I'm really fascinated by Matte Painting and Manga and want to start digital drawing as a hobby. I also want to try some sculpting using a tablet. My aim is to exploit my creativity that is unfulfilled by the programming I do mainly. It simply does not allow me to express myself and unleash my imaginations. I'm not that bad at doing line-art but I hate to color on paper using pen or pencil.

I've been looking around for tablets, watching reviews and reading specifications. But I really have no idea for what tablet I should go for. The Wacom Bamboo series have awakened my interest because of their relatively low prize and very positive reviews. But I can't even decide which one of the Bamboo's I should take.

The question I'm facing is: what do I need? The Bamboo Splash for instance has a very low prize (79 USD), but its stylus does not allow using the eraser by simply flipping the pen, unlike the stylus of the Bamboo Create. That tablet however is again 200 USD which is really the upper limit of my budget. This might sound like a trivial point, but what are your experiences with tablets and the associated workflow? The Bamboo Create also has a bigger active area that can be used to draw in, but do I really need it? I have certainly no idea.

There is also the Bamboo Manga which has a stylus as the Bamboo Create, but the same "small" active area as the Bamboo Splash. Apart from that, it seems to be very similar to the Bamboo Create. Both also have programmable hotkeys unlike the Bamboo Splash.

It would be nice if you can tell me something about your experience with graphic tablets, maybe give some suggestions. I'd also appreciate to hear something about other than Wacom tablets. The price however must not exceed about 160 EUR (~ 200 USD) and it must not be too big since I have a relatively small desk. Features like programmable hotkeys and the eraser at the other side of the stylus are definetely a plus.

Thank you very much in advance! :)
-Niklas