No matter how advanced the mouse, it can't replace the accuracy of pen and paper. Graphics Tablets are designed to solve that. Trust's Wireless Design & Work Tablet 400 (£50, inc. VAT) is aimed at those on a budget who want to benefit from the added versatility of a Tablet.
Trust has kept the design of the Work Tablet 400 to a minimum but we found it comfortable to use. However, we were less impressed with the mouse, which felt cheap and didn't include a scroll-wheel. The pen was bigger than the one found on the Wacom Tablet, with the right-click and doubleclick button too high to be really usable.
Trust supplies the device with some basic design applications, but we tested it using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Clipping images in Photoshop proved reliable and the pad's pressure sensitivity offered a fair degree of responsiveness. However, freehand drawing proved more problematic, as we found the cursor would sometimes skip ahead, or fail to register properly.
Anyone hoping to use the Work Tablet 400 for intricate work will be disappointed, and we wouldn't recommend it to graphics professionals. As a cheap Tablet that can perform basic graphics tasks, though, the Trust Wireless Design & Work Tablet 400 is a viable option.
RATING: 6
PRICE: £42/£50 (EX/INC. VAT) REQUIREMENTS: WINDOWS ME/XP/MACINTOSH 9.1 USB 1.1 CONTACT: 0845 609 0036 WWW.TRUST.COM
