I picked up one of the smaller cheaper wacoms about 8 months ago and I have yet to find any problems with it whatsoever. The tip is still in nearly perfect condition, so unless these people are really pressing down hard on the thing I can't see it wearing down too fast. Picked it up for about $100 and now I actually use it for everything on my computer with the exception of gaming.

P.S. For a fun time try playing Counterstirke (or any first person shooter for that matter) with a tablet.