I meant to post on this topic earlier, but since I was having trouble with my yahoo/360° blog, I didn't do it….. so, here it is!
Earlier last month, I celebrated my 27th birthday (on the 9th). Lydia had scheduled a birthday party for me on following Saturday. I got some shirts, candy, beef jerky and money!
I had told Lydia that if I got enough money for my birthday, I wanted to go buy a special item. A new graphic tablet! So, sure enough, I got the right amount of money as gifts! I convinced Sam to take me to Best Buy that evening to buy a Wacom Bamboo Tablet!
It's nice! A lot better than the cheap tablet I had bought several years ago! I have better functionality and control when using it! It's very useful when touching up pictures, drawing, and creating any artwork! In fact, I've already have done some sketching/tracing with it (on my facebook page).
Now why would I, a graphic designer and heavy computer user, rather use a pen in place of a mouse? It's simple! The pen feels more natural, is more precise, and causes less stress on your arm, wrist and hand!
When I first acquired a pen tablet, it took me a while to get used to using it. It was difficult. So I played solitaire! Why solitaire? ……Time for a "Matt Fact":
---A Matt Fact---
According to a 1994 Washington Post article, Microsoft executives wanted Windows Solitaire (a rendering of the game's popular Klondike variant) "to soothe people intimidated by the operating system." Solitaire proved particularly useful in teaching neophytes how to use the mouse. When Microsoft first preloaded solitaire as part of 1990's Windows 3.0, clicking and pointing weren't yet second nature. By dragging and dropping cards, newbies developed the mousing fluency required to use every other Windows program. (The game's pedagogical elements were also a handy cover story. When a Minnesota state legislator got caught playing during a 1995 debate on education funding, she claimed she was merely doing "homework to improve her mouse dexterity.")
--- ---
According to a 1994 Washington Post article, Microsoft executives wanted Windows Solitaire (a rendering of the game's popular Klondike variant) "to soothe people intimidated by the operating system." Solitaire proved particularly useful in teaching neophytes how to use the mouse. When Microsoft first preloaded solitaire as part of 1990's Windows 3.0, clicking and pointing weren't yet second nature. By dragging and dropping cards, newbies developed the mousing fluency required to use every other Windows program. (The game's pedagogical elements were also a handy cover story. When a Minnesota state legislator got caught playing during a 1995 debate on education funding, she claimed she was merely doing "homework to improve her mouse dexterity.")
--- ---
After getting used to how the graphic tablet worked, I was well on my way at using it! I got good enough, that as a graphic designer at work, I used a large one! I was using it everyday!
However, when I was laid off in January, I began to really miss the nice one from work! It was top-of-the-line, and the one I had at home was, like I said before, cheap…. So I was back working with a mouse. Not much fun! And that's why I got the tablet for my birthday!
A special thanks to my relatives and friends who gave me money for my birthday!
~Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment