I lost the pen to my wacom about a year ago. This was actually a *replacement pen*, and they don't make 'em for my 4x5 'graphire' tablet (the cheapest model, really, and the last compatible with an old mac), anymore. Tablet (with pen): ~$100. Replacement pen: $70.
I was thinking about tossing it when I found the pen last week, in its little pen stand, at home on my table, buried under 2 feet of rubbish. So now I can use it again.
I found the tablet to be most useful as a mouse substitute. I use the pen left-handed, mouse right, and I sometimes get carpal tunnel problems from the mouse especially after binge gaming.
It's also great for making bezier paths, and for spotting photo scans with the clone tool in photoshop (and I suppose, GIMP, though haven't tried it yet). For drawing it's ok, better than a mouse certainly, but not so great. The pressure thing works, sort of, and I might get better at it with a lot of practice. I reckon the intuous line to be considerably better for artsy stuffs, though I've never tried one.
EDITED: 14 Jul 2016 13:34 by DSMITHHFX