Graphical Tablet for Remote Collaboration

Question

I find drawing very effective when i need to communicate ideas and explain architecture. However, i find it very unnatural and cumbersome to draw with a mouse on Google Jamboard (the app not the hardware).I was thinking about getting a graphical drawing tablet, but I'm worried it is just a gimmick. And all reviews are from artists anyway.Do you have a similar setup? What combination of hardware and software do you use?

snazz · Accepted Answer

I've been doing something similar with some friends of mine for fun instead of work, but the concepts are the same. I purchased a relatively cheap Wacom knockoff from Amazon and have had very good luck with everything about it, from the pressure-sensitivity to the Linux support.
Depending on the software, the pressure-sensitivity might not work so well, but that shouldn't be an issue for whiteboard-style usage.
My recommendation is that you use a 60% or tenkeyless keyboard so that you can comfortably fit the drawing tablet to the far side of your mouse on the desk and still be able to type. Having a trackball is nice since it means that you don't have to give yourself a large area in which to use the mouse. If you're ambidextrous with the mouse, this won't be an issue.

thanatos519 · Answer

I'm not an artist but tablet displays feel more natural than plain tablets to me. Consider a "convertible" laptop with a built-in Wacom tablet. For example, I recently got a Lenovo Yoga 12 and found it to be super nice for not very much. I don't really need the tablet, but I tested it with The GIMP and it worked great!