Wacom today announced the Graphire2, a new pen and mouse system designed for USB-based Macs and PCs. The Graphire2 is expected to ship by the end of the month for US$99.99.
The Graphire2 features a new design, balanced weight, and better drivers compared with the original Graphire, which was first introduced in 1999. Both the pen and the mouse work without batteries — the devices utilize the 4 x 5 inch active area of the tablet surface as a workspace. The Graphire2 utilizes electromagnetic resonance to precisely position the tools on the tablet surface.
The multi-button cordless mouse features a resolution of 1015 lines-per-inch and a scrolling wheel. The cordless pen senses 512 levels of pressure, and sports a built-in eraser on the end. The pen also features the DuoSwitch, a double-sided switch that can be programmed with application-specific settings.
Calling the Graphire2’s new design “geometric cool,” Wacom said the new peripheral comes in three semi-translucent colors: Bronze, Steel Blue and Ruby. The Graphire2 ships with Adobe Photoshop 5.0 LE and Corel Painter Classic. The table is 8.2 x 8.4 x 8.4 inches, and weighs less than a pound. System requirements call for a PowerPC-based Mac with Mac OS 8.5, 9 or X, USB port, CD-ROM drive and color display.