Okay a tablet is like a special mousepad that you use with a stylus (ie pen like object) to make for better precision when painting on a computer.  its like working with a pen and paper tablet, except your image appears on the computer, not the tablet.  As for brushes, in paint shop pro or adobe photoshop, there are different "paintbrushes" that give different looks.  There are a lot of free brushes out there for these programs that help simulate hair.

Hope this helps.