Wacom Graphire 2
Hi, just installed Windows 8 on a computer using a wacom tablet and it has some serious issues: 1. Whenever I try to drag a desktop window there is a 1-1.5 second delay which is really annoying.
How to share a legacy Wacom Intuos Graphire tablet between a Windows XP and (impossible but true) Windows 7 PC I have a faithful Wacom Intuos Graphire A5 graphics tablet GD-0608-R which I find much easier to use than a mouse most of the time. It was very expensive in its day (£250) and it’s especially useful in Photoshop, Corel Draw and PaintShop Pro as well as routine word processing or emails. The tablet has a traditional serial (COM) port not USB and the tablet’s DB9 plug also connects to a 12V mains adaptor, which is where the tablet gets its power from. The Intuos runs fine in Windows XP 32 bit, but I wanted to share it with a Windows 7 (32 bit) PC as well. That wasn’t as simple as it sounded, but I eventually devised a workaround enabling me to share this Wacom Intuos with a Windows 7 Professional 32 bit PC - something that's supposed to be impossible to do. I found earlier XP drivers did not work in W7 at all.
Wacom EU states (Jan 2012) in the: Tablets with a serial interface like Intuos and Intuos 2 (or even older) are currently supported under all 32 bit Windows operating systems (XP, Vista). The serial port to connect the tablet needs to be directly on the mainboard.
We recommend to use the driver originally delivered with the tablet didn’t work in W7 – AW. The last driver with full serial support is version. The first driver with support for Windows 7 is 6.1.2. Therefore serial tablets are not supported on Windows 7 computers. Oh yes they are – read on – AW. 64 bit operating systems cannot run a serial interface tablet. The usage of a serial-USB adaptor is not supported.
So in several places it’s claimed that this serial tablet could not work in Windows 7. Driver V6.05 was the last version to officially support serial tablets, but the driver was theoretically too old for Windows 7 support.
However I decided to try it anyway. Wacom Intuos Graphire in Windows 7 (32 bit) Where to get this legacy driver? It was not on the US.com website but Wacom EU had posted a deep link in their forum directly to (ta-daa!). In fact all Wacom Windows drivers can be found on or go to the for other files for Mac, etc. The 6.05-7int.exe file is critical if you want to use an old Wacom Intuos in Windows 7 32 bit, so grab it while you can. It was fingers crossed whether this driver would work, or I would be doomed? I downloaded V6.05-7 and found it installed perfectly on Windows 7 Professional (32 bit).
It made all the normal ‘I am installing’ noises and then after a reboot I was relieved to see that it was working properly on my COM port. A new item in Windows Control Panel also pulled up the familiar Wacom applet. Wacom serial tablet control panel applet in Windows 7Very interestingly, Windows 7 also installed extra hardware support which was a very pleasant surprise. For example I could now handwrite text on the graphics tablet for capture by Windows 7 handwriting recognition, which would then enter it directly into a Word text file. A handy new applet opened whenever I wanted to use handwriting. Using V6.05-7 against the odds, Windows 7 had recognised the old serial tablet and automatically installed these extra features perfectly!
Null Modem DB9 Male-Female adaptorThe next problem was how to share the tablet with the Windows XP PC nearby. The obvious way is to use a classic serial data switch to select between the two PC’s serial ports, but (long story short) I also needed a null modem cable to switch over the serial inputs and output lines and then the changeover switch worked perfectly!
An unholy mix of DB9 and DB25 male and female connectors was messy and eventually I swapped the null modem cable for a very cheap DB9 null modem adaptor which eliminated a cable. The serial RS232 changeover switch cost about £10 and the null modem adaptor £1.60 from ebay. The data switch is old 1990s league comms kit but it saves a lot of messing with wires. Here’s a list of the final setup and parts. PC #1 (Windows XP 32 bit) has a DB9 male COM port (A).
PC #2 (Windows 7 Professional 32 bit) has a DB9 male COM port (B). My RS232 Data Switch has 3 x DB25 female ports (IN, OUT A, OUT B). 2 x DB25 male to DB9 female serial leads (1.8 metres) connect PC #1 and PC #2 to the A & B ports of the Data Switch. A classic DB25 male - DB9 male adaptor converts the Data Switch IN port to a DB9 male receptacle.
Last of all, the Wacom tablet’s DB9 female plug connects through a DB9 male-to-female null modem adaptor to the Data Switch DB9 IN male receptacle. The Wacom plugs into the 12V supply as before. Now by selecting A or B on the switch the Wacom tablet can be connected to either PC successfully and it works very well under Windows 7 (32 bit). I have no idea whether the same will hold true under Windows 8 yet but the fact that the serial tablet is perfectly supported in Windows 7 (32 bit) has been a great bonus, and hopefully will last me a good few years. Hi Alan; Great article. I stoped here because I had set myself up to do something similar to your setup.
