EClark1894 - I'm with you on the tablet thing. I bought one a couple years ago as I started doing more and more work in Photoshop and have just never been able to get comfortable with it. I know it is a matter of practice but I just cannot get a "feel" for it - my brain cannot seem to connect what I am doing with my hand way off to the side with what is happening on the screen right in front of me. Bizarrely I actually really enjoy using the very large trackpad on my laptop for modeling, painting even for sculpting (although I've only really just started dabbling in sculpting and am not doing anything more than just roughing up and adding a bit of asymetry to models at this point) - it's kind of like finger-painting. :)

I really want to learn to use the tablet since everyone says you need one, but I cannot find a comfortable place to put it on my desk, cannot comfortably draw even a smooth line with it - I can't even get the settings to the point where I can smoothly sign my name with it. If I can't write with it or sketch with it I certainly can't paint with it.

I would say that you definitely do _not _absolutely need it for modeling if you are already comfortable doing so with the mouse. If you do a lot of painting you should invest the time (but it is not necessary for basic post-work and minor paint-overs); this is my own primary reason for wanting (and thus far failing) to get comfortable with one. For sculpting I can't say as I'm a real newbie in that arena but everyone seems to agree that it is necessary.