Meet Photoshop's best friend.

If you've only been using a mouse with your Mac, it may take a while to get used to a pen and tablet such as the Graphire 6x8 Bluetooth. Fortunately, the Graphire eventually becomes an extension of your own hand; not only is it handy for use with your graphics applications, it's versatile enough to use as a general input device.

Because this Graphire tablet is wireless, you have more flexibility when it comes to moving it to a comfortable position for more precise control over the pen - there's no cable to tether you down. When you use the pen in an application such as Photoshop, you can use the pressure sensitive ability of the Wacom tablet to apply lighter and stronger effects simply by changing the pressure applied by the tip of the pen onto the surface of the tablet. In certain paint applications the Wacom tablet can even sense and interpret the tilt of your pen for special effects. It takes practice to achieve the proper amount of touch, but it's not hard to learn.

The Graphire tablet includes two programmable ExpressKeys for convenient mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts. You also get a two-button mouse that's fully programmable and includes a scroll wheel for easy document and Web page navigation.

Wacom even includes a nice software bundle; you get Adobe Photoshop Elements 3, Corel's Painter Essentials 2, (not the latest versions of Photoshop Elements and Painter Essentials, but still good stuff) and Nik Color Efex Pro 2 GE, a set of image-effects filters you can use with Photoshop Elements (or, if you have it, Photoshop 5.5 or later).

The bottom line. This tetherless tablet is a must-have tool for image editors and graphic artists.

COMPANY: Wacom
CONTACT: 800-922-9348, www.wacom.com
PRICE: $249.95
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.2.8 or later, Bluetooth
Completely wireless. Good software bundle.
Bluetooth only. Pricey.