If you spend any time retouching photos, then you already know Wacom. If you don't, then you're missing out on one of the best tools for working photos in software - their fantastic tablets.

Wacom's equipment lets you replace your mouse with a stylus and tablet (although there's also a cordless mouse - no batteries needed - as well). Many people find retouching, or even just working on images, easier with a system that replicates the feel of working with pen and paper. If you've ever made a complicated selection with a mouse, you immediately understand how much easier that would be using a pen, mapped to the display. But Wacom didn't simply stop there. They added pressure-sensitivity and a lot of user-programmable features.

The stylus has a two-position rocker switch that can be set (through a Control Panel or Preferences app) to do almost anything. In the past I've always set it to grow and shrink my brushes. The Intuos 3 series of tablets added programmable buttons to the tablet, making it easier to add Control/Alt/Shift/Command/Option or any of Photoshop's commands to them. This helped lessen the number of times you needed to reach for the keyboard while working. Plus, they added a slider pad that let you zoom in and out with a swipe of the finger.

Now Wacom's introduced their latest model, the Intuos 4. In addition to all the usual great features, they've expanded the button options and controls. Most noticeable is the loss of the zoom strip, now replaced with a scroll ring. Using it will remind you of an iPod control, and pushing the center button lets you select one of four functions (that you, of course, choose). There are still loads of buttons as well (eight total) that even have illuminated displays to remind you of what you've set them to. One of my favorites is the new "Radial" menu, which gives me quick access to things like my email client or web browser. And, if you're a lefty, the tablet is reversible - yup, just flip it 180-degreess and go to work.

Wacom's tablets and pens have long been considered the best of a very small group of choices in this category, and this latest addition only makes them that much better.