Genius G-Pen M712 review

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Verdict:

Is bigger better? Great value, despite a slightly clunky stylus.

Review Date: 11 Dec 2008

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Reviewed By: Chris Lee

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

The Genius G-Pen M712 is twice as big as the Wacom Bamboo Fun: its active area is about A4, though longer and thinner, to match widescreen displays.

Yet it's also cheaper and claims better specifications. On the other hand, it's undeniably less attractive: the G-Pen comes in any colour you like as long as it's black, and the cumbersome slab can't match the comfort of the Bamboo when cradled on your forearm or held on your lap. It's better suited to sitting at your desk doing something boring but important.

However, its size is very impressive for such an affordable tablet, and we found tweaking photos just as precise as with the Bamboo. The G-Pen has a higher resolution of 4000 lines per inch, and 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, double the range of the Bamboo Fun. However, the Genius stylus, which takes a single AAA battery, is a bit more cumbersome than the Wacom, and you don't quite get the same tactile feedback from the overly smooth tablet surface. The tablet can be switched between standard and widescreen modes, to match either traditional 4:3 or modern widescreen monitors, and with the extra width activated it feels humongous.

At under £90, the G-Pen M712 is a heck of a lot of graphics tablet for your money, and there's nothing cut-down about its specs. The clunky stylus can't compete with the batteryless model supplied with the Bamboo, but the Genius is nevertheless very usable, and with no less than 34 shortcut keys arrayed around its frame, it'll satisfy hardened Photoshop monkeys as well as dabblers.

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