Genius EasyPen i405: The pen is mightier than the mouse.

Genius never ceases to surprise us with efficient, high-quality products with competitive features and prices. This time we will take a look at a very effective product for lovers of digital imaging, the EasyPen i405.

Introduction

A drawing tablet is becoming every man’s gadget. We believe it’s a fun and useful product both for consumers and professionals. Genius now offers us a tool that lets us digitize our artwork in design programs, the EasyPen i405 graphics tablet.

A graphics tablet is a device that lets you create art and designs by using a pen in place of the usual mouse. This gives artists greater control of their artwork and lets them express their ideas as easily as on paper.

First Look

The modest packaging simply shows the product itself. All you see is the tablet and the pen, which functions as a mouse.

The back of the box shows some of the ways in which the Genius EasyPen i405 graphics tablet can be used, from creating and editing drawings, to editing text, notes, and handwriting by hand. You can even use the tablet in MSN Messenger. There are also lists of the product’s specs and of what Genius includes with it.

Once you open the package, you see that the additional content is limited to a pen with its battery, a Quick User Guide, a CD, and a pair of replacement tips for the pen (something we don’t think will be necessary). We think an accessory for holding the pen would also have been very useful.

Here’s the star of the show, the Genius EasyPen i405 graphics tablet. It looks like a solidly built, high quality unit. The workspace is about 50% of the tablet’s total area, which is a bit more than the size of a DVD movie box.

The tablet’s workspace has a series of ovals that provide a type of margin. Some of them let you access preset functions, such as New, Open, Print, etc. Others let you add and customize the functions that you need.

On the bottom of the tablet are four rubber feet that keep it from slipping when you press on it as you work.

The pen isn’t as well made as the tablet. The silver part is made of somewhat rigid plastic, which looks like it could break easily. The black area is better finished, with better materials. It includes the “Grip”, a rubber covering that keeps it from slipping in your hands. It also includes two buttons, which correspond to the left and right buttons of a mouse.

Specifications

Results

As mentioned earlier, a graphics tablet lets you create, edit, and personalize drawings. To show you, here are some examples from a light overclocking session. (“Ya ganamos!!” means “We won!!”).

Chuck’s energy drink (secret recipe)

Our next president, alias Versork

Conclusions

As with most peripherals, the results of using a graphics tablet are subjective, depending on the user’s tastes. According to our very personal way of evaluating, the Genius EasyPen i405 is an efficient product that definitely does its job. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer anything beyond that. Its one outstanding point is its low price, compared to similar products from other brands.

We’d like to see a larger work area, higher quality finishing on the pen, and additional accessories, such as a box or cover for transport, and a base to hold the pen.

The EasyPen’s sensitivity let you easily create drawings. But it can be a little hard to learn how to use it to navigate on the desktop.

The included software lets you customize the tablet’s functions. It includes a detailed interactive tutorial which helps you get used to the product.

Its cost should generally be around $60-$80. This makes it accessible for lovers of drawing and the digital arts.

The final score is 82.5 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Genius EasyPen i405” our Recommended Award.

Author: Jorge A. Corona

Translator: Ed Winograd