Buying Illustrator CS5 and Wacom Intuos4 PTK640?

I've got a MacBook Pro and have been wanting to buy a tablet and drawing program for a while now because I really think I'd love digital drawing. Or whatever it's called.

I've been told that Illustrator is one of the best drawing programs for Mac, and that the Wacom tablet, particularly that Wacom tablet, is the best tablet for Mac.

However, since I'm about to put 950+ dollars (that are not mine) into this, I'd like some more feedback before I go and get these products. I looked at PhotoShop, but for the moment, I think it's a bit too expensive.

All I really want is a solid drawing program that is capable of producing high-quality digital art, and a tablet that works.

EDIT: A wide array of options on my solid drawing program would be appreciated as well.

The advice you have given so far is the advice i would be inclined to give you. I know from experience that Illustrator is a great program, however i have never used it for drawing using the wacom tablet.

It is definitely worth the investment.

Regarding Photoshop vs. AI. You need to decide based on what you intend to do with the program. You have to remember that PS is essentially rastor based where AI is more inclined to Vectors. If you will be working on print media (magazines, posters, billboards, etc) you need to work in AI as vector art is scalable. If you intend to work primarily with web graphics and photographs, then Photoshop is probably the better choice. Either will give you high quality. They just serve two different purposes.

Alright, thanks. I think I've made my choice. (:

What did you end up choosing?

PhotoShop. I was definitely confused over what Illustrator was for.