technology on a Ramen Budget: The Wacom Pen ...



Tablet PC Technology on a Ramen Budget: The Wacom Pen Tablet Pad

Brian Postek

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

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Figure 1: The author’s Wacom Intuous 3 Graphics Tablet

If you are an educator who uses PowerPoint as a primary method of lecturing you may be aware of a couple of pedagogical points. The first, that PowerPoint does not lend itself well to a “chalk and talk” hybrid method of lecturing, unless one has whiteboard space available to one or both sides of the projector screen or the second point, that a hybrid method of PowerPoint and “chalk and talk” is feasible with Tablet PC technology which allows one to use a stylus to “write” on the screen / PowerPoint slides as the presentation is given.

If one is aware of Tablet PC technology, one is also likely aware that such technology comes with a price. Certainly worth every penny, but in this economy a standalone Tablet PC may be out of reach of many instructors, or departments if integrated tablet technology is not currently fitted on classroom computers. Additionally, there is the task of navigating the mess of adapters and cables in order to connect a personal laptop to a classroom projector (figure 2)… certainly not a feat I’m willing to undertake with 5 minutes until the start of class and I’m overcaffeinated!

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Figure 2: Access to the classroom overhead projector input cable.

As an instructor who was interested in using hybrid lecture methods, but often limited in time to set up for lecture, in classrooms without tablet type computer setups, I searched for a bare bones solution which would allow me to annotate PowerPoint slides with my scribblings, and with minimal time or difficulty in setup. That solution would appear in the form of Wacom’s USB tablet products.

Wacom offers their USB tablets in various sizes and price ranges, with a wide array of pen pressure sensitivities and features. A 5.8 x 3.6 inch work area pad (Bamboo Pen) can be obtained for $69, up to 18.2 x 12 inch work space (Intuous 4 Extra Large) for $789.99 (models, prices, and features from ). Other models offer on screen writing capabilities, though with prices that meet or rival those of tablet PC’s. Depending on one’s technological savvy (or phobia), it is clear that the Wacom pads offer many interactive options, likely aimed at a market of those that work in computer arts and design. As an instructor of chemistry though, where the most complex drawing I may make is along the lines of an organic molecule or a coffee cup calorimeter, my desires for a tablet pad are predominantly that of natural writing feel, and simplicity of set up. The Wacom pad delivers, and I will provide a review of my limited experiences herein.

Pros

As my thoughts on the use of the Wacom pad are overwhelmingly positive, I will begin with them.

Simplicity of Use

The Wacom pad is a USB plug and play piece of hardware. In all of the computers I have used it with in my department (several makes and models; Windows XP and Vista operating systems), all I have had to do is plug it into an available USB port. When plugged in, the pen acts as a mouse when placed over the pad’s work area. When removed from the work area, the conventional mouse plugged into the computer maintains its functions at all times.

In order to use the pad to write on a PowerPoint presentation, I use the hidden functions in the lower left corner of the screen when in a slideshow view (advance forward / backward, cursor options) and select the felt tip pen from the cursor options. The cursor can then be moved around by keeping the pen nib slightly above, and out of contact with, the pad, and annotations made by writing directly on the work pad with the pen.

While there may be more advanced options, or interactive programs that allow for more artistic freedom, the learning curve for such a plug and play method is not at all steep, and can be mastered quickly.

Simplicity of Design and Durability

Seeing as my Wacom pad is department property, I can only relay how I’ve heard stories about Wacom pads being knocked around accidentally (wink wink) in manners that would make a tablet PC laptop owner cringe, or run immediately to the instructional technology department for a checkup.

Due to its simplicity in design, there isn’t much to a Wacom pad that can be damaged through every day bumps or mishaps. There certainly are no hard drives or LCD screens to be damaged. Transport does not require a bulky padded laptop bag unless one is particularly drop prone (in which case any electronics should probably be well insulated!).

A minimal number of durable keys minimize chances of damage in collisions or fluid entry. If one has ever dropped something onto a laptop keyboard, you’ve probably noticed that your keys never quite go back on correctly. Coffee splash on a laptop? Shut it down, get a screwdriver, remove the keyboard, and commence drying, all the while hoping that you didn’t damage the electronics. On a Wacom? Wipe it off with the nearest available student lab report and carry on.

Since the Wacom pad does not contain gadgetry such as hard drives, disk drives, and batteries, the weight is also minimal which may be an important consideration to some.

Cost

Perhaps the most shining feature of the Wacom pad is the cost. Admittedly, my current pad in use was free to borrow as it was preexisting department property. However, prior to my windfall, the price of a new model was easily justified (by myself, a fairly discerning and frugal person when it comes to equipment purchases) and approved for purchase with department funds (by a very generous department chair).

