The graphire is kinda a small model, with half the sensitivity of the intuos line. It's got 512 pressure levels, which is the same as pro models just a couple years ago. Most of my artist friends who use wacom tablets prefer the 6x9 and 9x12 because they match the aspect of the monitor, and you can map the corners of your tablet to the corners of the screen, which makes navigation a breeze, and they use the entire tablet. IMO, the only thing the graphire2 is missing is the multibutton stylus, and macro buttons. The size issue is probably something you could work around. My advice: find a friend that qualifies for the Employee Purchase Program pricing (afaik, employees of Wacom and Apple), because they can get you 45% off retail
Oh, to be on topic: Painter AND a graphire for $150? Smashing deal!