A graphics tablet is an essential piece of kit for any digital artist, but getting your hands on one large enough to feel like you’ve really got enough room to draw can set you back a large wedge of cash. The Nisis Easypen G6 has an area of 9x12-inches. The equivalent tablet from Wacom would set you back around £335.
The tablet isn’t exactly aesthetically pleasing, however, and sitting next to a Wacom you begin to realise why this tablet costs so much less. The quality of engineering on Wacom’s Intuos range is far better than on the Nisis, and the G6’s accessories, namely the pen and mouse, feel cheap and easily breakable. Having to stick a battery in the pen is a bit odd, too.
That said, the Easypen does provide a cheap way to get a large tablet. It’s easy to set up and easy to configure (even if the Control Panel lacks polish). It has a decent amount of sensitivity and you feel in control of your artwork. If you really can’t afford an Intuos and want a tablet that is bigger than say, an A5 Graphire, it’s an avenue worth exploring. If only it was compatible with the Mac as well…