I have been using the Wacom Bamboo 4x6 for the last year without problems. I had bought it for 3.5k for basic inking purposes. Uses the same battery less pen and has multiple buttons which can be remapped to custom functions. The only drawback is that the tablet is not transparent (like the graphire and intuos series) so you can't use it as a transparent overlay for sketching (though the pen still works if you keep the paper on the tablet surface, but it may damage the nib). Driver support is good. The intuos and graphire series have different pen nibs/brushes available (at a premium). However the scroll wheel on the Bamboo rocks. I had bought it on the advice of another member here - PiXeLpUsHeR
(then known as Artful Dodger) and I am still obliged to him for recommending me to buy a Wacom over the iBall for the same reasons that you have quoted in this thread. I bet he can address your problem better as he is a graphic designer as well. (PM him)