your hand/wrist will suffer in the long run, i HAD to buy a tablet because my wrist was in pain, think about it if you use a mouse for a living, tablet saved my wrist

So, we always get a thread like this every few months. And everyone else TELLS everyone else what is THE RIGHT CHOICE.

This about Art and Creativety here folks... there is NO RIGHT ANSWER. You gotta TRY both... not just for a few minutes at a friend's place or a trade show. But try it out of a week or so. Most major electronic and computer stores allow you to return product within a week or so if you are not happy.

The ONLY thing that matters is : does WHATEVER I use make me feel better when I use it or does it feel like it SUCKS to me. The RESULT is affected by how you FEEL and usually has very little to do with WHAT YOU USE.

So - FEELING BETTER ABOUT YOUR TOOLS = BETTER CHOP POTENTIAL

And my experience, and many friends' experiences, are that BOTH a mouse and tablet are handy to have for DIFFERENT jobs. Unless you are planning on doing the exact same type of artwork the rest of your life (and there is NOTHING wrong with that) then having a few 'different' tools in the toolbox is a good idea. Hell, even one of those lame girly-man TrackBalls wouldn't be a bad investment except for its obvious resemblance to squishing an eyeball under the palm of your hand!

In the end, if you can AFFORD something that gives your artistic Self more ways to play, go for it. Try it out. Return it if it sucks, and don't shop anywhere that doesn't have a fair return policy.

The End.

P.S. Do Not Rub Cheese Onto Your Monitor Screen. (I give away TOO much!)