I was going to use a KVM switch to run both my wip XP computer and my win7 compute. That way I could leave my Wacom 0608 R tablet on the XP system and just switch back and forth between the two units. I had tried all manner of ideas from other owners who got their system to work on a Win7 64 computer. But none of them worked for me. So I deleted evertything from my Win7 system and decided to try VMWare as was suggested in one of the forums. I was not hoping for much but here is what I did. 1 I downloded the latest version of VMWare.
2 loaded into a 40 gig virtual disk. 3 next I connected my serial tablet to a usb to serial adapter and Loaded the USB driver from the disk, plugged in the power connector and plugged in the usb cable.
4 I then put my original Wacom install disk in the Dvd player and called it up inside the virtual disk. NOTE: it is very important that all disk calls are made from within the virtual disk. 5 I installed the Wacom software and Wham my tablet started working. This was so simple. I cannot believe I did not figure this out a couple of weeks earlier.
By the way I absolutely could not get the serial port on the motherboard to work. I might have been because it was a ten pin connector and I had to a add cable and rs232 port.
Wacom Europe has announced the first pen tablet to incorporate wireless technology. The Graphire Bluetooth has an active area of 6x8 inches and is available now priced $249.99 (approx. Bluetooth-enabled devices can communicate at distances of up to 30 meters. It comes bundled with a host of software including Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 and Corel Painter Essentials 2. Wacom Japan announced an A5 Bluetooth pen tablet, called FAVO, at the end of March which was not planned for launch in Europe. Press Release: First Wacom Wireless Pen Tablet For Photo Enthusiasts The New Graphire Bluetooth, with Wacom’s Patented Cordless, Battery-free Pen Technology, Provides Up To 30 Feet of Wireless Freedom Vancouver, WA, April 15, 2005 - ® Technology today announced the newest member of its Graphire® pen tablet family and the first Wacom pen tablet to incorporate Bluetooth® wireless technology. The new model, named Graphire Bluetooth, is expected to be warmly embraced by photo enthusiasts who seek the control and comfort of Wacom’s patented cordless, battery-free pen and the freedom of a wireless device.
Mobile office workers, educators and aspiring digital artists will also appreciate the new device and the ability to work where and when they want. Available immediately, Graphire Bluetooth offers a 6” x 8” active area and is priced at $249.99. “Photo and art enthusiasts are attracted to the intuitive nature and overall artistic experience offered by Graphire Bluetooth,” said Mark Mehall, Senior Product Manager with Wacom. “Combining our pen technology with Bluetooth wireless technology provides photo and digital art enthusiasts the flexibility and freedom to comfortably move about as they edit their digital photos and create digital art.” Cordless and Wireless – A Winning Combination Wacom’s patented cordless, battery-free pen technology works harmoniously with Bluetooth wireless technology to create a leading-edge environment for digital imaging fun. The Wacom pen looks and feels like a regular pen and operates without batteries or cords. Additionally, with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, a Wacom Graphire pen provides a natural and controlled way to retouch and edit digital photos and create original art. A built-in eraser even makes it easy to quickly fix mistakes.
Wacom Graphire 2 Driver
Bluetooth wireless technology is a global communications standard used by millions that allows computers and other devices to communicate reliably and effortlessly over distances of up to 30 feet. The fast and sophisticated method of transmission ensures protection from interference. Remote Power The Graphire Bluetooth tablet features a rechargeable lithium polymer battery that provides up to 25 hours of wireless freedom between charges. A 12-foot cable on the universal power adapter makes it convenient to use the tablet while the battery is charging. Estimated recharge time is 5 to 6 hours. The universal power adapter accepts 110 and 220 volts for use virtually anywhere in the world. More Graphire Bluetooth Features Graphire Bluetooth incorporates two on-tablet programmable buttons called ExpressKeys™ which are designed to optimize workflow by providing quick access to commonly used modifiers, mouse-clicks, and keystrokes.
Graphire Bluetooth users will also appreciate the ability to use their Graphire pen to naturally annotate documents in such programs as Adobe® Acrobat®, Apple® Inkwell™, Microsoft® Office PowerPoint®, OneNote™ or EverNote™ for Windows®. Valuable Software Included Graphire Bluetooth comes with industry-leading software including: Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 2 - to quickly and easily edit digital photos and create original artwork; Painter™ Essentials 2 by Corel® - to create natural media art and organic effects; and Color Efex Pro™ 2 GE by nik multimedia, Inc. to selectively apply photographic enhancements. For more information about Wacom,.