Wacom's $2,000+ Cintiq (previously talked about here) and the fairly pricey Intuos3 model have lent their coveted technical talents to the development of an awesome and affordable alternative.

Has your inner-artist been craving a digital canvas to draw, paint, edit, and write? Does the amateur in you wish for a professional way to sketch in a new medium or touch up your almost-Ansal photos? For just under $100 you can put Wacom's Bamboo & Bamboo Fun Tablets on your holiday must-haves this season. You can also fulfill the techie dreams of your nieces, nephews, and BFFs. Both PC and Mac compatible, there are 512 levels of pressure sensitivity to more accurately mimic pen-to-paper drawing.

The tablet maps to your screen size regardless of the model. Speaking of which, you have a choice between the small or medium sized tables. We recommend the small size for just about everyone, but if you're a hard core graphic person who needs to work at the pixel-perfect level on large images or you just love using a mouse, go for the medium. Additionally, edit photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements, create artwork with Corel Painter Essentials, and apply photo effects with Nik Color Efex Pro. If you're one of those extra-creative or fashion-savvy individuals, Bamboo Fun is available in a variety of colors.

What do you get?
The Bamboo Fun pen tablet and pen, Bamboo Fun mouse, pen stand, package of 3 replacement pen nibs, USB cable, quick start guide, installation CD with tablet driver and electronic user manual, software DVD that includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Win/4.0 Mac, Corel Painter Essentials 3.0, and Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 GE.

Price: $94.97 for small silver or $178.83 for medium silver at Amazon.

Other models and colors from $57-$180 at Amazon.