Reddit mentions of Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch Medium Tablet CTH680 (Certified Refurbished)

1. Touch is a gimmick, even after I year I still struggle to lift my pen high enough to leverage rotating, zooming the canvas, it's easier to keep my mouse on the tablet since my other hand is always on the keyboard. I can operate the mouse with the pencil still in my hand to zoom and rotate as needed. I could also assign keyboard shortcuts to do the same operations. One good thing is that touch only works perfectly with Mac OS, if you need a break from the mouse I have found this to be very functional with gestures. Cannot say the same for Windows (even Windows 10)
   
   
2. I hate the pen, the 2 button is terrible no way to tell which button you are pressing, the buttons are also in too close to the tip. I just rotate the buttons out of sight and mind. Good thing you CANNOT USE ANY OTHER PEN on this tablet.. yeah Wacom I love you.... My 1999 Graphire let me use various pens :(.
   
   
3. Good luck on those "software" packages with it. Their registration system was broken and may still be, took 3 weeks for support to get back to me and told me I needed the receipt, gave up after that.
   
   Here is what I'd say, I have another Wacom from 1999, the original Wacom Graphire, still works and has all the same features plus an eraser tip... The surface was replaceable and its worked on every version of Windows and Mac I've even owned.
   
   So go with what iroll20s said, there is nothing new here and hasn't been for a long time, they just keep rebranding this damn thing. I've already lost my USB cable and the surface is getting more and more scratched, and there is no path to fix this. I went through hell finding a USB cord that fits this stupid port.
   
   Here is a Graphire4 for $30 USD... https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000BBE9DM/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used
   
   here is the previous gen, with what I would say is a FAR better pen and still had touch for $100 USD... https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos-Medium-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00MJSAIH6
   
   There are other brands but overall the drawing feel is never been matched compared to Wacom products and don't get me wrong they last and it easy to find nibs and pens. Sp keep that in mind.

I teach math and use a Wacom CTH 680 (slightly older model) for lots of handwritten solutions and notes, etc.

They currently have them refurbished on Amazon, by way of Adorama for $100ish:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MJSAIH6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478816516&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=cth+680&dpPl=1&dpID=316jekSylXL&ref=plSrch

I just recently bought one, myself. I didn't have a big budget, but I knew if I only bought the small ones, my hands would cramp up trying to do precision strokes on a small surface. I got this . Of course, be careful with refurbished products, because sometimes they let duds go by and get resold.

So, my tips: Find something "medium" or larger. Get multi-touch, because you may not use it much, but its nice to rotate a selection with your hands. Make sure the pen that comes with has an "eraser," because it's probably the second best feature of tablet drawing. Get something with at least 4 buttons (I mapped Illustrator's pen, select, and brush to three, and kept undo in its default spot).

Wacom is awesome, but yeah, I haven't a clue about other brands. Just look for feature comparisons. :D

It all depends on your display setup, how much desk space you have, and how much you want to spend.

That being said, I always recommend this one as a catchall for most users: https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos-Medium-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00MJSAIH6