Aggressively priced against the monster that is Wacom, Genius have decided to go with a comfortable 4 by 5.5 inch drawing area that will be perfect if you just want to annotate some documents or do a small amount of digital art using the supplied version of Adobe Photoshop CS or Corel Painter IX. The G-Pen graphics tablet also comes with software that allows you to easily sign your documents or emails as well as write directly to applications such as Skype or MSN Messenger.

Our Tests

We found that the tablet installed perfectly on both our PC and also our Macbook without any issues. We recommend that you go and download the latest driver from the Genius website if you are using on a PC. The one that was supplied in the box was pretty out of date and the latest version adds a few extra bells and whistles.

The software supplied with the G-Pen 4500 is pretty much what you would expect from a budget tablet. We installed Corel Painter IX to test the device and had no issues, also the PenSuite software was easy to install and allowed us to write direct into a number of applications such as Microsoft Word.

The cordless pen and mouse both handle well and we had no issues with tracking on the pad. We were able to easily draw and move around the screen and found no dead spots at all. Some complain that the G-Pen 4500 powers off after a short period of time, but we had no problems at all. The pen is comfortable to hold and has the usual 2 buttons that can be used to select different pen types or thicknesses. We had ours set to the eraser and paint brush.

Should I Buy The G-Pen 4500?

If you are looking for a no-frills tablet that delivers a solid result, then any of the range from Genius will be perfect for you. For those of you with kids who might want to venture into making images using a tablet, this model will be a good start. You may want to opt for the slightly larger Genius Mousepen 8x6 model, which will give you a little extra space to work in. And for a slight hike in price, this may be the better option. See our Genius Mousepen 8x6 review for more information.

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Genius 31100025100 G Pen 4500 Digital Tablet W 2 Yr    US $70.68

Genius G Pen 4500 Graphics Tablet 31100025100    US $56.99

GENIUS 31100025100 G Pen 4500 Digital Tablet    US $44.91

Genius G Pen 4500 4 by 55 Inch Tablet with Mouse and P    US $45.59

Genius 31100025100 G Pen 4500 Digital Tablet    US $57.68

GENIUS 31100025100 G PEN 4500 4 BY 55 INCH TABLET WI    US $47.49

NEW Genius G Pen 4500 Graphics Tablet 31100025100    US $46.99

Genius G Pen 4500 Graphics Tablet    US $39.33

Genius 31100025100 G Pen 4500 Digital Tablet    US $44.00

Genius G Pen 4500 Graphics Tablet PenMouse 31100025100    US $36.99

The Pensketch tablet is pretty much as you would expect. A 9 by 12 inch active area is surrounded with a simple grey bezel. There is a line of buttons that can be customized running along the top of the active area, which can get in the way when drawing. Only Wacom have realised that this causes problems and has removed this feature from their range of Intuos tablets. It is often the little things like this that make or break a product.

The tablet connects to the PC or Mac via a standard USB cable and apart from the battery for the pen or wireless mouse, this is all you need to get started. I would recommend that you download the latest drivers from the Genius website as they have recently been updated to work with newer software products such as the Adobe CS4 range.

The Genius Pensketch 9x12 features 1024 levels of sensitivity and comes packaged with a slightly lightweight 3 button cordless pen. Also in the box you will find a CD with drivers and some sample/trial software. The box we had came packaged with the full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 and a trial of Adobe Photoshop CS and Corel Painter IX. Quite a good choice of software really, considering the price point that this item retails at.

As with other Genius graphics tablets, this device has quite a few low reviews if you read through them on Amazon. The unit that we tested did not suffer from any manufacturing defects and worked perfectly when we tested it. We used it to write on some Word documents as well as give our artistic stylings a bash in Photoshop. Some have complained that the pen is not picked up when scanning it above the surface of the tablet but we experienced none of these issues at all.

Overall and to sum up, this is a worthy addition to the Genius range of graphics tablets and it should not be overlooked. Some people prefer to opt for well known makes such as Wacom and the old adage is true; you get what you pay for. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, no frills product, the the Genius Pensketch USB 9x12 is a perfect investment.

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Genius PenSketch 9x12 Stylus Replacement Pen Only    US $25.00

Genius 31100059100 PenSketch 9x12 Cordless Tablet New    US $121.99

Genius 31100059100 PenSketch 9x12 Cordless Tablet    US $136.19

Genius 31100059100 PenSketch 9x12 Cordless Tablet W    US $163.19

Genius PenSketch 9X12 USB With PhotoShop 9x 12 worki    US $128.07

NEW Genius PenSketch 9x12 Graphics Tablet 31100059100    US $125.99

Genius PenSketch 9X12 USB With PhotoShop 9x 12    US $127.85

Genius 31100059100 PenSketch 9x12 Cordless Tablet    US $123.00

Genius PenSketch 9x12 Graphic Tablet For PC Mac PnP    US $50.00

Genius 31100059100 PenSketch 9x12 Cordless Tablet New    US $132.99

The G-Pen M712 is the flagship, top of the range Graphics Tablet in Genius’s product line. It has the largest active drawing area of any of their tablets and also provides some physical buttons and interfaces to be used with your fingers too. It has a high 4000lpi (lines per inch) resolution which is great for working with larger images and will give you better and finer control over the output of the pen. The M712 also has the ability to switch between standard and widescreen sized active working areas, so those of you who are still holding onto that old CRT monitor will be glad.

