I'm not sure about the different packs associated with the Bamboo, but I've heard it's a great tablet-- my sister has one! Haven't used it extensively, but it worked perfectly fine when I tried to muddle around with it. It's really small, but I didn't find it any more difficult to work with than my own larger tablet!
I use a large, A4 Trust tablet myself. It's a cheaper brand than wacom, but it gets the job done (and has lasted 8 years without issue!). I honestly can't say if there's any akin to drawing on paper-- tablets feel very, very different, at least to me. It took an eternity to get used to one!
![Cheesy :D](https://feral-heart.com/smf/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif)
(If it helps, I've an extremely poor pen grip and end up with agonizing cramps after a few minutes of writing/drawing on paper. Haven't experienced any discomfort with tablets-- you don't need to press hard to change the brush dynamics and opacity!)