What Is a Computer Graphic Tablet?
Graphic tablets are input devices that provide additional flexibility to computer users. Unlike the mouse or keyboard, the graphic tablet serves a wide range of functions. From artwork to writing, graphic tablets are versatile tools that allow for new types of data entry. Powered by the computer itself, graphic tablets do not require batteries and utilize the most cutting-edge technology.
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Traditional Computer Input Devices
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Until recently, the computer input devices that most computer users made use of were the keyboard and the mouse. Before the mouse was invented in 1966 by Douglas Engelbart, computers existed in a realm beyond the reach of the average person. The mouse allowed users to interact with operating systems that were more visually-oriented and paved the way for the giants in the field: Microsoft Windows and the Mac OS. The keyboard, invented over 100 years ago, allowed people to easily input data into a computer. The functions of both of these devices meet in the graphics tablet.
Components of a Graphics Tablet
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A graphics tablet is a flat device that connects to the computer via a USB cable and port. It has a surface on its face that is sensitive to the manipulations of a stylus. This stylus can be used like a mouse by pressing the tip into the tablet and moving it. In this way, the onscreen mouse cursor will move as well. In certain third-party software applications, the stylus can also be used to draw, paint or write directly.
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How It Works
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The tablet draws its power from the USB port and also sends its information to the computer through this route as well. Before the tablet can be used, the user must install the tablet's driver. Sometimes this driver is stored within the tablet itself. In such a case, the computer will install it automatically. In other cases, the user will have to install the driver with an included CD-ROM. The user then opens a compatible application and brings it to the front. When the stylus is placed against the tablet, radio waves between the two are translated into pen strokes within the program.
Applications
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The graphics tablet is widely used by artists with programs like Adobe Photoshop. Because many graphics tablets are capable of sensing pressure, the stylus becomes an acceptable replacement for an ordinary pen or paint brush. Graphics tablets are also used to capture handwritten signatures for use in documents or emails. Additionally, graphics tablets are popular in areas of the world where east Asian languages are spoken. Graphics tablets are a convenient means of drawing the symbols that make up the writing systems of these languages.
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