As part of the Apple iPad keynote, the creator of Brushes, an existing iPhone app, showed what he had achieved working with the iPad. Now, lets just stop a minute and think about his appearance at this famous event. His mere presence at this speech indicates that Apple are considering the creative sector of the market for this new device. The iPad has a very nice, full color screen that can easily be turned into something akin to an interactive pen display, such as the Wacom Cintiq models. Will the iPad open the doors to the device becoming the next graphics tablet of choice for designers, digital artists and standard consumers? Perhaps, but there is one big thing standing in it's way.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="http://www.graphicstabletreviews.com/images/B001QHY2V4/" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>The problem is the way that we interface with the iPad. With a traditional graphics tablet, a wireless pen is used to send pressure sensitive strokes direct to the screen, but the iPad has not capability for pressure sensitive touch. Unless a canny manufacturer creates a pen that works with the iPad and also delivers 1024 levels of sensitivity, then it will not be a perfect match. Drawing with your fingers is just horrible on the iPhone and although there are several styluses and pens available (such as the Pogo Stylus), the psudeo-strokes that software like Brushes creates are far from what you can achieve on a Wacom pad.

With wifi and bluetooth connectivity, the device could be paired with your PC or Mac and allow you to draw directly onto the screen, but apps like Brushes will also allow you to draw direct to a multi layer canvas and then upload to the internet after it is finished. We will only be limited by the creativity of the application developers, rather than the iPad hardware and interface.

Another point that needs addressing would be the lack of quick access buttons and "hot keys" that are on most of the pen tablets you can buy today. I can foresee an app for the iPad that floats out a hotkey selection panel that allows you to change layers or drawing tools, all in the excellent Apple style and glitz. The iPad display is certainly large enough to contain an active area for drawing and a smaller toolbar area where colors can be selected or layers adjusted.

There are many ideas that could propel the iPad to become the next graphics tablet, but also a few considerations that will need to be addressed. After all, who would have thought that people would be able to make such amazing images on just the iPhone.

What do you think? Will the iPad become the next graphics tablet? Let us hear your thoughts in the comment box below.

Designed to be smaller and more compact than their hefty cousins, a small graphics tablet will be lighter and more portable but will not let you miss out on any of the features that the larger and more expensive graphics tablets have these days. Since the advent of USB, pen tablets have become much easier to take with you or use in smaller spaces. Gone are the serial cables and power bricks and say hello to sleek, sexy tablets designed to be used in many different ways.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="http://www.graphicstabletreviews.com/images/B000V9NU3E/" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>The king of the mini tablets has to be the Wacom Bamboo Fun. This device, measuring at 19 x 21 cm, covers various ideals. It is designed to be small enough to be portable and used at home by all the family, but also good enough that it can be used by professionals too. Wacom have not missed out any components from this demure tablet, the same wireless pens and quick access keys are present and as with the other products from this manufacturer, they work brilliantly. For home use, this will be perfect for Children or great for adults who might want to edit digital photographs or do some digital scrapbooking. For the office, it can be used to sign documents on screen, make presentations, draw product designs, anything you can think of. Because it is so small, you can just pop it into your bag and take it with you where ever you go. You can read our full Wacom Bamboo Fun review here.

If you want to increase the amount you are prepared to spend, the Wacom Intuos4 also comes in a small version of this best selling, industry leading tablet. The Intuos4 adds greater levels of pressure sensitivity and style along with OLED quick access keys that change depending on the application or program you are using. These tablets are great to use and have recently become wireless too, so no more cables draping all over the place.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="http://www.graphicstabletreviews.com/images/B00190L09U/" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>If you want to look at other manufacturers, the Vistablet Mini is also one of the best selling small graphics tablets. The active area (where you draw) is 3 x 5 inches, making it easy to use in places where space might be an issue. Vistablet claim that this is the "most affordable tablet on the market" and also one of the thinnest.

They have managed to pack a great deal into this product, making it PC and MAC compatible and fully usable with software such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter. It measures 1024 levels of sensitivity from the wireless pen and also lets you flip the pen over to rub out. How cool is that?

Whilst Wacom may be king of the hill when it comes to producing a small graphics tablet for consumers, it pays to check out the competition too. Some people say that tablets from other manufacturers do not work as well as Wacom ones, and I have to admit that I would opt for a Wacom if I was in the market for such a device. If it is going to be used by children, you may need to weigh up cost versus risk of damage. This is probably the same if you are going to be taking the tablet around with you in a laptop bag.

This is a list of the current best selling graphics tablets from Wacom (based on sales data from a number of online retailers). The interesting thing to note is that only one of them is designed to be a more professional model and the rest are for home users.

	1. Wacom Bambo Pen Tablet The sleek, black bamboo tablet has become the staple diet for designers and artists all over the world. This product was the perfect price and the perfect size for people who wanted to get access to a tablet but did not want to dive straight in at the deep end, or risk buying an inferior product from another manufacturer. Read our full review of the Wacom Bamboo Pen Tablet
	2. Wacom Intuos3 6x8 Pen Tablet Out of these 5 products, this is the one that can be considered as more "professional" than the others. The Intuos3 offers a large workspace with a comfortable, lap sized tablet. You get the usual Wacom excellence, with quick access buttons and a 3d mouse to boot! Read our Intuos3 and Intuos4 reviews.
	3. Wacom Silver Bamboo Fun Tablet The cute little baby bamboo is the 3rd best selling Wacom tablet according to the sales figures. It may be small in size and designed for home use, but the Bamboo Fun is fast becoming the favorite product for those who may not use a tablet all the time when using the PC. Great specification, great price - and it's SILVER too! Read why we think this is a great product over at our review page.
	4. Wacom Bamboo Fun The Bamboo fun continues to dominate the top sellers chart, but this model offers more space to draw, a sleeker design and greater control over your pen strokes, thanks to the excellent pen tracking and sensitivity options. I think this is the one I would buy if I was in the market for a new tablet today. Read what we thought in our Wacom Bamboo Fun review.
	5. Wacom Bamboo Pen And Touch Small Wacom decided that as well as letting us use a mouse and a wireless pen on the graphics tablets, that they would also let us use it as a multi touch interface to our computers. The Pen And Touch, doubles as a trackpad for your fingers, letting you pinch, zoom, swipe and scroll around documents, photos and even the internet. Does it work as a product? I like the idea, but Wacom may be trying to hit too many targets with this one, although it is an excellent product. Read our full review of the Bamboo Pen And Touch.