I've used a stationary mouse and keyboard for years to do my PS work.   Who uses a graphics tablet and how does it compare?   Do you have to print out an image and set it on the tablet or how do you keep your pen/mouse properly aligned on the image, especially is you stop or remove it?   Same as mouse and you work solely on the screen?

I use one ocassionally, the tablet behaves pretty much the same way as a mouse,  it senses it's location within the tablet and the corners of the tablet map to the corners of your monitor, tap the upper right corner of the tablet with the pen and the cursor moves to the upper right corner of your monitor.

the tablet has a transparent cover and I guess you could print an image and slide it underneath but there's no need for it.

The beauty of the graphics tablet is that the pen is pressure sensitive, you can change the intensity of your stroke or the flow of your airbrush by pressing harder against the tablet

If you are serious about retouching and PS'ing... a tablet is a must!

I got my tablet a couple years ago... and I haven't used my mouse since.

the pressure sensitivity is the key feature...   for very very precise moves I still use the mouse...

you don't really want me to get started on why you should get one... cuz I'll go all night. 

and contrary to popluar belief.. all you really need is a 4x5 tablet... you can always zoom in and the 4x5 lets you navigate your entire screne at the flick of your wrist.

Buy one... lock your mouse away for 2 weeks, and you'll never go back.

i have a 6x8 intuous tablet in the box should you want it

i have a 4x6 old-as-hell wacom that (don't laugh) i got in a trade for a handful of Magic: The Gathering cards... we're set to be married this year.

but seriously, i love it. i can't even work in PS with a mouse anymore. it hurts my brain.

Once you've used one, it's indispensible. There are 2 modes for the included pen and mouse: mouse mode and pen mode. You can use either for either input device, but as their names imply, mouse mode (what you're used to) is best for mouse, and pen mode is best for pen.

In pen mode, each point on the tablet is mapped to a pixel on your screen. Tap the upper left corner, and the cursor jumps to the upper left corner. Takes some getting used to, but it's worth it.

It just makes more sense for drawing selection outlines or painting masks to use a tool thaat you're already comfortable with for drawing and painting. There's sort of a "reverse" learning curve: drawing and painting is so much more natural with a stylus than a mouse, that instead of feeling like you've got something new to learn, you feel like you're home again.

Another important point is pressure sensitivity. Change brush size, or opacity on the fly just by varying your pen pressure. Very intuitive, and no wonder that Wacom's main line is called "Intuos".

I prefer a larger tablet. I've had a 4x5, currently use a 6x8, and wish I had desk space and $ for bigger. I use 2 monitors so the new wide-aspect models would suit me better but they weren't yet available when I got mine.

Another bonus to the 6x8 and larger is it makes the included mouse a lot more useful (it's not a traditional mouse, and only works over the active tablet surface). 4x5 is too small a "mouse
pad" for me.

It's nice to have the right tool for the job. I mouse 75% of the time, but for that remaining 25% I wouldn't give up the stylus for anything.

I sport the waccom intuos 3   4x5.  if your into serious graphics Its harder to find reasons NOT to get one.  I use my mouse alot but man, when its time for the pen, the mouse cant equate.

I have a really old Wacom ArtZ 12 X 12 with a serial port cable hookup. You can get drivers free from Wacom for most older tablets, to run Windows XP.
Pen tool is great for PS, much more sensative than working with a mouse.

I'd really like to have a Cintique that you work right on the screen, but that's not in the budget right now.

I use a big Intous 2. I had an older serial Artz tablet and the newer ones are way better.

For those of you who dont know, the slip cover is to place a piece of flat artwork in, to trace from. Since you map the tablet to your monitor, you can get some cool stuff into programs like Painter, or Photoshop quicky. Try it, you might like it.

Chip

I have one, 4x5 I think. I used it for a few months, then went back to the mouse. For the type of PS work I do, mouse is fine and I have less cluter. Just my 2 cents.

I have a Tablet PC (Toshiba), so when I feel the need for a pen, I can do my work on that machine. The advantage is that the changes are made under the pen since the tablet *is* the monitor.

I have a 9x12 intuos tablet and I use it for most of my edits.  To be honest, it took a lot to get used to it, but now I love the accuracy and control I have.  I still use the mosue and keyboard for quick and easy stuff, but when it really matters I use the tablet.  I have fine tuned the controls on the tablet to match my workflow and common needs, so that gives me the needed control to do detailed edits. 

If you have never used one before it will take time to get used to it.  You will need to force yourself to use it for everything, but once you do you will start using it for everything without hesitation.  I recommend getting the largest one that matches your work environment.