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Genius G Pen M609 M712 Stylus Replacement Pen Only    US $25.00

Genius M609 M712 Tablet Pen Tips Pen Refills only    US $3.25

Around the inside of the sleek, black bezel you will find 34 fast shortcut keys that give you access to frequently used applications, macros or menu commands. These can all be customized using the software and drivers supplied on CD. The border also contains 2 “rolling pads”, one each for right and left handed users. These pads, when used in conjunction with 5 selector buttons in between will give you access to control things like scrolling, zooming and even adjusting the volume by the use of rotating the rolling pad left or right.

The supplied cordless pen features 2 buttons that allow you to quickly and easily adjust the style of your stroke when writing, annotating, note taking,drawing or painting and also features 1024 levels of sensitivity which will allow you to be very precise with your work. The pen sits neatly in a separate holder when not in use.

As with all of the other graphics tablets supplied via Genius, the M712 is fully plug and play compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista and can be used with the “write anywhere” functions is provides.

Again, Genius have pulled one out of the bag against the likes of Wacom or Vistablet. The G-Pen M712 is an accomplished USB graphics tablet and is worthy of your attention and consideration. Although some people prefer to opt for a more expensive model from a known brand name such as Wacom, Genius are here to tell you that, all things being equal - they are a great alternative.

Around the outside edges of the active area you will find 29 programable hot keys that can be assigned to functions within the application you are working on such as Adobe Photoshop or operating system functions such as accessing the Start menu in Windows Vista or loading applications with 1 click. These hot keys extend the productivity you will enjoy with this G-Pen tablet and make it a serious contender to the Wacom crown.

The USB graphics tablet comes supplied with a cordless pen which does not have an eraser function when you turn it on it’s end. Something that is so useful, once you have got a pen that performs that way, you will never go back. The pen responds to 1024 levels of sensitivity, although trying to create strong, dark lines may prove difficult as many people complain that you have to press too hard. The graphics tablet also comes with a stand or cradle to hold your pen when not in use.

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Genius G PEN F610 Ultra slim graphic tablet Brand New    US $54.99

Genius G PEN F610 Ultra slim graphic tablet    US $83.78

Genius G Pen F610 WS    US $50.00

The Genius F610 graphics tablet is fully plug and play compliant with Windows Vista, and can be used with the generous amount of character recognition and “write anywhere” functions that Vista allows. It comes bundled with a CD of drivers for other legacy operating systems as well as a trial of Ulead Photoimpact. You may want to head straight over to the Adobe website and download a copy of Photoshop though, or try something such as Artrage.

In conclusion, the F610 is a competent entry level USB graphics tablet with some features that Wacom do not provide in their tablets. Although this may be an entry level tablet and cannot compare like for like with the Wacom Intuos or Bamboo range, it holds it’s own and will provide many hours or enjoyment for amateur or professional alike.

The Genius MousePen 8x6 is a USB product designed for both the home and the office. It gives you a spacious 8 by 6 inch active area to work with and also has a series of programable “hot cells” around the edge which allow you to quickly and easily access commonly used functions, menu items or macros. The supplied software comes pre-configured with “Hot Cell” combinations for the common graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop or the supplied 30 day trial of Corel Painter 8.

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KYE 31100001101 GENIUS TABLET MOUSEPEN 8X6 W 2    US $79.31

Genius MousePen 8X6 Graphic Tablet for Home    US $45.00

As with the comparable Wacom graphics tablets, the Genius MousePen 8x6 comes supplied with a cordless pen with 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. When turned on it’s end, the pen also doubles as an eraser, quickly switching to the erase tool in the relevant application. Also provided is a cordless tablet mouse with a 3D scroll wheel which operates in the same way as a normal cordless optical mouse when used in conjunction wit the MousePen tablet.

So if you value price over popular, named brands and a possible perceived benefit of using a more professional product, the Genius MousePen is perfect for you. It is lightweight, compact, has a large active area but only truthfully supports Windows computers. The Genius MousePen 8x6 is a perfect entry level graphics tablet for the whole family whether you are a digital artist or someone who simply wants to try their hand at being creative.