I did it

One thing that’s been frustrating me is that ever since I switched over to the Mac I haven’t been able to do anything creative with the computer. ironic, I know. Perhaps sometime I’ll write out my screed about how the mouse is the single shittiest user interface tool that’s ever been foisted upon graphic artists, but for now I’ll just say that on my PC, the Wacom tablet was a serial model and that even with an adapter it wouldn’t work with the OS X Mac. So I’ve been using the Mac for all my technical work, and I’m happy with it and all, but I haven’t been able to do any of the drawing stuff I’ve done on the computer in the past, and part of the point of switching to Mac was to give me a better platform for the creative work.

Yes, I can draw on paper, but I have some methods that go faster on the computer. Call me a cheater if you will, but I’ve been wanting to hammer out a few drawings with the digitizer and i’ve felt pretty stymied about it.

Well, I might not eat for the rest of the week, but I ordered the replacement:

It’s backordered, but I should have it in a week, and it’s over a hundred bucks less than if I walked into CompUSA. It’s actually a slight downgrade from the model I had on the PC… I had the 5 button mouse with my old 6×8 Intuos, but I think I can live with it. The Intuos2 isn’t actually any better than the original Intuos, as far as I can tell.

Nevertheless, I’ll be very pleased to be back in the digitizing camp. Maybe I’ll get some more George Bush drawings out so I can finally get a decent caricature out. More likely I’d really like to get some portraits out of some of the lovely ladies I’ve met online in the last few months.

Of course, then there’s all the software I’ve gotta buy, but I have some old software that works in Classic, and I can use some of the Windows version of things in VirtualPC. The software purchases can come in time. I’d rather have MS-Paint from 1988 and a pen tablet than the newest Photoshop and a rodent.

(Just to give the devil his due, I’m not anti-mouse. It’s good for lots of things. But not anything graphic design oriented, and certainly not for illustration. Drawing with a mouse is like swimming in a wheelchair)