The model that I currently use is an Intuous 3 Graphics Tablet with a 9.5 x 12.5 inch work area. Though it appears that Wacom has now moved onto an Intuous 4 series at their website, the comparable 4 series model Intuous 4 Large with an 8 x 12.8 inch work area has an MSRP of $469. Several comparable previous series models are also available online for the discerning eBay shopper, at much lower prices. While perhaps more a Ramen Instant Lunch price than a Ramen Noodle Soup pack price as the title of this review implied initially, I still feel that the Wacom pad offers substantial savings over a tablet PC for those that are interested in the simple function of annotating PowerPoint presentations with one’s handwritten annotations.

Along with its simple and rugged design, the cost of a Wacom pad is not likely to preclude one from passing it along to a colleague upon request. If a colleague were to ask to share a tablet PC over the course of a semester, I might be a bit concerned. As long as I could get it back at least 5 minutes prior to the start of my lectures, I would not be concerned at all with sharing a Wacom pad.

The Cool Factor (Stylistically and Pedagogically)

OK, an electronic piece of hardware is probably not all that cool. But due to its ease of use, and how often I use it, colleagues that have seen me toting my the Wacom pad around often stop and ask me about what it is and how I use it, and after getting an explanation, leave with an interest in using it themselves. Sometimes that’s enough to make my day.

On a more serious note, while studies have been conducted on the use of tablet technology and its effectiveness, I certainly do not claim to have any such data for this review, and what I say is strictly from personal experience.

I feel that the use of tablet technology bridges a gap between traditional methods and those of using PowerPoint. Each method can be argued to have its advantages (time efficiency, multimedia, tactile vs. visual, etc.) and the use of tablet technology allows some of the better aspects of each method to be combined.

The use of tablet technology also allows one to easily provide electronic forms of lecture notes to a class, either in the form of annotated PowerPoint presentations, stand alone PowerPoint files that contain only blank slides that are written upon, or in the form of drawings such as those that can be made in Microsoft Paint type programs (in keeping with a theme of simplicity; I do not mean to preclude the artistically inclined or talented, of which I am neither).

In the classroom, the use of the Wacom pad allows me to face my students (for the most part, as some time is spent looking at a computer screen) as opposed to spending much of the time facing a whiteboard with my back turned to them, when giving a chalk and talk type lecture. The small amount more that I can be personal with my students often seems to go a long way.

Cons

While my thoughts toward the Wacom pad are mostly positive, it is not an instrument without some minor quibbles.

Footprint

While I am glad to have the large work area (of which I will follow up on in a Limitations of the Review section), it makes for an overall large instrument. The overall dimensions of the Wacom pad in my possession is 13 x 17 inches (by a negligible thickness; perhaps 0.625 inches). Unfortunately, I’ve found that it is slightly too large to fit into a standard laptop case for travel outside of the department. Additionally, some computer podiums are tight on space, and strategically placing a keyboard, lecture materials, requisite cup of coffee, and Wacom pad can be a bit tricky. Manageable, but tricky.

Lack of Wireless Capability

For the instructor seeking complete freedom of motion, the Wacom pad will not allow for it, seeing that it is a corded USB interface device (all models as far as I’ve seen), unlike eInstruction’s Interwrite Pad which features Bluetooth and wireless operation. For the instructor seeking complete freedom of motion, the Interwrite Pad is a viable option, though one that I dismissed due to an unnatural writing feel.

Lack of On Screen Writing

Without a doubt, true tablet PC technology is superior with the option that one can write directly on screen and having annotations appear as in natural writing, directly under the point of the stylus. In the case of the Wacom pad though, one must develop the skill of using the provided pen as both a mouse and pen, while maintaining a feeling of where the work pad area is. Again though, with practice, the ability to operate the pad as such should come easily and feel fairly natural.

I will note that the Wacom work pad area is much like a mouse (in a positive sense) in that no matter the size of the computer screen, the pen never has to leave the work pad area to keep the cursor on screen.

Limitations to the Review

As noted previously, the Wacom tablet pads come in various sizes, from small to large. My experience has been on a pad with a larger work area, so I may not speak of the abilities of the pads with the smaller work areas. Given my satisfaction with the product though, I would certainly try one out.

To anyone that has more experience with Wacom products, I can’t say that I do any additional features available justice seeing, as I’ve only used the pad for its most basic functions. When I come across some spare time, I look forward to seeing what other features are available.

Finally, I am a Windows user. While Wacom pads are Mac compatible, I unfortunately have no experience with, or input on, their partnered use.

Conclusion

If one is looking for a relatively inexpensive way to annotate PowerPoint presentations in a manner that would make NFL commentator John Madden proud, the Wacom pad may be for you.

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